If your hair is permed, you may be wondering if you can start your locs journey. Moreover, if you do start locs with relaxed hair, how can you keep the journey successful? Well you can loc your permed hair and have a successful journey but there are some things you should keep in mind.
Starting & Maintaining Permed Locs
When starting your locs with permed hair, you should ideally wait for at least 2 inches of natural hair to grow in. the reason for this is twofold –
- Your relaxed hair has a much different texture than your natural hair. This means if you loc your hair fully permed, it’ll be more difficult to tell the size. In fact, you may end up with much thinner locs than you anticipated.
- You’re more likely to damage your permed hair by manipulating it at the root. Moreover, your scalp may also be more sensitive due to any inadvertent chemical burns on your scalp. Thus, it is best to let your hair breathe before starting a new style.
Your hair will break
Even if your permed ends loc, they’re more liable to damage. Just like non-permed damaged hair, permed hair is more likely to break. Moreover, permed hair is likely also heat damaged hair. Thus, while the start of your loc journey, your hair may be long, you might not see growth.
In fact, you could lose length.
This is because the permed ends can break off faster than your new growth comes in. To try and prevent this, do regular trims. Cutting hair is better than letting it break as cut ends are stronger than ends that snapped off.
To read about other reasons your locs may not seem like they’re growing, read here.
Your permed hair may not loc
First and foremost, the permed portions of your hair may never loc. Or, it may loc at a slower pace. However, don’t worry! In no time, you’ll be so in love with your locs you won’t even care.
Permed hair is chemically treated hair that is of a different texture from your natural hair. Moreover the strength of the perm (eg., texturizer, weak perm, or strong perm) combined with your natural hair texture all has an effect on how your permed ends look and behave.
Given this, you should consider the loc method to start your locs. If the permed hair is much straighter, then braidlocs, interlocks, instant locs or sisterlocks can help your permed ends from unraveling.
However, depending on your natural texture and perm strength, the ends may never loc.
Another option is just leaving the permed hair unlocd like Bindi Marc or do braid outs like Michelle Tillman. These stylistic options will have you feeling confident in your locs journey.
Youtube Permed Hair Locs Journey
Finding YouTubers with locs that started with permed hair helps see what could be in store for you. As with all advice (including everything at locslife!), take what works for you and leave the rest! I highly recommend taking a look at all these informational videos and liking/subscribing to the ones that you enjoyed.
NoziLocs
NoziLocs shows a detailed relaxed hair journey from 0 to 6 months. She started with two-strand twists by herself, but recommends using a professional to start locs with permed ends.
Miss Kay Cee
Dealing with two textures is probably the most difficult part of starting locs with permed ends. To combat this, Miss Kay Cee recommends a braided style to help with the differing textures.
Bindi Marc
Bindi is a great resource. What I love is how she shows a different way of seeing permed ends with locs. She sees her permed ends as a look she is happy maintaining.
Fertility Freak
For Michelle, starting her locs was the best hair decision ever. She shows a sisterlock journey over two years with relaxed hair. To combat the appearance of straggly permed ends, she does braid outs or perm rods, and they look great!
MoBeyLocs
Lady T started her locs with permed ends and is now 8 years locd. Take a look to hear her thoughts and photos of her journey.
Long Term Outlook
Overall, you can have a successful locs journey with permed hair. Even if your permed ends don’t break off, you’ll likely want to cut them off at some point. This is because your permed ends will likely look different and thinner than the natural hair portion of your locs. Moreover, it will require more upkeep to keep it looking good and healthy. You can cut them as you feel comfortable. A good suggestion would be to trim every 2-4 months until the permed ends are gone.
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If you’re excited to start your locs journey and have permed or even heat damaged hair, don’t worry too much. The key is to be informed and prepared on what a locs journey could look like for you.
What about you? Have you started a locs journey with permed hair? Any tips or thoughts about the process?
