Locs are beautiful but require a lot of commitment. I do want them eventually and decided to consider what having locs would be like!
My plan is to commit to locs when I’m older and have kids, so that I do not have to spend as much time doing my hair as I do now. My brother has had locs for over 2 years and is always telling me it’s been the best decision he has ever made. He helped put together this list of 4 things one should consider before getting locs!
Reason #1: Length Retention
“Having locs doesn’t automatically make your hair shoot out and grow at the speed of light, but since you’ll be messing with your scalp less it does give your hair the space to grow without being disturbed. Locs are basically organized locks of matted hair, and as it grows the new growth continues to get retwisted into its specific loc. Unlike natural hair which can curl up and shrink, locs will continue to grow longer and longer if you take care of it and you can definitely see results. When I used to have natural hair it would annoy me when I would look at a picture of my hair from the year before and see it’s the same length, but with locs I can see differences in the way it hangs month to month.”
I talk about feeling like my hair is not growing, read more about that here. it makes sense that length retention is easier when you have locs because the chances of breakage decrease substantially. Having locs may help me get to the length goals I always wanted to achieve!
Reason #2: Low Maintenance
“Locs are still natural hair and we have to take care of it, but I do admit taking care of locs are a lot easier than taking care of natural hair. Everyone has their own personal loc regimen but personally all I like to do is spray my hair with water mixed with leave in conditioner before I leave the house, apply oil on my scalp once a week, and I’m all set. Since I interlock my hair on my own, I retighten it every 2 months. People who retwist their hair are said to do it month to month or every couple of weeks. I still deep condition my hair but overall moisturizing and taking care of my hair has been a lot easier since I started my locs.”
This is the whole reason I want locs eventually, low maintenance. No further explanation needed!
Reason #3: Versatility
“Another reason why I love locs is because of the versatility. Thanks to many famous celebrities like Chloe and Halle Bailey, Kelela, The Migos, etc. we have seen people do so many creative and fashionable styles with their dreadlocks, but I also love the styles I can do at home. Whenever I tried to do a twist out or braid out with my natural hair it was always a gamble on whether it would look good or like a mess. However, every time I do these same styles with my locs they come out perfectly and I love it. People can do a lot more with locs than they think. They can get braids, twists, wigs, and more all while still having their locs. I do admit I did think it would be a little bored of my locs before I started them, but I’m running up on year three and I’m still in love with them.”
This is what scares me the most about getting locs. To me, it seems like committing to one style for a very very very long time. To get back to loose hair you will have to cut your hair off, or comb the locs out which is extremely time consuming. Realizing the versatility of styles you can try with locs makes it an exciting option!
Reason #4: Saves Money
“It is no secret that being natural can be an expensive process. Most natural hair products (or the good ones at least) can go from 10 to 20 dollars for just one item or more. Having locs can cut those costs in half. You don’t have to spend money on combs and you also don’t have to spend money on most of the other products naturals use like curling cream. All I usually buy for my hair is leave-in conditioner mist, or a leave-in I can mix with water, oils that work best for my hair, and that’s it! Of course people who like to retwist their hair would have to buy gel or if you interlock like me you’d have to get your specific needle. Overall this should all come up to $10 or probably even less.”
Trying new products is half the fun (and stress) of having natural hair so I would miss this part quite a bit. However nothing beats saving some money in the beauty department.
Final Thoughts
“It was hard to let go of my curls and best believe I did as many fun styles as I could before I started locs. But pretty much everyone I know who has locs wish they started them earlier to get more length. They also realized this lifestyle was so much easier. Having locs is one of the best decisions I’ve made, it’s beautiful to form a new relationship with your hair and watch it flourish in a way you never had. My natural hair was very kinky and curly and it would be so hard to comb out all the coils and knots. But once I started locs, I know my hair loved it because it could do what it wanted – which is loop and weave into itself and create locs. Trust me when I say you won’t regret starting locs. You’ll love the way they look, how fast they grow, and if you’re looking for a sign to start stop reading this post and get started on them right now!”
After reading this blog post do you feel more inclined to try out having locs at some point? Are there any pros or cons we forgot to mention?
Honest Hair Diary 