Loc Hair Styling
Styling Your Locs
There are so many styles you can wear with your locs. Once again, you are limited only by your imagination! We’re going to get some loc stylists to showcase their work soon, but here are a few ideas of what you can do with your locs.
Cutting Your Locs
You can cut your loc to keep them a certain length for a style you may want to wear such as a bob. You can also wear geometric styles by cutting your locs shorter on one side of your head than the other. The list goes on.
Coloring Your Locs
You can dye your hair, or lighten it. You can also just lighten or dye the ends of your hair.
Curling Your Locs
You can curl your locs using sponge rollers, or for tight curls, you can use pipe cleaners:
There are so many styles you can wear with your locs. Once again, you are limited only by your imagination! We’re going to get some loc stylists to showcase their work soon, but here are a few ideas of what you can do with your locs.
Cutting Your Locs
You can cut your loc to keep them a certain length for a style you may want to wear such as a bob. You can also wear geometric styles by cutting your locs shorter on one side of your head than the other. The list goes on.
Coloring Your Locs
You can dye your hair, or lighten it. You can also just lighten or dye the ends of your hair.
Curling Your Locs
You can curl your locs using sponge rollers, or for tight curls, you can use pipe cleaners:
Pipe Cleaners are available at craft stores.
Pipe cleaners can be purchased at a local craft store for a few bucks. To curl your locs using pipe cleaners start by making a loop at one end of the pipe cleaner as your see in the above picture. The loop at the end serves to keep your hair from sliding off, and assists in removing the pipe cleaner from your hair when you are ready.
After washing, or wetting your hair, apply a setting lotion, or loc and twist get to your hair. You can wrap a number of hairs on one pipe cleaner. On the picture shown below, I wrapped 4 locs at a time on each pipe cleaner. Wrap your locs around the pipe cleaner then bend over the top edge of the pipe cleaner to “lock” it down.
After washing, or wetting your hair, apply a setting lotion, or loc and twist get to your hair. You can wrap a number of hairs on one pipe cleaner. On the picture shown below, I wrapped 4 locs at a time on each pipe cleaner. Wrap your locs around the pipe cleaner then bend over the top edge of the pipe cleaner to “lock” it down.
Locs are wrapped around pipe cleaners.
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Pipe cleaners have loop folded on ends for quick removal.
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When your hair dries, simply lift up the end of the pipe cleaner (unlock it), grab your loop, and pull straight out. Your curls will be tight and you can separate the curls and wear them tight, run your fingers through them to stretch and loosen them, or create a pinned, curly style.
Hair is curled after the pip cleaners are removed.
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Pipe cleaners removed from hair.
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Crimping/Wavy/ZigZag
If you want your locks to have a wavy pattern to them, simply braid your hair while it is wet, let it dry, undo the braids, and you have wavy locs! The smaller the braids, the tighter the waves.
This braiding can be done at the time of retightening your hair. After you retighten a small section of your hair, simply braid that section. It will help you to keep your hair separated from the other hair you are retightening.
Tie Back
Once your hair has some length to it, a quick way to keep your hair away from your face is to tie it back. You don’t need anything to do this but your own hair.
Take a couple of locs from behind both ears with each hand (if you take them from the face section in front of your ears it may hurt). Cross the locs you’ve taken over the rest of the locs that fall in the back of your head. Tie your hair into a loose knot. You’re done.
If you want your locks to have a wavy pattern to them, simply braid your hair while it is wet, let it dry, undo the braids, and you have wavy locs! The smaller the braids, the tighter the waves.
This braiding can be done at the time of retightening your hair. After you retighten a small section of your hair, simply braid that section. It will help you to keep your hair separated from the other hair you are retightening.
Tie Back
Once your hair has some length to it, a quick way to keep your hair away from your face is to tie it back. You don’t need anything to do this but your own hair.
Take a couple of locs from behind both ears with each hand (if you take them from the face section in front of your ears it may hurt). Cross the locs you’ve taken over the rest of the locs that fall in the back of your head. Tie your hair into a loose knot. You’re done.
Simple Updo
This is a quick, simple updo for people with longer locs. Once again, you don’t need anything except your own hair.
Lean forward so that all of your hair falls forward toward your face. Grab a few locs from behind each ear, cross over so that the locs from the left side of your head are now in your right hand, and the locs from the right side of your head are now in your left hand. Now, sit up and flip your head so your hair falls toward the back, holding on to those crossed over locs. Next, tie the locs in your hands over the front of your hair in a loose knot. Easy updo!
Adorning with Beads, Shells, Hair Jewelry
You can adorn your hair with all kinds of items such as beads, shells, and hair jewelry.
-Beads: When selecting beads, make sure that the opening of the bead is large enough for your loc to fit through, yet small enough so that your loc will not slip out. Slip your bead on your hair and go! Safety note here: Please be careful when it comes to using metal beads and the placement of those beads in your hair. You do not want to have a heavy bead located in a place that when you turn your head you get hit in the eye with that bead. Okay, yes it happened to me. Ouch! You can also sew on beads to your locs with a needle and thread.
-Shells: These look lovely in the hair also. For the most part, they are sewn into the hair. Typically people use cowry shells to adorn their hair.
-Hair Jewelry: There are all sorts of hair jewelry that can be worn in the hair. Most hair jewelry is already made with clips or hooks to attach to your hair. The jewelry may consist of beaded styles, shells, wood, etc.
In addition to these items, there are headbands, hair elastic, decorative clips, hair streamers, etc. that you can use in your hair. Be creative, it’s fun.!
This is a quick, simple updo for people with longer locs. Once again, you don’t need anything except your own hair.
Lean forward so that all of your hair falls forward toward your face. Grab a few locs from behind each ear, cross over so that the locs from the left side of your head are now in your right hand, and the locs from the right side of your head are now in your left hand. Now, sit up and flip your head so your hair falls toward the back, holding on to those crossed over locs. Next, tie the locs in your hands over the front of your hair in a loose knot. Easy updo!
Adorning with Beads, Shells, Hair Jewelry
You can adorn your hair with all kinds of items such as beads, shells, and hair jewelry.
-Beads: When selecting beads, make sure that the opening of the bead is large enough for your loc to fit through, yet small enough so that your loc will not slip out. Slip your bead on your hair and go! Safety note here: Please be careful when it comes to using metal beads and the placement of those beads in your hair. You do not want to have a heavy bead located in a place that when you turn your head you get hit in the eye with that bead. Okay, yes it happened to me. Ouch! You can also sew on beads to your locs with a needle and thread.
-Shells: These look lovely in the hair also. For the most part, they are sewn into the hair. Typically people use cowry shells to adorn their hair.
-Hair Jewelry: There are all sorts of hair jewelry that can be worn in the hair. Most hair jewelry is already made with clips or hooks to attach to your hair. The jewelry may consist of beaded styles, shells, wood, etc.
In addition to these items, there are headbands, hair elastic, decorative clips, hair streamers, etc. that you can use in your hair. Be creative, it’s fun.!
