Some refer to this phase as the locking stage, while others see it as the ugly phase, but it all depends on how you look at it. It is the exciting time when the buds and sprouts truly begin to look like locs as they have swelled up to almost twice their original size.
When you leave your hair alone, your locs are able to flourish and thicken up because they're not constantly “made” into condensed retwisted or interlocked bundles. The ideal timeframe for a retwist is between 4-6 weeks— no earlier!
They Sometimes Get Thicker Over Time
No matter what your locs look like when you install them, they'll most likely look radically different in a couple years time. A lot of the time, the locs will thicken up as they mature.
Hair that is normally shed in the growth process and hair that breaks off at the ends due to manipulation are all retained within the loc. Your locs get to hold that whole ½ inch every month! With care and an avoidance of harmful practices, your locs could potentially grow up to six inches in one year.
But it is true— loc shrinkage, or dread shrinkage, is normal and to be expected during the beginning stages of the hair locking process. Your starter locs shrinkage will make it look like your locs are not growing.
If you're waiting too long between twisting your dreads, you'll notice your locs becoming a lot thinner. Since new hair follicles need to be twisted into the deadlock, these follicles can eventually fall out if left alone. This results in thinning dreadlocks.
The Budding Stage (also known as the Sprouting Stage), occurs roughly six to twelve months into your locs journey. This is when you'll start to notice that your hair isn't unravelling when you wash it and notice your new growth, which will look a bit fuzzy and fluffy.
It's worth noting that hair in dreadlocks grows just as fast as undreaded hair, it's only the speed that the dreadlocks gain length that changes compared to the speed that undreaded natural hair gains length. In other words, when your hair is in dreadlocks, it grows at the same speed, it just has further to go!
Generally speaking, it could take anywhere from 10 months to two years to get to the maturest stage of locs." The process of hair "locking" and the process of these locs maturing are different.
Give Your Locs a Break
They shampoo and groom their locs, including palm rolling or interlocking far too often, resulting in tighter, slimmer locs. If you want to grow thicker locs, you'll have to groom them far less frequently. Your locs don't need to be retwisted any more often than every six weeks (at least).
Was that a spoiler? If you're considering trimming your locs because you feel like they'll grow faster and longer, it's not really the case. Though that may have been true for your loose hair, trimming locs isn't necessary. So no, you don't need to trim your locs to maintain healthy locs.
Thinning dreads can be a result of many different factors such as health challenges, medications, hormonal changes, stress, excessive hair products, tension, chemical hair coloring, dryness/dehydration, over manipulation or neglect.
The two make a huge difference in appearance, maintenance, and hairstyles. Thick locs are easy to retwist and take less time than thin locks, which take hours. Likewise, thick dreadlocks take long drying after a head wash. Both locks require enough hair care routine while sleeping, washing, and styling.
Budding locs are easy to identify as they're usually frizzy and swell in size.
Traditional Locs (20 to 150 dreadlocks)
For thick traditional locs, you should aim to create 20 to 50 total locs. The fewer locs you have, the thicker your locs will be. If you want your locs to be extremely thick, closer to 20 locs will be your best bet.
The five stages of locs are: starter, budding, teen, mature, and rooted. While your loc journey can take between 18-24 months, some loc-wearers find the beginning and end phases to be the easiest, because the middle stages present their own set of challenges.
Major Differences
Locs are cultivated, but dreadlocks aren't. Dreadlocks also often stem from Rastafarian beliefs, which use the style to separate believers from the rest of society. As for physical differences, locs have a well-kept and tidier look to them compared to dreadlocks, which have a more natural appearance.
Do Dreadlocks Ruin Your Hair? All in all, dreadlocks, like all protective styles, help protect your hair from environmental stressors. The only way locs styles will ruin hair, is if you don't dry them properly or retwist them too often.
You'll know your locks have left the budding stage once they begin to swell, and maintain their shape on their own while looking more cohesive in texture. Teenage locs may seem to stand on end all over your head and go in whatever direction they want as the matted hair thickens and becomes taught at the root.
That being said, a typical retwist should/could last anywhere from 4-6 weeks. But again, it will depend on how you take care of your locs. Your retwist can last longer, it can even last for months, if you make all the right moves to make your retwist last longer.
Adult Stage of Locs
From the beginning size when they were really skinny to swelling up to almost twice their size, they will now start constricting and be a lot more dense rather than puffy. As you can see, it can take anywhere from 12 to almost 36 months to enter the adult stage of locs, which is why patience is key.
In some cases, they can even cause receding hairlines, hair loss and even baldness. If your braids and dreads start to recede, appear thin, or shed in large amounts, you may be suffering from what's known as Traction Alopecia.