Monday, April 19, 2010

To Freeform or not to Freeform?

Lately I have seriously been thinking if I should one day just freeform. I'm already semi-freeforming, so it seems like it would be natural for me to just freeform all together. A part of me really wants to. First off, I feel like freeforming would be a method that just suits me in that I'm SO simple and like to do little to nothing to my hair other than giving it a good washing, rinsing, and spritzing with oil and water. I have been searching the internet finding pics of ladies who are freeforming their locs, and I'm really quite impressed by just how beautiful they look (one example of a freeformed beauty is of course Nerissa Irving *surprise surprise* lol). While there are many pictures of people who are wearing their locs freeformed, there just doesn't seem to be enough people on youtube, blogs, etc. who are freeforming their locs; heck, it is even a challenge to find people who are semi-freeforming. Not that I need youtube or any other forum to make me decide what to do with my hair, but it is nice to have some inspiration out there. Sometimes it just feels like freeformers who want to share their experiences with locs are practically non-existent. The only reason I can think of is that freeforming in general is not a popular technique because there is this negative stigma about them that they are dirty, "neglected," and so on. Not sure why, but I guess it's just the way it is, and that's something I'm willing to accept. What's stopping me from not wanting to freeform? I'm not sure why actually. I have gone months without retwisting my hair before, and funnily enough I seem to get more compliments from NOT retwisting my hair than when I actually do palmroll it and make it all neat. As much as I do like palmrolling my hair, I don't feel dedicated enough to make it a routine to do it every couple of weeks or even a couple of months. I think for me it just feels like a chore after awhile. Plus I'm worrying that palmrolling my hair will weaken my locs mostly along the hairline, which is why I think I decided to stop maintaining them in the first place and just leave my hair alone for awhile. Now that my locs are thicker now, I'm not worried about that so much, but yet I also worry that if I maintain them frequently I'm not going to have that thickness at the root. I just don't want to deal with any thinning roots/build up issues in the future...or any issues at all for that matter. Freeforming just seems like the most drama-free solution to locking the hair. I feel kind of silly for making a big deal about whether or not I should freeform...but I guess freeforming is not something to take lightly. It does take a great deal of courage to freeform because of the fact that your locs aren't going to look nice and polished, and some people may not like how they look. And most of all, it seems like it takes a lot of courage to just leave your locs alone and let it be. That's hard to do, it is easier to just say "yeah i will not touch my hair, I will not retwist, etc." than to actually just do it. Soo...I'm not sure if I should start freeforming now or just semi-freeform for now. If I can go over 6 months without needing to retwist my hair, then I will seriously consider if I should then just freeform. Naturally though, if I WANT to retwist, I will, but I will use 6 months as a way to gauge just how long I can go without caring about retwisting it and think about the possibility of just freeforming at that point. What are your thoughts about freeforming? Have you ever considered it?

6 comments:

  1. I have never considered freeforming. I preferred the manicured look. But like you, I prefer not retwisting that often because it feels like a chore. I'm glad that I've found styles that I can wear where my roots don't have to be neat, like curls.

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  2. go for it!!! I looove freeform locs!
    I was freeforming when I was locking last year and cough cough I have a set of twists right now that I am going to let them freeform
    ideally i could just go from fro to locs with no manipulation but since I teach i wanted to start with something first
    go ahead and freeform
    there is a thread on nappturality about freeform locs

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  3. Just wanted to let you know that you are not alone in YouTube world lol

    Here's my (freeform) channel:
    http://www.youtube.com/user/nappyheadedblackgirl

    And another from LilMary09
    http://www.youtube.com/user/lilmary90

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  4. Hi Nappy Headed Black Girl, I LOVE your youtube videos and I love LilMary's youtube videos as well! Thank you so much for the encouragement! :)

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  5. i so enjoyed your thoughts about freeforming...i have been moving back and forth between twisting and freeforming. i have been locked for 12 years and about three years ago i considered freeforming becausei enjoy the freedom of washing and letting go. i have noticed the babies that are growing without cultivation. sometimes i twist the front and let the back go for several months. i like the natural feel of my hair when i don't twist. just yesterday i have started the journey to totally freeform.

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  6. I felt the same way at first but I love to feel my thick roots!! If u do braids outs it will lay the roots down. No need to ever retwist going 5 months no retwist. Im lovn it

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