The Problem with Saying Freeform Locs are Dirty

It’s funny how we’ll sometimes wear wigs without washing the cornrows underneath for months and then call freeform locs dirty. It says a lot because no style expresses the true coiliness of 4c hair like freeform locs do. With freeform locs you don’t get to hide behind your twist-outs and blow-outs and heartless stretches anymore. It literally forces you to accept yourself. I wish I had the courage to be that free sometimes. I’m getting there.

It's especially shocking when people with manicured locs make fun of freeformers and call them dirty. Some people also associate free forming with poverty, assuming you don't have enough money to pay for a retwist.

I’ve had this same sentiment/revelation for a while… its crazy. And, i think some people don’t want to have that discussion because anti-blackness is deeply rooted in their everyday lives. I think people are more comfortable with posting black squares on instagram than to talk about ANTI-BLACKNESS.

It’s the same thing with Afros, Puffs, and buns. If it’s not perfectly curled or coiled with layed edges, it’s not “ done “ . I remember when my mom told me my hair wasn’t “ done “ just because I wore a bun without slicked down edges.

Its so annoying how black ppl been saying they dont wash their hair often and all the lil white girls wanna say we r dirty but now a couple white ppl r gettin popular on yt for havin really long hair n r sayin they only wash their hair once a month and for some reason thats just completely accepted.

Not the people who don’t use washcloths/loofahs/sponges worrying about the cleanliness of Freeform locs. 🥴

I love you girl... finally, someone who respects the form... ppl think im either homeless or on drugs because the back of my freeforms are super matted smh I work as a beautician and the dirty stuff i see up underneath these wigs smh salt looks like sugar ppl....

I wish more people would practice shutting tf up! It's so annoying social media has given everyone a voice..even for negativity!! Sometimes things don't need to be said out loud, geesh!!

Anti blackness is real. And everyone has internalized it. Everyone. For some reason, everyone wants black people, to change who they are and what they look like to mimic European standards and looks. Sorry, I'm not European. And it's a journey to love yourself for who you are and how you choose to show up in the world. When black people just show up as who they are, it's a problem for so many people. It's sad AF. While I personally adore locs and when I had them, they were NOT freeform. Even for me, freeform locs show me my own internalized anti blackness. You have really helped me with that Mayowa. It's deep. I'm currently growing my hair out now and I'm going semi free form! I'm excited!

Nah fr… thank you for making this video. Even within the natural hair community, people use the same tired ass anti black speaking points to come for people with freeforms and semi-freeforms.

Glad you are having these conversations. I wish more people would love their blackness.

The notion of people thinking that blackness is just "dirt" you can scrub off sounds bizarre but unfortunately, it happens more often than we think. My black friend-of-a-friend was at a pool and a person legit came up to them and tried scrubbing off the back of their hand to see if the colour comes off. So bizarre

the double edged sword is a real thing but they are really busy playing towards the white gaze. Its awful seeing the self betrayal

The over-obsession with cleanliness in the African diaspora is rooted in colonialism, and the internalization and weaponization of it from us against others in the diaspora are egregiously anti-Black. We need more conversations like this. Thank you for sharing 💜

bro straight hair is the oiliest hair texture and nobody says a THING, and we, with the driest hair texture having to PROVE if our hair is CLEAN??? sounds like the dirty azz colonizers trying to prove we are dirtier than them.

Afro hair, more so 4c hair, in its natural / virgin state (washed, uncombed, unprocessed chemically) just normally and naturally forms clumps and the beginnings of what we now call free form locs. Before our ancestors created combs, platting, braiding, and Bantu knots, I am certain this is the natural state they will have kept it in. Our hair was never meant to be combed and certainly not with the tools and manner in which Caucasian type hair is because such treatment easily causes breakage and stumps growth. When Afro hair is left together, unmanipulated, , it grows long and strong, a reflection of our communal African societies - (together we are strong and we thrive). When combed into individual strands, reminiscent of individualistic European societies, it becomes weak, breaks and fails to grow.

I think it’s a form of projecting. Historically speaking Europe was known to be dirty and the people practiced bad hygiene. Illnesses were a big problem, high child mortality rate, etc. All linked to bad hygiene. Even the plague that killed Europeans like no other was so heavy because of bad hygiene. Guess what. It was a black people from north west Africa called the Moors who taught whites how to properly clean themselves and brought their superior medicine. It was Africans who saved Europeans existence because of that. In Germany not too long ago streets, pharmacies, bakerys or chocolate was named after the moors because of their contribution to their society. There were little images of black men in uniforms at the pharmacies too depict the moors. It has been removed now because it was also associated with racism. But since i realized the true root of racism is extreme envy and jealousy it made sense. They project their own image on us, while appropriating and strealing from us. It’s a culture of envy. We can not relate, because we come from abundance. Lesson: Don’t save or help a culture of envy.

Your makeup is EATINGGGG and your hair is why I have locs now and I LOVEEEDD my loose hair

Im from Miami where we have heavy "loc culture" here. Freeform is common and the norm. The majority of our people down here are haitian and jamaican, with the history of those two nations brought together in one place anti black sentiments dont stand a chance against us locheads. Growing locs has become a tradition for us. And rightfully so.

My hair isn't the super dense texture that you are calling 4c but I stopped getting my locs rolled and interlocked and all of it, 5 years ago in May. It isn't shiny. The new growth is like fuzz and some of it refuses to join existing locs. Three years ago on Christmas eve my sister attacked me saying it was dirty. Mind you she didnt know it was free forming until I told her I wasn't getting it done anymore. She said I would look like the dope heads on the street. And my mother said "thank you". Like it validates her and makes me the one who is wrong. I came home and told my daughter and she was shocked that they did that. Then she said don't worry mommy. So I took her advice.