My 4 Month Microlocs Update
Date: 07/11/24
Update time: 4 months post installation
How do you feel today: Great
Describe your loc journey so far in one word: Versatile
How have things been overall:
Things are going really well. Can’t believe it’s been 4 months (I say this every month). When looking for inspiration from other women with microlocs, it was often around the 6 month mark where I started really noticing changes in their locs, so I’m looking forward to hitting that milestone by end of summer, and comparing to day 1.
Last month, I was consistent with taking my daily multi-vitamin, iron supplements, drinking at least 72oz of water a day, and getting in more fruit, protein, and veggies, which I think showed in my hair. My edges are also starting to fill in nicely, and my loctician was able to pull some of the longer hairs into locs around my perimeter, so I’m happy about that.
Per usual, I’ve been having a lot of fun testing out new styles, especially now that my hair is getting longer (slowly)! My loctician wanted me to ease up on the styling, but it’s so hard for me to keep my hands out of my hair. My happy medium is to mostly style once over the weekend when I’m going out or to an event and to prioritize low-tension styles. One way I keep styles low-tension is by flat-twisting the sides. I was also able to recreate one of my favorite pre-loc styles, my infamous marley hair ponytail, which satisfies me on days when I’m craving more length or just want to switch it up. However, I don’t keep the ponytail in for more than a few hours, and never overnight.
What is your maintenance routine?
Other than consistently sleeping on a satin pillowcase and wearing my bonnet, I don’t do a lot to my hair, except spritzing it every couple of days when dry with rose water or my lavender / water mixture when I’m seeking more volume or want my curls to “pop.”
What has been your go-to hairstyle this month?
I’m still obsessed with adding curly hair pieces to add character or depth to a hairstyle. Until my microlocs get longer, it helps frame my face really well.
I’ve been experimenting a lot with braid / twist / bun combos, and any style that creates contrasting textures because it looks so beautiful to me.
Have their been any challenges with your locs this month?
I’ve become more in tune with what slippage looks like after a wash (despite my best efforts at braiding and banding. I really don’t like the way it feels because my locs feel as if they could break off, due to the differences in strength and textures.
I’ve noticed a few tiny locs in my crown and in a few random spots throughout my head that feel too like they may have been installed too small, which makes me a little nervous about the integrity of the locs in those areas. I’m hoping it’s not thinning and can be resolved easily.
What will you do address those challenges?
I’ve been retying the locs that slip around the perimeter by myself, in between my retightenings. It’s helped me get better at self-retying, although it’s been on a small scale.
I’m going to ask my loctician to double check my head for small locs, and if she thinks they are a concern I am going to combine them. The integrity of my locs is way more important than the grid.
Have any locs fallen out? How many?
No, thankfully!
When is your next retie?
In two weeks! I’ve still been on a 5-week retie schedule, however my loctician and I discussed potentially moving to a 4 week schedule until my locs fully mature. I told her that I’d prefer to wash my hair every 2 weeks, given the amount of exercise I do weekly. The wash at the 3 week mark right before my retie is very challenging for me and by then my hair looks so limp and lifeless. I also told her I love the way my hair feels after it’s freshly washed. Moving to a 4-week schedule like she proposed would allow me to wash my hair every two weeks, while not leaving too much time for issues like slippage to exacerbate. More to come on this front.
How much money did you spend on hair products this month?
$0! Incredible. Feels good to not spend any money on my hair. SERIOUSLY. I’ve cut back on spraying my hair excessively daily so my Heritage Store Rose Water is stretching a lot longer than usual
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Share some pictures of your hair from this month!
