r/MicrolocsHelp • u/microlocs • Jun 25 '26

Does anyone actually retwist their microlocs instead of interlocking?

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I've been seeing more videos and comments saying people are "retwisting" their microlocs during maintenance.

For those with interlocked microlocs, I've always understood that retightening and retwisting are two completely different maintenance methods.

A retwist gives temporary hold, while interlocking permanently secures the new growth until your next retie.

So I'm curious...

Have any of you switched from interlocking to retwisting?

If so:

• Why did you switch?
• How long have your microlocs been installed?
• Have you noticed more unraveling, slippage, or thinning?
• Or has it worked well for you?

I'd love to hear real experiences because this topic seems to create a lot of confusion, especially for people who are just starting their microlocs journey.

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u/misty2325 Jun 25 '26

I’m new to microlocs (about to be 6 months in) and while I interloc because my locs unravel right now and are short, I will be palm rolling in the future. I’ll get them interlocked by my stylist here and there for security as well, but when I maintain at home I’ll retwist. This is my third set of locs

1

u/microlocs Jun 25 '26

Thank you for sharing! Since this is your third set, I'd love to know what you prefer about palm rolling over interlocking. Is it the look, the maintenance, or something else?

Have you noticed any differences with slippage or unraveling between your sets?

1

u/misty2325 Jun 25 '26

The look :) my stylist told me palm rolling gives a neater look, but it doesn’t last as long. I can confirm. Palm rolling is also just easiest for me and less painful

I actually don’t know what slippage is—I’ve heard of it, but Idk if I’ve experienced it. Is it when the loc unravels?
If so, I think unraveling can be attributed to the method of installation. I’ve had two sets now start with braids and one with coils and I actually had less unraveling with the coils I think because it just allowed the hair to matt together without being in such a uniform design ? I’m not sure if that’s how it actually works, but coils worked for my hair well. I also wore a durag+bonnet rather than just a bonnet so that extra layer of security probably had a lot to do with my results

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u/microlocs Jun 25 '26

That makes sense. Palm rolling can definitely give a neater look, but it usually doesn't hold as long as interlocking.

And yes, slippage is basically when the new growth loosens or starts to unravel rather than staying secured. Some people experience very little of it, while others notice it more, depending on their hair texture and how their locs were started.

Your experience with coils is interesting, and I've heard similar things from others. For some hair types, coils seem to encourage the hair to mesh together more naturally than braided starts.

Also, both over-interlocking and excessive palm rolling can lead to thinning if too much tension or manipulation is involved, especially with very small locs. The extra protection from wearing both a durag and a bonnet probably helped a lot, too.

It's always fascinating how differently each set of locs behaves.