Professional Loctician or Self-Maintain? | Which Route Should You Take?

When looking to start locs there are two routes you can take; go to a professional loctician or self-maintain.

A professional loctician will help guide you through your loc journey, answering every question you may have all while maintaining your locs at your convenience.

Self maintaining means (in some cases) you have started your own locs and maintain them at home.

Both routes have their own advantages and disadvantages, requiring deep thought before deciding on one.

In today’s blog post we’re going to talk about the pros and cons of going to a professional loctician or self-maintaining your own locs.

After reading this post you’ll have a clearer understanding on both options and confidence on the route you decide to embark on.

Table of Contents

Pro’s & Con’s Of A Loctician

Pro: Not having to do the hard work.

Having the ability to go to a salon, sit down comfortably, and have an expert do the hard work is a luxury. Dealing with your own locs can become overwhelming to say the least; the washing, parting, retwisting, and styling is a chore! And being able to just close your eyes and relax is a great treat to yourself and mental well-being.

But it isn’t always a walk in the park with every loctician..

Con: The health of your locs are out of your hands.

Allowing someone else to deal with your locs gives them full control on how they handle them. Some locticians only care about the aesthetics and not the actual health of their clients locs. There are locticians who will rip and pull through your locs so your grid pattern can be “perfect“, amongst other things that can overtime weaken your locs.

Recommended Blog Post: Clean Parts Are Overrated.

Pro: Professional guidance.

A professional loctician has an extensive amount of knowledge on locs and is able to guide you through each stage of your loc journey. This allows you to be stress free, feeling confident in the direction your locs are going in.

Con: Can be pricey

When going to a professional loctician in 2025, be expected to pay $100+ for quality work. Locticians aim to price their expertise at a level that fits them best, which may get more expensive as the service changes.

Bottom Line

If you’re looking to take out the guesswork and have an expert care for your locs, professional guidance would be the best choice for you.

Pro’s & Con’s of Self Maintaining

Pro: Saves you money.

Once you have bought all the materials you would need to start and maintain your own locs, the cost to keep them up is very low.

Here’s some prices of the few things you’d need to start and maintain your own locs:

3 Size Metal Clips 70PCS with 2pcs Parting Comb: $5.99
Aloe vera ge l: $4.28
ORS Olive Oil Hold & Shine Wrap/Set Mousse: $6.99

And that’s about it! Less is more with locs and these few products will have you set for the next few months of your journey!

Recommended Blog Post: Here’s Why Aloe Vera Gel Should Be Your #1 Product

Con: Lots of trial and error.

Like anything else you start that’s new, you will go through trial and error trying to figure out what’s best for you.

I remember when I first started my locs, I was 4 months in trying to figure out why my hair wasn’t maturing like everyone else around me. Turns out I wasn’t spraying my locs!! Spraying your locs is essential in your loc journey, and if I had a professional loctician by my side I would’ve known that from the beginning. (shoutout to my YouTube subscribers, always had ya girl back!)

Pro: Learn about your locs.

While going through the trial and error of maintaining your own locs, you are actively learning what your locs need in real time. You’ll be learning what product works best with your scalp, how specific products react to your hair density, and much more. It gives you the power to truly understand your locs and what they need.

Con: Possibility to ruin locs.

Being that you are maintaining your own locs, you may not realize the things you’re doing may be doing more harm than good overtime. You may continuously wear tight styles not realizing it’s thinning out your roots, or you may be using the wrong product that’s causing your scalp to inflame every once in a while. These minor issues may not be noticeable in the beginning, but will definitely show up in the long run.

Bottom Line

If you’re open to the challenge of learning your locs and experiencing these new things head on, then self-maintained would be the best choice for you.

Recommended Blog Post: 3 Things You Must Know Before Starting Locs

Don’t Settle For One Route

Understand that there isn’t one route you have to take and stick with. You can start your own locs and eventually go to a professional loctician, and vice versa. Choosing whichever route fits you best is exactly what a loc journey is all about. There isn’t one loc journey alike, so doing things your way is always the best decision in my book.

So which route are you taking? Professional loctician or Self-maintain?

I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

This post was all about going to a professional loctician or self-maintaining your own locs!

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Loc'd 4 Leisure