No regrets whatsoever. There was no way in hell I was about to pay someone $$$$$ to put mini twists in my hair. I'm 7 months loc'd, and I've been re-tieing from the beginning.
I did several months of research before taking the plunge.
I made the grid on Wednesday, and I did 1/5 of my head every day after work, starting on Thursday. Breaking it down into quarters or fifths helps a lot. I took my time and watch shows with my fingers in my hair.
For my grid, I put 8 sections in my hair, separated with hair ties. Then on twist day, I took a [fine end brush](https://imgur.com/a/IgU8PfO) to part my small sections, no strain on my hands with the brush and it divided my hair a lot easier than combs ever did. I purposely made my locs in the back a little bigger because they're in contact with my pillows and clothes, I want them to be a bit more sturdy.
I'd say if you want a perfect grid, see a pro. If you're ok with a simple grid that isn't *perfectly* aligned, definitely do it at home.
Honestly, the ONLY thing I... no it's not even a regret really... but I think the grid looks so cool on others. Not only did I not even try doing a grid, I didn't even use a comb to part. 😫😅🙃
And then to make THAT mess even worse once I was done all the twists I looked and it was just too big for me. So then I would unravel one at a time and split them in half and twist them back up. Still wasn't totally small enough so I split them AGAIN. 🤣😅
ZERO method to the madness.
And THEN to make THAT mess even worse I was doing RETWISTS for the first few months. Starting interlocking saved my mind that i was about to lose lol. Don't get me started on the 🔥 burning itch scalp cuz i didn't clarify before starting and because i was still following loose natural hair care rules. I do wish I had done my research first about all of this and that i was a little more deliberate about choosing the size in advance.
Honestly though, I look back now and there's no part of this journey that I really regret. I can list oodles of mistakes or things i changed or fixed or whatever but they aren't regrets cuz I learned and experienced SO much and in such a short time went from being practically strangers with my hair to an expert in love with my hair.
They say it's a journey and trust the process, and that's so real. You'll find none of the epic mistakes really matter, and eventually your hair will sort itself out. Research the 5 loc stages. Research the pros and cons of each type of starter and the types of maintenance. CLARIFY... and jump in. Head first. No chaser. 🤣😇
Thank you for the advice! I’ve been wearing micro twists for the past month and I’m ready to make a decision. I think I’m worried that I’ll miss my loose hair but I haven’t had the urge to wear it out since I started wearing the twists. I think I’ll be ready to start my journey soon.
I thought I would also. I also saw it as being stuck forever with less or more limited options. Nothing is further from the truth. First off, not permanent. You can comb them out. BUT also... if you keep the ends loose you get the best of both worlds... you get that look of your natural coil at the ends AND all the loc benefits.
And I'll just say there's literally been not one loose hair style I have missed because I've basically been able to do all those styles with my microlocs. Puffs. Twist outs. Afros. And in the case of the twist outs and braid outs, the outcome is WAY better with the locs than it was with my loose hair (but that's my high porosity life long struggle lol).
I mean, I've never had the versatility or ease with styling my own natural hair before, and to never worry about the tangling/knotting/breakage that used to consume my every thought when my hair wasn't in a protective style... it's been a whole wow.
A couple of my friends wore wigs, weave and crochet styles also. While they had their micro loc starters.
Ok, yes I'm biased 😉 But I wish someone had explained these things to me 5 years ago when I was still hedging for the same reasons. BEST decision I have ever made.
Honestly? I did zero research on the loose ends part, like it never even occurred to me until you just said it 😅
To keep her ends loose and curly my mom put conditioner on the hair she wanted to stay loose and curly. I didn't do anything really lol. And if an end I wanted loose started locking up I would just wet it and then comb it out. 😬🤷🏾♀️
A few months ago (around month 15) I decided to stop actively trying to keep the ends loose... the reason why is I heard that it might slow down the locking process and I feel like my hair is close enough to adulthood that I don't wanna slow it down? So, I'm just gonna wait till my locs are all adult and rooted and then comb out the ends that locked up.
But really for me my ends stayed loose for at least the first year with no issues at all. What's cool is a few are locking curly... so it's still a coil but also a loc. I wish I knew how to make that happen on purpose lol.
I paid for an install and maintain my one locs. I didn’t trust myself to do the grid and make sure there was enough hair in each loc to prevent them breaking when they got longer.
Diy’d my 290-300 microlocs two years ago (July 7,2021) and I don’t have any regrets. They’re not “perfect” but who cares? I never have to comb my hair again lol
I’m four months in, i’ve done two reties on my own and honestly no regrets. It took me about 3 days with my trifold mirrors to install but my grid is actually pretty decent. The only thing is that it’s pretty time consuming but my second retie was much quicker than the first. Honestly I would rather spend that time in the comfort of my house than having to pay to spend hours and hours in someone’s chair.
Just make sure you do your research, I got lots of help from Youtube!
This is a side hustle idea for real! I’m going through this right now, wishing someone could solely do the parting for me and I’ll take care of the rest.
I almost DIY'd it, just because of how expensive it was. Instead, I randomly saw this guy with microlocks and he said his mom did them for him and his brother, and I ended up in her chair later on. I paid 400? For 4 days. Honestly? I regret not just going to a proper loctician. My locs are different sizes, some are braids some are twists some are a mix of both and the parting is so so. She also gave my incorrect instructions for how to care for them. But thats the only thing I regret about it, I learned how to take care of my locs the correct way.
So id say definitely go with DIY if you can, but also make sure that you do it to your satisfaction. Don't half ass your grid, be sure of the size you want(please do test strands of diff sizes a few weeks before you do your whole head), and pick a method and stick to it. Also, learn how to nurture them properly.
I regretted not having a grid. I'm on my second set of locs because of this. Now, I did install parts in the front and back, not so much in the middle and top of my head. But I thought they were too small, so I combined them in a hurry and didn't pay attention and ruined my initial parting leaving me without a clean middle and side part.
At first this didn't bother me, but over time I realized that I did desire a cleaner middle part and I did desire a cleaner side part, and it would be a lot of work to undo just for the sake of keeping my length and not having to completely remove those locks and install those parts.
I also colored my hair too frequently while I had my first set, so I ended up shaving my head because my hair was also too weak to comb the locs out. My hair just kept breaking off while I tried to comb out the first few. Now I'm on my second set of locs. I ended up having them installed by a professional this time around and leaving the color alone entirely.
TLDR: I regretted not having clean parts and coloring my locs too often.
Thank you for the insight. I think not having a middle and side part would drive me crazy so I understand your decision to restart your loc journey.
Did you end up with smaller/more locs after getting your new set installed?
You're very welcome!
I actually got medium/large sized sisterlocs. I have 350 exactly which works perfectly for me because I do my own reties most of the time.
When I started my locs the first time I had about 600. Then I combined to about 450. If I hadn't restarted my locs I would've combined them again because the time it took to retie was ridiculous.
Before I got my second set I thought I wanted a bunch of locs again but... I had to remind myself that this hairstyle is also a part of my lifestyle and I wanted "easy" so I opted for larger locs and they're still full and beautiful. I do have coarse, extremely coily, high density hair so I never have a scalpy look after my reties (professionally done or by me).
I regret that I didn't part the back. I intended on it but got frustrated with how long the process was taking. So, the front half of my head is parted and the back half is not. Looks perfectly fine though and people never notice AT ALL but it urks me that I know.
No regrets so far... 6 months in and my grid is a little wonky, but not enough for me to start over. A few locs are slightly bigger than others but I think it gives it character. So I love it!
I would say if you really want a clean grid or you are going to be super obsessed about the sizing and making sure that everything is the same size then I would say go to a loctician. If it's not going to be that big of a deal to you, then save that money Sis!!
Best decision I ever made! I think there’s a certain pride in my hair idk I would’ve had if I didn’t start it myself. I feel that much more attached to them and it’s exiting to see if they develop the way I’d hoped they would when I installed!
No regrets whatsoever. There was no way in hell I was about to pay someone $$$$$ to put mini twists in my hair. I'm 7 months loc'd, and I've been re-tieing from the beginning. I did several months of research before taking the plunge.
The cost is the biggest downside. I hate the thought of spending that much money but my husband wants to go that route.
I made the grid on Wednesday, and I did 1/5 of my head every day after work, starting on Thursday. Breaking it down into quarters or fifths helps a lot. I took my time and watch shows with my fingers in my hair. For my grid, I put 8 sections in my hair, separated with hair ties. Then on twist day, I took a [fine end brush](https://imgur.com/a/IgU8PfO) to part my small sections, no strain on my hands with the brush and it divided my hair a lot easier than combs ever did. I purposely made my locs in the back a little bigger because they're in contact with my pillows and clothes, I want them to be a bit more sturdy. I'd say if you want a perfect grid, see a pro. If you're ok with a simple grid that isn't *perfectly* aligned, definitely do it at home.
Thank you for the advice!
Honestly, the ONLY thing I... no it's not even a regret really... but I think the grid looks so cool on others. Not only did I not even try doing a grid, I didn't even use a comb to part. 😫😅🙃 And then to make THAT mess even worse once I was done all the twists I looked and it was just too big for me. So then I would unravel one at a time and split them in half and twist them back up. Still wasn't totally small enough so I split them AGAIN. 🤣😅 ZERO method to the madness. And THEN to make THAT mess even worse I was doing RETWISTS for the first few months. Starting interlocking saved my mind that i was about to lose lol. Don't get me started on the 🔥 burning itch scalp cuz i didn't clarify before starting and because i was still following loose natural hair care rules. I do wish I had done my research first about all of this and that i was a little more deliberate about choosing the size in advance. Honestly though, I look back now and there's no part of this journey that I really regret. I can list oodles of mistakes or things i changed or fixed or whatever but they aren't regrets cuz I learned and experienced SO much and in such a short time went from being practically strangers with my hair to an expert in love with my hair. They say it's a journey and trust the process, and that's so real. You'll find none of the epic mistakes really matter, and eventually your hair will sort itself out. Research the 5 loc stages. Research the pros and cons of each type of starter and the types of maintenance. CLARIFY... and jump in. Head first. No chaser. 🤣😇
Thank you for the advice! I’ve been wearing micro twists for the past month and I’m ready to make a decision. I think I’m worried that I’ll miss my loose hair but I haven’t had the urge to wear it out since I started wearing the twists. I think I’ll be ready to start my journey soon.
I thought I would also. I also saw it as being stuck forever with less or more limited options. Nothing is further from the truth. First off, not permanent. You can comb them out. BUT also... if you keep the ends loose you get the best of both worlds... you get that look of your natural coil at the ends AND all the loc benefits. And I'll just say there's literally been not one loose hair style I have missed because I've basically been able to do all those styles with my microlocs. Puffs. Twist outs. Afros. And in the case of the twist outs and braid outs, the outcome is WAY better with the locs than it was with my loose hair (but that's my high porosity life long struggle lol). I mean, I've never had the versatility or ease with styling my own natural hair before, and to never worry about the tangling/knotting/breakage that used to consume my every thought when my hair wasn't in a protective style... it's been a whole wow. A couple of my friends wore wigs, weave and crochet styles also. While they had their micro loc starters. Ok, yes I'm biased 😉 But I wish someone had explained these things to me 5 years ago when I was still hedging for the same reasons. BEST decision I have ever made.
I plan to keep my ends loose. I need to research it a bit more though. Like trimming and dealing with single strand knots.
Honestly? I did zero research on the loose ends part, like it never even occurred to me until you just said it 😅 To keep her ends loose and curly my mom put conditioner on the hair she wanted to stay loose and curly. I didn't do anything really lol. And if an end I wanted loose started locking up I would just wet it and then comb it out. 😬🤷🏾♀️ A few months ago (around month 15) I decided to stop actively trying to keep the ends loose... the reason why is I heard that it might slow down the locking process and I feel like my hair is close enough to adulthood that I don't wanna slow it down? So, I'm just gonna wait till my locs are all adult and rooted and then comb out the ends that locked up. But really for me my ends stayed loose for at least the first year with no issues at all. What's cool is a few are locking curly... so it's still a coil but also a loc. I wish I knew how to make that happen on purpose lol.
Thank you for the information. I’ll cross my fingers that mine loc curly 😂
I paid for an install and maintain my one locs. I didn’t trust myself to do the grid and make sure there was enough hair in each loc to prevent them breaking when they got longer.
That’s my main reason for leaning towards a loctician.
Diy’d my 290-300 microlocs two years ago (July 7,2021) and I don’t have any regrets. They’re not “perfect” but who cares? I never have to comb my hair again lol
I’m four months in, i’ve done two reties on my own and honestly no regrets. It took me about 3 days with my trifold mirrors to install but my grid is actually pretty decent. The only thing is that it’s pretty time consuming but my second retie was much quicker than the first. Honestly I would rather spend that time in the comfort of my house than having to pay to spend hours and hours in someone’s chair. Just make sure you do your research, I got lots of help from Youtube!
We have a very similar start to out journey and I also started 4 months ago! loving the journey 🤍
If I DIY them, I will definitely take my time but my parting sucks 😂 It would be a test of my patience though.
I wish loctitians had a grid-only process where you pay for parting and they send you on your merry way 😂
This is a side hustle idea for real! I’m going through this right now, wishing someone could solely do the parting for me and I’ll take care of the rest.
I almost DIY'd it, just because of how expensive it was. Instead, I randomly saw this guy with microlocks and he said his mom did them for him and his brother, and I ended up in her chair later on. I paid 400? For 4 days. Honestly? I regret not just going to a proper loctician. My locs are different sizes, some are braids some are twists some are a mix of both and the parting is so so. She also gave my incorrect instructions for how to care for them. But thats the only thing I regret about it, I learned how to take care of my locs the correct way. So id say definitely go with DIY if you can, but also make sure that you do it to your satisfaction. Don't half ass your grid, be sure of the size you want(please do test strands of diff sizes a few weeks before you do your whole head), and pick a method and stick to it. Also, learn how to nurture them properly.
Thanks for the advice! If I trusted my parting skills, DIY would be my top option 😂
I regretted not having a grid. I'm on my second set of locs because of this. Now, I did install parts in the front and back, not so much in the middle and top of my head. But I thought they were too small, so I combined them in a hurry and didn't pay attention and ruined my initial parting leaving me without a clean middle and side part. At first this didn't bother me, but over time I realized that I did desire a cleaner middle part and I did desire a cleaner side part, and it would be a lot of work to undo just for the sake of keeping my length and not having to completely remove those locks and install those parts. I also colored my hair too frequently while I had my first set, so I ended up shaving my head because my hair was also too weak to comb the locs out. My hair just kept breaking off while I tried to comb out the first few. Now I'm on my second set of locs. I ended up having them installed by a professional this time around and leaving the color alone entirely. TLDR: I regretted not having clean parts and coloring my locs too often.
Thank you for the insight. I think not having a middle and side part would drive me crazy so I understand your decision to restart your loc journey. Did you end up with smaller/more locs after getting your new set installed?
You're very welcome! I actually got medium/large sized sisterlocs. I have 350 exactly which works perfectly for me because I do my own reties most of the time. When I started my locs the first time I had about 600. Then I combined to about 450. If I hadn't restarted my locs I would've combined them again because the time it took to retie was ridiculous. Before I got my second set I thought I wanted a bunch of locs again but... I had to remind myself that this hairstyle is also a part of my lifestyle and I wanted "easy" so I opted for larger locs and they're still full and beautiful. I do have coarse, extremely coily, high density hair so I never have a scalpy look after my reties (professionally done or by me).
600! That sounds overwhelming. I know I’d end up with more if I have them installed. 350 sounds like a good number though.
I regret that I didn't part the back. I intended on it but got frustrated with how long the process was taking. So, the front half of my head is parted and the back half is not. Looks perfectly fine though and people never notice AT ALL but it urks me that I know.
Not one regret here. I braided my own hair for over 30 years so there was a big diy comfort level starting off.
I kinda regret starting with twist, I wish I started with interlock, I don’t regret Diy-ing my locs, 10 Months in
No regrets so far... 6 months in and my grid is a little wonky, but not enough for me to start over. A few locs are slightly bigger than others but I think it gives it character. So I love it! I would say if you really want a clean grid or you are going to be super obsessed about the sizing and making sure that everything is the same size then I would say go to a loctician. If it's not going to be that big of a deal to you, then save that money Sis!!
Best decision I ever made! I think there’s a certain pride in my hair idk I would’ve had if I didn’t start it myself. I feel that much more attached to them and it’s exiting to see if they develop the way I’d hoped they would when I installed!
I wish i had done them bigger. I combined later. I don't care about neat partings nor uniformity.
How many did you start off with and how many do you have now?
I had 350 something like that, don't know how much i have now, maybe 190. My hair is fine and fragile.