Deciding to loc your hair can be difficult. Before deciding if you should loc your hair, you should consider your needs and determine if locs are a good match. When considering natural hair options, locs are one of the many options you have. Some struggle deciding whether to loc their hair or not. Others are sure they want to start their loc journey.
Deciding to Loc? What Is Your Why?
When you are deciding if locs are an option for you, ask yourself why. Are you starting your locs out of frustration from being a loose natural? Are locs a part of a spiritual journey? Were you inspired by social media or the loc look? Because locs take time to develop, it is important to have a strong desire to withstand the loc’ing process. Locs are intended to last for years not days, weeks or months. Is your reason to loc enough to stay committed for years? If not, locs may not be the best hairstyle for you.
If you are indecisive about your decision to loc, we recommend that you wait. Loc your hair once you are sure. Experiment with braids or Marley twists as viable alternatives to locs. It offers the benefit of a low maintenance hairstyle with the option to change your hair.
Deciding to Loc- Loving and Understanding Your Hair
Before deciding to start your locs, it is common to have loc inspirations. Having inspirations gives you a sense of how locs develop over time. However, your locs will not look like your loc inspiration. Your locs will be unique to you. To have a successful loc journey it requires that you are open. Wanting your locs to look a specific way will lead to disappointment. Each person’s locs are determined by their hair texture, hair density and genetics.
My loc inspiration Valerie June has unique semi-freeform locs. Some of her locs are round and others are flat. My locs are very different from Valerie’s locs, but I still love my locs. If you do not love your hair and are not open to loving your locs as the grow and develop, locs may not be best for you. We encourage you to avoid wanting to look like someone else.
Keep it 100
Locs require commitment. As previously mentioned locs are meant to last years not days, weeks or months. If you are not in love with locs, locs may not be for you. We acknowledge that locs may be just a hairstyle for some. For us at Loc Genius, locs are a hairstyle, lifestyle and more (ahem we are a website dedicated to educating others about locs). We encourage you to learn about the origin of locs, the spirituality of locs and the culture aspect of locs. Having many reasons why you wear your hair in locs helps make the commitment easier.
Why Locs?
Are locs a hairstyle to you? Are locs more than a hairstyle? Making this distinction helps clarify what locs mean to you. Keep in mind that despite your perspective, others will assume things about you because of your hair. Are you ready to have those conversations and meet those challenges? People who wear locs still face discrimination—even in countries where Black people are the majority. We advise you to consider the reality that to some locs are not seen as acceptable hair. In some cases, they are even banned. There may be a range of consequences you face once you loc your hair.
We wear our locs proudly at Loc Genius. We are also willing and able to face the world with loc’d hair with confidence and self-esteem. For us, our hair gives us an opportunity to connect to our past and educate others. For those reasons, it is important for you to examine yourself to see if locs are for you. We highly encourage you to keep it 100 (be honest) with yourself if you are about the loc life.
Conclusion
You should consider your motivations and your reasons you want to loc. In some cases, people may keep their locs for ten years. Others may keep their locs for two weeks. We encourage you to start your locs with the intention of keeping them. We recognize that your hair is yours, so your loc journey can last as long as you want. At Loc Genius, we encourage our readers to have a long term loc journey of learning and self-love to have the best experience of loc’d hair.