I was scrolling on TikTok the other day, minding my business, when I stumbled into one of those videos that you just know is about to start a war in the comments.
A girl with dreadlocks.
Her white mom telling her she should remove them because they look “gross.”
Cue dramatic music. Cue the internet courtroom.
And just like that, the comment section was probably ready to turn into a full United Nations summit on race, culture, oppression, identity, and everything in between.
But while everyone else was preparing their essays about racism and historical trauma, I was sitting there thinking something much simpler:
Girl... when last did you retwist your dreadlocks? ๐คจ
Let me be clear before the race police arrive with their sirens:
This is not about race.
This is not about culture.
And it’s definitely not about hating dreadlocks.
It's is about maintenance.
Because somewhere along the way, we started confusing neglect with identity, and suddenly nobody can say anything anymore without it becoming a whole documentary.
And honestly? I’m tired.
Dreadlocks Are Not “Wash-and-Go”… They’re “Wash-and-Work”
People treat dreadlocks like they just magically exist.
As if you wake up one morning, shake your head like a lion in a shampoo commercial, and the locs just align themselves spiritually.
No.
Dreadlocks are commitment.
Dreadlocks are responsibility.
Dreadlocks are basically the PhD of hairstyles.
You have to:
- retwist the roots
- moisturize the scalp
- separate the locs
- wash them properly
- maintain the parts
And if you skip those steps for months or worse, years, it starts to show. ๐ฌ
Your hair stops looking like intentional locs and starts looking like it survived a hurricane.
But here’s the funny part.
The same people who will say “This is my culture!” will also ignore the care that actually keeps that culture looking good.
And suddenly when someone says,
“Hey… maybe fix that?”
Boom!
We’re having a political debate. ๐คฆ๐ฟ
Not Every Comment Is Racism, Sometimes It’s Just… Honesty ๐คท๐ฟ
Please listen carefully:
Not every criticism is oppression.
Sometimes your mom, yes, even your white mom, might just be saying:
«“My child, your hair looks like it fought a war and lost.”»
That’s not racism.
That’s motherhood.
Good parents say some uncomfortable things because they care about how you present yourself in the world.
And instead of talking about it privately like normal humans, we now run straight to social media like:
“GUYS LOOK WHAT MY MOM SAID.”
And suddenly strangers from five continents are debating your scalp.
All because someone suggested… a retwist.
This is what I mean when I say TikTok has turned minor family conversations into global conferences.
If You Can’t Maintain Locs… Please Don’t Start Them
Here is my opinion.
If you know you cannot maintain dreadlocks — financially, hygienically, or simply because you’re lazy — please don’t get them. ๐
๐ฟ
That’s it.
That’s the sermon.
Because retwisting locs is not cheap.
Anyone who maintains them properly knows this.
Salons charge serious money. ๐ธ
Maintenance takes time.
And the process is not something you do once every three years when the moon is full. ๐
So when someone chooses locs but refuses to maintain them, and then gets angry when people notice…
I’m sorry.
At some point we must choose between defensiveness and responsibility.
Because dreadlocks can look powerful.
Beautiful.
Clean.
Intentional.
But neglected locs?
Let’s just say… the vibe changes.
And somewhere along the way, social media convinced us that every uncomfortable comment must be turned into a public trial.
Instead of asking,
“Did they mean it that way?”
We immediately assume the worst possible motive and hit record.
But sometimes the solution is simpler.
Talk to your mom.
Talk to your friend.
Talk to the person who said it.
Maybe they were rude.
Maybe they weren’t.
Maybe they just noticed something you ignored.
Because not every moment needs to become a viral debate.
Sometimes the answer is simply:
Wash the hair. Retwist the locs. Continue living your life.
Revolution postponed.
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