Recovering from illness is a journey. Illnesses like depression, lupus, and many more can take everything out of you. This includes taking your strength and/or willpower for self care. The impact of this is that you can end up with matted locs that make you feel embarrassed or negatively about yourself. However, it is possible to rejuvenate matted locs.
Congratulations for reaching a point in your healing journey where you feel ready and able to take care of yourself in this way. Perhaps you read this and you feel you are not ready. That’s okay too! Just bookmark it for another day.
Rejuvenating matted locs caused by illness or general forgetfulness/ignorance on locs care is the same. Thus, if you have matted locs, read on whether you are recovering from an illness or not. This article just includes some tips for those recovering from illness.
Depression Impacts on Self Care
While the title of this article references rejuvenating locs after illness, I’m going to specifically call out depression in this section.
That is due to the fact there is a false stigma that depression isn’t an even a illness. Moreover, many don’t even realize that difficulties they are having are due to depression and not laziness.
Whether you suffer from acute or chronic depression, the impacts can be far reaching. This includes how you see yourself and the ability to care for yourself – including your locs.
Some people have difficulty with everyday tasks. Those dealing with depression may find it difficult to maintain their locs. It can be a vicious cycle where inability to take care of yourself makes you feel worse. If this rings true to you and you don’t consider yourself depressed, then reach out to a doctor. While it may not seem like it now, things can change for the better.
Months or Even Years Without a Retwist?
Without maintaining your locs, at some point they become tangled at the root and maybe even matted. Your locs may then take the appearance of freeform locs with congos. To be clear, I’m not saying freeform locs are negative. However, intention is a very important part of feeling confident. And if you don’t intend to have freeform locs, it can be distressing.
Furthermore, freeform locs still require some care that may be missing when those who are depressed are unable to care for their locs. This can include:
- removing lint from locs
- Washing and deep clarifying locs
- Styling hair
Can You Repair Severely Matted Locs?
The big question many have is can it be repaired? The thought of that question alone can sow despair and anxiety. However, it is often possible to repair matted locs. If it gets to a state where it seems overwhelming to fix, then it often is time to go to a loctician. They can properly clarify your hair, separate combined locs, and redefine your grid pattern. If money or trust is an issue, you can try relying on a trusted friend/family member. However, I’d still at least recommend reaching out to a loctician for a consultation and payment options.
Should You Repair It?
Knowing that you can replenish your locs to their former standing can be comforting. Strangely, another question is should you?
Of course, cleaning your locs is a definite. But out of something painful like depression or other illness can come a love for a new type of style.
Outside of rejuvenating your locs to their former standing, you may decide to keep your newly formed locs as freeform or semi freeform locs.
Another option is restarting or ending your locs journey entirely. Many people find their hair as symbolic of their life stage. Starting a new hairstyle can help signal a new you or just mark a fresh restart in your life. Other people have a spiritual connection with their locs/hair. Holding onto locs from a depressive period can feel akin to holding on to negative energy.
All of the options can feel overwhelming. Particularly after dealing with something like an illness.
What I would recommend is to remember that regardless of each option, you’ll be okay.
After that, remember the fundamentals of why you started locs. Does that still ring true for you? Then think about what you like/dislike about your current set.
If you are still uncertain about cutting your locs you can move forward with separating them. At that point, you can see how you feel about your locs then.
On the other hand, you can cut your locs off entirely and still have options! If you do go that route, you just need to either save your locs or be okay loc extensions.
Separating Matted Locs – Loctician
So what if you decide you want to rejuvenate your matted locs – what then? My recommendation would be to reach out to a loctician. It can be very stressful reaching out to one when your hair isn’t where you want it to be. Perhaps you feel embarrassed or upset with yourself that you “let your hair get to this state.” And you wonder, “what will the loctician think of me?”
First off, remember to try and be kind with yourself. I know it is easier said than done of course. But let me serve as a reminder that you’ve gone through something difficult and it’s amazing to be at a point where you feel ready to even think of tackling this.
Then remember that any loctician worth their pay will be there with kindness to help you. Of course, finding a loctician who is worth it can be difficult. What I would recommend is reading about tips on finding a reputable loctician.
If you’re feeling nervous about reaching out, here are some tips below on a script.
“Hi, I’m looking to schedule an appointment for fixing my matted locs. It’s been about x months/years* since I’ve last had a retwist due to health issues. Is this something you have availability to do? If so, can I send pictures to get a quote or an idea to see if you can work with my locs?”
*or just state it’s been awhile
Remember, if a loctician responds rudely, THEY are the problem NOT you.
Something else is to check to see if you can find online service listings, reviews, or photos of your prospective loctician working with locs in a similar state.
Loc Rejuvenation Methods for Matted Locs
There are a number of different ways to rejuvenate matted locs. Here I’ll go through the most popular ones below. You can ask your prospective loctician which they plan to use. Moreover, if you don’t want to use a loctician, you can use this as a starting point for whichever trusted friend/family member is helping you.
The general method includes first carefully separating the matted locs. Then deep clarify/detox your hair and scalp to get rid of build up. Next step is to retwist your locs with a redefined grid pattern. The grid pattern isn’t necessarily a completely new one, but it can follow the general grid lines that were there previously.
1. Separate by Hand
Separate by hand, deep clarify, retwist locs and repart grids.
This is the most common method to rejuvenate matted locs and can be done more easily on locs that haven’t been matted awhile.
2. Separate with Scissors
Separate with scissors, deep clarify, retwist locs and repart grids
Don’t be afraid by seeing the scissors with this method. What a loctician/friend will do with this method is cut through the matted loc to part the hair. The benefit of this is that there is less chance of pulling hair from the scalp. What you need to be careful of though is that you find the correct parting so you don’t make a loc too thin. To do this, make sure the width of the part matches the loc.
3. Cut Locs & Reattach
Cut locs, deep clarify, reattach detoxed locs or loc extensions and repart grids
This method involves cutting off the locs entirely. This can help with ensuring you’re able to really deep condition the scalp. For the reattaching – you can either use your original locs or new loc extensions. Using loc extensions is going to be more expensive, but will save time as you don’t need to separate and deep clarify your old locs. Lastly, to reattach them, you’d use the crochet method.
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That is everything you need to know for beginning the process to rejuvenate your matted locs after an illness. I hope this was helpful for you. These tips are great whether you are recovering from an illness or not. It’s easy to feel ashamed for “letting yourself go,” but life isn’t always that simple. People won’t always understand, but what is most important is that you do. Above all else, be kind to yourself and remember there are always options.
