My Sisterlocks Are In The Budding Stage

After my Sisterlock Consultant told me that my Sisterlocks were entering the Swelling/Budding phase [HERE] I did some research to find out about all the phases. When you begin a Loc Journey, your hair will go through version phases/stages; just as a loose natural journey. At each of the 4 stages your locs have different characteristics:

Check out the pictures below of the two stages my Sistelocks are/were in…

Pre-Lock Phase / Infancy Stage [Baby Locs]

Characteristics: thin, tightly coiled spirals

At this stage, the hair is much like loose natural hair and typically if wash the locs at this stage without being very careful they will unravel.

Budding Phase / Swelling Stage [Teenage Locs]

Characteristics:
small bud emerges about a quarter down the loc,
matted interlocking pattern begins,

no longer tightly coiled and thin,
loc expands like a bubble

The locs begin to expand like bubbles because it is beginning to loosely mat. It is also said that the loc is rebellious and has a mind of its own.

Shooting Phase / Adult Locs

Characteristics:

entire loc begins to enter the process of interlocking and matting,

the hair density increases & the locs become thicker

Contracting Phase / Elder Locs

Characteristics:

an airtight interlocked loc system

locs are solid & tight

In this video [HERE], I talk about the four stages and show examples with my Sisterlocks.

Blog Comments

Jam Woodard

December 31, 2011 at 9:32 am

Thank you for the article. I miss my locs, but I will wait another year or two.

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TomKay

August 11, 2016 at 7:44 pm

Hey Jocelyn. I started my locs through the braidlocs method. I braided my 3inch hair and let it lock. My question is this, I’m at the budding stage and the hair has already matted towards the center of the hair. All of it is above the braided portion. Can I undo the braid pattern and have the budding spread to the bottom of the hair? (bottom here is used to mean the tips not roots). Thanks