Growing up, I had a very interesting relationship with my hair. It started off as Saturday wash days with my mom. Sitting in between her legs for hours as she braided my hair into different patterns and hit me with the comb when I tried to touch my scalp to see how much hair she had left to do. These were the days when colored beads and barrettes were my greatest form of self-expression. I then grew too big to sit between my mother’s legs and my hair became too thick for her to handle and I was left to do my hair on my own.
Ultimately, I made the decision to loc my hair in July of 2021. After being frustrated with the hit-or-miss styles that came with natural hair and the prices and lack of versatility with wigs, I decided to speed up this loc decision. I must also add that everywhere I went I saw women with locs and it started to feel like a sign from God. The process of starting my locs was one of confusion but I was sure about a couple of things. First, I didn’t want to get loc extensions. I saw them on other people and they looked fine but I felt very strongly about my locs being made up of my hair and my hair alone. I knew that I would have to go through an “ugly” phase where my locs were short and still maturing but it was important to me that I embrace every stage of this journey because if I could like my locs when they were short then I knew that I would really love them when they were long and full. Second, I wanted micro locs. Before doing my research, I thought that sisterlocks would be the way to go. I loved how full and feminine they looked, but then I realized that my retwist would literally take days. Traditional locs were cool too but I knew that I’d hate them in the short and shrunken phase. Microlocs were a perfect middle ground for size, looks, and convenience. The next step from here was finding someone to do them. At first, I wanted to get them installed by a professional because I knew that my parts would be straight and I wouldn’t have to worry about them being messed up down the line. Since locs are pretty permanent I wanted to go with someone I could trust. After looking at the prices and seeing that it would be around $300 to get them installed plus an extra $200 every 2-3 months for a retwist I decided to do them myself. I was also put in a hard spot of finding a loctician because I was local to Columbia but would be going back to school soon and without a car, I couldn’t make that commitment.
Little did I know that self-starting my locs would be the best decision I’ve made with my hair. Besides the freedom that I get with choosing when I do retighten my locs, and the nonexistent price, I have found that there is intimacy in doing my own locs. I find joy in being the one in control of my looks and the consistency that comes with having locs. Since locking my hair, I’ve felt very connected with my spiritual self. Instead of spending my time changing my styles and shifting my mood based on these styles, I can have one that speaks to my true self.