Locs are a long-term commitment. Not just to a style, but to a new relationship with your hair and a multi-year process of watching something form. The people who love their locs most are almost always the ones who went in knowing what to expect from the beginning. The people who have the hardest time are often the ones who were surprised by the reality of the first year.
How to Start Locs
There are several installation methods, each with different starting points and budding behaviors. Two-strand twists are the most common starting method for 4B/4C hair. They provide a clear coil that the hair will eventually mat and merge into. Coils (using a curl sponge or the comb coil method) also work well for tighter textures. Braids used as a starting base work for some textures. Freeform locs, where no starting method is used and the hair mats naturally, is also a valid choice for people who are comfortable with an unpredictable formation process.
Starting size matters and it's mostly permanent. Thin locs stay thin; thick locs stay thick. Once locs are established, combining them or splitting them is possible but difficult and damaging. Decide on your starting size before installation based on what you want the finished locs to look like.
The First Year: What Actually Happens
The first stage is called the starter stage. Your starting twists or coils look like... twists and coils. Nothing loc-like is happening yet. This lasts from the first few weeks to about six months depending on your hair texture. Tighter textures tend to lock faster. During this period, the coils will unravel when you wash unless you're careful with wash technique.
The budding stage comes next. You'll notice small bumps forming along the length of each loc. That's the hair beginning to interlock and mat. This is real progress. The loc doesn't look clean or finished at this stage. It looks messy and uneven. That's normal.
The teenage stage (roughly 12-18 months in) is when most people doubt themselves. The locs have budded but aren't fully formed, so they look frizzy, poofy, and uneven. Some people uninstall during this phase out of frustration. If you can get through it knowing it's coming, you'll be fine.
By 18-24 months for most textures, the locs begin to look like what most people picture when they think of fully established locs: rope-like, defined, distinct from each other.
Washing During the Starter Stage
Many stylists recommend waiting four to six weeks before the first wash after installation to give the coils time to begin setting. When you do wash, dilute your shampoo and apply it directly to the scalp, not the locs themselves. Avoid massaging or rubbing. Use a pressing motion to cleanse the scalp. Rinse gently with the showerhead pressure rather than rubbing. Let your locs air dry completely. Sitting under a dryer is helpful. Mold and mildew are real risks with locs that aren't dried fully after washing, especially in the early stages when the structure is less defined.
What Locs Still Need
Locs need scalp care, moisture, and retwisting. The loc itself doesn't require the same level of product work as loose natural hair, but your scalp still produces sebum, can develop dryness or buildup, and benefits from regular oiling. Light oils (jojoba, pure argan oil, peppermint-diluted oils) applied to the scalp between washes keep the scalp healthy without causing product buildup inside the developing loc.
Retwisting is done at the root as new growth appears. How often depends on your texture and preference. Every four to six weeks is common. Too-frequent retwisting creates tension at the root that can cause thinning over time.