What Is The Best Way To Start Locs?
August 12, 2009 by Cherie
Filed under Article, Featured, What's New
If you’ve done any amount of research on the subject of locs or locking, you probably know by now that there are at least a good 5-6 ways to go about it… and actually more than that, truth be told!
So after making this discovery, now you’re left to wonder…
What is The Best Way To Start Locs?
“Which method is best?”
And depending on who you ask, the answer will vary. I’ve seen many people pit one method against another but I’m not going to do that because it’s unnecessary.
You see, there are no “best overall methods” so what you really need or want to ask yourself is…
“Which method is best for ME?”
It’s like the lyrics to an old “80’s” sitcom jingle said, “...what might be right for you may not be right for some… It takes different strokes to move the world”
So how do you determine the right method for YOU?
There are some factors that you want to take into consider:
- Lifestyle – daily activities that may affect your hair such as frequent working out, swimming, sweating, etc.
- Hair length – is your hair long or short starting out
- Hair texture – is your hair extremely soft and curly, wavy or straight or is it more coarse with tighter curls or coils
- Personal aesthetics – do you want your locs to be well-manicured or do you not mind if they are more on the “wild” side
Once you’ve determined those things, then you can now go back and take a look at the various methods and choose the one that will fit best with your personal needs.
So, let’s take a look at 5 of the most popular methods of locking so you can do just that:
1. Comb coils – This method is very popular on hair that is too short to braid or 2-strand twist. One single-strand twist is made in small to medium sections of the hair using a locking product. The hair may take longer to lock and more maintenance due to the fact that the coils unravel a lot during shampooing. The only drawback to this method is that in the beginning stages, the twists tend to unravel and at certain points, the locks can begin to look very fuzzy and wild and although this is a part of the process, many people cannot and/or do not want to deal with those stages. But, I’ve seen many beautiful heads of locks as a result of this method.
2. Two-strand twists – Most lock-wearers choose this route to start their locks. The hair is sectioned and twisted with two strands of hair as opposed to one. These tend to hold up better than the previous method. The twists look very nice when first done and as the locks mature, they produce beautiful locks.
3. Braids – Braiding the hair in small to medium plaits is another way to start locs. This method is excellent for those whose hair may not hold up too well in coils or twists or those who desire to be able to shampoo their hair sooner than usually recommended with 2-strand twists.
4. Interlocking – There are various ways to lock the hair using “tools” such as a latch hook, crochet needle, etc. These methods generally hold up better than other methods although they can still unravel, but nowhere near as easily as other methods. This is a great method for those who may have relaxed ends or straighter textures of hair, period although it can be done on any texture of hair.
5. Organic/Natural – With organic locks, you would start off with all natural hair, usually short to medium length. Your hair would be shampooed regularly and left alone. There is no twisting or separating of the hair whatsoever. With this method, the hair is simply allowed to do what it naturally wants to do with little or no help/guidance from the wearer. While locking in itself can cause people to be looked upon in a negative or questionable light; it is the person who sports organic locs who probably receives the most flack of all loc-wearers.
6. Freeform – Free-form locks are somewhat similar to organic with one difference…the new growth of the locks is separated so that they do not combine together and they have a neater appearance than the organic locks. There is still no twisting or tightening of the new growth or the loc. The hair is pretty much allowed to do what it wants to do with the exception of “marrying” or joining together.
So based on this knowledge, you can now make a decision for what method of locking would be best for you but again, what’s best for YOU is not best for all…there is no “best overall method” of starting locs. If you still have questions, you may wish to schedule a consultation with up to 3 (don’t take any one person’s word for it) Lociticians in your area for opinions. But ultimately, the decision on what will work best for you, is up to you!
Hi thank for the tip, I do follow this organic method, The Totally Organic Method it did become difficult sometime. Cultivated Methods can be another good option.
Ok, I now use organic shampoo and my hair gets curly but I would have liked to know how to make the two strand twist stay because my hair is so soft and can either be thick or curly it’s not easy to stay and people charge to much in this town.
Peace!
Hi Diamond,
Yes, if your hair is REALLY soft and curly, it may be challenging to get 2-strands to stay in. Are you doing it just as a temporary style or attempting to lock-up? You either way, you could look into those small rubber bands that are the color of your hair, although that may or may not be the most eye-appealing thing…you’d have to try it and see how it looks. Now if you are trying to lock up and the twists won’t stay in, you may want to look into starting with a different method like interlocking
I’ve got questions, I hope you can give me some answers or at least some good advice. My hair has always been very thick and knotty. It the kind of hair thats shrinks when it dries but doesn’t curl much, it just gets knotty. When it’s short I need a haircut often because it grows quickly.I’ve been growing dreads for approximately 9 mos. I LOVE THEM, but I would like to make them look better. My hair was 6-10in long when I had it twisted by a family friend using a small tooth comb. It has grown and locked. Some are doing well others are not. Some have as much as 2in of untwisted hair from the roots. I can’t keep the roots twisted and many dreads are lumpy and fuzzy. A few even have small loops in them! I want them to be more uniform and have separation. What can I do to accomplish this? Is it possible to do this myself and finally should I consider cutting my hair and start over? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Sincerely
Troy
Hi Troy!
To be honest, it’s kind of difficult for me to really get the gist of your locs without being able to see them. Can you send me a picture of them to my email? cherie@bradelocz.com
From there, I can better advise you on what you can or should try.
Thanks,
Cherie
I am gratefull for sites that cater to us folks that love our natural african hair!
Thank you Gene!
Cherie
Thanks for this article! I think I will start with 2 strand twists or braids (well I think this is what my locktician will use).
Hi Jessica and thanks for stopping by and for the comment!
If you decide to go with Bradelocz, be sure to get he ebook (if you don’t have it already) and print out the Sizing Chart so you can decide what size you want your locs to be and take it to your Loctician so s/he can size the sections properly for the size locs you want!
Cherie
I have a question…I have relatively short hair, and I have been getting it comb coiled since January. Because I have very thick and straight hair, the coils tend to unravel greatly in between the time of me gettin my hair retwisted. Recently, I visited the woman who twists my hair, and inquired about interlocking as a better option. She promptly told me “you hair must be LOCKED already to have it interlocked. I then explained to her that I’ve been researching locks and the maintainace of them online and I’ve read that you don’t. She then states “you can’t believe everything you see online”! So my question to you is does my hair already have to be locked to have it interlocked?
Thanks L
Hi L,
Well, in MOST cases you do NOT have to wait until the hair is fully locked. If that were the case, then locks could not be started from interlocking…which they most certainly can.
Now if your hair is thick and straight it may or may not unravel, I can’t promise you for sure because I’ve never done locs on thick, straight hair textures when I was doing them. Is your hair like, BONE straight? Is there any kink, curl or wave to it whatsoever?
And when you say “relatively short”, can you tell me exactly how short in terms of inches?
i have worn my hair using the two-strand method. My hair never would twist.Myhair is now cut to approx. 2 inches. I want to try this again,any suggestions? Thanx
i have worn my hair using the twist method. my hair would not lock. i have used wax on my twist,they still wouldnot lock.