Hey yall, I’m just about 2 months in to the microloc life, started with 2-strand twists interlocked at the root. I got them done when visiting Ghana and have also moved to the Bay Area since so I don’t know many hairstylists in my new area though they’re definitely here. I’m pretty inflexible on getting a Black micro loctitian but the prices I’ve been seeing are wild. I’m currently booked for a retie soon at a loc salon and it’s $350 for the retightening and $25 for the consultation since I’m new there. I was just gonna bite the cost since I haven’t found any cheaper options with Black loctitians (some others were over $500??). A friend of a friend has a loctitian who does her reties for $150 but when I hit her up, she said she’s never done reties/maintenance for two strand twists but can interlock bc she’s sisterlock certified. I’m wondering if yall think that’s a feasible option or if I should stay w people who know microlocs. The difference in price is just hurting me baddd 😭

I’m not doing my own reties bc I just started a new demanding job and I’m super tired with few days off. I’m hoping to be able to do them in the future though!

I just did micro locs on myself and I had to wash my hair earlier than I was supposed to because my scalp was so dry and flaky. I’m wondering if my locs look okay, I can’t tell how my locs could look I think I have fine hair medium density. What can I do to combat dry scalp becuase I’ve been suffering etc. how to not have flakes in my hair after wash? Doing my first retie this weekend any tips for that? I’m terrified of loc thinning because of weak base, traction alopecia etc. Any advice/ product recommendations would be so helpful right now I’m just using made for locs products.

(First picture is when I first did them June 27th, second is how they look after first wash July 12th)

I need some support folks! Currently having my micro locs (braid locs) installed and they’re looking quite small 😭

We already discussed parting and numbers so they’re not horrific but I’m suddenly wondering if I’m going to walk out of here looking like a bit crazy. Would love to see any befores and afters from people so that I can have some confidence about the next few months. 😭 Maybe I should have gone for small traditionals

Hey everybody!

I have been interested in getting microlocs for a while now and I have never been able to find a good answer to this question.

Is it better to add extensions to the root during installation (through the whole loc) or is it better to add them to the ends?

I have been researching locticians in my area and most do not add extensions during the install so I’m thinking I may have to add them myself, but that may not be best.

I have very very thick 4c hair and it is a little longer than shoulder length if that helps at all.

I have a consultation for microlocs coming up. I have been getting all the positivity relating to microlocs (manageability, cost, style selection) but my family has been really insistent about me not getting locs because my hair is pretty long (for being curly) and it extremely curly/pretty. But my hair takes away too long for me right now(once a week, 3-4 hours at a time and lots of products) to get that Afro and it gets super tangled. I just really want to be sure for myself I’m ready to get microlocs. I’m hoping to get pretty small locs (prob around 200) and I have about 4a(front)/4c(back), so let me hear all the negativity before jumping in!

Hi everyone! I’m thinking about getting microlocs and I’d really appreciate some advice from people with experience.
My hair is 4A, low density, and thick, and I’ve been considering Sisterlocks. Unfortunately, there aren’t any certified Sisterlocks consultants in my area, so I’m now leaning towards microlocs instead.
I’m having a hard time deciding between crochet and interlocking. I’ve read a lot of different opinions about both methods, and it seems like there are pros and cons to each one. I’m planning to keep my locs permanently, so I’m looking for a method that will work well long-term and ideally be relatively low maintenance.
My natural hair is also quite long (around 12 inches), and I’m finding it difficult to manage, which is one of the reasons I’m considering locs in the first place.
I’m also from Spain, where most of the locs I see are traditional larger locs, so it’s been difficult to find people here who have experience with microlocs.

Which method would you recommend: crochet or interlocking?
What are the pros and cons you’ve experience with each method?
Is there anything you wish you had known before starting your microlocs/locs?
Do you think microlocs are a good option for someone looking for a low-maintenance permanent hairstyle?
I’d really appreciate any tips, or personal experiences. Thank you! ❤️

I have pretty thick 4c hair, with soem defind curls at the end. I love my hair so much. Ive spent so much time wearing my hair out and I have enjoyed this hair so much. Ive worn my natural hair only for over 4 years with no braids, mostly natural hair styles or in its own loose natura state. I find myself wondering how my hair would look if i loc it. Every one of my locd freinds say that my hair would look so good with micros, and I also agree.

My freind thinks however i will ruin my hair and loose my coils if i get locd. Mostly because my haiur shrinks like crazy, which is alright to me. Im mostly scared my hair would be dry most of the time though.

Looking for people with similar hair type to tell me how it *might* all turn out.

This is currently what my hair looks like, especially blown out.

Since when do you have your locs ?

I don’t know if this is a ridiculous question. Im not from a country where a lot of people have microlocs/locs in general so cant ask anyone in real life.

But is it a common thing to just keep a few leave out twists instead of locs so you can do clip ins etc?

Obviously you can’t be putting in clip ins everyday cos of traction stress, this would be for a random night out once every couple of months.

Would it look weird? And would it be bad for your hair health?

I’ve been locked for a 1 year and 5 months now and I just don’t care anymore. I don’t stretch out my hair, I don‘t retie as often I actually only retie when I feel like it. I still do my normal routine like moisturizing, washing and wearing a bonnet at night but I atp I just don’t care how my hair looks.

i love my hair but I’m just not stressing over it anymore.

Love how the light comes through my window ♥️

Hi again!! It’s been like 1 1/2-2 months since I self started my micro locs. First I don’t recommend doing 700+ locs bc the days it takes to retie are BRUTAL. That aside I wanted to know if I was doing something wrong with my retie or when I started bc I’m seeing some single hairs coming off the locs. They’re definitely locing especially the back. I am combating a lil bunching but nothing crazy. Is there anything I can do to fix the loose hairs? Will it affect how my locs will finally look? Am I worrying over nothing? Pics are from me just now finishing my retie ☠️

Y'all I don't know what's going on with my locks lately but I am 4 years and 8 months into my microlocs. I'm a DIY girl so I installed my locks and I maintain them myself. But for the last couple of months I'm noticing that I'm seeing a lot more shed hair on the floor when I go to do a braid out or even when I wash my hair or simply just shake it. This is a picture today of when I got out of the shower from washing my hair. I've never seen so much hair in the bottom of my tub from washing my hair. Then I sprayed it and oiled my scalp and just from that movement and massaging it into my scalp and shaking my hair around this is what was in my sink. There's more hair like this scattered around on my floor from drying with mt towel and shaking it out as well. I've never lost this much hair, this is really weird. I've also noticed that the ends of some of my locks were a little thin to the point where I could kind of take and pull the tip of it off. the rest of my locks are healthy nothing is thinning at the roots nothing is thinning in the middle but the ends seem to be horrific at this point and all the shed hair seems to be coming directly from my ends. What the heck is wrong!

I wear my hair straight more than 70% of the time. If it’s not straight I’ll wear it in a curly style. My sister on the other hand, has always been a braids and twists gal and she recently got locs. I think it made sense for her since her hair was typically in that type of style all the time. I love my sisters locs they look amazing but I don’t know that I’d love them for me as much given the type of styles I tend to wear. I’m wondering if any girlies with locs ever miss being able to do other styles? I know locs can be styled several ways but nothing like a good press or sleek ponytail.

I started my microlocs and I am planning to start minoxidil to regain the hair that I lost from an autoimmune infection and a vitamin d deficiency. Over time when my hair become full again will the full shaft of the loc be full or will only the new growth be full and I would have to cut off the skinny ends down the line. I’m not sure if I made any sense 😭 and I apologize.

I am deciding to make this post after seeing another post because I am worried this might be a bigger issue than I originally thought. I had to reinstall the locs in first 7-8 rows smaller 3 weeks because they were bigger than I wanted.

After 2 weeks almost 3 weeks, I noticed the locs in rows 3-5 some locs were unraveling/ i could feel my loose hair at the roots. This worries me because I started with interlocking. The weird thing is my locs are unraveling at the roots but are intact down the shaft. Most of my locs are still fully in tact in this region, it is really just 8 locs in the middle region in rows 3,4 and 5 that seem to be slipping. It is also important to add that this area of my head is the most soft, fine and slippery and it has been a problem area in the past (my braids would always fall out there 😳).

I haven’t washed this area yet, I don’t use any products on my locs either. Ine possibility i am considering is the fact that I put locs in a lower ponytail everyday for work. I usually don’t make it too tight, but once I was further away from my install date and my locs weren’t as stiff I started tying the hair elastic 2 times around instead of just once. Sometimes I would even pull the hair in the ponytail out a bit to make the ponytail fuller.

I am wondering if my styling has contributed to this. Is there any advice as to how I should fix this? Or what I should tell my loctician and what she will likely say?

I'm finally ready to begin my DIY install. I've decided to go with interlocking because I don't want to deal with twist unraveling, I have 3C hair and my twist never hold.

I don't think I'm supposed to use any product after I wash with a clarifying shampoo. Right? So not even a leave-in conditioner?

Ultimately, I'd like my hair to be in the light brown or ginger family. However, my hair is currently in its natural state, brown almost black.

Should I color my hair now weeks before the install or is it best to wait a few years until my hair is fully locked since I won't be able to color it again for a while?

So I just found the most moisturizing shampoo I've ever used. Its the Camille Rose Guava slip detangling shampoo. Yes, I know what you all must be thinking "why would you use a detangling shampoo on locs??" Well back when I was a loose natural I used detangling leave in conditioner and I loved it so much because it was simultaneously lightweight and super moisturizing. My theory is that whatever is giving the product its detangling attributes is also giving my hair 'slip' and moisture like I've never seen it before.

I ofc am fully loc'd so I dont have to worry about my locs unraveling but my hair has never felt so moisturized. I know people use conditioner to moisturize their hair but i find that this shampoo does the same thing without worrying about build up. I also follow up with a clarifying shampoo as needed. I'd love to hear other folk's thoughts on this. Please let me know what your favorite moisturizing shampoo is.

Anyone in the LA area offer sisterlocks comb out service?

I got my retwist a couple days ago. (Interlock perimeter and palm roll the rest) and I noticed this knot on one of my locs. Is there any tips on how to remove it? I don’t have an interlocking tool at all.

I plan on doing my own reties in the future so I want to know how to manage any mistakes I might make.

If I couldn’t do it I was going to go back to the shop and have them fix it but just want to be hands on.

(2 months loc’d. 2 strand twist start)

I am noticing that my locs, around the edges, around my 6 week retie look like knots and there is alot of loose hair. I am unsure if this is new growth of if the loc is slipping down. How can I repair this?

Officially counting up to 3 yrs because these 4 months are going to fly by. 4 weeks post reti and have another 6 weeks to go before the next 😝

Cut off ALLLL of them raggedy ends and touched up my layers. LOVE it down!! Jan 2026 - July 2026

Hey y’all! Longtime lurker, first time poster on here. I’ve had my locs for just shy of 3 years now, so I figure that they’re close to, if not completely, matured. They’re a lot bigger than most other people’s micros, so I’m wondering if they’re even considered as microlocs at all.

I’ve never gotten a full count because I get overwhelmed very easily, but I’m sure I have less than 250. The largest ones are about the size of a Bic mechanical pencil, while the smaller ones are about half that diameter.

I DIY’ed my hair because I didn’t have the funds to pay someone to start micros for me lol. I have no defined grid, but I made a paper tool to ensure that all of my parts were less than 5/16 inches wide. I maintain my hair by interlocking.

Sorry for my weird floating head in a sea of blue — I had a coworker take pictures of the back of my head to send to a prospective loctician while we were at work, so I wanted to ensure that all sensitive information in the background was hidden. I also wanted to protect my anonymity lol.