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.
Twist the dread at the roots with your fingers.
Once you've backcombed your dreads from root to tip, use your fingers to carefully twist the backcombed hair together from the root to the tip. Twist the hair 1-2 rotations in a clockwise direction. You can backcomb and twist the same dread a few times to help it lock.
Depending on your hair texture, locs can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years to fully mature.
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!
As compared to loose hair, particularly afro-textured hair, locs seem to grow far faster. It isn't really true that loc'd hair grows faster; it just maintains all of its growth. 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.
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).
Well, I'm here to tell you, yes, dreadlocks can be combed out, especially ones that have been properly cared for during their life, including regular shampooing and conditioning. This is very important! If you decide to comb out your 'locks, it's critical that you approach the process with much patience.
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.
Dirt makes your locs grow faster or better
I truly wish this myth would just die! Not washing your locs is the best way to ruin them. Simple truth: if you don't wash your hair it will stink. Also, clean hair will lock faster than dirty hair, as the conditioners, moisturizers, and buildup can prevent locking.
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.
Once your locs are mature, we recommend you deep condition every 1-2 weeks to keep your locs healthy, strong, and moisturized. NaturAll's Fresh Frozé Treatment Deep Conditioners not only keep your locs moisturized, but consistent use will keep your locs strong, healthy, and vibrant.
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.
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.
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.
As your hair mats and locks together and becomes dreadlocks, your locs will protect hair follicles. Dreadlocks can damage your hair, it's true. But about 99% of such damage is mainly caused by people who don't know how to properly groom, style, or even grow dreadlocks.
If you need a full head kit, 50 to 70 individual dreadlocks will look natural (if you like more lush dreadlocks, go for a larger quantity). In the case of mohawks, I usually advise 30 to 40 pieces, it all depends on how high the sides of your hairstyle are.
The Teenage Stage (also known as the 'Ugly' Stage) of locs is usually 12-18 months into your journey. Wondering why this stage is named so? It's because much like teenagers, this is when your locs can become a little rebellious and can be seen as awkward due to its in-between length.
6 to 12 months: Budding phase of the Loc Journey
Also known as sprouting, the budding phase is the miraculous moment when the magic starts becoming obvious as you might notice your new growth is puffy.
Avoid getting your hair wet or washing it with any products in the first two to four weeks, as you may loosen some hairs and negatively affect the neat appearance of your dreads. Once about a month has passed, you are free to wash your dreads as needed.
There is no need to introduce moisture to your locs every single day, especially if your hair doesn't need it. You should only do it on a need-to basis, meaning when they start to feel dry or brittle. You also need to use the right product.
Frizz is an inevitable part of the loc journey and process. Frizz is a sign that your hair is growing and maturing in a healthy manner. Your frizz is needed to continue to form the loc as the hair begins to take the shape, form and mat itself together.
Your hair will also get thicker and heavier as the dreads mature. There are some cases where people's dreads get so thick that their thin roots could no longer hold the added weight, leading to breaking off.
However, when dreads mature throughout the stages, they will get thinner and thicker at different points. In addition, the length and thickness will fluctuate during the first couple of years as your hair becomes matted. Healthy dreadlocks are typically a little thicker when they mature than when you started them.