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.
The starter loc stage lasts anywhere from a few months to 6 months on average. The length of time this stage will last for you may differ from the next person, depending on your hair type and how you care for your locs.
Locs Can Take A Long Time To Mature
Depending on your hair texture, locs can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years to fully mature.
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.
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.
Say no to deep conditioning
Moisture is important to healthy hair but skipping this step will avoid locs from unravelling. So, say no to deep conditioners in the starter loc stage and you'll be on your way to healthy and defined locs in the future. Consider deep conditioning only when your hair begins to lock up.
If you're constantly pulling your locs into the same style or using hair accessories that are too tight these are quick ways to damage your hair follicles and cause thinning. Also, excessive tension at the roots, especially with interlocking maintenance that's performed too frequently, will also cause thinning locs.
After you decide to have locs, the next big decision is what size you'll choose. However you section your hair, your locs will grow a little smaller than that. Over time, you may find that your locs compress even further.
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.
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.
Having your scalp massaged regularly will stimulate the blood flow to your head (and your dreadlocks), pumping nutrients to the follicles while causing them to grow quicker.
Locs can unravel at any time. They may unravel at day one, week 1 or even a month in. Regardless of the reason, do not be dismayed. Once you identified the reason for the unravelling, you are able to figure out a solution or realize that this may continue to happen until your hair decides to loc.
You know you've reached the mature stage (about 15 to 18 months) when your locs are finally long enough to lie flat or hang down. Faulk asserts that "maturing occurs when your locs are firm and there's no more reforming," so you won't have to re-twist your new growth as often during this period.
If you're in the budding phase, frizz is perfectly normal. If you're in the teenage phase, use the locking spray and the leave-in conditioner and twist from the root all the way to the end of the loc. Make sure your loctician is twisting all the way down during your teenage and early phase.
In order to maintain the formation of your starter locs, you must refrain from constantly touching them and allowing them to grow freely. By letting your starter locs be, new growth will interlock and interweave within itself to form a mature loc. 2.
When you retwist or palm roll the whole loc, you create tension at the roots and make the rest of your loc tighter. They may look neater, but they will become thinner.
Retwisting your locs too tightly or often are the main causes of damage and may have a delayed effect. If it hurts on day one you can for sure expect problems in the future. Choose a loctician who is gentle on your hair.
Retwist frequency depends on whether you are in the starter loc phase or you have mature locs. It also depends on the type of locs you have, your hair type and your retwist method. Starter locs should be washed monthly or no more than every six week. If you interlock, you can go as long as eight weeks between retwists.