Why I chose locs is a question I get asked often, and the answer goes much deeper than hair.
I often tell people that my decision to lock my hair wasn’t just about convenience. It was about freedom, confidence, and finally learning to love my hair at every stage.
When I was younger, I loved versatility. I enjoyed wearing different hairstyles and experimenting with different looks. Like many Black women, I looked forward to fresh braids, fresh installs, and that feeling of hopping out of the chair with a style that felt brand new.
But if I’m being honest, there was always a cycle.
I felt beautiful when my hair was freshly done.
I felt beautiful when the style was new.
But somewhere in between, I would start saying things like:
“I need my hair done.”
“My hair looks a mess.”
“I look busted.”
Looking back, I realize that I rarely felt beautiful throughout my entire hair journey. My confidence often depended on whether my hair was freshly styled.
Learning My Hair the Hard Way
Sometimes I wish every Black girl was given a course on how to love and properly care for her hair.
I remember going natural in my early twenties and being completely dumbfounded.
I didn’t understand curl patterns.
I didn’t understand porosity.
I didn’t understand how moisture worked.
I definitely didn’t understand why humidity seemed to have a mind of its own.
And let’s just say there were a few questionable decisions along the way.
At one point, I let my friend’s sister bleach my hair in my kitchen and left it for me to rinse out myself.
Needless to say…
It grew back. 😅
Like many women, I spent years learning through trial and error.
Why Locs Changed Everything
Today, I am a loc’d sista, and honestly, I can’t see myself ever going back.
Not because locs are easier.
Not because they require no maintenance.
And not because everyone should have them.
I love my locs because they changed the way I see myself.
For the first time in my life, I feel beautiful at every stage of my hair journey.
Fresh retie?
Beautiful.
A few weeks post-retie?
Beautiful.
Retie overdue?
Still beautiful.
That’s something I had never experienced before.
My confidence is no longer tied to whether my hair was recently done. My locs taught me that beauty isn’t something that only exists immediately after a salon appointment.
Beauty can exist throughout the process.
More Than a Hairstyle
For me, locs became more than a hairstyle.
They became a lesson in patience.
A lesson in self-acceptance.
A lesson in embracing my natural beauty without constantly feeling the need to change, hide, or fix something.
Every stage has its own beauty.
Every phase serves a purpose.
Every inch of growth tells a story.
Today, I can honestly say I trust the process.
Final Thoughts
Choosing locs was one of the best decisions I’ve made for my hair, but more importantly, it was one of the best decisions I’ve made for myself.
They taught me to appreciate the journey instead of constantly chasing the next hairstyle.
They taught me that growth isn’t always instant.
And they taught me that I was beautiful long before my hair was “done.”
If you’re considering beginning your own loc journey, know this:
You don’t have to have everything figured out.
You don’t have to know every product.
You don’t have to be perfect.
You just have to be willing to trust the process.
And who knows?
You may discover, just like I did, that the journey changes much more than your hair.
