Tips To Prevent Lint Buildup in Locs!

Lint can ruin a beautiful updo and turn your head into poka dots in night club. Two weeks ago I bought a few knit dresses. They were a well-made brand, in dark charcoal greys and without fuzz, or so I thought. I have been fighting lint for the last week! Most people know that sleeping with your locs covered prevents lint buildup from sheets and blankets. However, there are many sources of lint that are often overlooked.

The towels we use for our hair cause lint. I used to believe using black, brown or other dark colors would prevent visible lint but... color fades. While you may not notice black lint in your locs today, as that lint fades to grey it becomes very noticeable. Look for lint free micro fiber towels.

Laundry practices contribute to lint. Do you wash regular towels in the same load as your microfiber towels? Fuzzy kids clothing in the same load as your work shirts? Guess what... lint transfers. Lint moves in the dryer and before you know it... those lint free towels are suddenly full of lint.

Scarves and hats both transfer lint. Look for items that have fewer loose fibers but even then, they can still cause lint.

Knit or woven shirts and dresses rub against the tips of shoulder length locs. Over time... you guessed it, lint farm!

Not vacuuming your home enough cause small particles to float in your environment. These particles come from clothing, animals and even carpeting. Vacuum and dont forget to clean your air filters regularly.

House work! Cover your locs when dusting, vacuuming and cleaning your home. It's so easy to over look, but those dust bunnies love your locs.

Product buildup is lint cement. Product buildup cements lint into locs and makes it very difficult to brush off or rinse out. The easiest was to get product buildup is using too much hair product. The second way... not rinsing your hair well enough in the shower. Even clear shampoos can leave buildup if not rinsed well enough. Squeeze your locs as your rinse and rinse at least 10 minutes for shoulder length locs. Adding a minute for each additional inch is a good rule of thumb. Dont forget to flip your locs over and rinse from the back forward as well as from forward back.

Lint is unavoidable. The most practical approach for me is to prevent and treat. Every evening I go through my locs and remove any lint found. Before showering I brush my locs to remove particles before they can be pushed by water into the middle of my locs. This helps me keep my locs mostly lint free.

Here's a video on dryness and new-growth that has a good section on lint!