Whether you like the loose waves of a cornrowed braid-out, the tighter crimps of a braid-out, curls from sponge rollers, flexi-rods, or tight coils from pipe cleaners, it is possible to have a different look for every day. I tried a few different curly styles with my loc’d hair, and I had so much fun sporting my new looks.
I personally love pipe cleaner curls. They start off as tight coils for the first few days, and the curls slowly fall over time so that they look different day-to-day and week-to-week. Sleep with a bonnet on to loosely hold your curls in place while you sleep, and then zhuzh your hair a bit with a spritz of leave-in conditioner in the morning, and you’re ready to go!
The curls hold best on clean, slightly damp hair with a little bit of leave-in conditioner and you can sleep with the pipe cleaners in overnight or sit under an overhead dryer. The curls are really easy to do, but you should plan to spend a few hours working on your hair if you are curling individual locs, depending on the length of your hair. All of the styles below are tried and true fun easy looks that work with any kind of curls. I tried them on day one of my pipe cleaner curls and I plan to rock each look as my curls fall. Try them out and let me know what you think!
1. Curly fro
Not in the mood to part your hair? You don’t have to! This is a fun style to rock during the first few days of curls while they are tight and short.
PRO TIP: If you want to add a bit more volume, use a hair pick to gently tug at your roots. This technique works well with locs that are not freshly retwisted.
2. Center part
This is an all-purpose look that works for any lifestyle, hairline, or mood. It may help to do this look when your curls have loosened a bit so that your hair stays put, but you can add in fun clips or hairpins to help.
3. Side part
This look is a great way to add volume to your hair. You can choose which side you like better and decide on how deep of a part you prefer.
4. Ponytail on top
Sometimes I want to wear my hair up and down at the same time. The ponytail will be shorter, longer, smaller, or more voluminous depending on how tight the curls are.
5. One bun on top
I love a “messy” bun. Try a fun alternative to a ponytail by wrapping your curls around each other and securing with a hairtie. You can also achieve a neater bun by wrapping your locs around a donut hair bun maker.
6. Two buns on top
This is an unexpected fun look for days when you’re feeling whimsical. It’s an easy casual look that can also be dressed up with jeweled hair pins or other loc jewelry. Buns are also a great way to incorporate additional afro-kinky hair for more volume or highlights of color.
7. Two ponytails
Maybe you’re getting closer to wash day or you have a loc or two that have decided that they no longer want to remain curly. This style works perfectly for locs that are freshly curled or have fallen after a couple of weeks. I like the look of looser ponytails so that my curls maintain their volume.
8. Headband
A simple accessory can be functional and fashionable, and headbands work well to hold hair back in a simple and sometimes colorful way.
PRO TIP: If you cannot find a headband that is the color or design that you like, you can always create your own with a cut of fabric.
9. Headwrap with bangs
I always wanted bangs, but I refuse to permanently cut them into my locs. Headwraps are a great way to add color, texture, and prints while creating the illusion of bangs! To achieve this look, I pushed all of my locs forward toward the front of my head and tied a triangular-folded wrap over most of my locs. This look is one of my go-tos to complement outfits, add a little drama to a lewk, and keep my hair up in a fashionable way.
10. Headwrap with loose hair on top
I like to put my hair into a loose bun or ponytail and wrap fabric around my head to frame my hair. You can get really creative with this look by playing with different fabrics, wraps, and knots. Use the fabric to tuck and maneuver your locs for your desired look.
What are some other fun curly styles for locs? Try these out and let me know what you think!
