Caring For Natural Textured Hair: LCO or LOC Method For Black Hair Texture

There is much debate in the natural hair community about whether the LCO or LOC method is better suited for afro-textured hair and which routine is best for black hair texture and length retention. Heck, there has even been fists flying about what the L in both regimes stand for.

Well, the Na Ha ZO team is here to settle this debate once and for all and answer the main five questions that need answering in the LOC vs LCO debate.

So read further to get some good old tried and tested NaturalHairZone.com knowledge on what’s good (for your hair). And if you are newly crowned natural, this information will allow you to quickly rush past the virgin hair minefield of things I wish I had known when I started my natural hair journey.*

In this article about Afro Textured Hair we will discuss the following

 

*Pssst, for a comprehensive list of all the natural hair lingo to know when you embark on your exciting Journey, NaturalHairZone.com’s Natural Hair Glossary can bring you up to speed on the top 50 natural hair buzz words.

 

1. What exactly is the LOC vs LCO method?

LCO means

• L = Leave-In-Conditioner
• C= Cream
• 0= Oils

And LOC means

• L = Leave-In-Conditioner
• O= Oils
• C= Cream

When using the LCO method, one firsts coat their hair shaft with a leave-in-conditioner and then applies a cream of their choice. This process is then finished with a light or heavy oil, depending on hair type needs.

On the other hand, when using the LOC method, the hair shaft is firstly coated with a leave-in conditioner. This is then followed up with an oil of choice and lastly, smoothed over with a preferred cream.

In essence, the main difference between the two methods is the order of application – that is, what is applied after the leave-in conditioner.

 

2. Why must I use the LOC or LCO method?

The answer to this question is moisture, moisture, moisture.

Every hair type under the sun naturally produces oil from the scalp, from silky straight to tight coils.

However, certain hair strand types do not distribute these natural oils down the whole hair shaft as easily as others do. For example, the natural oil produced by those with straight to looser hair patterns travels easily down the straight hair shaft. This ensures less dryness and, thus, less breakage.

Looser Curl Pattern 

Hence, those with straight to looser curl pattern hair typically complain of greasy, oily hair when hair is not washed regularly. This is due to the natural oil build-up down the hair shaft.

On the other hand, for those with tighter curl patterns, the natural oil does not easily travel up the hair shaft. This is due to the tightly coiled strands; hence the need for additional moisture to curb dryness.

This is where the LCO or LOC method comes into play

The LCO and LOC method are moisturising techniques that help to trap moisture in hair strands after application. This is achieved by cream and oil effectively acting as barriers to moisture loss.

In essence, the more moisturised you can keep your hair, the more length you are likely to retain. This eventually translates to that inevitable hair growth.

This is why well-moisturised hair is usually soft and easy to style due to more hydration from the retained moisture.Therefore, in order to maintain a healthy hair regime and hair growth retention, moisture via the LOC or LCO method is key to a productive natural hair regime.

And any natural worth her salt knows that hair growth retention is key to transitioning from the TWA stage to SL to APL to MBL and beyond.

 

3. Can I use all three products to introduce moisture into my hair, or can I skip one or two?

There are no hard and fast rules in the natural hair journey. What works for one natural may not work for the other.

There are, however, certain guidelines that, on average, are likely to produce a desired positive outcome. And the LOC or LCO method is one of them, with each product playing an integral role.

• L – The Leave-in conditioner acts as a moisturiser for your strands. It is highly recommended that the Leave-In-Conditioner is applied onto wet, damp or lightly misted hair for additional moisture.
• O – Oil acts as an effective barrier against escaping moisture. It is important to note that OIL is not a moisturiser!!! So, applying oil to dry hair without water or a leave-in conditioner will not add moisture to your strands. And it is also possible to have hair that is oily but dry! This can negatively impact your natural hair journey.
• C- The cream is a sealant that provides a further layer that traps moisture and smooths the hair shaft. It also plays a big role in making styling your hair manageable and helps your hairstyle last longer.

Looking at what all three of them do, it is clear that they are all important parts of the natural hair journey.

It should be stressed that using Leave-in-conditioner is an important step in moisture retention and should not be skipped.

Your natural hair journey and that big chop might start today!

 

4. How do I determine what method will suit me best?

The best method for your hair lies in your hair porosity.

Stay with me here – it may seem a lot to take in – but once you understand your glorious coils and kinks, it will all be second nature, as it should be.

What is hair porosity?

Hair porosity is how well your natural hair can retain moisture. In essence, how LONG the moisture applied stays on your hair shaft, keeping it hydrated.

When it comes to hair porosity, you can either have low, high or medium porosity hair.

Low Porosity Hair 

With low-porosity hair, the hair cuticles are in a more closed state.

This means that typically the hair has a harder time absorbing moisture. However, once it absorbs the water, it can be retained for a time.

Naturals with Low-Porosity Hair

Naturals with low porosity hair have mostly found great results using the LCO method, which seems more suited for this hair type. It is important to remember that since this hair type takes longer to dry (better moisture retention), lighter products are more suited to avoid build-up and limp hair.

High-porosity hair, on the other hand, has raised hair cuticles that make it easy to absorb moisture. However, it has a more difficult time retaining the water it absorbs. With this hair type, moisture escapes faster as the hair cuticle is in a slightly lifted state.

The LOC Method 

The LOC method has proven to be an effective moisture retention technique for high porosity naturals. The LOC method loads moisture by sealing the leave-in conditioner immediately with oil, and then the added cream creates a further barrier to moisture loss.

It should be noted that with the high porosity natural hair, thicker oils and butters can further smooth the hair cuticle and ensure longer, moisturised hair.

Naturals with normal porosity hair have the best of both worlds and have an easier time absorbing and retaining moisture. Either method is preferable, and NaturalHairZone.com recommends trying both to see what works best for your hair.

The obvious question would be, how one goes about finding out what my hair porosity is?

Are you a natural struggling with thinning hair?

Hair in the Glass Method 

To determine your hair type, you can use the ‘hair in the glass method’. In this method, a strand of hair is plucked from the scalp, with the root still intact, and dropped into a glass of water. If it sinks immediately, then the hair is low porosity.

If it floats on the top for a while before sinking, it is high porosity, If it goes to the middle after considerable time, it is medium porosity.

Hair Behavior 

Another way to find out what works for you is to profile your hair. Part of the natural hair journey is knowing how your hair reacts, and what better way to do so than by trial and error?

See how your hair behaves after you have spritzed it with water or moisturised it. If it absorbs moisture easily and loses it just as fast, it may be a good idea to try the LOC method and see if it works for you.

At NaturalHairZone.com, we have a saying: what do you have to lose but Ignorance itself?’ Based on how your hair behaves, you can either switch to the LCO method or tweak it to suit your hair’s response.

 

5. What products in the LCO or LOC method should I use?

At this point in the debate, we are all clear that whether you use the LCO or LOC method, it is important to use moisturising products.

This is because if you are not using moisture-retaining products, you will not gain any benefits from the regime.

One way to ascertain this is to check that water is the first ingredient in the product ingredient list.

Recommended Low-Porosity Hair Products

For low-porosity naturals, the cuticles get weighed down quicker with products, and thus the best products to use are light products. This is so as not to weigh down your curls and coils.

Recommended products are

• L – Rose water and glycerine mix.
• C – Fluffy creams.
• O – Light oils such as Jojoba, Sweet Almond, or Grape Seed oil.

For high-porosity naturals, this hair type does not get weighed down quickly with products, and because of this, heavier products can be used.

Recommended products are

• L – A water-based leave-in-conditioner.
• O – Coconut, Olive, Amla or Castor oil.
• C – Shea Butter.