Curly Edition: Twist Out

Hello all, so since I've gained a little more length I thought I'd give styling another go. This time I used two strand twists to create a crinkle effect.

And here are the results:

The best thing about twist outs, as opposed to braid outs or bantu knots, is that you can retain over 80% of your length and still get the textural effect. The only down side is that two strand twists can unravel at the root while they're drying and it results in a less polished look but I just held them in place with duckbill clips.

I think I'm going to wear this style for my concert.

DREADLOCKS ARE...

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Month 19

I'm just so pleased with my hair this month. my twists are two months old and have progressed so quickly compared to my comb coils. I've coloured them, styled them and shampooed them as normal and they behave just like the rest of my hair. I'm now palm rolling them to help the buds form nicely.

My locs are doing just fine as well, they're growing steadily. A number of locs have a tiny area near the root that seems to be starting to loc up by itself. From the scalp my hair is just a normal retwist but about half an inch down there's this spongy, puffy section that then merges into the rest of the loc. As I mentioned before, I hope this spongy area is a bud but I'm not really sure how this works. I understand that there will always be an inch or so of roots that are never loc'd at any one time but how does new growth become loc'd? Can anyone explain?

I'm still moisturising with 100% virgin raw coconut oil after every wash and I retwist my hair two or three times a month. Ponytails and hats are my go-to styling options nowadays as the twists in the front are starting to stick up more and more. By comparison I'm really noticing how tame and flexible my locs are in the back. 

They actually move now!

Remember to check out the naturalocs tumblr page for extra loc photos.

DREADLOCKS ARE...

**Photography ownership is held with the blog account holder. DO NOT use without permission**

Update Continued: Budding

Did I guesstimate that budding would begin in a couple of months? Well I think it's started already! I could be wrong but they look an awful lot like my first set of buds, starting at pretty much the same time, I've just noted, so I'm going with it. I was quite unsure sure at first because I didn't retwist after shampooing my hair but I re-coloured recently and noticed several buds when I went through my hair. Most of them seem to have formed where the new growth meets the two strand twist which I first thought was just unravelling but I tried to pull a twist apart and it didn't budge.

Buds: From what I can tell a bud is a swollen bulge that feels somewhat thicker and firmer (but still spongy) than the rest of the loc. They can start at different points in the loc but most commonly towards the middle. Towards the end is common if your locs are particularly short to start out with. They usually form between month 2 and 6.

Now close-ups of locs and buds in particular aren't easy to photograph but I tried to capture a few of them for you:

this is what I hope is a bud on one of my 18 month old locs.
I say hope because my new growth is
now over an inch (as seen by the black roots)
and it hasn't started loc'ing yet.

this is a bud just barely forming. It's not visible
but if you were here you'd feel where it will grow in
(the frizz near the centre)

and my twists are now irreversible from the root

they appear quite distinctly in silhouette here

So far, in almost six weeks I've experienced:

Shrinkage^

Frizz/Fuzzies^

Budding^

And currently all three are happening at the same time i.e. shrinkage started before budding but shrinkage hasn't stopped even though budding has begun and of course frizz will be with us throughout.

For some reason the developing (^macro) stages of baby locs are much clearer to see in these two strand twists than they seemed to be in my comb coils. I'm sure it's due to a number of differing factors including the additional length, and being more informed/prepared and, possibly the starting method too.

DREADLOCKS ARE...

**Photography ownership is held with the blog account holder. DO NOT use without permission.**

Update/Tips: Two Strand Twists, Frizz & Baby Locs

Just a quick update on how my two strand twists are developing. After shampooing for a second time they are really starting to frizz and knit together. I wouldn't say the two strand twist pattern is fading it's just becoming less obvious under the frizz.

I haven't started palm-rolling my two strand twists yet but I will once they develop some more as I already palm-roll my locs.

They've got a long way to go but I trust they'll form nicely. I have an inkling that budding will be starting in the next couple of months. I'm intrigued to see/feel how they develop in two strand twists compared with comb coils.


Frizz

Experiencing frizz is a brilliant stage to reach for anyone new to the journey and wondering how to deal with their newly developing fuzzies. It can happen in as little as two weeks after installation depending on your hair texture and is usually induced by frequent washing.

From what I can deduce, shrinkage and frizz are the first steps towards developing baby locs and with two strand twists frizz is even more desirable as it will progressively transform the visual appearance of two strand twists into dreadlocks.

Frizz isn't the same as loose hairs but can occur simultaneously, especially with comb coils. Loose hairs are often found coming from the roots and in between the locs themselves. Frizz forms across the shaft of the loc and those hairs will interweave over several months whilst hairs on the inside combine to thicken the loc and solidify it's structure.

To form neater locs you can start palm rolling your frizz, training it to form cylindrically, to your liking. I recommend starting no sooner than three months in or when your locs start to firm up (when you can't reverse the two strand twist).

(Week 5)

DREADLOCKS ARE...

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Month 2: part 2 (re-twist & style)

Just an update following my last post Month 2: part 1 As you can see I hadn't retwisted in a good while, even tempted to stop all together.

The warmer weather did indeed bring about a laid-back vibe for my hair upkeep, but I'm glad I found the will to do something in the end. The loose hairs were becoming unruly and it was probably best to merge then into existing locs asap.

before

It certainly had it's charm, thick and care-free with the odd bit of shrinkage, but I decided as delicate babies they really do need tending to, and I even had to return to using micro rubber bands to hold the ends of a few twists in the back that haven't knitted together yet, 

after

So, after all that my hair is back to being fresh and cute and I think I managed to make it even cuter! Now, how'd you manage to style your noobies, I hear you ask? Well, how about some flat twists?

(click pictures to enlarge)

I was in the mood to experiment while waiting for a few locs to dry and it just so happened that I had enough length for a flat twist or two. I think I've fallen in love with my hair all over again.

Flat Twist Method: 

1. Section off a row of locs and dampen to minimise breakage.
2. Decide which direction you wish the twist to go in and begin by firmly tucking the end of the first loc under the root of the next.
3. In one motion, twist the connected locs whilst moving along to tuck in the next one and continue in the same fashion.
4. Secure once you reach the end of the row.

What do you think?
When did you try your first style and what was it?

DREALOCKS ARE...

**Photography ownership is held with the blog account holder, DO NOT use without permission,**

Month 2: part 1

The arrival of month 2 has brought with it some developments primarily, Summer is on it's way and we've enjoyed a spell of hot weather. And so my main loc objective has been to retain as much moisture as possible, which has been successful with the aid of oil and water. British weather is warm but rather humid around this time of year so the risk of dryness often stems from sweating and salt buildup rather than from dry air. It's been quite manageable; I've increased washes and water exposure in general to combat the conditions.

They continue to thicken up and the increasing length has helped them to look fuller in contrast with their scalp-y beginnings. When I first started my hair was just under an inch long which required regular re-twisting, sometimes up to three times a week. Now that I have a little more to work with I can start minimising re-twists to once a month. Two weeks after my last re-twist my hair looks like this: