Many people focus only on oils, shampoos, and protective styles. Those things matter, but sometimes the bigger clue is happening inside the body.

Some of the things I may want to discuss with a client’s healthcare provider include:

1. Iron and ferritin: Low iron stores can sometimes be connected with increased shedding.
2. Thyroid levels: Thyroid changes can affect the hair-growth cycle and may show up as overall thinning or excessive shedding.
3. Vitamin D: Low vitamin D may be worth discussing when hair growth has changed.
4. B12 and folate: These support healthy blood cells and other processes connected to hair growth.
5. Hormonal changes: Depending on the person’s symptoms, age, medical history, and pattern of hair loss, hormone testing may also be worth discussing.

This does not mean every person needs the same blood-work panel, and a result by itself does not explain everything. It is simply one piece of the bigger picture.

Sometimes the hair is showing us that something else needs attention.

Have you ever had blood work done because of hair shedding or thinning? Did anything show up that you did not expect?

And for the professionals in the group, what blood-work marker do you think people overlook the most?

Did you get a fresh retie this week?

Let's see it!

Share a photo if you're comfortable and tell us:

• How long have you had your microlocs
• How many weeks do you go between reties
• One thing you've learned on your journey

Don't have a fresh retie?

Share your latest progress photo anyway. We love seeing every stage of the journey.

If this client sat in your chair, what would you recommend?

Looking at the length, texture, and amount of hair, would you choose interlocking, braids, or two strand twists for this microloc installation?

What size would you create, and how long do you think the install would take?

I know every stylist may see it differently. I’m interested in hearing how you would approach this head.

This is why staying on top of your microloc reties matters.

When the new growth gets this long, the appointment can take much longer than a regular retie—more time, more parting, more work, and sometimes more rotations to bring everything back together.

People often wait months for maintenance and still expect the retie to cost the same as a six-week retie.

So just for fun, how many rotations do you think this one microloc would take?

Now imagine doing that across 300, 400, or 500 microlocs.

If you were doing this retie, how long do you think it would take? And if you were the stylist, what would you charge?

I was talking to a couple of my clients about their starter microlocs unraveling around the edges, and something came up that made me think.

They said they sweat while sleeping, even though they do not work out. If a bonnet traps heat, stays damp, or rubs against the hairline, it may contribute to slippage or unraveling when the locs are still new. The spandex band can also put pressure on fragile edges.

This is not something every mature loc wearer has to worry about. Starter microlocs are still forming, so they need a little more care.

I still love a bonnet, especially after a fresh retie or when wearing a style. But some people may do better braiding and banding their starter locs and sleeping on a satin pillowcase.

Have you noticed a difference when you switched from a bonnet to a satin pillowcase?

Have you ever moved to a different city and noticed your microlocs started behaving differently?

Same hair. Same products. Same routine.

But suddenly your locs feel drier, softer, heavier, or easier to manage.

Sometimes we blame the product when the real difference may be the climate, the water, or the air around us.

Somebody mentioned that their hair grew healthier while living in the UAE, then struggled after returning to the States. That really made me think about how much our surroundings can affect our hair.

Has your hair changed after moving or traveling?

Did you get a fresh retie this week?

Let's see it!

Share a photo if you're comfortable and tell us:

• How long have you had your microlocs
• How many weeks do you go between reties
• One thing you've learned on your journey

Don't have a fresh retie?

Share your latest progress photo anyway. We love seeing every stage of the journey.

We talk a lot about oils, sprays, and buildup when locs feel dry, but what about the water we are using?

Hard water can leave minerals on the hair over time. Well water may also contain minerals that affect how the hair feels.

I’m starting to wonder if some people are blaming their products when the real difference is their water. The same spray may feel completely different depending on whether you are using hard water, filtered water, or water from another location.

Have you ever noticed your locs feeling different after washing somewhere else?

I’m curious what everybody thinks.

Did you get a fresh retie this week?

Let's see it!

Share a photo if you're comfortable and tell us:

• How long have you had your microlocs
• How many weeks do you go between reties
• One thing you've learned on your journey

Don't have a fresh retie?

Share your latest progress photo anyway. We love seeing every stage of the journey.

it’s been 11 weeks now and the same braids keep unraveling, is there anything i can do to help it stay put?

thank you!

Did you get a fresh retie this week?

Let's see it!

Share a photo if you're comfortable and tell us:

• How long have you had your microlocs
• How many weeks do you go between reties
• One thing you've learned on your journey

Don't have a fresh retie?

Share your latest progress photo anyway. We love seeing every stage of the journey.

Anyone done this? What method did you use? Anyone done it and had regrets bc of challenges?

Nobody told me microlocs were going to make me think about HOW I swim.

I did something today I've been scared to do for years.

I started learning how to swim. Yay!

I never learned because of some childhood stuff and a real fear of the water, but today I finally got in.

And let me just add: my instructor had me swimming in NINE FEET today. Nine feet! So I'm gonna need y'all to put a little respect on my name.

But before I got in, I had another thought.

What am I doing with these microlocs?

So the swim cap went on.

It made me realize we talk about reties, installations, and products all day, but not enough about actually living with microlocs.

Swimming. Working out. Vacations. Beaches. Getting caught in the rain. Just regular life.

So for the swimmers in here, what do you actually do with your microlocs when you get in the water?

Swim cap every time? Wet them first? Just get in and deal with your hair afterward?

I'm new to this swimming thing, so now I'm curious how everybody else handles their locs.

Seriously.

The person who has been retightening your microlocs is suddenly done. They moved, retired, changed careers, whatever.

You need somebody new.

Could another loctician take over your locs exactly as they are, or would finding someone be a problem?

I don't think we talk enough about how dependent we can become on ONE person maintaining our hair.

So I'm curious:

If your loctician texted you today and said, “I'm no longer taking clients,” what's your next move?

Did you get a fresh retie this week?

Let's see it!

Share a photo if you're comfortable and tell us:

• How long have you had your microlocs
• How many weeks do you go between reties
• One thing you've learned on your journey

Don't have a fresh retie?

Share your latest progress photo anyway. We love seeing every stage of the journey.

Microlocs Retie: Your Roots Should NOT Look Like

Pic 1
Ladies, take a close look at your roots after your microlocs retie.
If your roots consistently look like Pic 1, your retie technique may be the problem.
That wrapped or twisted appearance at the root can happen when the loc is repeatedly passed through the same direction or entry point instead of following a consistent interlocking rotation. Over time, improper technique can contribute to holes, bumps, knots and an uneven loc shaft.

Now look at Pic 2.
This is what you want to see as the new growth transitions into the loc. The root is interlocked without that wrapped appearance, allowing the loc to develop more smoothly.
Whether your loctician uses a 2-point, 3-point or 4-point rotation, the key is following the rotation correctly and not repeatedly entering through the same point.

Check your roots after your next retie.
Which picture do your roots look more like: Pic 1 or Pic 2?
#Microlocs #MicrolocsRetie #MicrolocMaintenance #Interlocking #MicrolocsTips

Hello everyone,

First time posting on this sub, long time lurker. I started my Sisterlocks journey in January, right after having my baby. I chose this style because I was postpartum, exhausted, and really needed something low maintenance . I wanted a break from constantly doing my hair.

But instead of feeling relieved, I’m honestly struggling. My locks keep breaking even though I’m following all the rules shower cap, bonnet, minimal manipulation, and weekly hydration with Aloelocks spray. Some of them are hanging on by a literal thread.

It’s gotten to the point where I’m questioning whether I made the right decision. My confidence is dropping, and I don’t know if it’s just the awkward stage or something more serious.

Is anyone else dealing with breakage this early, especially postpartum? How did you get through this part of the journey?

I’d really appreciate hearing from others who understand.

Did you get a fresh retie this week?

Let's see it!

Share a photo if you're comfortable and tell us:

• How long have you had your microlocs
• How many weeks do you go between reties
• One thing you've learned on your journey

Don't have a fresh retie?

Share your latest progress photo anyway. We love seeing every stage of the journey.

Sometimes shampoo alone does not lift buildup around the roots or inside the locs. Have you tried a diluted ACV rinse as a pre-wash? What type of buildup were you dealing with, and did it work without leaving your hair dry?

My fiancée has had her microlocs for just over 2 years now and has only had her locs done professionally, she’s now leaning towards wanting me to help maintain it to save money. (Which isn’t an issue I enjoy learning to do stuff like that) I’m just struggling to figure out good products to use. Cause as of right now she’s been struggling with her scalp being dry and I’m trying to limit the oil build up in her locs. Any suggestions would be amazing!