Have you always been a fan of dreadlocks, but you never dared to try it out because of the bulky nature? Then Micro Locs is the perfect solution for you.
Micro Locs are the most popular variations of locs among others, as it offers a great number of personalizations while not being bulky.
One of the best aspects of Micro Locs is the customizability that they offer. You can use different lengths to customize the look of your locs, variety of colors and even a wide array of patterns.
Our guide here will not only guide you through the customizing options, but at the same offer you insight into the origins of Micro Locs.
That’s not all! If you carry on reading, you’ll find that we have described in detail on doing your Micro Locs by yourself, and the care routine afterwards.
We have listed all the products you might need, and even included how you can undo your Micro Locs without cutting your hair off!
And finally, we have on display some of the most popular and unique Micro Locs styles you can choose from, and answered some of the frequently asked questions.
Overall, we have carefully crafted this article in the hopes of catering to all your Micro Locs needs. So scroll through this article and find yourself to be a Micro Locs educated styling enthusiast!
Contents
0.1 What Exactly Are Micro Locs?0.2 Origin Of Micro Locs0.3 Hair Types For Micro Locs0.4 The DIY Section: Micro Locs0.4.1 The Products You Need0.5 How To Take Care Of Micro Locs0.6 How To Undo Micro Locs1 Top 10 Micro Locs Styles for Your Everyday Styling1.0.1 Top Bun Micro Locs1.0.2 Micro Locs with Scarlet Tips1.0.3 Micro Locs into a Ponytail1.0.4 Short & Messy Micro Locs1.0.5 Bouquet Micro Locs1.0.6 Micro Spaghetti Locs1.0.7 Fireworks Micro Locs1.0.8 Interwoven Micro Locs1.0.9 Short Flames1.0.10 Purple & Fluffy Micro Locs1.1 Are Microlocs Bad For Your Hair?1.2 Frequently Asked Question1.3 Concluding RemarksWhat Exactly Are Micro Locs?
Micro locs are basically a sub-branch of Dreadlocks. Where dreadlocks are rope-like strands of hair as the name suggests, Micro Locs are basically thinner and tinier versions of them.
Micro locs are made by using a small amount of hair strands interlocked to each other by coiling, braiding or twisting.
Most of the time they are made with hands, but there are some tools you can use that ease the hair interlocking process.
Having Micro locs means you have at least over a hundred Micro Locs on your head.
Since these locs are much tinier in size and volume which makes it easier to carry, some people even opt for up to a thousand locs.
So, the number and your dedication define the style you are going for, and display your commitment.
Origin Of Micro Locs
Locs in general have an ancient and tribal root, and as a branch of Dreadlocks, Micro Locs is no exception.
Some historians believe that locs originated from Egypt as many mummies have been discovered with locs on their heads. On the other hand, some others believe that locs actually originated in India.
But overall, most historians are on the same page when it comes to the origin of Micro Locs, that the people of the Hamar tribe in Ethiopia are its creators.
When the African communities have been refining their versions of Dreadlocks, the Hamar tribe appropriated these into the Micro Locs to visually differentiate their tribe members.
Similar Post : Butterfly Locs: 21 Styles, Guides & More
Hair Types For Micro Locs
Micro locs are mostly for curly Type 3 or Type 4 hair. But if you have straight hair, don’t turn away as there are still methods for you through which you can have Micro Locs as well.
Micro locs are mostly recommended for curly hair as the coil or curl of the hair helps in interlocking hairs with each other. So it’s convenient both in terms of styling and grooming.
Also, this is a protective hairstyle so people with curly hair can rely on it to prevent hair damage and breakage.
For those who have straight hair, the simple way to get Micro Locs is to curl your hair manually.
As mentioned before, having curled hair greatly helps while making the locs and keeping them in place.
And DO NOT WORRY, because our styling guide covers the processes required for both curly and straight hair types!
The DIY Section: Micro Locs
Now that you know the basics of Micro Locs and the fact that all hair types can do it, let’s dive into this section and learn how you can do it by yourself at home.
In terms of cost, it depends on your location and the number of locks you are planning to do.
The service charge for doing Micro Locs can range between $150 to $400, most of which you can save by doing at home.
So without further ado, we present to you the process & guide for the Micro Locs DIY.
The Products You Need
Given below is a list of products that you might need while doing Micro Locs at home:
A deep cleansing shampoo like the Shea Moisture African Black Soap to help you remove the hair residue & oil that could make it slippery. Slippery hair will be difficult to manage and interlock, so washing the hair with this deep cleansing shampoo will help the hair to hold on to each other. A Braiding crochet/needle like the EasyLoc Hair Tool is needed to perform the interlocking. You can do the interlocking with your bare hands if you like, but having a needle will greatly help especially while doing the interlocks close to the hair roots. Hair clips are needed to hold the backrest of the hair so they don’t fall over your working hair. You can get GOODY Double Curl Clips or something similar for your aid. [optional] A sizing tool will give a rough estimation of how many locs you can have and how thin they need to be. You can make your own tool using Microsoft Word and have it printed out to make it into something like this:
Styling Process
For your ease of understanding each step clearly, we’ve divided the styling process into three major sections: Preparation, Measurement & Interlocking.
So sit tight and read through the following sections, because by the end you’ll learn all there is to know to properly make your own Micro Locs at home.
Preparation
Preparing your hair for locking is the first and one of the vital steps of this procedure.
To prepare your hair for interlocking, you must first wash your hair with a deep cleansing shampoo.
You can use the shampoo we have provided or you can use one of your own that you know should work similarly.
Do not apply any kind of conditioner as it will make your hair silky and silky hair will not stay together.
Measurements
After preparing your hair comes the measurement process. You MUST make sure to measure your hair AFTER the cleansing process. Otherwise you won’t be getting accurate information which can result in smaller or thinner locs than you had wished for.
In this stage, you have to take the measurement of your head and decide how many braids you want to make. The more braids you want the thinner the braids have to be.
To get a rough estimation use the measurement scale listed in the products where each indent size of the scale will represent the thickness of the braids.
Now divide your hair into different blocks and clip each block so that they don’t get mixed with other blocks.
The scale will help you to understand how big or small the blocks need to be to get your desired number of locs.
Interlocking Process
This is the trickiest part of this process, because it tests your patience and attention.
The core of the interlocking process is to take the end of each hair section and pass it through its root section.
Then you have to rotate and pass it through a different side of the root section and repeat this process. With this, a lock is formed that holds the hair in that position.
In this part the locking needle will greatly help, because as you come close to your root it will be really difficult to insert the end of the hair section through the root section.
The rotation is complex to understand at first, but it is the essence of Micro locs so you have to comprehend it properly. Let me explain it in details:
Pick a group of hair that you want to work with. Pull it out and hold it horizontally straight. So it all happens now, with the direction that you rotate the end of your hair and lock into place. And that direction is facilitated by the way you part your hair at the root section. Like, you can rotate the hair end from over the top, down the bottom, from the left or from the right, and pull it out to make small knots. What matters is the order of directions, whether to rotate from left or right at first, and then what comes after. So, imagine your selected hair group to be a clock. The end of the hair is supposed to be the hand that tells time. Now, you can align your rotation with a clock, like if you rotate it from the top, you can simply call it – past your 12, because in a clock that’s where a 12 is. In the similar fashion, you can follow this process in a counterclockwise rotation.So, if you have a Type 4 hair, use a four-point rotation: first pass your hair end through your 9, then pass it through 6, then three then 12 and continue this order of rotation.
But if you have Type 3 hair, then use three-point rotation: start with 12, then 9 and then 6. Then go back through 9 again and keep repeating like this.
To get a better understanding, you can watch this video.
For these locs to be qualified as Micro Locs, the thickness of the locks should not cross 9mm.
As you can see the locs are way smaller than dreadlocks, they take a lot of time to install. So, Make sure you have plenty of time before you start doing Micro Locs.
Also, having more people installing these locs will greatly help. In this case, asking family members to help will massively reduce the time.
How To Take Care Of Micro Locs
There is a misconception among people that locs don’t need washing. This is completely a misconception and your hair does require cleaning and breathing to keep healthy.
Wash
It is highly recommended to wash and clean, especially at the early stage of locs. Water prompts the matting & maturing of the locs.
Do not use any product that leaves residue on your hair. Because locs themselves collect oil and debris that reduces the health of your hair.
So wash your hair with a deep cleansing shampoo like the aforementioned Shea Moisture African Black Soap or something similar.
Oil
Applying oil to your scalp is necessary as it provides moisture to the roots and reduces dryness. It also allows your new hair to grow properly by offering nutrition.
Using something like the Hair Loc Growth Oil will help your scalp to relax and increase your hair growth. Also, it is organic and light-weight so it won’t become a hassle for your hair.
Leave-In Conditioner
Leave-in conditioning will keep your hair hydrated and prevent breakage. It helps your hair breathe and maintains the strength of hair strands.
Shea Moisture Leave-in Conditioner is an all-rounder product for Micro Locs, as it works not only as a leave-in conditioner but also comes with natural oil and prevents hair loss.
Sleeping Style
How you sleep is also a part of your hair care. If you have Micro Locs, we recommend you to sleep with a silk/satin cap that covers all of your locs, or to sleep on pillows covered in silk.
This reduces the traction between hair strands and bedding surface, which can easily break your hair, or even worse, tangle them up.
It is generally a handy trick for people with curly hair for avoiding hair damage.
Retwist
You have to remember that Micro Locs also need retwisting after some time. The time depends on your hair growth but usually it takes 4-8 weeks till you need to retwist your locs.
Retwisting your hair afterwards should follow the same Interlocking Process that we’ve discussed earlier. It keeps your style intact and adds a freshness to your look.
How To Undo Micro Locs
After trying out Micro locs, you might think you’d want to explore a different avenue of hairstyles.
At that point, looking at the tightly done Micro Locs might suggest that it cannot be undone.
People often think that cutting off the hair is the only option to undo the Micro Locs. It is an option, of course, but not the only option.
Because there is a very simple alternative to undoing these locs. Only downside is that it’ll require quite some time.
To perform this, all you need is some conditioner, a needle or a pin, and some patience.
Procedure
To unlock these locs, first apply a moderate amount of conditioner to your locks to make them slippery.
Start from the end, and insert a needle to pull the loc out to its end. Repeat this process as you slowly make your way toward the root.
Since the hair is slippery the locs will slip free from its tangled form.
Note: Do not put your needle close to the root of the lock it will put too much strain on the locs. This can result in damaging or even breaking of hair strains. You can watch this short video to have visual cues for understanding this process.
Top 10 Micro Locs Styles for Your Everyday Styling
Doing a head full of Micro Locs can be a mountainous task, and finding a style that fits your taste can be regarded as something similar.
But have no fear! Because we have selected some of the best hairstyles you can try out on yourself, so check them out and dazzle your friends with your new Micro Locs hairstyle!
Top Bun Micro Locs
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If you have long, defining locs, then you are in luck. The extra length of your locs will allow you to personalize your Micro Locs towards a new dimension.
To do this style, twist your locs from close blocks and make a rope-like shape. Now do the same with all the other blocks and twist all the locs together into a huge bun.
Finally, raise and place that bun over your head like a crown, and win all the hearts with your elegant style.
Micro Locs with Scarlet Tips
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Personalizing your Micro Locs is not limited only to the shape or position of the locs, but you can also add some color to the mix.
Take scarlet for example. After completing your Micro Locs, if you find the ends all fluffed up, then you can color them up with a burning scarlet that translates the stylistic flame that you have within.
Micro Locs into a Ponytail
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A ponytail is another viable stylistic option that you can consider for your Micro Locs.
Long Micro Locs often dangle in front of the face which can cause discomfort at times. Tying them up together behind your head can help you get rid of this issue.
So collect all the hair and pull them behind your back to tie them into the most beautifully Micro Loc textured ponytail!
Short & Messy Micro Locs
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If you’re up for a long trip where you won’t be able to cater to your hair, then you should definitely go for this short & messy look.
Lay your Micro Locs flat over your scalp, and pull the back hair up to your nape. Place all the locs closer to your skin and hold them in place using clips & holding sprays.
And voila! You have a messy and stylish Micro Locs hairstyle that you can wear without needing to care for a longer amount of time. Your hair care would be one less problem for you to deal with.
Bouquet Micro Locs
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To do this version of Micro Locs, you have to coil up the end of your locs in a rose petal pattern. Do this with each of your Micro Locs to make them into a fabulous rose bouquet!
As an addition you can add a burgundy highlight to make the bouquet look more authentic.
Micro Spaghetti Locs
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This style of Micro Locs is a fusion of multiple hairstyles across time and genre. Paying homage to the styles from the 80s, this hairstyle is divided into three neat portions.
At the back portion, you let your hair loose looking like some spaghetti right out of the stove. Use a few locs to tie them together so that they don’t spread around and create a mess.
Then, on top of your head you have some neatly composed Micro Locs sitting fluffily upright. The opposite organized nature to the messy back locs create a beautiful juxtaposition of styles.
And in the middle of the two, there is a synthesis of brushed back Micro locs that create a distinct separation between them. You can add a flavor to your hair by coloring the hair tips in red or any other color of your choice.
When all of these come together, you’ll have a hairstyle that’ll go through the roof in terms of styling points!
Fireworks Micro Locs
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This style is similar to the ponytails, except it doesn’t lay the hair back like a tail. Instead, it pushes the hair upwards to make it look like a firework, and flame-colored hair tips only add to the process.
To do this version of Micro Locs, you have to pull the hair to the back of the head and position it 2-3 inches above the nape. Then tie them using one of the locs to secure the style.
Interwoven Micro Locs
This is one of the unique designs for those who want to try something authentic with their Micro Locs. This style is basically a large-scale version of braiding.
You can start the weaving process from your front hair and create braids towards the temple using your smaller braids.
From that point till the back of your head, you have to create groups of braids and interweave them from one side to the other.
These interwoven Micro Locs can be tucked inside to be held in place. When all is done, you’ll be a carrier of the most beautiful and neatly done Micro Locs that’ll make you the most elegant person in the room!
Short Flames
If you have short locs and you’re looking for styling options, then this one is definitely the style for you. With just a little work, give your hair this burning & flaming look.
Dye the tips of your locs with a fiery-red color to make it look like the ends of your locs are burning their ways up to the roots.
Purple & Fluffy Micro Locs
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The Purple & Fluffy Micro Locs is a projection of your inner self, emanating the romantic energies you have within through the style of your hair.
A jaw-dropping & gorgeous hairstyle, this is achieved by drawing the hair line on the side of your head. Then brush the larger portion of hair on one side creating a fluff of hair due to the volume.
After completion, you can wear this aesthetically pleasing hairstyle anywhere, from your college party to your family function. Just make sure to pick up the jaws that everyone else dropped seeing your new hairstyle!
Are Microlocs Bad For Your Hair?
Micro locs are safe and protective hairstyles as long as you know what you are doing.
Furthermore, Micro Locs help to strengthen your hair as they are locked together. It makes them resilient against hair breakage which curly hair has a reputation for.
Hair damage only occurs when you take poor care of your hair or do not follow the proper instructions while making Micro Locs.
No harsh chemical is used while making Micro Locs, so there is no chance of chemicals damaging your hair.
So in short, NO, Micro Locs are not bad for your hair, rather it is quite the opposite.
Frequently Asked Question
Q. Are Micro Locs & Sister Locs the same ? A. No, Micro Locs and Sister Locs are not the same.
Sister Locs share the same grid style as Micro Locs but Sister Locs are more complex and require a certified consultant to do Sister Locs.
Also, Micro locs are traditional and way cheaper than Sister Locs.
Q. What to do after washing Micro Locs? A. After washing your Micro Locs, untangle them properly so that they don’t mix and create a mess. Remember, towel drying is healthier for your hair than using a dryer.
Q. How long do Micro Locs take to complete? A. There is no definite duration for doing Micro Locs.
It depends on how many locs you want to do or what your hair type is.
Just keep in mind that you will need lots of time to install locs on your hair so arrange your time according to that.
Q. Can you braid over Micro Locs? A. Well, the answer actually depends.
Technically, you can braid over your Micro Locs if you want a fusion look of colored braids and locs.
But if you want to go for the orthodox Micro Locs, then braiding over them isn’t required at all.
Q. Which one is better: Micro Locs or Sister Locs? A. Stylistically, this is completely a personal preference as you can choose either one.
But if how much you spend is your concern, then Micro locs is your best option as you can do Micro Locs by yourself at home.
It will reduce the cost drastically, while on the other hand doing Sister Locs costs a lot more since it requires a certified consultant for installation.
Concluding Remarks
This marks the end point of this article. As a verdict, we can say that this style can be your stepping stone into the styling world of various locs.
It is low maintenance, easy to do and cost-effective hairstyle that checks all the boxes of entry points of an experimental hairstyle.
In addition, this hairstyle is also a protective hairstyle that prevents your hair from getting damaged, so it is especially recommended to you if you have curly/kinky hair.
We have conducted in-depth research from styling experts and trained professionals, only to offer you the best of the information and knowledge regarding Micro Locs.
This article has discussed the origins of this style and offered our insight regarding the products you can use.
We have also elaborated on the styling process to help you properly understand them, and offered you some of the unique Micro Locs hairstyles that you can choose from.
We hope you have got all the answers you are looking for as this article tends to address all the questions you might have regarding this style.