Loc detox: when to do it, what changes, how often

If your locs feel heavy, look dull, or take longer to dry than they used to, your locs are telling you something. They are full of stuff that should not be there, and they need a detox.

What detox actually means

A detox is a soak — usually apple cider vinegar with baking soda or with tea tree oil — that pulls residue out of the inside of the loc. Shampoo cleans the surface. A detox cleans the core.

The water that comes out of a detox tells you how overdue it was. If the water is brown or grey, you waited too long. If it is light yellow, you are on a good rhythm.

The signs you need one

You probably need a detox if:

• Your locs feel heavier than your hair has any business being.
• They smell musty within a day of washing.
• They do not absorb water — water beads on the surface and runs off.
• The colour looks dull, especially in sunlight.
• You have moved cities or your water is harder than what you used to use.
• It has been more than six months since your last one.

How to do it at home

You do not need a salon for this. You need a basin, twenty minutes, and three things.

Recipe: half a cup of apple cider vinegar, two tablespoons of baking soda, hot-but-not-scalding water, enough to submerge your locs. A few drops of tea tree oil if you have it.

Process: sit on the bathroom floor with your basin in front of you. Lower your head in. Submerge for fifteen to twenty minutes. Massage the locs gently with your fingertips, letting the solution work into them.

Then: rinse with cold water until it runs clean. Wash with your regular shampoo. Conditioner left in for five minutes. Rinse. Squeeze gently dry.

You will see the water change colour. That is the point.

How often

Twice a year for most people. Quarterly if you live in a city with hard water, swim regularly, or use a lot of product.

Not more than that. The vinegar is acidic and the baking soda is alkaline — both push your hair's pH around, and doing it monthly is too much chemistry on hair that wants to be left alone.

What changes afterwards

Your locs feel lighter. Sometimes by a noticeable amount, especially if it has been a while. They take product and water more easily. The colour comes back — locs that looked grey or dull in photos suddenly look like the colour they actually are.

This is also a good time to check for thinning at the roots, weak spots, or locs that have started to merge. A detox loosens everything enough that you can see what is going on underneath.

If you find something you do not like, book a check-in and we will look at it together. A detox plus a careful retwist often brings locs back from places people thought they could not come back from.