My 6 Month Microlocs Update
Hey Beauties! This update is going to be a little bit different because I have a few updates that I want to share about my microlocs and so many thoughts on recent happenings within the microlocs / natural hair community. If you’re interested in reading about my thoughts on Sisterlocks XL and the Mielle Organics hair loss saga read until the end.
6 Month Microlocs Update
First and foremost, I’ll begin with an update on my microlocs. Today marks my 6-month microlocs anniversary (I got my locs installed on 3/11/24) and I can’t believe how fast time is flying by and how much my hair has changed. Though everyone’s journey is different, I always felt that the most noticeable changes in your microlocs occur over 6-month windows, since it can be difficult to notice meaningful differences when you see yourself every day. Given that a healthy head of hair grows at an average rate of a ½ inch per month and sheds 50 – 100 hair strands per day, in six months you can notice your locs start to thicken from shed hairs and shrinkage, and start to retain length as your hair grows. The locking journey is quite fascinating to watch and has been even more beautiful to experience. In these six months here are a few things I’ve noticed:
My hair has increased in fullness and thickness. I’m not sure what they call the phase before your locs “drop,” but my hair is definitely growing wider
Though my microlocs are shrinking as the hair strands coil around each other, I can still see an additional 1 – 2 inches of length, especially in the front of my hair and along my edges (they used to be so tiny)
Locs can do wonders for your edges. I had some breakage around my temples from my last set of knotless braids before getting locs, and my loctician was able to install two new baby locs on my edges, which also confirmed that my hair is growing and filling in nicely
My hair doesn’t need to be moisturized every day, but I have a few dry patches on my scalp that I’m still learning how to resolve
Not all lint, dust, and debris in your microlocs are easily detectable. Whenever I make videos running my fingers through my hair, I see white particles (some dandruff, some miscellaneous substances) floating in the air, but these pieces are not immediately visible to the naked eye. I don’t want to become obsessive over this, but if there’s a way to prevent it outside of wearing a satin bonnet or using a silk pillowcase, please let me know. If it’s normal, I’ll ignore it
It’s true when they say less is more at the starter loc stage and my hair thrives when it’s left alone / not over-styled
Initially I thought that my hair was “growing outside of the loc” in certain areas, but I learned that this was regrowth from hairs that broke off during my last set of knotless braids. Unfortunately, I don’t think many people realize how much damage braids can do your hair and so many are moving through the world ignorantly when it comes to “protective styling”
What I put into my body matters, so I’ve been more intentional about drinking enough water, eating healthier (especially more vegetables), and taking my vitamins daily
Here’s a few pictures of how I mostly wore my hair this month.
In terms of my microlocs maintenance routine, I’ve kept things fairly consistent and simple. I moved from a 5-week retie schedule to a 4-week retie schedule so that I can safely wash my hair every 2 weeks, without fear of too much damage or slippage in between reties. Since my locs have been doing well, I’m going to talk to my loctician about potentially moving to a 6-week schedule. I wash my hair every 2 weeks with a clarifying shampoo. I still braid and band before every wash. And I realized the importance of separating your locs after you wash your hair to avoid marrying at the roots, which is when your hair strands start to join your locs together. My loctician told me that you should separate your roots (pull each loc apart), while your hair is still wet to avoid breaking your hair. Once you experience how uncomfortable / painful separating your roots can be when your hair is dry before a retie, you’ll be sure not to skip this step. It makes a huge difference.
For moisture, I spray my hair with rose water or my water / lavender oil mixture a few times a week whenever I notice that my scalp / hair feels dry. I’ve been trying to be more intentional about being in tune with what my hair needs vs. following some randomly defined schedule. For example, last month I shared a picture of a loc that I noticed was experiencing some thinning in my crown. My loctician said my locs were perfect when I first came to her, so it had to be something I was doing that was contributing to the thinning. When I stopped over-styling my hair, it started to fill back in, and my loctician even noticed a difference and told me to keep doing whatever I was doing. Your hair tells a story and if you listen carefully, you’ll hear what it’s trying to tell you and how to address potential issues accordingly.
Another thing I’ve been doing to my hair is trimming off the heat damaged ends of my locs in the front every ~2-3 months. So far, I’ve trimmed off 2 – 3 inches from 20 – 30 locs in the front that had heat damage from over-straightening my leave-out back when I was wearing clip-in extensions. I didn’t realize how much it would annoy me that the loose ends of those locs don’t coil (and now oddly stick up when they are bluntly trimmed), however no one said that this journey would be perfect, so I’m learning to manage through it.
My loctician has also been incredibly proactive about combining locs that were installed too small (especially along the front / back perimeter) which I appreciate. She tries to maintain the grid as best as she can when she’s combining my locs and always considers how it might affect my hair if it’s parted for a particular style in the future. For example, if there’s a loc that needs to be combined along my middle part, she’ll join the loc with the one directly above or below it, instead of next to it, to maintain that middle part. Though I wish I didn’t have to combine locs, it feels like it’s a necessary part of the process, so I’ve come to accept it. No two locs are going to be the exact same size, and what matters more is the integrity of my hair. That said, I have no idea how many locs I have now (nor do I really care). I don’t see myself counting them again.
Here is the evolution of my microlocs in a bun over the last 6 months:
Shampoos That I’ve Tried
Microlocs shampoo felt like it needed its own section. To date, I’ve used only three different shampoos on my microlocs. The Sisterlocks Starter Shampoo, Vanity’s Starter Shampoo, and Suave Naturals Daily Clarifying Shampoo.
Sisterlocks Starter Shampoo
My loctician (who I value and trust), told me to order the Sisterlocks Shampoo when I first got my microlocs installed. I used it for a few weeks and immediately I did not like it. The texture was very watery / runny, and there was a time after I washed my hair with the shampoo that my loctician told me my hair had an odor. This gave me zero confidence that this shampoo was actually cleansing my scalp, so I decided to stop using it altogether. My loctician wanted me to give the shampoo another try but advised me to mix it with lemon juice for my first wash (focusing only on the scalp), and then just use the Sisterlocks shampoo for the second wash. She swears it helps with the locking process in the starter loc phase, but I’ve yet to be convinced. I’ve ordered the shampoo twice and spent $27.35 each time ($16.95 for an 8oz. bottle + $10.40 for shipping). For what it costs, in my opinion, this shampoo is not worth it.
Vanity Starter Shampoo
I received a sample of Vanity’s Starter Shampoo after reaching out to Natasha Wright, Owner of Vanity Hair Studio NYC. I enjoyed using the product and it has a pleasant citrusy scent that left my hair feeling both clean and smelling good. An 8oz. bottle sells for $19.99 on their website. Personally, I just think this is more than I’m willing to spend on a shampoo.
Suave Naturals Daily Clarifying Shampoo
I bought this shampoo to wash my hair before I installed my microlocs and used it once after I had my locs out of convenience. I don’t mind it and it was affordable. It definitely leaves my hair feeling squeaky clean, but I’d prefer to use something with more natural ingredients.
Other Shampoos
Once my microlocs fully mature and I’ve confidently left the starter loc phase, I’d love to start experimenting with different shampoos. I’m most excited to try Locs Amplify’s Shampoo with Peppermint and Rose water, which the loc’d beauties have been raving about on IG. I love that the company was created by a Nigerian woman with microlocs (shout out to Tobi, @tobiadebiyi1), and all of their products use 100% natural ingredients. I’ve also been inspired by Zikona (@nappilylocd) who has been sharing her journey making her own DIY African Black Soap Shampoo on her IG stories. I’m not sure that I’m at a point where I’m ready to make my own products, however I love how people are starting to scrutinize what’s out on the market and are hand-crafting their own with more natural, better-for-you ingredients.
Why the Starter Microlocs Phase Can be Hard
The starter microlocs phase often deters people from starting locs with their natural hair and can be a bit of a jump scare for people at the onset of their loc journey. It can take some time to get used to depending on your hair length, type, and density. I’m not going to lie, it’s been a little challenging for me, not because I think it’s “awkward’ or that it makes me look any less beautiful, but because I’m someone who loves hairstyling and switching up my hair like an accessory. If you’re like me, at times this phase can feel limiting if you get bored easily since microlocs thrive when they are left alone. I’ve constantly found myself making the tradeoff between aesthetics (high manipulation) vs. health (low manipulation). But I also know that my hair will never look the same as it did the day before, so I’m trying to embrace where I am now, knowing that the time for styling will come sooner than I know it.
Why I Took a Break From Posting on Instagram
I hate to be one of those people who announces when they come and go on social media, but I’m an advocate for taking breaks from the Internet and I think it’s healthy to log off and touch grass every once in a while. I took a much-needed 3-week break because I was feeling a bit burnt out between building the microlocs directory app, content creation, and work. I also wanted to enjoy the last moments of summer without obsessing over my hair. I travelled, spent time with family and friends, and saw all my favorite music artists perform which was so much fun and rejuvenating.
As much as I love hairstyling and sharing that content with you all, it’s really difficult for me to churn out innovative styles at this length, while also leaving my microlocs alone to do its thing. So, I want to spend the next few months finding the right balance of posting and engaging with the community in a way that still feels fun, authentic, and not like a chore. I don’t want to post for the sake of posting. I want the information I’m sharing to be useful,
My Thoughts on the Online Microlocs Community
Overall, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how kind and welcoming the microlocs community has been for me on Instagram. It’s been refreshing to see so many modern women coming together to share their experiences with microlocs, trade knowledge, share styling tips, and genuinely support each other. As weird as it sounds, I’ve made “friends” with a few of those creators. If you’re looking for microlocs inspiration, here are a few of my faves worth following: nappilylocd, tobiadebiyi1, locs_linguistics, blackbarbielocs, magnefique_1978, eat.love.locs, she_is_locd1, kalislocs, and wemaslocbook. I never feel like they are trying to sell me anything, just good vibes and positivity!
On the contrary, I won’t get into too much detail, but it’s been disappointing to see some of the weirdness (for lack of a better word) online and click-bait-like content coming from professional locticians on social media. I’ve had to unfollow a few that I felt were either spewing negativity or sharing what I deemed to be false loc care information. I don’t think you need to be a licensed cosmetologist to know that there will never be a one-size-fits-all regimen for hair care or microloc care, given everyone’s hair texture and type are unique. If you’re spreading that misinformation, I’m immediately uninterested in much else that you have to say. For me, guiding principles should never be mistaken as definitive solutions. I’ve noticed a few people just trying to capitalize on people’s ignorance, which is also sad.
Outside of my own loctician, one professional whose perspective I’ve found incredibly valuable on my microlocs journey is En Toi Beauty. She has a lot of educational videos on her YouTube Channel that can be accessed for free and has been a positive light in my search for good, unbiased, and reputable content.
For the DIY lovers, I also appreciate that @theminimalistnatural is challenging the “microloc standard” of retightening on a 6 – 8 week schedule by experimenting with twisting techniques that she feels work best for her hair. At the end of the day, people should do what’s best for their hair… and focus on that.
My Thoughts on Sisterlocks XL
A few weeks ago, when I was on the Sisterlocks website, I came across a notice that mentioned something about “Sisterlocks XL coming soon”. Then earlier this week on 9/8, they shared another notice stating that Sisterlocks XL is projected to launch in January 2025 with an accompanying promo video with more information. As someone who works in Marketing full-time, I know Marketing when I see it. And this is that. In the world of business, to generate more revenue, you can:
(1) increase volume by getting your current customers to spend more money on incremental purchases (e.g. selling Certified Sisterlocks Consultants more continued education services),
(2) increase your prices (e.g. charge more for the training courses), or
(3) drive new-to-brand customers by expanding your reach (e.g. target a different demographic with a differentiated product)
Sisterlocks are branded “tiny locs”, while Sisterlocks XL appear to be branded “microlocs.” To me, it seems like this is the Sisterlocks Corporation’s attempt to broaden their target audience beyond those interested in very small locs in order to reach those who may be interested in larger locs. In the video they stated that installation and maintenance costs will be cheaper than Sisterlocks, making it a bit more accessible and affordable, which makes sense. Though demand for microlocs has grown over the last few years, I’m not sure if their attempt to steal market share from the microlocs pie is a little too late.
As a business you need to innovate, or you die. I think the Sisterlocks Co. could be an interesting case study of what happens when you fail to keep up with the rate of change. I think the Sisterlocks Co. has excelled because they’ve been able to build a brand with such strong brand equity that most people refer to tiny locs broadly as “sisterlocks” regardless of whether or not they are just microlocs or interlocs that were not installed by a Certified Sisterlocks Consultant. It’s just like how you’re more likely to ask for a Band-aid, a brand owned by Kenvue (formerly know as Johnson & Johnson), than a bandage whenever you have a cut. Because of the brand awareness that Sisterlocks has, they haven’t needed to do much mass appeal marketing since the brand is so widely recognized. One main benefit of this brand equity that they’ve built over the last three decades is that there is a perceived value of high quality associated with the Sisterlocks brand, which gives them a competitive edge and allows them to charge premium prices for their services. It has also allowed the brand to expand internationally, and they’ve successfully built a global community of women who represent the brand with pride and have become their walking billboards for free.
However, I believe that the Sisterlocks Co. is falling short in sustaining the brand equity they have built. Aside from some of the negative publicity the company has received through public lawsuits and former consultants disassociating with the brand, one of the biggest ways a brand’s equity diminishes over time is by failing to keep up with changing consumer preferences. Just looking at the Sisterlocks website, you can immediately see how they’ve failed to remain relevant and have not embraced new developments in technology. They have a legacy brand that’s quickly losing its appeal with younger generations, especially Millennials and Gen Z. How you engage with your consumers is critical because lackluster marketing isn’t enough to generate sustainable demand. Undoubtedly Sisterlocks has brand recognition and has been a pioneer in the tiny locs industry, but I’m curious to see whether or not their brand equity will translate across this new line extension. I’d love to see them refresh and rebrand and I’m interested in seeing the marketing strategy to support the product launch. I’ll be watching closely to see how this comes to life next year.
My Thoughts on the “Mielle Organics Allegedly Made My Hair Fall Out, etc.” Saga Unfolding on Social Media
This past weekend, my TikTok feed was dominated by videos of different people claiming that various Mielle Organics hair care products contributed to their hair loss, dryness, or scalp irritation. I can’t discredit anyone’s personal experience with their products, and I do not work for Mielle Organics to know their internal operations intimately. However, I have been learning and styling my own natural hair for over a decade and I’ve also spent my career working in the consumer-packaged goods industry, so I wanted to offer my own perspective on what I think is actually going on. Even though this is not directly related to the microlocs community, I think it’s an important conversation that the Black community should have.
I watched the video statement that the Founder & CEO, Monique Rodriguez put out over the weekend claiming that post-P&G acquisition, there has been no change to Mielle’s formulas. From my experience working in CPG, it’s 100% possible for a product’s ingredient list to remain the same, while the product efficacy changes or declines. This is because there will be differences in the quality of ingredients and how they are sourced actually matters. I’ve witnessed this firsthand in my own past work experiences. Now, do I believe that Mielle products cause hair loss? I honestly don’t know, and I am not here to answer that question. But as a professional Marketer, I know that the voice of the consumer is everything. The consumer is the closest person to a business’s products, given they are usually the one buying them and are constantly interacting with them in their daily lives. As a businessperson, you tend to be further removed from how a product actually functions (unless you use it every day), so signifiers of potential issues are typically funneled through consumer ratings and reviews. It’s important to not only read them, but to also look for patterns / trends in the data proactively because sometimes there could actually be something going on with the product that YOU (n =1) may not be aware of. And, it’s always better to get ahead of these things, otherwise you’ll be stuck doing damage control.
Do I think all the people making the videos are telling the truth? Again, I can’t invalidate anyone’s personal experience. However unfortunately the way social media works these days, herd mentality tends to overpower individuality and critical thinking. While it’s possible that something in Mielle’s products is causing real irritation, it’s also possible that the issues people are experiencing are due to internal (a health issue) or other external factors (over-styling / manipulation, user product error, etc.).
Speaking from my own personal experience, I cannot emphasize enough how much I didn’t realize how damaging hair extensions in the form of braids, knotless braids, boho braids, etc. could be until I got my microlocs installed after a set of boho braids. Getting locs was one of the best things I did because it helped me see what was truly going on with my natural hair. It became very clear that the boho braids caused significant damage all over my head, not just in the typically obvious places like my edges. I was so shocked! Between braiders cutting off your real hair disguised as “fly-aways,” dipping parts of your natural hair in boiling hot water, grazing your natural hair with a lighter to “bind” the synthetic hair with your natural hair, using a lot of tension on your scalp and hair during braiding, the weight of the hair extensions alone, improper takedown of the braids, etc. there are so many points in this process that can cause damage to your hair, and I haven’t even mentioned the use of any hair products! I saw one person complain about the Mielle products, and then when I went to their page to see if they recently had braids, they sure did (plus a myriad of other hairstyles too)! When you’re constantly manipulating your hair, it’s difficult to isolate the root cause of an issue because too many variables are at play.
On top of general over-manipulation from not-so-protective “protective styles,” so many Black women just have no idea how to properly take care of their natural hair and don’t want to be bothered to take the time to learn. I understand that some people prefer to pay for convenience, however, in my opinion, you can’t just rely on a stylist to know your hair. It’s important for everyone to know their hair better than anyone else and to learn proper care techniques. My loctician always tells me that your hair tells a story. You can learn so much about what’s happening in your body just from having a deep understanding of what’s going on with your hair.
I think one of Mielle’s biggest mistakes was that their team has been on the defensive, instead of being sensitive to the issue and proactive. I noticed that the pile on of negative commentary on social media proliferated in August, so I took a look at their reviews on target.com from January through July of this year and found that there were a handful of reviews from verified purchasers claiming that they noticed significant hair loss in areas where they applied the Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Strengthening Oil. From what I could see, the company never followed up on any of those claims asking for an email with more information, pics, etc. which makes me question whether or not those concerns were taken into consideration or looked into further.
As someone who is a Black woman founder myself and who also supports underrepresented minority-owned and led businesses, I want to extend grace to Mielle’s CEO as she navigates this difficult time. It’s hard to build a successful business, let alone one that gets acquired by one of the largest companies in the world. And a lot of the times when they do, their consumers don’t fully understand the need for additional capital to scale and often turn their backs on them. It’s not easy and I wish them all the best as they resolve this consumer crisis. I believe they can get through it.
I want to challenge anyone who reads this post and who thinks they may have been affected by Mielle’s products to really consider their hair care techniques and practices within that conversation. Or to take the necessary steps to really try to isolate what the issue may be. And if all of this just seems like a hassle to you, join our microlocs community! Seriously, we love it over here. We barely use any products (outside of shampoo and water) and it’s a low-maintenance hairstyle that looks beautiful and has the potential to retain a lot of length.
If you made it this far down this blog post, thank you for reading. This was a long one! If you have any questions or thoughts on anything you’ve read, leave me a comment, I’d love to engage with you.
All thoughts represented in this post are my own.
With love,
Ijay
