Trust and believe me, there are times when you will end up sitting in your loctician’s chair for 8 hours. It will be an all-day appointment if you are getting a full head of new dreadlocks and your hair is down to your waist, or you are getting extensions. Here is how to come prepared, even if you do not expect it to take that long, to survive the process.
Always wash your hair or dreadlocks a day or two before your appointment. See to that, that your hair is dried and cleaned. Wet hair is delicate and we do not want to cause breakage in the locs or at the roots. Clean hair locks up faster whereas, oily hair will make the hair slippery and harder to work with, wrecking some of the hard work going into your hair.
Bring snacks or lunch and a drink if you expect a long day. You do not want to end up hangry with yourself or your loctician. You will be glad you brought in food when the hunger pangs strike, I need my caffeine and water too. I will always provide water and a snack but fair warning, it is vegan.
Bring a phone charger! I have several clients who drive two and three hours to see me and I drive three and a half to see my loctician. Sometimes you are on YouTube or Netflix watching a documentary half the day and boom your battery is almost dead by the time you are leaving. I do not want any of my people getting stranded without a cell phone on the way home.
If you like to read, bring a book. I am a total bookworm, too. While I do like to think I have mad conversation skills, sometimes, the convo lags or we fall into peaceful silence for a bit and it is a great time to get in a few chapters. I usually end up singing to my playlist, if that happens so bring earplugs too, lol.
If you are tender-headed or have a situation that will must some ripping apart, you might want to bring a Midol or ibuprofen. It is awful when my clients are in pain. I keep proceeding with the process, but I feel terrible. I will always offer Reiki energy to help if someone is hurting, but not everyone is comfortable with that and that is ok too! Speaking of tender heads- if you are a female and still have your monthly flowering, consider scheduling after your period. Women are usually more sensitive to pain the week before and during their period. I wish I would have known this when I was younger!
Let me know ahead of time if you are likely to be squirmy or having a rough day. I can tailor my diffuser recipes to help soothe any issues you might be experiencing. If you are experiencing back or body pain you might bring a pillow for comfort. I have a few, all are welcome to luxuriate them but some people prefer their own favorites.
If you have extension hair and you did not leave it with me, consider bringing a bit with me, even for a maintenance appointment. You do not always know if you need to combine thinning locs, replace a worn-out or installed extension, or need a little extra hair to seal in a lump. I have several colors on hand for repairs but if you already have your perfect match, bring it along.
If you have products you want to use (tightening spray or gels from Dolly Locks, conditioning spray, etc) bring ‘em by. I have Dolly Locks’ Nag Champa tightening spray and conditioning spray on hand, but it is a very rich velvety scent not to everyone’s liking. If you have products you want me to look at and give my two cents on, bring ‘em alongside. If you are unsure how to apply the products you already have, bring them and I will show you how.
Bring your questions! Make a list if you have a lot of them so you do not forget. I want my clients to be educated, confident, empowered to care for their dreadlocks. There are no dumb questions, I promise.