Curls: Pipe Cleaner Curls on Locs

       Pipe Cleaner Curls on locs are an awesome hair style. I was able to achieve this look with locs that were short, and my more smedium length locs now. NOTE::: I don't use mousse, curl spray,  curl holding, enhancing, or helping products. My curls are achieved on wet locs only. These results are based on water only applications. Of course using products can help you hold a curl longer, however the issues locs can have from using products is something I am not fond of. 

      
       Take a long pipe cleaner and I bent it in half. About 1/2 inch down on both ends I slightly bent the pipe cleaner to look like the picture on the left.  The softer rounded edge is what is going to be secured at the root of your loc. Pinch the root of your loc with that end and twist your loc down the pipe cleaner like flexi rods. Use the other bent end of the pipe cleaner to secure the ends of the loc to the pipe cleaner. The pipe cleaners would be sticking from my head so I curl them to my head in a c shape. This will give you a nice vintage and short look! After wearing this style for a week I took them out.
   
    
   I noticed two things from doing this style at two lengths in my loc life. For the shorter locs (4" to 6") you can cut the pipe cleaner in half and make a loop at the top of the pipe cleaner and use that to secure the pipe cleaner to your root. If you want to have tight curls try to keep the loc close together as you curl it around & down the pipe cleaner, This will give it a shorter look while elongating the wrap will give you more of dropped straw curls. The two pictures on the side shows how you can wear the style with shorter locs.




         This is a picture of my locs after I took them out. I learned that by not curling my locs tight they created elongated curls. I twisted my hair down the pipe cleaner instead of tightly curling it around my pipe cleaners. I love the look however I was more prepared the next go round of my pipe cleaner install. After wearing this style for two weeks I put some braids over my locs which I will discuss in another post to come. 



        Here is a pic of me this year, about a year later, with this same style. As you can see from the pictures the pipe cleaners were fuller and gave that "finger wave", "flapper", "1950's" look as planned. I really enjoyed how cute and retro this style was. I was able to wear a lot of bold lip colors and popping jewelry. This hairstyle also personally made me appreciate all of the loc growth I've had. (9"-11")



     These were my results! My locs at this point are 2x the size that they were on my first time installing them. These pictures were taken right after I took them out. I moisturized my hair once they were out and I shook them out. They are way tighter and not as bent as my first instillation. The curl in these will last for weeks if you properly care for them. At night I put on my Loc Soc which is made from a satin like material. They keep the curled locs tight to my hair and they also don't take moisture from my hair. In the morning I simply shake my locs loose and GO! Below are my curls after 3 days. 

Thank You for Reading! 

About My Locs Pt2

Growing Back My Hair

The front of my hair was shot to hell. But how did I go from damaged broken hair to thick locs? How did I go from no hair to hair? A hair care regimen of course. There are several key things I did things that aided in my hair growth. 

As you can see on the left the hair on the top of my head was
 very thin. Hair that usually went to my hair line is gone.
My locs were short as well as choppy and thin. On the
right you can see my hair is fuller and has grown back.

1. Leave My Hair Alone: That is one of the number one things that you can do to your hair. The way that I leave my hair alone is by putting my locs in braids. I braided my locs for the first 5 months of my loc journey. Manipulating thin or damaged hair will only cause the hair to break. When hair is very traumatized, sometimes the follicles release the hair strands. 
2. Wash Your Hair: Hair needs to be washed frequently, especially black hair. When your hair is unwashed the pores have the potential to be clogged. That can slow hair growth. Washing hair also circulates blood. Blood circulating is how hair grows, more blood to the area, more hair growth, 
3. Moisturize Your Hair: I apply my shea butter mixture to my hair which is full of essential oils to aid in hair growth. 

     These are the only things that I did. Hair grows at 6 inches per year on average, On your hair journey you are trying to hold on to that obtained length. Locs are a unique style that allows you to lot only keep all of the hair you are growing, but also the hair that you would lose in shedding. Locs also flourish when they are left alone.This made it easier for me to grow my hair back.