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

Hey ladies! So sorry I've been a stranger. A LOT has gone on, including a relocation back to my home state.

So adding the loc extensions last year was a great decision for me because it allowed me to have one less stressor in life. Being able to just throw my locs up in a bun or ponytail everyday was the break I needed from my hair. Now that the big move is over (even though there's still a lot of work ahead on the "new" house), I am ready to remove the extensions. I'm leaning toward just cutting them out for more than one reason. The main reason is that I am not happy with the size of my locs overall. The low maintenance of the larger size has been great for all that has been going on in my life. Conversely, I have not felt quite like myself with these size locs long term.

My typical go-to style on loose hair for over a decade was mini/micro braids, no extensions. And I'm leaning toward combing out this set of locs in order to install mini/micro locs instead. I think that will go a long way to helping me feel more like myself. The only thing holding me back is the increased maintenance. Not just talking about retightenings but also smaller locs and my fine strands are more prone to marrying. So I'll be spending a lot of time separating my locs and new growth to get ahead of that. I have really enjoyed not having my hands in my hair so often. It's also my understanding that once they mature, the tendency to marry decreases along the length of the loc. I will still have to maintain the new growth area.

Looking at my locs right now, I parted with the idea that my locs would swell up to the size of the parts. I will be 2 years locced in July and my locs are not anywhere near the size of my parts. I expected this because I have fine strands. I wanted to try anyway, just in case. Now that I know, I believe that smaller parts will help my locs to look fuller. My hair is about medium density, probably slightly below, so more parts will help in that regard as well. So I'm going to be restarting my journey sometime in the next couple of months once I decide between braidlocs or interloccing to start them.

This is likely the method, parting, etc that I'm gonna use. And I love her idea of using a metal yarn needle.

 
Also, here's my little one's journey so far. His locs not only fit his lifestyle but also his personality. He has been my little caveman since the moment he was born and I love to let him roam free and confident in his independence. He's got some sensory issues so brushing and styling his hair daily has torturous for all involved. Loccing his hair has seemed to help him feel even more carefree - which is my hope for all little ones. I hope these pix upload properly.

Pre locced hair - happy and free mostly

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We would only ponytail for appointments or if we were going somewhere (sometimes, lol)

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He was soooooo excited when I parted his hair for the locs and braided the sections. He does not sit still for hair (or much of anything for that matter) so the parts are not perfect, but perfect enough.

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Starter locs done 13-Jun-21. He's got a soft texture so I had to braid first and then twist the rest of the way to keep the twists from unraveling.
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front
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I swear they started budding almost immediately. Here they are getting fluffy in Sept
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Oct 2021 - started ponytailing the top to keep his hair out of his face. His natural hair had so much shrinkage he didn't have to worry about it. Locs were already forming at this point.

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October retie - I interlock and try hard not to do it too tightly
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Jan 2022- pretty much locced and overdue for a retie, lol

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@MzSwift Oh. Emm. Gness. Swifty him so HANDSOME :love: My ovaries was feeling a lil tingle but I had to shut that shi..ttake mushrooms DOWN :lachen: I love what you've done with his hair. My kid doesn't like the combing or the cutting but we compromised on like a high top fade of sorts. How are you liking the new place? Was it an easier adjustment since you're somewhat familiar with the landscape? Tell me everything :rofl:
 
ItsMeLilLucky said:
@MzSwift Oh. Emm. Gness. Swifty him so HANDSOME :love: My ovaries was feeling a lil tingle but I had to shut that shi..ttake mushrooms DOWN :lachen: I love what you've done with his hair. My kid doesn't like the combing or the cutting but we compromised on like a high top fade of sorts. How are you liking the new place? Was it an easier adjustment since you're somewhat familiar with the landscape? Tell me everything :rofl:
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Heeyyyy my favorite play cousin!! :wave: I'm so happy to see you in here! I'm rooting for you and your micro locs!! That's so funny bc a fade was my compromise w my oldest son too but now he wants his locs back. Lol.

Thank you, sis! Yes girl, the DMV was ok - I think I'll miss the weather the most. But I had to come back home. I miss the vibe and I'm gonna ease back into hustling and ballrooming. Besides, we get more for our money here in the Midwest. And they can keep that traffic, we don't want it! Lol. Surprisingly, I'm seeing tons of locs here! When did that happen?
 
@MzSwift This is my 3rd set this month :lol: I got the 1st set, March 3 took them down because the parts were weird and that stuff she used on my hair was flaky denna mug, then I got another set March 5th and took that down because the man gave me rectangle parts and whatever he used on my head made it super sticky :perplexed::whyme:so I took those down and finally got microlocs March 11th. Good thing I had my taxes or I would've been stuck like Chuck. I don't know who that is, but I would've been stuck like him hee hee hee. She didn't interlock all the way down and left some loose hair out. I saw where she was going with the vision, but my hair isn't long enough (cut it before I got the 1st set of locks) and I look like a root vegetable :rofl: but I can live with it. I really wish I just would've gotten them from the start. Wasted all my good tax dollars.

*sings* Hustle, hustle, hustle, go get the money, go get the money! This weather is smoking..genitals. Which ballrooming? The Pose tv show kind or the regular kind? I need to figure how to make some cash under the table lmao. Welcome back, welcome back, welcome baaack!
 
ItsMeLilLucky said:
@MzSwift This is my 3rd set this month :lol: I got the 1st set, March 3 took them down because the parts were weird and that stuff she used on my hair was flaky denna mug, then I got another set March 5th and took that down because the man gave me rectangle parts and whatever he used on my head made it super sticky :perplexed::whyme:so I took those down and finally got microlocs March 11th. Good thing I had my taxes or I would've been stuck like Chuck. I don't know who that is, but I would've been stuck like him hee hee hee. She didn't interlock all the way down and left some loose hair out. I saw where she was going with the vision, but my hair isn't long enough (cut it before I got the 1st set of locks) and I look like a root vegetable :rofl: but I can live with it. I really wish I just would've gotten them from the start. Wasted all my good tax dollars.

*sings* Hustle, hustle, hustle, go get the money, go get the money! This weather is smoking..genitals. Which ballrooming? The Pose tv show kind or the regular kind? I need to figure how to make some cash under the table lmao. Welcome back, welcome back, welcome baaack!
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:lachen:

You are a mess!
In the Detroit area "hustle" is shuffle/linedancing and "ballroom" is a really smooth partner dance done to RnB or Hip Hop, similar to Chicago's stepping. It'll be a while before I go anywhere though bc it's not worth bringing COVID home. Lol.

LOL, "root vegetable?" I think I heard a lady on YT say "plucked chicken." LOL!! That beginning baby locs phase is no joke!

I'm really excited to cut this hair and start over. I think the smaller locs will look fuller. I used a sea salt spray to help my older son's loc progress a little faster, I think I'm gonna try that too this time.
 
ItsMeLilLucky said:
@MzSwift I was alll the way off :rofl:
Yes I look like a rutabaga or something lmao. My face is big, but my hair is little, sticking up every which way, and doing whatever the heck it wants, like a toddler lol
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Hey @ItsMeLilLucky! Your posts crack me up. I totally remember the toddler stage. I applaud anyone going through that stage and owning it! I hope you are taking plenty of pics. The look back helped me so much as my toddlers grew up.
 
Just started combing out my locs. One down, 98 more to go. I'm so excited about putting in the microlocs. I should've done that from the beginning but I really needed some lazy hair and I was worried that I would spend too much time and effort keeping them from marrying.

So far, not much build up. I only use my Dr. Woods raw black soap (liquid) to wash and a henna tea for conditoning. Also oils for the scalp and after wetting my hair. That's been my regi since I started. I haven't once clarified so I'll see what it looks like under there. lol

I've been cutting them in half and then combing out from there. So I was able to do one in about an hour. Using the metal part of a rat tail comb. I also have a dog flea comb for backup - saw a lady on YT using that. I'm anticipating that it should take me about 3 weeks.

I will say this, I am not tempted AT ALL to keep my hair loose. I think the part that has given me pause about this take down has been the thought of having to detangle, wash and condition my loose hair again. :cry3:

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Final pic.
 
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Cattypus1 said:
Hey @ItsMeLilLucky! Your posts crack me up. I totally remember the toddler stage. I applaud anyone going through that stage and owning it! I hope you are taking plenty of pics. The look back helped me so much as my toddlers grew up.
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Ty, I'm a little funny sometimes lol I take pictures but I don't post them. Everyone doesn't need to see errythang :eyebrows2:
 
@MzSwift Go Swifty! Be fast as..yourself :eyebrows2::lol: I'm so excited for you :pepper::love: Your microlocs are gonna look so delicious when you put them in :lick:I was asked if I was taking my hair down (converting twists to braids) and almost a mini breakdown at the thought of taking all these locs down and dealing with my loose hair myself. Now maybe in the future I'll feel different, but as of now *puts on Pooty Tang voice* I gots to say the nay no.
 
MzSwift said:
Just started combing out my locs. One down, 98 more to go. I'm so excited about putting in the microlocs. I should've done that from the beginning but I really needed some lazy hair and I was worried that I would spend too much time and effort keeping them from marrying.

So far, not much build up. I only use my Dr. Woods raw black soap (liquid) to wash and a henna tea for conditoning. Also oils for the scalp and after wetting my hair. That's been my regi since I started. I haven't once clarified so I'll see what it looks like under there. lol

I've been cutting them in half and then combing out from there. So I was able to do one in about an hour. Using the metal part of a rat tail comb. I also have a dog flea comb for backup - saw a lady on YT using that. I'm anticipating that it should take me about 3 weeks.

I will say this, I am not tempted AT ALL to keep my hair loose. I think the part that has given me pause about this take down has been the thought of having to detangle, wash and condition my loose hair again. :cry3:

View attachment 479719

Final pic.
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They're GORG! But honestly, If I had as much hair as you do, I'd be the kind of lazy to pull out a bit at a time, wash those and put the microlocs in all at once.
 
ItsMeLilLucky said:
@MzSwift Go Swifty! Be fast as..yourself :eyebrows2::lol: I'm so excited for you :pepper::love: Your microlocs are gonna look so delicious when you put them in :lick:I was asked if I was taking my hair down (converting twists to braids) and almost a mini breakdown at the thought of taking all these locs down and dealing with my loose hair myself. Now maybe in the future I'll feel different, but as of now *puts on Pooty Tang voice* I gots to say the nay no.
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:lachen: I am seriously expecting to look like a "plucked chicken" when they're first installed. Lol. Even when I was natural and texlaxed, I always hated my mini braids when they were first done bc it looks so scalpy.


imaginary said:
They're GORG! But honestly, If I had as much hair as you do, I'd be the kind of lazy to pull out a bit at a time, wash those and put the microlocs in all at once.
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Oooh, sis, I am so tempted! I would totally do that but I think it'll make reties and separation easier if have straight rows. So I wanna have it a bit more loose before converting them. Maybe I can still do something like what you're suggesting.
 
@MzSwift How goes it? The takedown process. I'm getting tired of being bald headed so I'm probably going to add some hair at the bottom. I have some human afro kinky bulk hair I bought a while back. Maybe I can attempt some Lilian Okibe-like locs. I'm gonna try after I get my first retightening.
 
ItsMeLilLucky said:
@MzSwift How goes it? The takedown process. I'm getting tired of being bald headed so I'm probably going to add some hair at the bottom. I have some human afro kinky bulk hair I bought a while back. Maybe I can attempt some Lilian Okibe-like locs. I'm gonna try after I get my first retightening.
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Actually that's what I did, except I used synthetic braiding hair. Once they were in, it made life so much easier for me and I just retightened as usual. One tip is don't add bulk, only add length. I used really thin grabs of hair, crocheted it through my loc halfway down and then used the crochet/instalock method and interlocking to create the lock in the braiding hair.

But if you decide not to add hair, you know there's headwraps (full and partial), cute caps, pinning them up, etc.

It's takedown Day 8 and with everything going on, I'm averaging about 4 a day. I took a day off on Day 5. I have 32 locs down. I just threw away a whole Walmart bag full of a ball of hair and stuff that was in the loc. ** Which feels really weird to me bc when I was growing up, my mom always made us save the hair from our brushes and stuff and then we would go outside and burn it. Something my grandma got her doing so she continued it w us. I stopped doing it and it still feels odd to not do it. Lol.** Apparently, there was a lot of shed hair and lint on the inside of my locs. After watching tons of take down videos, it seems having buildup and stuff in the locs is very normal.
 
ItsMeLilLucky said:
@MzSwift How goes it? The takedown process. I'm getting tired of being bald headed so I'm probably going to add some hair at the bottom. I have some human afro kinky bulk hair I bought a while back. Maybe I can attempt some Lilian Okibe-like locs. I'm gonna try after I get my first retightening.
Click to expand...



MzSwift said:
Actually that's what I did, except I used synthetic braiding hair. Once they were in, it made life so much easier for me and I just retightened as usual. One tip is don't add bulk, only add length. I used really thin grabs of hair, crocheted it through my loc halfway down and then used the crochet/instalock method and interlocking to create the lock in the braiding hair.

But if you decide not to add hair, you know there's headwraps (full and partial), cute caps, pinning them up, etc.

It's takedown Day 8 and with everything going on, I'm averaging about 4 a day. I took a day off on Day 5. I have 32 locs down. I just threw away a whole Walmart bag full of a ball of hair and stuff that was in the loc. ** Which feels really weird to me bc when I was growing up, my mom always made us save the hair from our brushes and stuff and then we would go outside and burn it. Something my grandma got her doing so she continued it w us. I stopped doing it and it still feels odd to not do it. Lol.** Apparently, there was a lot of shed hair and lint on the inside of my locs. After watching tons of take down videos, it seems having buildup and stuff in the locs is very normal.
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I'm Jamaican and my mother will still get on my case to this day about this, so I just never stopped burning shed hair lol.
 
ItsMeLilLucky said:
Not sure how I feel about the parting just yet.
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Do you feel like the parting is off overall, or just in certain areas? What don't you like about it? What size locks did you want? If you're not happy with the parting it's best to fix it now and not wait.

I thought your parting was giving thick and full, especially in the front. I also liked the block parting in the back. But it doesn't matter what I/we think, if ultimately you don't like it and it's not what you want for your hair. I'm anxious to see how they will turn out either way!
 
mz.rae said:
Hey ladies!
I can’t believe I will be five years Sisterlocked next month, time goes so fast. I remember being scared of slippage, wanting to cut my locs, and dealing with comments from “friends”. To now seeing my locs long healthy flourishing!
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I definitely remember your challenges! I'm so glad you persevered and pushed through those tough times of uncertainty. Five years is a great milestone to celebrate. Do you have any plans for your hair or styles in mind to mark your anniversary?
 
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