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How To Stop Faux Locs From Itching?

Premium Faux Locs in color 99j and color 4 bohemian style locs
Image features Premium Locs Small Texture in color 99j and color 4 with human curls at the ends of each loc.

It all starts with a little tingle. Then a light itch or two. You keep going about your day, then BOOM. The itchiness rapidly increases. Now you feel your hair is on fire and you want your money back from that “darn hairstylist” and then you start dialing the hairstylist right away or make emergency phone calls to your girlfriends. I get it, trust me we have all been there.

faux locs in color 1b

There are stylists that will ask clients about their scalp and if they are allergic to anything synthetic that they know of. The stylist might even go an extra mile in asking if you are prone to having an itchy scalp so that he/she can wash the alkaline out of the braiding hair that most manufacturers produce today.

And just so you are aware, the alkaline base is meant to keep the synthetic hair from not sticking onto each other, but it also makes it resistant to heat–it basically keeps the hair intact for purchase. This is all ‘nice and dandy’ until you are like seeing red scabs and flakes from extreme itchiness. I would go off on how it is unethical for a hairstylist to not ask or educate a client about their scalp, but instead, I’ll be letting you know that the itchiness from Faux Locs can be fixed! So no, you don’t need to take down your Locs.

Let me disclose that even though your synthetic hair is washed in Apple cider vinegar prior to installation, you might be simply experiencing normal itchiness that might stem from your scalp is dry, in which case you need to moisturize it. Or you might be due for a wash.

You can stop your faux locs from itching your scalp by following these 4 steps carefully

Step 1: Grab a Spray bottle

Step 2: A bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) with the Mother in it.

Step 3: Any of the two anti-fungal/anti-inflammatory essential oils below:

Peppermint oil: The anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties in this oil soothe itchy scalp and brings dandruff to a very bare minimum and defends against head lice. Peppermint oil causes a tingle-like and cold feeling on the scalp.  This increases circulation on the scalp and promotes hair growth!

  • Peppermint oil causes a tingle-like and cold feeling on the scalp.  This increases circulation on the scalp and promotes hair growth!

Tea tree oil: Tea tree oil has anti-fungal and antimicrobial properties, which makes it effective for treating dandruff, itchiness, and flaky scalp. If you do not like the tingle feeling peppermint oil has, you may opt for Tea tree oil.

  • This oil not only moisturizes the scalp, but also controls excess oil production that prevent hair follicles from hair growth.

Step 4:  A Measuring Cup & ANY Distilled Water. i.e: Poland Spring. I highly recommend using distilled water but, if you do not have it readily available, click on this link to find out how to DIY distill water. If you are simply not in the mood, just use warm tap water.

The Mixture that helps stop your faux locs from itching

  • In the spray bottle, mix 2 table spoons of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 teaspoon of any of the two essential oils and ¼ cup of water
  • Shake together and spray into all areas of scalp and use your finger tips to massage them in thoroughly. Do this as many times as you get itchiness. From my experience of wearing Faux locs with synthetic hair, I had to do this process 2-4 times a week for the first 2 weeks of wearing them. As time went on the itchiness stopped and I only ended doing this from once a week to once every two weeks. It varies person to person. See what works for you and treat your scalp accordingly.

What’s the difference between Goddess Locs and Bohemian Locs?

Bohemian (BOHO Locs) and Goddess Locs are the most common variations of Faux Locs. “Faux” literally means “made in imitation” or “artificial”.

Place the two together and it’s common sense what a Faux Loc is. You might hear people say “Goddess Locs”, “Crotchet Locs”,  “Mermaid Locs”, “Soft Locs”, “Boho or Bohemian Locs”. The only difference between each type are the techniques. Find out the technique and hair used for the Soft Locs here. They all fall under the Faux Loc category.  Faux Locs are typically done with Marley/Synthetic hair or Bohemian Human hair, and are hand wrapped. Crotchet Locs are pre-made Faux Locs with a loop at the top for installation purposes. Some Crotchet Locs are re-usable, depending on the kind you purchase. 

The photo below are my Bob Length Bohemian Locs.

They were light weight and flexible. I wore them for about 3 months and re-wrapped the roots of my hair when my natural hair started to grow at the roots. Click here to book yours today. The hair used for the Bob Faux Locs is included in the price!

Notice that each Faux Loc is rough textured and, as a whole, has a free-flowing vibe to it. Bohemian Locs tend to look that way and typically have a messy, non-uniformed look. I was about two months into having installed my Bob Bohemian Locs in the photo above. Keep in mind that Bohemian Locs might look just as rough, as mines, on the first day of installation as oppose to Goddess Locs.

Goddess Locs ALWAYS have wavy hair at the end of every Faux Loc.

Remember, the terms are interchangeable 🙂

As shown in the photo above, the Goddess Locs are a bit neater than my bob Boho Locs.The Goddess Locs has a slight texture to them. Don’t worry about the texture though. What makes a Goddess Loc is the wavy hair present at the end of every Faux Loc. I do not like making Faux Locs “smooth” and “shiny” looking. The texture adds character to each Loc. 

*When I say “Faux Loc”, “Locs” or “Loc”, I mean the same thing. 🙂

Goddess Faux Locs might even look like these.

Remember the “smooth” and “shiny Locs?  Look at the photos above. Yeah. They have absolutely NO texture. Some people just prefer Goddess Locs to look like that. No judgement here but, it’s just not my preference. Notice there is wavy hair at the end of each Goddess Loc. By the absent of texture, I mean that each Faux Loc is wrapped using a technique that permits it to appear neat. They do not look rough or messy.

The hair at the ends of Goddess Locs are known for being wavy or loose-curled; hence the root name, “Goddess”. The idea is to bring out your inner Goddess through the expression of this hairstyle. Haha. This is why it is called “Goddess Locs”. Sometimes there is wavy hair sticking out half way through the Locs, other times the wavy hair is just at the ends.

Bohemian Faux Locs: Are wavy ends involved?

It always depends on what the client decides book for. Bohemian Locs are identified by the free-styled messy appearance. Boho Locs are an art and with that being said, there is absolutely no limits on where to position the wavy or curly hair.

Below are some more example of some Bohemian Locs I did with either wavy or curly hair at the ends. There are two pictures with little to no hair at all at the end of each Faux Loc.

Similar to the Goddess Locs, Boho Locs may have waves or curls hanging out of each Loc. The uniformed length of Goddess Locs is a distinct feature that differentiates it from Bohemian Locs.  Bohemian Locs may be random in length.Towards the front of Boho Locs, there is a tendency, or lack thereof depending on your taste, for one or two Boho Locs to be much shorter in length, adding accent to the entire style as a whole.
 
Distinguishing Faux Locs without curly ends may often cause confusion. People often refer to the photo below as “regular” Faux Locs because the “smooth” appearance is how Faux Locs originated. This all happened before different variations came to be. Notice the Faux Locs are without curly hair sticking out mid-way down. There are no curly or wavy hair at ends like the Bohemian Faux Locs (or Boho Locs). All Faux Locs done by hand-wrapping method are designed to be worn for 3 months with proper care and maintenance. The variation of Faux Locs does not make Loc style better than another. It is all about preference!

Looking for a Faux Locs Hair Stylist Near You?

Stylesbyprin, located in the Philadelphia area, is dedicated to providing light-weight and flexible Faux Locs to clients in Northeast Philadelphia, and clients located in surrounding areas, such as Trevose, PA; Levittown, PA; Cherry Hill, NJ; Bensalem, PA, and Bristol, PA. You can book a Faux Locs by clicking the link here or simply call us at 215-436-9653