I have always been a fan of faux locs, but no one really wants to damage their natural hair while having these. I have done some research on whether faux locs break your natural hair and here is what I’ve discovered.
Faux locs, if installed the right way, do not damage your hair. But, if your locs are too thick or heavy for your natural hair, they tend to put a lot of pressure on your roots and hair shafts and have the potential to break your hair. It is important to get professional advice about the size of locks that are most suitable for your natural hair, before getting Faux Locs installed to avoid breakage.
Faux locs are a great way to get those dreads that you have always wanted without having to chop all of your natural hair off afterward. Besides the fact that faux locs can be removed easily, let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of getting faux locs.
Pros and Cons Of Faux Locs
It is absolutely great to be spontaneous with your hair and try different styles and looks. However, there are negatives and positives to every type of hairstyle. Here are the pros and cons of getting faux locs:
| Pros | Cons |
| Natural Hair Growth | Heaviness |
| Temporary fix | Judgment |
| Low Maintenance | Painful When Installing |
| Long-Lasting | Time Consuming |
Let’s take a deeper look at the pros and cons, to ensure that you are able to make an informed decision about getting faux locs.
Pros
- Natural Hair Growth – If your locs are properly installed, they don’t apply much pressure to your natural hair and roots. Faux locs is also a low-manipulation hairstyle which means that your natural hair has time to breathe, retain moisture and this encourages growth.
- Temporary fix – The scariest thing about getting locs in your natural hair is that there is no going back. You can’t change your mind or decide that you don’t want locs anymore without the big chop. Faux locs allow you to explore if real locs are something you can live with.
- Low Maintenance – There is not much required of you when it comes to your faux locs. They are the most low-maintenance hairstyle and your natural hair is literally untouched for as long as you have them in.
- Long-Lasting – This is a really long-lasting protective style and the overall look is naturally enhanced with time. This means that the longer you have your faux locs in, the more natural they will appear.
Cons
- Heaviness – If you don’t choose the right sized locs for your natural hair, your faux locs could end up being quite heavy and uncomfortable. This could also lead to breakage and major damage to your natural hair if it is not well moisturized.
- Judgment – There are a lot of connotations attached to faux locs that could leave you feeling judged and discriminated against. You will also find that many corporate communities find these unprofessional.
- Painful When Installing – This also goes back to having the right sized locks and the right stylist who specializes in locks to ensure that your locks aren’t installed too tightly or are too heavy. Both of these can be extremely painful.
- Time Consuming – Getting faux locks can be extremely time-consuming to complete. The length of time needed depends largely on the length of your natural hair, length of the locs, style, and the method used.
Tips and Tricks For Maintaining Your Locs
As with most extensions, faux locs come with their own set of rules for maintenance. To help you out, I have put together a short list of a few problems you might encounter while rocking your locs, and how to solve them.
Locs that are frizzy and stick together
One of the most common problems, no matter what method you used to install your faux locks, is frizz and stickiness. Having locs that are frizzy and keep sticking together can be really annoying and are quite untidy in appearance.
To get rid of the stickiness, simply apply a weightless moisturizer to your locks. This will prevent your locs from sticking together and make them look a lot better. Try not to use a dense moisturizer as this will only weigh your locks down and make them feel heavy.
To get rid of frizz, take time to trim the body of each loc. Frizz is actually a great way to make your locs appear more natural, however, this is something that you want to keep a close eye on as there is a thin line between natural-looking locs and untidy locs.
Dust, fluff, and everything else
Faux locs, and normal locs in general, tend to pick up just about anything. If there is some fluff on your pillow when you head to bed, best believe that your locs will pick this right up.
To get rid of dust, fluff and lint, you can use a lint roller. Treat your locs as you would a good piece of clothing. Use a lint roller over them every now and then.
Locs that just won’t move
When locs are installed, they are usually quite tight and stiff. This differs according to the method used when installing the locs but locs are generally stiff after installation because of being tightly wound. This can last a while if not treated.
To loosen stiff locs, simply dip your locs in some hot water to loosen them up. You can also ask your stylist to assist you with this to ensure that it is done the right way.
Far too much pain
Faux locs that have been wrapped too tightly, too close to your scalp, or tied to your natural hair too tightly could cause tons of pain and discomfort. This is definitely something that you’d want to avoid as too much tension to your roots and scalp could result in damaging your hair follicles.
This could result in some really sad consequences, such as breakage; headaches, tension alopecia, a receding hairline, and ultimately balding. It also completely defeats the purpose of faux locs being a protective style.
To get rid of pain, consult your stylist and request that they redo the areas that hurt the most. If this is a constant problem, consider changing installation methods or stylists.
How To Prepare Your Hair For Faux Locs
If you have been considering getting locs for a while but don’t really know how to prepare your natural hair, then this part is just for you.
The key to preparing your natural hair for faux locs is hydration.
You have to spend time moisturizing your hair before getting your faux locs done to ensure that your hair is prepared to be in a protective style for a long period of time. Because locs cover your natural hair, moisturizing your hair while you have locs is extremely difficult. This is why it is important to properly prepare your hair so you are not left with damaged natural hair after removal.
There are many ways to do this, however, the easiest is using deep conditioning treatments. These types of treatments are made with the intention of adding tons of hydration to your hair as quickly as possible.
Wash your hair using warm water as it opens your hair cuticles. This will allow your hair to absorb more moisture to your hair shaft. Once you have washed and deep conditioned, seal in your treatment by rinsing it with cold water. Coldwater closes your cuticles.
