Hello there!
While we may or may not agree with different companies, there is one fact here:
You absolutely do not need wax to start your locks.
Wax has its pros and cons, and some people use it successfully and really like it. However, at dreadlockinfo we discourage using wax for these reasons:
1- It is unnecessary. Your hair will lock with time and patience.
2- It is easy to overuse. You might use too much and make a mess in your hair.
3- It is difficult to remove. While many waxes claim to be designed to wash out of the hair, wax itself is not water or soap soluble. Sometimes it has to be melted out, and oftentimes, it remains in the cores of your locks until your brush them out. By the way, brushing out locks with a buildup can be a lot more difficult than brushing out product-free locks.
4- It does not speed up the locking process. It can make your locks look tidier in the meantime, but it will not speed or slow locking significantly.
That is our general opinion on this blog, but locks and their care are a personal choice that should be made by you!! 🙂
Sometimes buying a lock-starting kit looks easier- hey, lock shampoo and a crochet hook and stuff all in one place, right?
Well, you don’t actually *need* special shampoo for your locks, either! People use Head&Shoulders, Pantene, Herbal Essences, V05, Suave, and many other storebought major brands and use them with no problem. They’re cheap and effectively clean your hair.
You don’t even need to worry about getting a residue free shampoo, either- with a 10-15 minute rinse at the end of EVERY washing (from all angles of your head), you will remove almost all the soap product in your hair anyway!
Rinsing, in my opinion, is the biggest key in preventing buildup in your locks.
If someone really wants to buy a locking starter kit, we aren’t here to tell them that they shouldn’t. Lock starter kits also aren’t really designed for folks with coily or kinky or afro textured hair, either- those hair textures require slightly different starting methods than straighter hair textures.
However, buying all the parts separately and skipping wax is a fine route as well.
Just remember that people who have something to sell want you to buy it! Fast food chains make their food tasty because it’s what we like! Companies that make lock starter kits make it appealing because they’d love you to buy it. There’s nothing wrong if you want to use a starter kit and it makes you feel comfortable, but there’s also no need to buy one if you want nice locks. 🙂 You will probably get them either way.
I hope this answers your question.
-JR
dlibackup 