My 3 Year Loc Transition

Hey Guys & Gals! I haven't posted to YouTube in forever but I decided to make a Loc Journey video showing my locs from Dec 1, 2013 to it's 3 Year anniversary this Friday Dec 1, 2016. If you are interested check it out! Please share.

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! 

Curls: Bantu Knots On Locs

Bantu Knots are so clutch! They give you that unique ethereal look you were going for while also curling your tresses. 


Curls for the girls! I love curls & I love bantu knots so this is kind of a dual style! Recently I tried two types of curls on my locs. I have 67 locs. After washing and moisturizing my hair I give myself a light rewist as I go. I put three locs in a knot at a time. If your locs cannot stay in a knot then use black rubber bands or bobby pins to hold the ends down. I wore my bantu knots for two - three days. If the bantu knots are worn and heavily slept on for more than a few days your curls will have bends in them and less curls. After I took the knots out I lightly moisturized my hair.  

These are my results. If you bantu knots your hair in smaller knots the curls will be tighter. The larger the knots the looser the curls. 

For Loc Jewelry by me check out: NaturalGMonet.tictail.com

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.  

Loc Washing 101

          After I got my locs installed I put braids over them for the first 3 months. After I took out the braids I washed my hair at least 3-4 times a week without retwisting, I did this for a month. Then I put my locs back into braids. After another 2 months I took my locs out and I continued to wash my locs 3-4 times a week. If I did not fully shampoo them I would rinse them or cowash them. My locs got wet almost EVERYDAY. In the beginning it is very important for you to wash your hair. When you wet your hair your break the hydrogen bonds apart. When your hair is dry, they reform. In the first months of locing you want to break and reform those bonds. That way the hairs can manipulate and loc around each other. In my loc journey I learned several things about washing my locs.

1. DUST YOUR LOCS: Dusting your locs is literally that, getting dust out of your locs. You can use a mirror for the larger pieces. But take your hand and brush it back and forth over your locs while your head is tilted over. You will notice, skin, dust and dirt particles falling from your locs. All of these things is what makes locs ashy, smelly, and full of lint and dirt. If you wash your hair without dusting it, the dirt can potentially get trapped in the locs. 

2.  POP YOUR LOCS: If you are free forming, or semi free forming this is more important for you. When your hair is untwisted the roots will start to loc together. You must go through your head and pop your locs, which is pull them apart. Wet your hair at the root after you dust it, and pull your locs apart. You may hear the hairs, POP. :)

3. DO NOT PUT SHAMPOO DIRECTLY IN YOUR HAIR: Locs are packed hairs that are hard to penetrate. Thick shampoo will not glide easily in and out of your locs. Some of the shampoo may get caught in your locs. Diluting your shampoo in a spray bottle and spraying it in your hair will make a nice thin solution that can move in and out of your locs easily grabbing dirt on the way out.

4. DO NOT USE COLORED OR LOADED SHAMPOO: Shampoo like leave in conditioner as well as other products leave stuff behind in your hair. If you notice moisturizing shampoos are thicker and make your hair "feel" different after use. That "feel goo" is particles being left behind. These are particles you do not want left behind in your locs because this can add to buildup. 

5. DILUTE EVERYTHING:After I shampoo my hair, I mix my favorite deep conditioner in water and I pour it over my locs. I let it sit for 15 min under a shower cap and I rinse. Again, putting thick products in your locs can lead to buildup. 

6. RINSE: This is thee most important factor of them all. Water is very pure and lifting. It can break down and dilute a vast amount of chemicals. Make sure you rinse and squeeze your locs empty. I like to taste the water running out of my locs. If it tastes like pure water then I know my locs are fully rinsed. 

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.