Is Being a Loctician Right for Me? 7 Questions to Ask Yourself

Perhaps you have felt it for a long time. A quiet pull towards dreadlocks that keeps coming back, year after year. And a question that comes with it: Is this really the work for me?

No one can answer that question for you. But after 26 years as a loctician, and more than a hundred students trained, I know which questions help you find the answer yourself. Here are seven of them.

Take your time. Find a notebook, make a cup of tea, and write honestly. There are no right answers, and no one else needs to read what you write. If you would like to know more about the profession first, read the guide How to Become a Loctician and Dreadlock Artist in the UK.

1. What is it that draws you to dreadlocks?

For most people who become dreadlock artists, this hasn't been a passing interest. It has been a quiet pull that has come back for years, perhaps decades. Each time, it asks the same question: Will you finally listen?

Think back. When did you first notice dreadlocks? What was it that caught you? And what was happening around you each time the pull came back?

2. Can your body handle long appointments?

This is the question I ask all my students: Can you stand and work for twelve hours and still be present for the person in the chair?

Being a loctician is one of the most physically demanding jobs in the hair industry. Long days, small repetitive movements, arms raised and neck bent. If your answer is no, it doesn't mean this work isn't for you. It means you have some preparation to do: with movement, sleep, real rest and the right furniture and tools.

Check in now. How are your hands? Your back? Your neck? What has your body been asking for that you haven't given it?

3. How do you feel when someone shares something heavy with you?

When you sit with someone for many hours with your hands in their hair, people start to talk. They tell you about grief, about decisions, about a version of themselves they are trying to step into.

What happens in you when someone shares something painful? Do you tense up? Try to fix it straight away? Feel honoured by the trust? Or want to pull away? Answer honestly. There is no wrong answer, only something you can become aware of and develop.

4. Can you be in silence with another person?

Not every moment of a long appointment needs to be filled with words. Sometimes the greatest thing you can give a client is permission not to talk. A client who feels they don't have to perform for you relaxes in a completely different way.

What happens in you when a conversation stops? Do you rush to fill the silence, or can you let it be?

5. How are your boundaries?

There will be clients who want more from you than is healthy to give. Clients who want to become friends, who want free therapy, or who bring partners, children and friends into your space. To stay in this work over time, you need to be able to hold your boundaries, warmly and clearly.

Where in your life do you have good boundaries today? And where do you find it hard to say no? That is where you will be tested most as a loctician.

6. Do you enjoy learning slowly and properly?

This isn't a quick way to make money. It is a craft with hundreds of small details, and it takes time to feel confident. The people who succeed are the ones who are patient with the hair, with the client, and with themselves while they learn.

How do you usually learn new things? Do you give up when it gets hard, or do you get curious?

7. What do you want the life around the work to look like?

The work is carried by the life around it. Imagine you have been working as a dreadlock artist for ten years. Where do you work? At home, in a studio, on the road? How many days a week? What does a morning look like, and a day off? Who is sitting in your chair?

Write it down, as specifically as you can. Not the modest version, but the one you really want. That is often where the answer is.

A small practice

When you have finished writing, put the pen down. Sit still for one whole minute. Just breathe. Notice how your body feels after answering these questions. Notice what is in the room, and what is in you.

Then read slowly through what you have written. Notice what feels alive, what surprised you, and whether there is anything you felt a little embarrassed to write. That is often a sign you wrote something honest.

What now?

Did you feel a clear yes? Then the next step is finding out how to learn the craft properly. In Loctician Courses in the UK: How to Choose the Right Training you will find the questions to ask a teacher.

Did you feel a no? That is just as valuable. A clear no saves you a great deal.

Not sure? That is completely fine too. Some seeds need time. Come back to the questions in a month and see what has changed.

When you are ready, you will find everything about The Professional Loctician In-Person Training in London here: two days one-to-one, with me coming to you, followed by the online course, coaching and community.

The door is open

Would you like to talk to someone about what you felt as you answered? Send me an email at [email protected]. I will answer honestly, even if I think the time is not right for you yet.

With love,
Ann-Marie