I remember when I first desired to have locs; it was the summer of 1999(I am telling my age). I always had an underlying desire for locs. When I was growing up the only images of locs that I remember seeing, were Bob Marley, reggae artists or individuals who considered themselves Rastafarian. I remember those images as a child and saying to myself one day I will experience “that”. I was a child so I really wasn’t sure what “that” was. As an adult I know now “that” meant freedom. Freedom is what I was seeing as a child, I just didn’t know how to put it into words, that “freedom” was so different from what everyone else looked like at the time. Fear and lack of knowledge kept me from even asking my parents. In the late 90’s Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu became trendsetters, being some of the first individuals to rock their locs in mainstream media. These bold young ladies inspired me to finally make a step towards locking my hair. I didn’t know where to start; at the time, there was only ONE salon in Baltimore (that I knew of) that specialized in the cultivation of locs. I finally began my journey and at the time it was a questionable journey. Everyday I was asked these questions; “Are you going to keep your hair like that?” Can you style your hair” Will you be able to get a job?” Fast-forward to 2001 my journey of locing lead me to my passion, being a natural hair stylist/locktician and assisting others on their journey. It amazes me how far locs have come and how many options individuals have when beginning their journey to locs. Sometimes, I still get the question “will I be able to style my hair and have flexibility?” The answer is YES!! Locs have evolved over the years and the options for styles, sizes and techniques are endless.
Traditional locs, freeform, sisterlocks/brotherlocks, intelocks,
Genie Locs, just to name a few. Whatever type of Locs you decide to go with, seek out a professional and do your research.
Petals, rods sets, flexi-rods set, wrap- a- locks, pipe cleaners, crinkles, udpos, and more. You can become overwhelmed when you begin to think of all the style options you have with locs. Length and size don’t matter. There are a ton of styles you can do with short locs. Find a professional loctitian in your area and they will be able to help you achieve the styles you desire.
When locs are colored it becomes a whole different style and look. You can try coloring the tips only, highlights or a whole head of color that brings out your eyes and the under tones of your skin. Color is great way to accentuate the beauty of your locs. Keep in mind that color calls for more care. Make sure you deep condition your hair once a month and use color safe shampoos and conditioners.
Yes, you can cut your locs! It’s not the easiest thing to think about after you have been so patient with the process of growing your locs, but sometimes a cut is just what you need to spice it up a little. You can cut your locs in an asymmetrical bob, layers or even a simple bang. A great cut can add flare to your locs. It’s a great way to switch it up over the years when you get tired of a particular length.
Locing your hair is a journey and it’s great to see how locs have evolved, although we have all these options with locs, lets not forget that locs without any of these options are still BEAUTIFUL!