Are you looking for a versatile and stylish hairstyle that will make you stand out? Dreadlocks, or locs, are a timeless option that has been a staple in pop culture and everyday styles for decades. From Bob Marley to Wiz Khalifa, locs have been embraced by many. Whether you've spent years growing out your natural hair or you're trying them as a temporary protective style, locs are a commitment - but a stylish one. If you're growing your locs, having an arsenal of cute ways to style your strands can enhance your loc journey at any length and stage. The commitment isn't for everyone though, and if faux locs are more your vibe the styling possibilities are endless.
Locs (real or faux) can be twisted, braided, and wrapped into almost any hairstyle you can think of. And if the celeb set is any indication, there is plenty of inspiration out in the world. Stars including, Chloe Bailey, Lupita Nyong'o, and Willow Smith have all worn gorgeous locs styles that aren't so hard to pull off yourself. Not to mention there are different types of locs - including curly locs, sisterlocks, starterlocks, and freeform locs - that add even more versatility and style options.
Before you get styling, experts have one rule of thumb: "Keep your locs moisturized and your scalp clean and properly balanced so your locs will really shine," says Los Angeles-based hairstylist Shelby Swain. This basic hair-care tip will also help avoid product buildup and allow your styles to last longer. Here are some eye-catching and easy loc hairstyles that you can achieve on your own, complete with expert tips to perfect each style.
Classic dreadlocks get a modern twist (literally) with this updated take on the look. This style is achieved by twisting two individual locs together to form one. While we already called out twists, we had to mention how amazing they look on short hair.
Braided dreadlocks are similar to cornrows, but cornrows are achieved by gathering hair at the scalp to create a braid, while braided locs are thicker, locked hair braided together. Combining fresh, trendy cornrows with organic dreadlocks creates a convenient and neat style. Add some flair to a faux hawk with intricate braided locs. Throwing in a few braids dispersed within your locs adds dimension to your hair, especially when styling it up. Reign in your locs with an intricate fishtail braid.
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Once your dreadlocks are more mature and full, you can start forming them into larger, chunkier locs. If chunky locs don’t appeal to you, thin locs allow you to keep the look of natural hair without any styling. Labyrinth locs feature long, chunky classic locs, but each dreadlock is formed a little farther apart on the scalp. If you believe bigger is better, you can’t go wrong with thick twists.
Wick locs are one of the thickest dread styles out there - in fact, you can have as few as four to 10 wicks on your entire head.
If you’d like a dreadlock style that’ll allow you to embrace your natural hair texture, freeform locs are the way to go.
Achieve an elevated yet edgy look with a loc and fresh fade combo. Similar to a taper cut, an undercut buzzes the hair around the sides and back of your head to a single length, allowing your locs to take center stage on the top. Prefer to keep things high and tight?
If your locs are still in the growing phase or you prefer to keep them short, try spiking them for an edgy take on the style.
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Leaning toward more of an urban grunge style? Channel punk rock meets Rastafarian with a loc mohawk.
Loc knots are achieved by twisting your locs twice and securing them at the bottom to form barrel-like knots.
Ombre locs are one of the easiest ways to add a pop of color to dark, one-dimensional hair.
With today’s dye techniques it’s easy to add some contrast to dark dreads with bright blonde streaks. Locs are already a statement men’s hairstyle, but if you want to stand out even more, try dying the ends of your strands a bright, eye-catching color.
Silver is one of the trendiest hair colors for 2023, and it’s easy to see why.
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We love a fiery red ‘do, and textured locs simply add to the drama.
When it comes to personalizing your locs, the options are limitless. One of the best ways to bring color to your style without dyeing your hair is by wrapping your locs with yarn.
If your locs are long enough, tie them back in a low ponytail for an effortless bohemian look.
While we’d rather leave dramatic side bangs in 2010, side-swept dreadlocks aren’t going anywhere.
Messy top knots are a classic summertime loc style that’s both easy and convenient. However, keep in mind that the longer your locs are, the heavier your knot will be.
Long locs give you the freedom to style your hair in a variety of ways, one of the most popular being the half-up, half-down look.
Get creative with your locs by adding accessories like beads or metal cuffs for a style that’s all you. Gather your locs with your favorite bandana for a pop of personality.
Sleep with your damp locs in tight braids to achieve this beachy style.
Willow Smith's look is so pretty and, most importantly, easy to do. Leak says to start by pulling your hair back. Then, secure it at the nape of your neck with a hair tie, wrapping the ends around each other to form a loose bun. Keep it in place with pins and pull two locs from one side of your head to frame your face.
Is it just us, or are space buns cute as hell? Sasha Lane's kinky locs really make this look a standout. To achieve, you'll first want to part your hair horizontally into two sections. The front part is what you'll use to construct your buns, while the back will just hang loose. Part the front half down the middle and secure both sections with hair ties. Then, start wrapping each ponytail around until you've made the perfect bun. Secure the end under the back of the tie or tuck it in. Feel free to finish by placing beads and cuffs on your locs for extra decoration, or you can go without the extra flourishes.
To achieve the updo seen on Chloe Bailey, bring all your hair to the center of your head, keeping it in place with a ponytail holder. From there, fold the pony it in half: This will create a semi-bun or crescent shape once you secure your locs with an elastic at the base. Once your bun is in place, most of the hair will remain in the bun structure. There should be a few ends left out to fall forward toward your face. Finesse the crescent shape by opening up the bun from the middle and loosening some of your locs by pulling them upward, but not out of, the bun. Once your bun is spread for fullness, reposition your loc ends as desired and place any remaining jewelry strategically to add the finishing touches. While Bailey opted for a charm-free look, you can jazz up the style even more by adding jewelry or cuffs. Place most of them before you gather up your locs, then add a few as finishing touches at the end.
It doesn't get simpler than this. For a regal bun like Meagan Good's, gather your hair into a high ponytail and secure it with an elastic. Next, wrap your locs around the ponytail base to create a bun. Lightly lay your baby hairs as a finishing touch.
Lisa Bonet's locs are legendary, but don't be intimidated - achieving a look like this is easy and has minimal upkeep. "Find a split in the middle of your top temple and grab two to three locs on both sides of that split, having them lay on each side in the front." Center and pull the rest of your locs into a ponytail, tying it off with an elastic."Hold the ends of your locs from the ponytail, and tuck them under and into the ponytail," Faulk continues. "Secure only the very ends of the [hair] so as to create an elongated bun, and reposition the few locs in the front to establish the middle part in the front." The undone boho feel of this style makes it low maintenance because even if you miss a retwist appointment, your hair will still look good.
This gorgeous updo on Dominique Fishback looks complicated, but couldn't be any easier to do. The feature of this high, secure bouffant is the gorgeous wave pattern. Faulk suggests putting your locs into eight to 10 braids and leaving them braided for one to two days."No need to wet your hair before, locs will create textures even when dry if held for long periods [of time]," she explains. "Take the plaits out right before styling."For the beehive, "put a large ponytail holder around either of your wrists and lean your body forward, gathering all your locs to the top of your head. Twist them (like a towel) to the left or right all the way to the tip. This will force a coil with all your locs," Faulk advises. "Bring them down to make a bun on the top of your head. Carefully, pull some of the locs in the bun outward to make the bun fuller." Leave out a few locs to create a gorgeous, face-framing moment.
High double buns are the hottest new trend for both women and men - even celebrities like Justin Bieber and Snoop Dogg have been seen sporting the style.
The key to Ava DuVernay's look is the long length, which can be achieved by adding extensions to your locs. Be sure to use extensions that match your hair texture for a seamless finish. "Starting at the root of the loc, use thin pieces of textured extensions and wrap clockwise around the loc, wrapping until the ends of hair are reached," Leak recommends. But she also has a warning: “Don't use too much tension while wrapping, as this will stretch the texture and alter the finished look.” If you don't have locs to begin with, using crochet faux locs is also a great method for this style. Once you've reached your desired length, gather half of your hair from ear to ear, pull into a ponytail and secure it with an elastic band. Wrap one or a few locs to wrap around the band to hide it, and you're done.
Here, Jaden Smith perfects the messy high pony - with a twist. Bring your hair to one side toward the front of your head to create a high ponytail, using an elastic. Pull your hair through the elastic, then pull it apart to create volume. Add your hair accessories (points if they complement your hair color) to bring your look together.
Anyone can let out their inner Ariana Grande with a high ponytail like Tomi Adeyemi's. Leak breaks down how to do it: “First, use your finger to part your locs from ear to ear. Gather the front section, pulling high and tight to create a ponytail. Secure with an elastic band." Move the hair around a bit to blend the high ponytail with the hair you left out in the back. Use a decorative ponytail holder to zuzsh it up.
Halle Bailey gave a new meaning to mermaid hair in her role as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. The singer and actor added loose wavy pieces to her signature locs to create these captivating boho locs that are very much on trend. To replicate the look, ask your stylist to add wavy or curly hair to the mid-lengths and ends of your locs. To show off the look in all it's glory, simply wear your locs down and parted to one side like Bailey.
To achieve Halle Bailey's curly locs, you've got to start by setting your hair the night before. First, moisturize your locs and divide them into eight sections. This look depends on if your locs are made with synthetic or human hair according to Faulk. For human hair locs, place each section into Bantu knots or two-strand twists and secure the ends with a rubber band or hair tie. Spray with a moisturizer (like leave-in conditioner) and let it set for “24 hours or longer,” according to Faulk. For the best outcome, set locs under a dryer for a bit and after your hair is dry, take each Bantu knot out to unleash perfectly curled locs. For synthetic hair, place each section onto a flexi rod or perm rod. Carefully dip the rod with your wrapped locs into hot water for about 10 to 15 seconds. You're going to want a lot of towels around to dry your wet (and hot-to-the-touch) locs. Once your hair is mostly dry, remove the flexi rods and run your fingers through the curls, shaking your hair around to loosen them up. If you love your naturally curly hair, you don’t need to sacrifice your texture for locs.
To achieve this iconic Zendaya look, separate your locs into three sections: two in the front and one in the back. Divide each section of hair horizontally. Secure the back with an appropriately-sized clip or band. Separate the front section into two - make sure one is larger than the other. The smaller section in the front will create the perfect side swoop. Drape this section with about six to eight locs over your ear and secure it with hairpins. Then drape the other front section towards the back of your head and pin it, joining it with the rest of the hair from the swooping side. Add jewelry and lay down those baby hairs.
Lupita Nyong’o’s sisterlocks era produced a handful of screenshot-worthy looks including this elegant side-part bob. Here, Nyong'o proves you don't need long hair to pull off cute loc styles. Camille Friend - the actor’s hairstylist - previously told Allure that Nyong'o began a sisterlocks (a form of micro locs) journey while filming Black Panther, which ultimately influenced her character's hair looks in the movie. Tiny locs like these take a long time to create, but if you're looking for an easy-to-maintain hairstyle, this is for you.
Locs and bangs aren't a combination you see often see but there are plenty of ways to fake it, as Ava Duvernay does here. Faulk suggests gathering the locs that are on the top front of your head, leaving the sides down. The number of locs you use can be adjusted depending upon how little or much more fullness you want for your bang."After gathering the section for your ‘bang’, take two locs at a time and twist them together from root to ends," says Leak. “After two-strand twisting, secure the ends with a rubber band or ponytail holder. Once they’re all twisted and secured, you’re going part them off to either side of your head.” Gather the twisted locs and swoop the ends of those locs towards the top of your head. Think of it like you're creating a circle or a rose on the side of your head. You can secure the ends by placing bobby pins on this area onto the roots of the locs that are going downwards. Polish the look off with some hair oil for a nice shine.
Believe it or not, you can achieve the slicked-backed look with locs.
If you already have locs but are interested in a low-maintenance, protective style, box braids over locs are a creative solution.
Combining short locs with a crisp shape up is a sleek way to fashion locs while they’re growing out.
Popularized by Black men in the 1980s, line-ups are a classic style that lends sophistication to locked hair.
Even though long locs look amazing, they can get hot and uncomfortable in the summer months. You could tie them back, but pulling all that heavy hair to the back of your head can put some serious pressure on your neck. The easiest solution?
Lay your hair to the desired side and section off a portion of your locs in the front to work with. Then, place the scrunchies around the part you sectioned off to achieve Kelela's look. Here, several scrunchies are placed next to each other to create what looks like a big band around the locs.
The dreadlocks made popular by the Rastafarian movement are still in style today. Dreadlocks are often associated with the peace-loving Rastafarian movement, but many believe locs were a preferred style for historical Vikings as well.
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