One of the beautiful things about locs is that they come in varying shapes and sizes, from hundreds of Sisterlocks to those with only a few Organic locs. Despite the diversity amongst the sizing of locs, it is still very common to see smaller sized locs, and not so common to see thicker locs. This article is for those of us that prefer a thicker set of locs and wonder, “How Can I Grow Thick Locs? “
WHAT I CHOOSE THICK LOCS
I always knew I wanted thick locs, but about 18 months into my journey my locs weren’t evolving into what I had envisioned so I went searching for solutions. I stumbled upon KOKABUTA’s series for growing thick locs and that helped me lot; I also learned a few other important tips along the way. So if you’re interested in learning how to thicken your locs, without combining your locs, check out the 5 tips that helped me to grow thicker locs.
5 Tips on How to Grow Thick Locs
- Forget everything you think you know. Many people believe that they have to maintain their locs every two weeks or that they have to use tight hold products for retwisting their locs, and the list goes on; however, all of these notions, amongst others, are common misconceptions that actually prevent you from attaining thicker locs because those practices are more commonly used on small traditional locs.
- Throw away any unnatural products. Many of the products on the market that are specifically “for locs and dreads”, like Jamaican Mango and Lime, are actually horrible for locs. If you’re not using all natural products, like natural aloe vera gel or flaxseed gel, you’re likely causing unnecessary buildup in your locs. The excess buildup will prevent the loc matrix from forming and disrupt the stages of hair locking which can create points of weakness or thinning in the locs.
- Leave your hair alone. This is the most crucial factor in cultivating thick locs. It is also healthier for your hair and scalp that you don’t cause undue tension through constant retwisting or style manipulation. When you leave your hair alone, your locs are able to flourish and thicken up because they’re not constantly “made” into condensed retwisted or interlocked bundles. The ideal timeframe for a retwist is between 4-6 weeks— no earlier!
- Change your diet. Your skin, nails, and hair are all part of a system in your body that receives nutrients last, if at all, once your major systems are nourished. In other words, you need to be healthy on the inside first to see the benefits like, continuous hair growth, length retention and thicker hair, on the outside. Increasing your water intake to at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day and consuming a lot of vegetables are great habits to implement into your lifestyle.
- Feed your hair & stimulate your scalp. The key is to keep your hair hydrated with moisture daily, sealed with a natural oil and protected a night. You also need to keep your scalp clean and stimulated with techniques like loc brushing, and moisturizing on a daily (or at least every other day). Moisturizing your locs will help tremendously to prevent breakage and thinning, so you want to make sure it’s done properly!
- BONUS:No more going to bed without a scarf and drying out your locs! Protect your locs at night with a satin scarf, to prevent dryness, lint accumulation, and tension from rolling over your locs at night .
When you first adopt these tips into your regimen, if you’re not already using them, there are a few things to be mindful of, so be sure to check out the next post “3 Things to Know Before You Start Thick Locs“.
Blog Comments
3 Things to Know BEFORE Starting Thick Locs
March 31, 2015 at 8:04 am
[…] them up a bit without combining them you can do that too using the tips outlined in the “How to Grow Thick Locs” post. Once you decide to thicken your locs, be prepared for the transition to take awhile. […]
Te'
February 4, 2016 at 12:13 pm
Looking at your pics above, how often would you say you retwist your locs? I go for about 3 times a year…
Jocelyn Reneé
November 24, 2016 at 2:54 am
Every 6-8 weeks. I do not have the type of hair texture that can go that long without maintenance and remain healthy.
SHARON
December 14, 2020 at 8:41 pm
Love it. Very informative.
curlynugrowth
February 8, 2021 at 11:30 am
Peace Sharon,
Happy to hear you found the resource informational, thank you for your support.
Angel
April 18, 2015 at 4:35 am
Great tips
Angel
May 4, 2015 at 6:18 pm
Utuber Adette Wellington very good advice to grow thick locs so easy you won’t believe. Bless.
Combining My Locs to be Thicker | CurlyNuGrowth
December 12, 2015 at 1:05 pm
[…] Locs to be Thicker” for more details on the method I used. UPDATE: Check out these 5 Tips to Grow Thicker Locs — what I learned after combining my locs. Previous Post Next […]
darian finney
January 25, 2016 at 10:05 pm
Hello loving the blog so far! And your hair is a work of art. I’ve restarted my locs with only 45 in counting, my hair is short but my babies are staying intact for the most part. To achieve thicker locs I started with bigger sections. Please help! Am I going about my journey the correct way??
Jocelyn Reneé
November 24, 2016 at 2:06 am
Yes! Your parts, hair texture, and density will determine the size of your locs.
winter brady
February 7, 2016 at 9:05 pm
What are some specific items to use when twisting and washing your locs? I am having such a hard time finding A product that will successfully keep my hair locked and washes all residue out without over drying my locs and scalp …thank you in advance.
Jocelyn Reneé
November 24, 2016 at 3:00 am
Check out the article “Products for Retwisting Locs“
natasha
January 21, 2021 at 1:56 am
i love locs…. help me i wish to have healthy locs. which ways can i maintain healthy locs. im from Kenya
curlynugrowth
February 6, 2021 at 10:40 pm
Peace Natasha,
I appreciate the support all the way from Kenya!!!!
healthy locs
Sharon
March 3, 2021 at 12:08 am
Love from Kenya here too
Jocelyn Reneé
March 3, 2021 at 11:06 pm
Thank you for stopping by Sharon!
MarTaja
February 23, 2016 at 8:02 am
Thank you for this info. You are so beautiful!!!! Stay fly. God bless.
Starting Locs With Two-Strand Twists
August 5, 2016 at 2:17 pm
[…] with their locs after a few months because they’ve become too large. Related Article: How to Grow Thicker Locs My suggestion is to determine what size you want your locs to be once they mature, the type of […]
Dana
March 22, 2020 at 8:14 am
May you please tell me how to combine locs to make them thicker? Thanks a bunch!
Jocelyn Reneé
June 1, 2020 at 9:55 pm
I share how I combined one of my locs in this video “How to Combine Locs with Twists“, but this also isn’t a great idea for everyone. I will post an article soon about it, join the mailing list so you get notified when it is available.
Jeanetra Carter
April 12, 2020 at 5:12 pm
Hi, i started my locs at home and i twisted one side clock wise and
the other counter clock wise. Is it safe to start retwisting them oneway or do i stick with what ive been doing
Jocelyn Reneé
May 12, 2020 at 11:55 am
I would stick to what you’ve been doing until they are mature or start over all in the same direction.
Ryan Harper
June 13, 2020 at 6:54 am
How many locs do you have?
Jocelyn Reneé
June 14, 2020 at 11:24 pm
I have 36 locs.
Nya
January 19, 2021 at 10:20 pm
First let me say thank you for always sharing your knowledge so freely. I am 4 months into my very first loc journey; your YouTube videos have been a tremendous guide as I navigate this new path.
I have a question I am hoping you can shed some light on.
As I mentioned, I am 4 months loc’d. I started with two strand twist and they are on the medium-small side (120 count). I experienced what I believe is budding at the roots, in my second month. Now that I am in my 4th month, the budding at the roots is gone and has been replaced with an extremely skinny dense/condensed section. This skinny section is alarmingly skinny. Skinnier than the circumference of its section.
I always assumed that my locs would thicken as they mature, not condense into “nothing”. Slight exaggeration, more like 3/4 the size of its circumference.
I don’t know if this is a part of the process..budd, condense, then thicken…??? Or if this is a sign of things to come? Super skinny locs.
If locs do not thicken after they condense perhaps now is a good time for me to comb out my locs and create a larger grid (60-70 count).
I’ve searched and searched and could not find a YouTube video or blog addressing this; which makes me think that once condensed the loc will remain that size.
I wash with shampoo that is 1 part shampoo to 15 parts water. I only use jojoba oil to retwist and Aloe Vera juice with rosemary oil to refresh/moisturize.
Please forgive the long comment/question. I hope I have given enough context. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Jocelyn Reneé
February 18, 2021 at 12:23 am
Welcome to the journey! It doesn’t sound alarming to me, unless you area also noticing breakage and/or lots of shed hairs around your sink, in t your hand, etc. Unfortunately, I cannot advise you on this particular issue without a visual consultation.
I will say this though, the root is always and will forever be skinner than the shaft of the locs because it does not contain any shed hair that accumulates to form the locs. I hope that helps, but if not, please feel free to schedule a Virtual Consultation with me.
Stella
January 21, 2021 at 5:25 am
I have a problem with my dread, I started it with relaxed hair and it kept becoming fuzzy and dry. I wash n palm roll everyday but it keeps getting worse. I need help, I want my dread to lock please
curlynugrowth
February 8, 2021 at 11:02 am
Peace Stella,
Welcome to the loc journey, I understand that you may need specific guidance on how to secure your locs coming from a relaxed hair texture. You can schedule a virtual consultation with me at your convenience. VIRTUAL CONSULTATION
Stella
January 21, 2021 at 5:32 am
How can I make my dread made from relaxed hair thick n Lock?
curlynugrowth
February 6, 2021 at 10:42 pm
Hi Stella,
Going from relaxed hair to thick locs is a transition as you start your jpurney please refer to the link below.
thick locs
liz
February 7, 2021 at 5:56 am
I’m almost 2 years into my loc journey can i still make my locs thicker by following these steps without combining them?
Jocelyn Reneé
February 19, 2021 at 12:05 am
It depends on how thick you want your locs to be. What isn’t mention in the article, but is important to know… thickness is determined by your foundation, not the grooming.
Sharon
February 8, 2021 at 4:41 am
What products can I use to keep them moisturise
curlynugrowth
February 11, 2021 at 9:46 am
Peace Sharon,
Learning what works for your locs to keep them moisturized is important, please refer to the link below.
What products can I use to keep them moisturise
Also, here is the direct link to the products that can assist you in keeping your locs moisturized.
https://digitalloctician.com/shop/
Shaleena
January 11, 2022 at 7:30 pm
Hello!
My starter locs were started by using the loc smithing method. I have not been able to find online other examples of people who have done the same. So I’m having a hard time envisioning what my hair might look like in the future. I have a low density here and my parts were done medium/small. I’m worried that they will not be able to expand if I continue to do this method. I plan to space out my re twist. What are your thoughts?
Jocelyn Reneé
January 14, 2022 at 11:19 am
Peace Shaleena, the Loc Smything for starter locs is similar to coils. Your hair will expand because that is the nature of locs. however your parting system has everything to do with volume if that is your concern because you have low density hair. Check out this article for more info about parting systems: How To Part Your Hair For Starter Locs