Remember my co-worker's hairstylist? She told me I needed beeswax and brown gel. That I should to mix them together and apply it on my hair to form the locs.

Who knew that beeswax and shampoo that did not leave a resude in your hair were so hard to find? I went to 2 beauty supply stores before I found the beeswax. Next on my list was a shampoo that would remove all the years of build up on my scalp.

Did you know that the resude that is left on your scalp is what causes your scalp to itch? Me either. That set off a light bulb of all the times after I had washed my hair only for my scalp to immediately begin to itching was the result of resude left on my scalp. Who knew?

Well my search for a shampoo that removed the residue buildup on your scalp was not to be a success that day. Seeing that once I make a decision to do something I like to get started right away I went ahead and used my regular shampoo to shampoo my hair.

The next day I began my quest. Per the instructions from one of the websites I visited, I dutifully parted my hair in quarters, secured them out of the way then continued the boring task of further sectioning the quarters into one inch squares. Anyway that was what I attempted to do. I kept each square separate with rubber bands. Did I forget to mention the rubber bands? Sorry.

One website I visited said that you should wash your hair every 2 or or so. Consequently every 2 or 3 days I washed my hair and spent one and a half to 2 hours re-twisting and reapplying the beeswax/gel mixture.

After about 2 weeks this began to wear on me as you will remember, I wanted a hairstyle that was low maintenance. So after I'd washed my hair for the 6th time in 2 weeks I decided that a little more research was in order. This was when I came across yet another website that recommended that you NOT wash your hair for the first 6 to 8 weeks after you've begun the dreadlocks process.

Duh, that makes total sense. Washing your hair every 2 to 3 days meant that you were re-doing the beginning process every 2 to 3 days!

I lasted about a week and a half without washing because I kept playing with the twists which caused them to get thin which didn't make them look very attractive. So I washed my hair again but this time I didn't use the beeswax/gel mixture because by then I found out that you should not use any products containing petroleum/petrolatum in you hair.

So I went back to the beauty supply store and came across Jamaican Mango & Lime"> line of products. So far I've tried the Resistant Formula Locking Gel, the Tingle Shampoo, and Protein Conditioner. And I love them all.

The shampoo and conditioner have a very pleasing fragrance while washing your hair but it does not remain in your hair after you've rinsed it out. Why is this important? Again one of the websites that I visited suggested that when a product leaves a fragrance in your hair it also leaves residue. Which is a no no when it comes to the locking process.

So now the itching starts which meant that I headed to find a product that would keep my scalp from itching between washings. To the rescue Jamaican Mango & Lime Island Oil.

I still kept playing in my hair so once again, you guessed it. I washed. And I also found out that you should never twist your hair dry. So far its been 5 days and out of sheer determination and putting my hair up in ponytail I have managed to keep my fingers away from my hair.

Now that I have told you my story, let me now tell you how it should be done. There are a number of techniques you can use to start your Locks.

It is suggested that your hair is at least 2 inches long to use this method. Section the hair in the desired size locks. The best way to section the hair is in the brick layered pattern by sectioning your hair into the braid size you want over your whole head. As your hair grows out at the root use the palm roll technique to begin the locking on the new growth.

This technique is used for hair that is very short. You will need a rat-tail. Use a locking gel or if you like Jamaican Mango & Lime Locking Gel on each section of hair. With the comb at the scalp, twist the hair downward using the teeth of the comb. Remember you can make the locks whatever size you choose. Depending on length of your hair you may not have to re-twist for several weeks.

It is recommended that your hair be at least three inches long to use this technique. Section the hair and put a small amount of gel or wax or Jamaican Mango & Lime Locking Gel on each section of hair. Take the hair in between the palms of both your hands and move your hands back and forth. A motion representative of trying to keep your hands warm. It is recommended that you seek the assistance of a professional stylist who specializes in dreadlocks styling for this technique.

It is recommended that your hair be at least three inches long to use this technique. Section the hair and put a small amount of gel or wax or Jamaican Mango & Lime Locking Gel. Double-strand twist the hair using a technique known as the Senegalese technique. The twists will look similar to a rope. This is a very popular technique that is used when starting dreadlocks. Hair extensions can also be used with this technique.