Why I Decided to Get Microlocs in My Thirties
Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve had a tumultuous relationship with my hair. Like many Black women, hair has always been a central piece of my identity. Going natural in 2010 while I was in college changed my life because for the fist time, I felt comfortable in my own skin, and I learned how to fully embrace the inner and outer beauty God gave me. During that time, I documented my natural hair journey with an online journal, and I recently came across my 10 reasons for going natural, listed below.
To grow healthier, thicker, and longer hair.
To help clear up my face and skin.
To try something new.
To focus less on my looks.
To focus more on my studies.
To learn to be comfortable in my own skin.
To love what God gave me.
To return to my roots.
To show that hair does not define a person.
To embrace a different type of beauty.
As I reflect back on those goals nearly 14 years later, I can confidently say that I achieved each one. Going natural made me appreciate my hair in its natural state. Though wash days were sometimes a chore, I loved that my hair was so dense, thick, and full. I wore so many beautiful hairstyles I never imagined were possible on my 4c, kinky, coily hair. (I even remember a hair stylist being surprised that I was able to retain this much length due to my hair texture and how prone to breakage it was) Some of my favorite styles over the years are below.
Subconsciously, somewhere along the way, I fell out of love with wearing my natural hair out proudly due to constant breakage. There was always a tension between wearing it out regularly and protective styling to maximize length retention. Ultimately, constant manipulation did more harm than good. As I developed loose natural hair fatigue and turned to “protective styles,” knotless braids thinned my hair and destroyed my edges, while leave-out from extensions heat damaged the front of my hair. I knew I had to make a change and the time felt right, especially as I progressed through a new decade (hello Jesus year!), with new priorities and outlooks on life.
These are my top 10 reasons for locking my hair in my early thirties.
1. To return to self-love.
I never want to feel insecure about wearing my natural hair out proudly. I acknowledge that my hair is a gift from God. And I want to honor Him by embracing it fully. I spent a lot of time in my early twenties learning to love my hair and I want to continue that journey into perpetuity.
2. To live a more active lifestyle.
Health is wealth. I don’t take movement for granted. I love staying physically fit and I loathe when my hair impacts my decision to exercise and move my body. Locking my hair adds an element of freedom when it comes to working out without restriction.
3. To simplify my life with a lower maintenance style.
Though I used to love doing my own natural hair and learning new styles, I’m entering my soft life era. I want to free up time spent thinking about or doing my hair and channel that energy into other hobbies that are important to me.
4. To embrace the versatility and beauty of microlocs.
I think microlocs are the most gorgeous hairstyle (personal opinion). I love how it mimics loose natural hair and the abundant options for styling. It’s such a unique style that you don’t see a lot of modern women wearing. And, I think the transformation that microlocs undergo from installation to maturity is so fascinating to experience.
5. To save money.
Microlocs are an investment, and overtime they pay dividends. At some point we need to acknowledge the fact that the cost of hair extensions, and more recently knotless braids, are out of control. I strongly believe that Black women are being exploited by exorbitant hair prices because people know how much they are willing to spend on their hair. Outside of the high cost installation fee, I love that microlocs maintenance fees are fairly consistent and because minimal products are required to maintain them, you’re able to spend less on styling agents.
Now that I’m in my thirties, I feel financially secure to afford the investment, and plan to self-maintain after the first year to save more money.
6. To grow a full head of long, luscious hair.
I’ve always had a very full, dense head of hair that never reached its full potential because breakage held me hostage. Heat damage in the front of my hair from leave-outs or breakage in my crown always prevented my hair from properly framing my face when I wore it down and restricted the types of hairstyles I could wear. If naturally I have this beautiful head of hair that women with fine, thin hair constantly envy, there’s no reason why I should be hiding it behind wigs, extensions, etc. Though there’s nothing wrong with those styles, I’m hoping microlocs are the path to long, healthy, natural hair for me.
7. To have a more regimented hair care routine.
One thing about me is that I love sticking to a calendar and a routine in my personal life. I love a structure that works effortlessly. Back in my early years of being a loose natural, my hair thrived off of minimalism and consistency. I’d wash, trim, and moisturize with specific methods and products, on a predetermined cadence. But in my recent adult years, that went completely out the window. Moisturizing when I had braids? Forget about it. I was on an unhealthy cycle of braids, weaves, and ponytails, which left little room to actually care for my hair. If you’re someone who loves being regimented, the fact that you’re on a pretty defined maintenance schedule with microlocs can keep your hair on track. Plus, it’s one less thing to think about.
8. To finally do the thing I said I was going to do.
I knew I was eventually going to lock my hair, but got so tired of delaying it. I’d see people who got their microlocs 2-3 years ago with such beautiful hair, and couldn’t stop thinking about how long and luscious my hair would have been by now. My biggest regret will always be not starting my microlocs sooner, especially during the pandemic. Imagine what 4 years of growth would have done!
9. To live my dreams.
The idea behind OmaLocs Beauty sat in my drafts for well over a year. I knew I wanted to build and nurture a community around microlocs and make it more accessible to young, professional, women like me, but I felt like the biggest fraud for not having them yet. I was more motivated to get them because it was a step towards making my entrepreneurial goals a reality.
10. To remind myself of what’s important.
At the end of the day, hair is just hair. Though it carries a lot of weight, especially for Black women, it’s not everything. It can grow back. In my opinion, once you start decentering hair and embracing that that’s all it is, you’ll truly start to live a more free life.
If any of these reasons resonate with you, you could be a great candidate for microlocs. For those who already have them, what made you get microlocs? Let me know in the comments!
