Requested:: Everything you want to know about Faux Locs

Hey Loves!!

Happy FierceFitFoodieFriday! **praise dance**. Do you love the look of locs but don't want the commitment? Have you wanted locs but not sure how they would look on you? You might want to give Faux Locs a try!

This topic has been highly requested since I initially wore this style late last year so here is everything there is to know about Faux Locs!


First things first, before you think about doing ANY protective style:

1. Thoroughly CLEANSE your hair and scalp
2. DEEP CONDITION

NON-NEGOTIABLE. Of course this is just my (not a professional hair stylist) opinion on the matter, but I don't care how much you "hate" shampoo, if you are putting your hair away for 3 or more weeks--you need to shampoo it (shampoo, not co-wash) and deep condition it. The preparation step before any protective style is SO IMPORTANT for preserving the health of your hair. Don't skip it.

K, so now that I've said that...on to the Faux Locs.

What you need (Based on how I achieved this style, but there are plenty of ways):

• 1 pack of braiding hair
• 7-8 packs of Marley Braiding Hair (in any assortment of colors of your liking) The number of packs you need totally depends on the size of your locs.
• A cream styler of your choice, I used Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie 
• A lighter
• A good movie
• A glass of wine** Optional but you'll probably need it

Because I wanted to make sure there wasn't too much stress on my hair, I braided my hair first with some kaneklon hair in box braids. These do not need to be perfect, cute, or precise. Also, no need to braid to the end, just far enough so that your hair is not out. I used the cream product while braiding to add more moisture to my hair.

When researching how to do this style I browsed through a lot of tutorials, but this one by ImShineStruck is the one I found to be the best not only because of how she explains it, but how it looked afterwards (pretty natural). She also walks though how to braid your hair (not the way I braid) should you not know how. And it's short!! Only 5 min :).

The key to doing these well in my opinion (which I learned AFTER *insert side eye here*) is while you're wrapping to OVERLAP the hair. This is because the locs will snag on each other, so if you didn't wrap your braids well, the locs will start to unravel when they snag.


Quick Facts:

• How much does it cost: About $40 depending on how many packs of hair you need vs at least $100-150 if you pay someone else to do it.
• Install: I've only done these once and it took me about 8-10 hours over two days
• Maintenance: Spritz daily or every other day with a mix of water/conditioner/oil--use your favs
• Take Down: I just take some scissors and cut each loc high enough to eliminate some work, but low enough that you know you aren't cutting your hair. How much would it suck if you cut your own hair??
• How Long Do They Last: Especially because of how long these take to install, I wouldn't wear them any less than 3 weeks. That's just me though I needs my ROI (return on investment). It is recommended not to wear protective styles more than about 2 months or 8 weeks so I would go with that,
• But What About my Edges: I would say your're fine as long as you don't wear them in updos/pontytails too often because those types of styles are going to add MORE stress to your edges.

Time for Pictures!!

Interested in trying to install faux locs for yourself? Have you already done it? Tell me about your experience. How long did it take you? How did you install them? Did you love them? Hate them? Let me know in the comments section! Like, Comment, and Share with a Friend!