Whether it happens due to lack of moisture or damaged hair, it’s no secret that frizzy locs are frustrating. Keep on reading to find out why your dreads are frizzy and how to control frizz.

Key Takeaways:

• You will end up with frizzy locs if your hair was damaged before locking
• Your locs are growing. Frizz is very common during the early locking stages.
• To control frizz, palm roll individual locs back and forth, moving up and down to ensure that all the protruding hair is back into the loc.
• Sometimes it’s a simple waiting game. Give your locs time and the frizz will go away when the locs mature

Why Are My Locs Frizzy?

Frizz is inevitable especially at the beginning stages of locs, however certain practices can make frizz more prominent.

Here are the most common reasons why your locs are frizzy:

1. Lack of moisture

Just like loose natural hair, your locs need moisture to thrive.

Lack of moisture leads to our hair drying and having a rough appearance. The hair shaft then swells and changes shape, creating what we know as frizz.

You might think that just because your hair is locked, it doesn’t need to be moisturized.  On the contrary, lack of moisture leads to dry, brittle and frizzy locs.

2. Your Locs are growing  

You are experiencing the ‘growing pains of having locs’. 

During the baby, budding and teen stages of growth, they are most likely going to become frizzy.

This is because the individual locs are still mating, locking together and taking shape. 

3. A poor dreadlocks regimen

What you do on a daily basis to take care of your locs has a direct effect on their appearance. Some practices may cause them to get frizzy such as:

• Over-washing can lead to your hair drying out and a myriad of other problems such as an itchy scalp and thinning locs.
• Use harsh products that strips your locs of their natural oils.

4. Damaged hair

If your hair was heat or chemical damaged before being locking, you are probably going to end up with frizzy locs.

Damaged hair has difficulties holding moisture. Additionally, damaged hair prevents your loc from matting together, stringing up some frizz.

5. Using the wrong products

Dreadlocks require products that are specially formulated for them. If you use the wrong products, you’ll end up imparting damage to your locs, causing them to frizz.

An example of this would be using a deep treatment masque with new locs. Using a deep treatment masque on new locs causes them to detangle and frizz.

6. Sleeping with Locs unprotected

The kind of fabrics you expose your hair to at night will affect the look and feel of your dreadlocks.  Sleeping on fabrics such as cotton my cause excessive dryness and frizz.

7. Your hair texture has something to do with it

Your natural hair texture plays a huge role when it comes to the health, look and feel of your dreads. People with loose curls tend to experience more frizz than those with a tight coiled texture.

How to Control Frizzy Locs 

As we mentioned earlier, having frizzy locs is totally normal and very common at the beginning stages of your loc journey but can be made worse with poor loc practices.

To control frizzy locs, here is what you need to do:

1. Palm rolling

First on the list is the simplest way to control frizzy locs, palm rolling.

It helps keep your locs neat without imparting any sort of damage on them.  It can be done anytime you notice that your dreadlocks have started getting frizzy.

 Here’s how to do it:

• Place the dreadlock between the palms of your hand.
• Roll the dread back and forth, moving up and down to ensure that you get the entire dread.

You may choose to use your palms alone or apply a tightening product for that extra hold.

2. Moisturize

Moisture is key when it comes to keeping frizz at bay. As you wash your dreadlocks, ensure that you use moisturizing products to keep your locs from drying out.

Speak to your loctician for recommendations on the type of products you should use to avoid damaging the dreadlocks.

How often you moisturize, will be dependent on how often your dreadlocks feel dry. Additionally, something else to remember is that your scalp also needs to be moisturized.

3. Protect your Locs while sleeping

You have worked really hard to protect and moisturize your hair during the day. If you don’t protect your locs when you go to sleep, all those efforts will be futile.

This is because; when you sleep you may twist and turn a lot. On a cotton pillowcase, this creates friction that dries out your dreads, causing them to frizz a lot.

For this reason, you might want to make silk or satin your best friend.

Cover your locs with a silk scarf or sleep on a silk pillowcase if sleeping with a scarf on your head is not your thing.

4. Crotchet the frizzy hair into the locs

For a little DIY solution, you can use a crotchet hook or needle and put the frizzy hair back into the dreadlock.  Make sure you moisturize the frizzy hair before getting it back into the loc.

5. Be patience

This may not sound as a solution, but it actually is. When all is lost, you may just need to wait for your locs to mature and become neat on their own.

6. See a Loctician

When all else fails, your loctician is the answer. A loctician has a lot of experience and expertise when it comes to dreadlocks.

He/she will probably have one look at your locs and know what is causing the frizz and how to deal with it. A quick and professional solution.

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Here is more on palm rolling and other techniques for controlling frizz:

Final thoughts:

Having frizzy locs shouldn’t cause alarm but at the same time, you can take measures to fix the frizz. I hope this article has given you the insights you need on why you have frizzy locs and how to manage it.