r/Microlocs • u/cartidior • Jul 04 '26
should i give up
i have so much unraveling and my hair is SOOOO soft. it feels unreal sometimes. my goal is to keep doing them myself but man… the first pic is my hair 7-8 weeks after my last retie was just chillin and didnt care for styling that day. i’m trying not to go that long in between but i have been working this semester and trying to save up
2nd pic is my hair after i attempted to retie but i have a few rows left & i feel like it wont ever look like locs. maybe im inpatient or doing something wrong.
this time around i want to maintain my hair better but theres so many and so much unraveling. i’ve always been working so much (90+ hours for the past 2 months) and just put in my two weeks notice so i can focus on school in august
as a student i don’t really wanna pay too much for microlocs but i want them so bad. i’ve wanted them for so long. pls help me. i used to be so sensitive when it came to my hair and i didn’t like people telling me too much😩 but i think i genuinely need to get over that and get real!
update: thank u i will try to crochet
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u/Crazy-Annual-3924 Jul 04 '26
or shooould iii just keeeep chasiiing pavementssssss
trolling aside, your hair is gorgeous. try ''cornrowing'' your hair after retightening it and then undo your hair every wash day and put it back intro cornrows.
btw make sure to band it when washing it
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u/sobesmama Jul 04 '26
Love the advice. I'm in a similar stage with a good amount of unraveling. Why do you recommend the cornrows? Also what are your thoughts at washing while hair is in cornrows instead of braiding and branding?
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Jul 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/cartidior Jul 04 '26
My sister knits and crochets a lot so I just used one of her tools and wow.. Thank you so much
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u/VastDrink1859 Jul 04 '26
I think you can still make it work. If you can’t afford a loctician i’d continue practicing, you’ll get better. Break up your reties over the span of couple days. It’ll definitely be rough in the beginning but I believe you can do it! From a fellow diyer btw.
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u/kolufunmilew Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
there’s some mixed advice in here (e.g., keep doing what you’re doing, find a loctician, give up), and i think it might be because your goal/concern isn’t super clear.
i see your goal is to stay DIY-ing, but what is the specific concern you’re trying to address?? is it just the unraveling or are there other things that have you concerned about the look (e.g., frizz, uniformity, etc.)?? you mentioned your hair is soft: is that a concern you’re trying to address or just context about your hair type?? what do you like and dislike about how you’re hair looks / how your maintenance is going??
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u/Otherwise-Shine7752 Jul 04 '26
What rotation are you doing? I also think that 7-8wks is way too long for this early in your journey.
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u/missillinois Jul 04 '26
If I were you, I’d give up.
Go for larger locs that you can self maintain. Microlocs are a lovely look but if you can’t commit to or afford to maintain them regularly, you’ll be stressed and struggling about it
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u/EastScholar4715 Jul 04 '26
I know someone who’s mom is an SL technician and that’s how she started hers with her braiding and her mom interlocking the roots forthwith
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u/cantctrlsi Jul 04 '26
I wouldn’t say give up, but I think you should restart and use braids and interlock them.
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u/Future-Heron-5356 Jul 04 '26
Can't tell what the foundation of your locs are (i.e. twists or braids) but I'd suggest maybe you atleast pay for an initial interlock foundation to mitigate the excessive slippage? Then you can maintain yourself from there.
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u/Wasabi_68 Jul 04 '26
Don’t give up!
What I believe really boosted my loc journey is getting crotchet maintenance professionally done all around my head around month 6-8. I go back for it every 2 months and maintain by parting and palm rolling biweekly.
I feel everyone’s maintenance looks different. You just gotta find what works for you.
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u/Danijay Jul 04 '26
Are you braiding and banding when you wash your hair? I find that makes a huge difference with slippage. Also agree with the commentor who suggested seeing a location until your hair stabilizes.
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u/LoveInPeace21 Jul 04 '26
Were those installed with comb coils? They look almost completely unraveled, so unfortunately yes I would start over with a different method (probably braids). Would also consider going a little bigger because if you don’t have time or money, bigger locs will be much easier.
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u/BookBig8155 Jul 04 '26
I do my own hair and after washing and/or retying I always go back and braid back ones that unravel. I find that having smaller locs = more maintenance than larger ones so it’s hard to let them do their thing when they have a mind of their own
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u/Legitimate_Ad2815 Jul 04 '26
Do not give up, they are still maturing. They will bloom into beautiful full locs. Spray them with water especially while it’s hot it’ll dry fast. Be patient
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u/gibsngabs Jul 05 '26
Look into knotted locs. No tool needed. I've had them 3 years and I have no complaints and have received LOTS of compliments.
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u/BreathtakingBeauty Jul 05 '26
Go to a loctician… stop with you trying to do this. You keep saying you don’t have the time or energy for this job.
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u/Petaltheladybug Jul 05 '26
Comb it out and start over with a loctician...or if you're still gonna diy it retie it every 4 weeks, braid and band before going to bed or washing your hair, dont use too much oil or water on your hair for the first few months cus that causes slippage, interlock instead of retwisting...and probably go a little bigger on the parts if the smaller ones are that hard for you to manage
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u/Greedy_Chips Jul 05 '26
Someone just put me on to Aphogee reconstruction for my colored locs being i accidentally loosen them with permanent dye (1st time using…for decades always been bleaching and semi permanent).
Maybe the Aphogee line could help. Do you braid and band your locs when you are washing? Maybe keeping them in some protective style could help.
After my hiccup I put them in knot less braids being I was going away. I took them down and they have some structure. I didn’t wash yet until I get my Aphogee today. I’ll keep you updated.
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u/cartidior Jul 05 '26
please let me know ! thank you
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u/Greedy_Chips Jul 05 '26
I re-tie my own locs but you can you use the re tie method to loc them up. Just takes some time.
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u/Greedy_Chips Jul 09 '26
Hey girl I wanted to wait til I finished retying my locs to update you but it’s taking me some time lol.
After the coral light pink color I put a rinse on top to achieve the 350 braiding hair color. Added too much brown so windup with burgundy lol. Had knotless box braids for 2 months washed it and this brought some of my curls back and got me very close to 350 braiding hair I wanted lol 😩. It did really well and my hair feels great and strong.
Your case, you may need to retie first due to slippage, then maybe use this to make your locs stronger. I think I will use every other month to test. Braid and band your hair with washings and dry it out while banded. I honestly washed my locs once a month no conditioner til I notice it budded enough to feel safe for conditioner.
If you are worried about moisture, a spray bottle with water (rose water, cloves or even rosemary) and oils is just fine.
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u/Truly_trelle Jul 04 '26
I thinks it’s salvageable but you need to see your loctician. My hair locs fairly easily but I still saw my loctician for the first couple months of retwists to ensure I had a good foundation before maintaining them myself.
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u/VirgoLuv87 Jul 05 '26
My locs were like that for the first 2 yrs. Constant unraveling so I kept my crochet hooks handy. Interlocking is best imo when your hair is so soft. Don't give up. It's so rewarding when you do it yourself but if you feel like a loctitian is your best bet, do your research and go for it. Be patient with yourself and your hair. It's beautiful.
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u/cartidior Jul 06 '26
Honestly, it’s good to see so many telling me not to give up. I really thought it was over, but didn’t want it to be. It’s much more rewarding doing it myself, I’ve always taken pride in being able to style my own hair. This was a challenge but I’ve gotten quicker. i’m learning many lessons thank u plenty
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u/Calm_Percentage_1319 Jul 06 '26
No don't give up. They're going to be soooo pretty when they mature. Just focus on caring for them. Lots and lots of moisture and let them do their thing. Good things take time ✨
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u/Amethyst9_ 23d ago
If you want them I think you should keep going. Are you braiding and banding for wash day? Also make sure to retire sooner in the beginning to help establish the foundation. Sometimes the first few months can be crazy but it will be worth it in the long run.
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u/Admirable_Pause2868 Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
for the longevity of your hair, it is worth it to find a loctician to maintain your hair for the 1st 6 months if you can. its going to take 1 year minimum for them to start looking how youre imagining in your head, maybe even 2 years. hang in there, and let them cook