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 pt1

Starter Locs on Average 4b/4c

My main and solo aim is to have long black healthy hair by any means necessary. In June of 2013 I gave myself very small yarn locs. I did not take care of my hair while it was in this style. As someone that does hair as well as knows it down to a science, I often neglect my own hair due to personal laziness. I ended up keeping the tiny braids in for 5 months! Never do that. Some hair types can keep them in that long, but my hair type was definitely not one for it. These braids took huge clumps of hair out of my head and a lot of the natural growth, which I now cannot remember. Lol. I always knew I wanted locs but I wanted to see how large I could get my fro. After I took those braids out, swerve, I went straight to the loctician.  I started my locs in December 2013 with comb coils. I had about 150 locs.

Honestly...

           I did not like my locs what so ever. I thought they were disgusting little worms. On top of the fact that while I was taking out my braids I got annoyed and I literally started ripping the braids out. From me doing that it caused my hair to be thin at the top of my head, I kinda look like I am balding. I did not want to go through the “ugly & bald” stage so I decided to braid my over my starter locs. Braiding my started locs helped me in several ways:

Emotionally
Mentally
Physically (lol)

The braids helped but however at this stage in my loc process They may have paused my loc development. When my locs were in the braids they stayed together and they also tightened up. The braids also gave my hair time to grow back where I had ripped them out. The braids did not allow for my locs to naturally swell and shrink as they would have if they were free.

               

     For the 6 months of my locs I wore braids.