Lock It Up! Support Thread (Sisterlocs, Dreads, Freeform, Etc)

Arian

Loc'ing Up!
My 1st retwist went well, although I hate the look of the retwist. I can see myself semi free forming in the future. Anyway, here is a lone pic from my retwist.

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kandiekj100

Well-Known Member
My 1st retwist went well, although I hate the look of the retwist. I can see myself semi free forming in the future. Anyway, here is a lone pic from my retwist.

I like it, however I never really liked my hair after a fresh retwist either. I usually like it after about 3 to 5 days later, once the parts start to not look as defined and the roots shrink up a bit .
 

Arian

Loc'ing Up!
I like it, however I never really liked my hair after a fresh retwist either. I usually like it after about 3 to 5 days later, once the parts start to not look as defined and the roots shrink up a bit .


Yeah, I was thinking I will like it more in a few days. I also didn't experience any budding yet, which was somewhat of a disappointment. I'm hoping by my next re twist (Jan 30), I will have some budding going on.
 

Foxglove

A drop of golden sun
Well I've officially broken up with my loctician. I have an appointment with a new loctician next weekend. She has less experience than my original loctician but is actually certified where as my original loctician was a trainee. Since my locs have settled somewhat I hope the new loctician will be able to keep them looking good since she should have to do at most 2 rotations with each retighten. I'm patiently waiting for when she gives me the green light to wash without banding/bundling and when I'm allowed to henna and clay wash
 

CocoGlow

Well-Known Member
Hey Yall! :hiya:

1. How long have you been on your loc journey?

1 Week :grin:

2. What made you decide to embark on a loc journey?

I think locs are absolutely beautiful and just oh so practical for my lifestyle!

I had locs before, back in college and they grew effortlessly from about 1inch to my shoulders – the longest my hair ever grew and I wasn’t even taking care of them properly :spinning:. Throughout my life, I have tried every style in the book from curly perms, relaxers (bone straight & texlaxed), extension braids, weaves, wigs, locs and loose natural hair and I’ve realized that my hair thrives in “protective styles” and not just any protective style, but styles where I can easily wash my scalp/hair and maintain a nice style at the same time. In my opinion LOCS are the ultimate protective style because they are a built-in beautiful style (like extension braids but better) – no detangling & excessive styling needed. Also, every style done on loose hair can be replicated on locs so styling choices are not limited. And attaining length is effortless!

My loose natural hair was beautiful but unfortunately my loose fragile strands required a LOT of maintenance and care and since my scalp requires frequent (1-2x per week) washes, the maintenance became even more daunting. I discovered the Maximum Hydration Method (MHM) last Fall and although I still consider it one of the best regimens for loose natural hair it was still more maintenance than I am personally willing to do 1-2x a week. Now it is such a relief to experience a REAL wash & go without all of the extra steps that loose natural hair requires.

But if I am going to be completely honest, at first I was not interested in going back to locs at this time and was on a mission to figure out the best regimen for my loose natural hair. I spent so much money over the years and tweaked my regimen a million times only to end up in the same boat (frustrated & worn out) :nono:. I wanted longer healthier natural hair and initially thought that it would be nothing but a cop out to go and loc my hair – that I was somehow giving up and giving in to the notion that nappy hair cannot grow without them - but then I realized that other people’s hair thrives when worn loose and that does not make them better, just different. And that it is perfectly OK to acknowledge that my hair thrives most when in a loc’d state– that it is not a bad thing or something to be ashamed of, just different. It may not be the ONLY way for me to grow longer healthier hair but it is the most practical. I also see the unique beauty of locs and feel so at peace with my decision now.

3. How long do you plan to stay loc'd?

I plan to stay loc’d as long as possible. If my locs get too long/heavy I will cut them to a more manageable length and if my hair starts thinning drastically due to age/health problems, I will cut them off & rock a low TWA – either way, low maintenance :yep:

4. What type of locs do you have? Sisterlocs, Traditional, Cultivated, Freeform?

Traditional.

A few years ago I tried Sisterlocs for 6 months and though they were so full and beautiful they were too high maintenance for me (the cost to pay someone to retighten for me and the time it took for me to retighten so many tiny locs on my own). I also tried Loc Extensions but they were not done correctly (way too thick) and did not look like real locs (way too shiny LOL). Traditional locs are what I had years ago in college and are the best fit for me. I may Semi-Freeform occasionally in the future for fullness.

5. What process did you use to start your locs?

Two-Stand Twists done by ME! It took 3 attempts because I wanted them to be perfect in terms of the part sizes (not too thin or too thick for my texture/density). They were still too big after the first 2 times, but just the right size this last time. I did all 3 sets over a 2 week period - It took a long time because I have never been too good at parting straight lines :drunk: but I wanted to get it right and it was worth it since I won’t have to ever part loose hair again :grin:

6. How do you maintain your locs?

Palm rolling – I love the cylindrical look of palm rolled locs and how easy & fast it is. I am scared that interlocking might make my locs too thin and it is more time consuming than I would like, but I will consider it in the future.

7. What, if any, products do you use on your locs?

I will have to update once I experiment with more products, but I’ve been using the things left in my stash that would be suitable for new locs ….

Cleanser
Bobeam Shampoo Bars

Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Daily Moisture
Water

So far so good but I will be trying different things for variety/options.

I have yet to re-twist (it has only been a week :look:) but I plan on only using things that will not cause buildup. I will be experimenting and posting my results.

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Arian

Loc'ing Up!
Ok, so I have some loose hair in the midst of my twists (loose hair that is not wrapped into a twist-in other words, hair that is just chilling). Is this a normal part of the process? OR should I try to wrap the strands around a twist?
 

Platinum

Well-Known Member
Ok, so I have some loose hair in the midst of my twists (loose hair that is not wrapped into a twist-in other words, hair that is just chilling). Is this a normal part of the process? OR should I try to wrap the strands around a twist?

Arian it's new growth. I have it as well. You can wrap it around other Locs if you'd like. I know a few people (some are semi-free formers) who will gather the loose strands together, twist, and create a new loc.
 

Arian

Loc'ing Up!
Platinum, thank you for responding! They are like strings of hair that seem like they have come out of the twist. I was just worried that it wouldn't loc right, but I guess I can wrap them around a twist for now and let her deal with them at my next retwist session.
 

CocoGlow

Well-Known Member
Anyone else feel like Coconut Oil makes their locs feel hard?

I know coconut oil hardens below a certain temp and it's freezing outside, but even when I don't leave the house my locs feel crispy when I use it :perplexed

So far Extra Virgin Olive Oil makes my hair feel softer ... I want to experiment with other oils & oil blends to compare but I think I will stay away from Coconut Oil for now and then try again in the Summer to see if there is a difference.
 

Arian

Loc'ing Up!
:dance7::reddancer:

I found some buds!! Finally, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was a little disappointed at first because I did not see any, but it has happened.
 

Platinum

Well-Known Member
Anyone else feel like Coconut Oil makes their locs feel hard? I know coconut oil hardens below a certain temp and it's freezing outside, but even when I don't leave the house my locs feel crispy when I use it :perplexed So far Extra Virgin Olive Oil makes my hair feel softer ... I want to experiment with other oils & oil blends to compare but I think I will stay away from Coconut Oil for now and then try again in the Summer to see if there is a difference.

CocoGlow I haven't used Coconut oil by itself since I've loc'd my hair. I mix it with a little Olive oil and JBCO. I like this combination so far.
 

kandiekj100

Well-Known Member
Thought I'd share my first little hairstyle (other than headbands and pinning one side up). I did two victory rolls (I think that's what it's called) in the back and have a side bang in front. I wore it like this for the first time on NYE and am revisiting it today. It's not too bad. I like it.

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I can't wait until I can do a basketweave, instead of the rolls. The sides of my hair are just a little to short to catch.
 

ChasingBliss

Well-Known Member
Thought I'd share my first little hairstyle (other than headbands and pinning one side up). I did two victory rolls (I think that's what it's called) in the back and have a side bang in front. I wore it like this for the first time on NYE and am revisiting it today. It's not too bad. I like it.

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I can't wait until I can do a basketweave, instead of the rolls. The sides of my hair are just a little to short to catch.


Very pretty. You and the style. Love it!
 

Arian

Loc'ing Up!
Today, I threw my babies up in a side ponytail. Gonna brave the cold and run some errands, but didn't want to risk too much lint from my coat. Hope the side pony doesn't look too juvenile. :look:
 

kandiekj100

Well-Known Member
Today, I threw my babies up in a side ponytail. Gonna brave the cold and run some errands, but didn't want to risk too much lint from my coat. Hope the side pony doesn't look too juvenile. :look:

Girl I left the house with two pigtails one day. I was wearing it around the house simply because I was jazzed I could do it. And I actually went grocery shopping with them still in my hair.

Now that doesn't answer your question (well I guess there really wasn't a question, lol). So I'm just going to :look: and raise you a :grin:.
 

Arian

Loc'ing Up!
Girl I left the house with two pigtails one day. I was wearing it around the house simply because I was jazzed I could do it. And I actually went grocery shopping with them still in my hair.

Now that doesn't answer your question (well I guess there really wasn't a question, lol). So I'm just going to :look: and raise you a :grin:.

Thanks for making me feel better! I loved my ponytail. I wore it to the gym last night and got some appreciative stares, so... :lol: i think it is a style I will continue to do throughout the journey.

Speaking of the journey, I never knew I could love a process so much. I hAve had my days where I asked myself what am I thinking, but nothing that makes me want to stop.

I discovered a new product for my hair and I love it. Once again, it is a product for bath/body and not specifically for hair, but it works. It is the dry oil mist by SheaMoisture. I will post a pic of it later. it mists oil on my hair in a fine mist and is perfect for oiling my scalp.
 

Platinum

Well-Known Member
Hey Ladies! I celebrated my 42nd birthday yesterday! I didn't wear my Locs in a style (planning to retwist soon), I wore a Headwrap.
 

Oasis

grabbing life by the pussy
idk what i was thinking getting locs while in the military.:nono: its so hard to keep my hair in regulation -- well as in regulation as something thats explicitly prohibited can be.:lol:

i cant imagine how difficult it will be when they get thicker & longer.
 

kandiekj100

Well-Known Member
idk what i was thinking getting locs while in the military.:nono: its so hard to keep my hair in regulation -- well as in regulation as something thats explicitly prohibited can be.:lol:

i cant imagine how difficult it will be when they get thicker & longer.

Oasis Um, how exactly does this work, lol? Is your hair completely loc'd? What if someone tells you have to get rid of them?


I retwisted my hair yesterday. I finally made the executive decision to combine some locs. There were about four around my parameter that simply were not making any progress. Unfortunately this meant combing out a couple to split the loc between the parameter loc and the one on the other side. Otherwise the resulting parameter loc would have been too thick. I'm happy I did it and you can't really tell. I did a combination of twisting and braiding to make sure the locs wouldn't unravel.

Also, DS2 is officially joining DS1 and I in locdom, lol. I started his myself. I did comb coils last week, which were a frizzy mess. I had to retwist Saturday to make them look presentable. The first time I only used one gel, but used 2 different gels on the retwist. I hope it holds up better than last week. His locs are kind of long, as far as starter locs go, so I don't foresee any unraveling.
 

ChasingBliss

Well-Known Member
Feb 7 will be my next appointment. Havent done anything but wash/moisturize weekly and keep separated since Oct. It will be darnnear 4 months. Then after that, I will go again in May just before my bday. I kind of like taking time off like this. I dont need to retwist every month ...I'm grateful I made myself realize that.
 
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