Okay so before we even get into it, let me just say this, if you are reading this post right now, you are probably in that phase. You know the one. Where you have been looking at locs on Pinterest for the last two hours, you have saved about forty pictures, and you still cannot decide if you actually want to do it or not.
I see you. I really do.
You Are Not the Only One Who Feels This Way
Because I talk to people like you every single day. As a loc technician, a huge part of my job is not just doing hair. It is sitting across from someone who is nervous, who has questions, who is scared they are going to make a mistake they cannot take back, and just talking them through it. And one of the most common things I hear is, “I wish I had known this before I started.”
That is literally why I started this blog.
I am not going to sit here and pretend I have locs myself, because I do not. My hair is natural and I love it exactly the way it is. But what I do have is years of experience sitting with people on one of the most personal hair decisions they will ever make.
I have watched people come in shaking with excitement. I have watched people cry happy tears when they see their baby locs for the first time. And I have also watched people come back confused, frustrated, and full of questions that nobody warned them about.
So this post is me giving you everything. The real stuff. The things I tell my clients before I even pick up a comb. Consider this your honest, no-pressure guide from someone who genuinely wants your loc journey to start on the right foot.
Let me ask you something and I want you to really think about it.
What exactly is it that is making you hesitate?
Because in my experience, the fear usually comes from one of a few places. Either someone around you has said something negative about locs. Or you saw someone’s loc journey online and it looked rough during a certain phase and now you are worried. Or you simply do not know enough about the process and the unknown is what is scaring you.
All of those things are valid. But most of them are also based on not having the right information.
I had a client, let me call her Temi, she came to me last year and she had been wanting locs for four years. Four whole years. She kept talking herself out of it because her mum kept telling her locs were dirty and would damage her hair. So she just sat on the idea for four years, still thinking about it, still saving pictures, but not moving.
When she finally came to see me and I explained everything to her properly, walked her through the process, showed her what healthy, well-maintained locs actually look like up close, she looked at me and said, “why did nobody just explain it to me like this before?”
She got her starter locs that same day. She sat in my chair for hours and just kept smiling.
That is the energy I want for you.
What Actually Happens When You Start Locs
Okay so let me break this down simply because I think a lot of people go into this without actually understanding what locking hair means at a biological level. And when you understand it, it becomes way less scary.
Your hair, when it is natural and not chemically treated, wants to tangle. That is just what it does. When you take sections of your hair and coil them, twist them, or braid them, and then leave them alone consistently, those strands begin to interlock with each other over time. That is it. That is locking. Your hair is literally weaving itself together into one unit.
But here is what nobody warns you about. That process takes time. Real time. And it does not look cute in the middle.
There is a phase in the loc journey that people call the ugly stage, or the budding stage, and it is exactly what it sounds like. Your hair is not fully loc’d yet but it is also not as neat as it was when you first started. Things look fuzzy. Some locs might look like they are going backwards. You might wake up one day and wonder what on earth is happening on your head.
This is the phase where most people panic. And I want to talk about it now, before you even start, so that when you get there, you do not think something has gone wrong.
Nothing has gone wrong. Your hair is just doing its thing.
I always tell my clients, the ugly stage is the most important stage. It means your hair is actually locking. It means the process is working. You just have to trust it and keep going.
The Things I Wish Every Beginner Knew Before Starting
Let me just give you these straight because honestly they would have saved so many of my clients a lot of stress.
Your starting method matters more than you think.
There are several ways to start locs. Two strand twists, coils, interlocking, braids, even freeform.
The method you choose will affect how your locs look in the beginning, how they mature over time, and how easy they are to maintain.
There is no one size fits all answer here. It really depends on your hair texture, your lifestyle, and the look you are going for.
This is one of the biggest reasons I always recommend seeing a professional loctician before you start, even if you plan to maintain your locs at home later. Just get that first conversation right.
The size you start with is the size you keep.
This one is so important and people do not always realise it. When your locs are sectioned at the beginning, that section size more or less determines the size of your mature loc.
You cannot really make locs smaller once they are locked. You can combine locs to make them bigger, but splitting them is tricky and risky.
So think carefully about whether you want micro locs, medium locs, or jumbo locs before you sit down in that chair.
Products are not your friend in the beginning.
I know this sounds strange because we are all used to putting things in our hair.
But in the very early stages of locs, the less product you use the better. Heavy creams, butters, and definitely wax can cause buildup inside your locs that is really hard to remove.
Stick to light, residue-free products and keep it simple. Your hair will thank you later.
Washing your locs will not ruin them.
I cannot tell you how many people come to me thinking they are not supposed to wash their locs, especially in the beginning.
This is one of the oldest myths in the community and it is just not true. Clean hair actually locks better. A clean scalp is a healthy scalp.
You just need to make sure you are drying your locs thoroughly after washing because locs that stay wet for too long can develop a musty smell or even mold in extreme cases. And nobody wants that.
Patience is not optional.
Fully mature locs can take anywhere from one year to three years depending on your hair texture, the method you used, and how well you are maintaining them.
That is a long time. And during that time your hair is going to go through phases that might frustrate you. I always tell my clients to take pictures every month from the same angle.
Because when you are in the middle of the journey, it is hard to see progress. But when you look back at month one compared to month six, the difference is incredible.
The Questions I Get Asked the Most
Since I started this blog to genuinely help people who are nervous about locs, let me just answer some of the questions I hear constantly.
Can I start locs on short hair?
Yes, absolutely. I have done starter locs on hair as short as an inch.
It is actually sometimes easier to work with shorter hair because there is less weight pulling on the new locs. The locs will just be shorter to start and will grow from there.
Will locs damage my hair?
Locs themselves do not damage hair. In fact, locs are one of the most protective styles you can have because your ends are tucked away and protected.
What damages hair is poor maintenance. Locs that are too tight, retwisted too frequently, or neglected for too long can cause issues. But healthy, properly maintained locs are actually very gentle on your hair and scalp.
What if I do not like them?
This is the big one. And I will be honest with you, because that is what this blog is for. If your locs are not fully mature yet, they can potentially be combed out.
It is a long process and you will experience some breakage, but it is possible. However, once your locs are fully locked and mature, combing them out is not really a realistic option.
You would have to cut your hair. So before you start, make sure you have really thought about it.
Not to scare you, but because this is a long term commitment and I want you to go in with your eyes open.
How often do I need to retwist?
This depends on your hair texture and your personal preference, but a general rule of thumb is every four to six weeks for most people.
Some people go longer, some go shorter. Retwisting too often can actually put too much tension on your roots, which can lead to thinning over time. So more is not always better.
What Nobody Tells You About the Emotional Side
Can I get a little deep for a second?
Starting locs is not just a hair decision. For a lot of people, especially Black women and men, it is a deeply personal thing. It is about identity. It is about accepting your natural texture.
It is sometimes about letting go of years of thinking your hair needed to look a certain way to be acceptable.
I have had clients who cried in my chair. Not because anything went wrong. Just because they finally did the thing they had been wanting to do for years and it felt like a release.
I have also had clients who came in super confident, got their starter locs, went home, and then texted me two days later panicking because their hair looked different and they were second guessing themselves. And that is completely normal too.
The emotional journey of locs is real. There will be days you love your hair so much you cannot stop looking in the mirror.
And there will be days you wonder what you were thinking. Both of those days are a normal part of the process.
What I always tell my clients is this. On the hard days, go back to why you started. Remember that feeling that made you want to do it in the first place. And if you ever need to talk it through, that is what I am here for.
So Should You Start Your Locs?
If you have read this far, something tells me you already know your answer.
You would not still be here if you were not serious about this. You are not just casually browsing. You are someone who is genuinely thinking about this and wants to make sure they do it right.
And that is the best kind of person to work with, honestly.
Here is what I want you to take away from this post. Locs are not scary when you understand them. The process is natural, it is beautiful, and yes it takes time, but everything worth having does.
The most important things are starting correctly, maintaining consistently, and giving yourself grace during the in-between phases.
If you are still on the fence, start by doing a consultation with a loctician you trust. Ask all your questions. Look at their work. Understand the process for your specific hair type. There is no rush and you do not have to figure it out alone.
That is exactly what I am here for.
One Last Thing
I started this blog because I kept seeing people who wanted locs but were too scared to ask questions.
People who were getting bad information online. People who started their journey without proper guidance and then struggled more than they needed to.
You deserve to go into this feeling informed and excited, not scared and confused.
So bookmark this page, share it with a friend who has been talking about locs forever but never starts, and keep coming back because there is so much more coming on here.
We are going to cover everything from starter methods to maintenance routines to styling ideas and so much more.
Your loc journey starts with information. And you are already in the right place.
Leave a Reply