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While this style can last up to several weeks, leaving locs in longer than what's suggested can lead to oil buildup, resulting in damage to your hair and scalp, so it's best not to keep them in longer than eight weeks. This can be easily retouched by rewrapping them at home. If not properly maintained, you may start to see unwrapping or stray away hairs. Moisture can get trapped in the locs and lead to bacteria growth," she explains. "If you must wash your hair, be careful to not leave any moisture behind and blow dry very well.
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Carter also notes that if you choose to do a wash day, you won't be getting a full wash because there are sections of your hair that will be tucked away. If you want your locs looking their best for all four to eight weeks, you should massage a light serum or oil into the scalp every few days to keep it hydrated. What's the best way to maintain butterfly locs?
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However, for those that deal with heat damage or simply don't use heating tools on their hair, Carter stresses that as long as your hair is detangled, it isn't a requirement. Some stylists also recommend blow-drying your hair beforehand. "Since it's going to be in this style for quite some time, it’s better to start off with clean, detangled hair anyway," she says. Carter notes that arriving at your appointment with your hair washed, deep conditioned, and detangled makes the process a lot easier on the stylist. If you were thinking of rolling out of bed and straight into the salon chair, you might want to reconsider your game plan. What's the best way to prep for your butterfly locs appointment? "Itching is the most common complaint with synthetic hair," she says. Taking this approach is also a great option for those with sensitive skin, since the alkaline coating is also known to cause scalp irritation and itchiness. One of her go-to tricks is to rinse the hair in apple cider vinegar, followed by a co-wash to remove the alkaline base that gives synthetic hair sheen, but she points out that the lack of shine from the rinse makes the hair look more natural. View full post on Instagram What kind of hair is used for butterfly locs?Īccording to Joseph, synthetic kinky textured hair that is soft and hypo-allergenic works best. "Depending on the size and the length of loc desired, as well as the length, density, and even head size of the client, it can take anywhere from four to eight hours," Joseph says.Ī quicker alternative is the crochet method, which involves cornrowing the hair before attaching pre-made non-distressed faux locs to the braids using a crochet hook. The braid and wrap method, while popular, can be a little time consuming if you're doing it on your own. "It ensures that the client isn’t left with tightly wrapped, stiff, or painful locs." You can always add more if necessary, and leave those little spaces while wrapping so that the loc isn’t stiff and has movement," says Joseph. "It is imperative to use small pieces of hair to avoid making your locs bulky. The small spaces left on opposite sides of the locs create butterfly-like "wings." Because kinky hair has a natural hold to it, simply seal the loc by wrapping until there's no more hair to cover. The amount of braids you get installed depends on your hair density and the size you want, says Joseph.Īfter that, your stylist will crochet synthetic kinky textured hair to the braids before wrapping a small piece of synthetic textured hair from the bottom of the braid to the root before being wrapped back down again. Some stylists use the braid and wrap method, which consists of sectioning the hair into brick-layered or free-parted foundation braids or plaits. This might depend on the stylist you go to, as there are a few different ways to get the job done. If you're thinking about getting butterfly locs for the first time-or just looking to brush up on your knowledge-read on for everything you need to know before making your appointment.
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"Your natural hair strands will be bound and protected by synthetic hair that’s wrapped around them." Carter adds that they're also a great option if you don't want to think about how to style your hair every day. "Butterfly locs protect your natural hair from environmental factors that lead to breakage and damage," says Allyson Carter, hairstylist and editor-in-chief at Hair Spies. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play
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