To Loc or Not to Loc that is the my question

Happy New Year to all my fellow curlies!! Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy, and Successful New Year!!!

Ok so I need so serious guidance. I am considering locking my hair. I have been told it is one of the best ways to get growth quickly. However, I don't want it to be permanent. While I think it is gorgeous on others, I can't have a permanent style on my head. So I am asking for any advice out there. Also is it possible to loc and then untwist them? I read it in the Essence hair magazine but am not sure if it depends on the hair type. FYI: I have 4B hair. Thanks in advance to all

You should try yarn braids because they mimic locks but aren't permanent. As far as I know, which isn't far, locs are permanent.

On another thread about a month ago someone posted that their sister had her locs untwisted and it took about 2 weeks total. so it can be done but you have to be very patient and careful when untwisting(combing out) and do expect shed hairs. and she also so mentioned that its best to let a professional do it and that it can be very pricey. this is not coming from me, this is what i read on the thread.

Also, I was considering getting sister locs extensions, but its too pricey for me. It runs anywhere from $500-700 and you run the risk of the extensions slipping out and you may have to constantly get them re-touched up which is not cheap. Also, the person who does them must be certified and have certificates to prove it. I also thought about the weight of the extensions hanging on my new growth and i didn't think that would be healthy for my hair. But i still love those sisters locs. Keep me posted on your decision. Also, go to youtube and goggle sister locs extensions and you can see tutorials of people installing the locs.

check out this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDyXO6lGOew

I agree with curl_Gurl and LoveZaporiah, locs can be undone (referred to as "combing out locs") but it is a long, tedious process. A girl I know combed out her locks and it took her a week or more. She did have to get a few inches cut off afterward though because there was some slight damage (2-3 inches)

And as LoveZaporiah mentioned try yarn braids, it's a great protective style too. You can wear them while you try and retain length.

Also this is my opinion (please don't take offense) but it sounds like you don't really want locs you want length "I have been told it is one of the best ways to get growth quickly." Locs don't guarantee that your hair will grow, everyone's hair grows differently. And although they can be undone as mentioned before they are somewhat permanent for the time being and you may have 2 have inches cut afterward anyway. Sorry for writing so much, I hope this helps.

how do you feel about two strand twist? I mainly wear my hair in twist, I haven't seen much growth yet, but I have retained lenght and this includes my random trims. Ive been twisting since June, and I can say that I haven't lost hair. I hope now that since i have a regimen and a better idea of caring for my hair that i will start to see some growth in the next few months.

i think about getting locs all the time. but i know i cant deal with a permanent style, so im faking locs with my twists and i love it

Hi CurlyPA...I had locks for 7 years. I recently combed them out. I was ready for the change. Combing them out is no easy task. Depending on how long your hair has been locked it can take 30-45 minutes per lock. I had over 100 locks on my head....so just imagine. It can't be done in one sitting. It's not as easy as untwisting them. You are picking out tightly tangled hair which is very labor intensive. The only reason I did it was because I wanted to hold on to some length. So with all that said, I wouldn't suggest locking your hair if you aren't looking for them to be permanent. Locked hair does grow quickly mainly because your hair that would normally shed locks onto itself. But, there are other methods to get hair growth.

Maybe you could do braid extensions or some other protective style?? But from my experience, locking your hair is something you really should be committed to doing. It's a labor of love and should taken undertaken as a long term journey. Hope this helps.

This is a very good post. My 11yo is wearing tst now and she told me yesterday she wants to lock her hair. My lil boy as well ( 8 yo ) wants locks. For him I'm a little more accepting, but my daughter, although she's not a hair person now, may change her mind once she's older. I'm concerned about what we may have to go through if that happens, trying to save length, to cut or untwist the locks, etc. Does anyone know of any good sites I can visit to get some more info about locking?