Have you watched Rihanna in Ocean’s 8? If yes, then you must know how beautiful faux locs are. But if you’re new to protective hairstyling, you can have many questions like what hair to use for faux locs, how to take care of them, how long faux locs last, how long faux locs are heavy, etc.
Synthetic hair is vastly used worldwide by women for locs style. But a few more extensions are also available that make some difference for certain faux or crochet locs.
We’ll give you information on some more hair extension types and when you should use them for this great protective style in the following. So read along!
Comparison Of The Different Types Of Faux Locs
| Types Of Faux Locs | What Hair (Extension) To Use For | How Many Packs Of Hair | How Much (Each Pack) | How Long Do Last | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Faux Locs | Marley Hair | 5-6 | $10 | 15 to 17 weeks | Require less maintenance | Head feels heavy sometimes |
| Crochet Faux Locs | Human Hair | 6-8 | $20 | 4 to 6 weeks | Provides consistent and tight locs | Takes a long time to make quality crochet locs |
| Distressed Faux Locs | Kinky Bulk Hair | 4-6 | $13 | 6 to 12 weeks | Promotes hair growth and protect your hair | Can lead to hair breakage |
| Goddess Faux Locs | Marley Hair | 5-6 | $10 | 6 to 13 weeks | The extra curl make the locs more stylist | Need frequent maintenance |
| Bohemian Faux Locs | Kanekalon Hair | 8-10 | $7 | 7 to 13 weeks | Long lasting protective hairstyle | Can make the scalp itchy sometimes |
| Butterfly Faux Locs | Synthetic Hair | 6-8 | $16 | 4 to 6 weeks | Provides a charming appeal and trendy look | Not the healthiest choice for long term locs |
| Knotted Faux Locs | Kanekalon Hair | 6-7 | $7 | 6 to 12 weeks | Make your faux braids stronger | Can cause neck pain sometimes |
| Wrap Faux Locs | Human Hair | 5-7 | $20 | 6 to 8 weeks | Protect your hair from pollution and damage | You may feel headache time to time |
| Faux Locs | Human Hair | 6-9 | $20 | 13 to 18 weeks | Protects hair from heat and damage | Cause irritate and dry scalp |
| Clip-In Faux Locs | Synthetic Hair | 5-7 | $16 | 6 to 12 weeks | Quick and easy to install | May break hairs while removing |
NOTE: Though some hairstyles can last longer than ten weeks, you shouldn’t keep faux locs hairstyle for more than eight weeks. The hair price may vary since these are approximate prices of hair.
Type Of Hair You Need For Faux Locs Hairstyles
You can use false hair or a wig to protect your natural hair and make your faux locs look thicker and more appealing. There are multiple synthetic hairs or human hair available for your faux locs hairstyles, but these aren’t limited to it.
The origin of faux locs can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, where the style was worn by both men and women. The style has since gained popularity among other groups, including celebrities like Beyonce and Rihanna.
Here are some other types of hair you need for your faux locs hairstyles:
Kanekalon hair
This type of hair extension for wearing faux locs hairstyle has a straighter and less frizzy texture compared to other extensions. Therefore, kanekalon hair can give you a neater and more appealing look like real locs.
If you’re making bohemian locs or knotted faux locs, choosing kanekalon hair can be a wise choice. Moreover, you can make your protective hairstyle look more classy as kanekalon hairs are soft, tangle-free, and give a glossy appearance.
Marley hair
It’s built with synthetic fiber and is popular for coarser hair. The perfect blend of fiber gives your faux locs a natural appearance.
If you’re making regular faux locs or goddess locs, you can consider connecting Marley hair to add additional length and make your fake faux locs hairstyle looks like natural dreadlocks. Also, if you want to make Marley twists, you have to use Marley hair with your natural hair.
Unlike other loc extensions, Marley hair doesn’t need excessive care and maintenance. Plus, washing it is easy; just make sure you’re using a good-quality shampoo and deep conditioner.
Human hair
These types of hair extensions actually look like human hair. It’s because they are genuinely made from real human natural hair from start to end. It may sound weird, but some people sell or donate their hair, and some manufacturers use those to make hair extensions.
Since they are made of natural hair, you can find any type of hair extensions you want for your faux loc, such as kinky texture, shiny and silky look, curly, etc. You can choose this hair for any type of faux loc protective style and attain natural dreadlocks appearance with extensions.
Crochet faux locs
Crochet faux locs are a great alternative to traditional weave and braid styles. This hair type is made of synthetic materials and comes with ready-made crochet braids. People who have short hair but want long faux locs can choose crochet faux locs extension. But that doesn’t mean you can’t choose it for short faux locs styles.
You can find sew-in, tape-in, and clip-in types of crochet faux locs extensions for ease of use. However, a clip-in crochet faux locs extension can make it easy to take off your extension from your natural hair whenever you want.
You can install these extensions using the cornrow method. Technically, the crochet faux locs are required to install as individual strands, which will create faux locs naturally.
Things To Consider When Choosing The Best Hair For Your Faux Locs
As mentioned above, there’s Marly hair, crochet faux locs hair, human hair, and many more, which makes it difficult to decide which one to choose.
But knowing which type of hair extension to choose won’t make your locs any prettier. In that case, you need to know what type of hair texture, color, and durability can be the best for you.
To get the right hair extension for your protective hairstyles, you need to consider important factors before buying. Here are the factors to consider to get the best hair for faux locs hairstyle:
Know Your Hair Type, Length, And Color
If you choose a shorter extension, it won’t cover your whole braid; thus, it won’t protect your natural hair properly.
Again, if your hair color doesn’t match the extension’s color, people will sense that you’re wearing an extension. Therefore, it’s necessary to choose faux loc hair accordingly.
Material And Quality
Don’t look at the budget and go for cheap quality hair extensions made with low-grade material. If you want to put on a faux locs hairstyle for the long term, ensure that the extension you choose is high-quality and lasts longer for up to three months.
How Often Maintenance Is Required
Maintenance is the key to making your faux braids and extensions long-lasting. If you’re lazy or too busy to take extra care of your extension, go for extensions like Marley hair that requires low maintenance.
Durability
This is another important factor to consider before buying your hair extension. Suppose you want to keep your faux locs on for up to three months, but the durability of the extension is only two months. In that case, it won’t be useful and productive to invest in such an extension.
How To Install Faux Locs?
Despite the required long time to install faux locs, we can’t deny the fact of how trendy and stylish faux locs look in your natural hair. If you use ready-made faux locs, you need to install faux locs using the braided and crochet method.
Usually, crochet locs are used for short faux locs styling. Otherwise, you can also install faux locs manually.
To manually install the locs, follow the below installation method:
- First, take a thin section of hair and apply moisture.
- Then take your synthetic hair, find the middle center and wrap it around the thin section of hair.
- Now you will have three strands: middle braiding hair strands of natural hair and the other two individual faux locs strands.
- Next, braid your natural hair and normally twist the other two strands. While braiding you can keep your baby hair undone if you want.
- Then wrap the twisted strands around the braid and cover it completely.
- Again take a new strand of synthetic hair and follow the wrapping method to wrap your new faux braids. How many packs of hair do you need is determined by how thick faux locs you want.
- Once you’re done with faux locs installed and the wrapping method, cut out the excess hair at the end and seal the ends with a lighter.
However, in the latter case, you can use hair like human hair or acrylic yarn. Though kanekalon and Marley hair are pretty similar to natural hair, still, yarn locs are relatively lightweight and smooth.
But when you want to make goddess locs, we highly recommend using human hair that’ll give you a shiny and silky look. And when using distressed faux locs, consider choosing kinky bulk extensions for more appealing results.
How To Take Care Of Your Faux Locs?
Generally, faux locs last for 2 to 3 months. But how long faux locs can be on your natural hair depends on how you take care of it. If not managed properly, you may need to let go of your protective styles quicker.
- Choose Proper Hair Extensions: Choose your hair extraction according to hair type.
- Avoid Tension and Tightness: Do not create too much tension while braiding and wrapped tightly as it can increase hair loss.
- Ensure Proper Coverage: Some faux wrapping techniques need more packs of hair; make sure you cover your natural hair properly.
- Rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar: Don’t wash faux locs; instead, use apple cider vinegar to rinse your scalp and maintain the pH level.
- Choose Hydrating Hair Products: Choose hair products wisely. Make sure all products give hydration to your hair.
- Moisturize Regularly: Moisturized hair needs moisturizer too. So don’t forget to moisturize your hair when needed.
- Combat Frizz and Breakage: If your hair looks frizzy, don’t hesitate to oil all your hair. You can also use a product that contains shea butter and fatty acid to fight hair breakage and frizz.
- Sleep on Silk: Consider sleeping on silk at night to keep your locs neat.
- Use a Durag: Additionally, using a durag to keep them moisturized and protected. Durags are an essential part of taking care of your locs, so make sure you invest in a good one.
What is The Difference Between Faux Locs & Traditional Locks?
The key difference between traditional locs and faux locs is that traditional faux locs are permanent, and faux loc is a temporary protective style. In addition, there are some more dissimilarities between faux locs and traditional locs.
Faux locs last long only for three to four weeks, while you can keep traditional locs as long as you want.
On the other hand, faux is easier to maintain and manage than traditional locs. Plus, the installation method for faux locs is simple and easy too.
In traditional locs, you’ll need to re-twist the new growth hair. But you don’t necessarily have to twist the roots or new growth again in faux locks.
Besides, you have both options if you have short hair, whether you want short faux locs or long faux locs .
However, if you don’t want to go for permanent styling, you can also fake traditional locs with faux locs, as both protective hairstyles look pretty similar.
Also, keep in mind that, no matter whether you choose faux locs or traditional locks, you may suffer from neck pain, headache, and itchy scalp from time to time.
FAQs
Whether you choose faux loc or crochet loc, wearing locs is a better choice for a protective style. It’s because locs are easy to handle, less frizzy than braids, put less pressure on the hair, and look more good over time.
If you want to straighten your wavy faux locs extension, just dip it in hot water or use heat to straighten them. After straightening hair, it’ll stretch longer, and stretched hair will add some extra length.
This protective style can last between four to six months, but make sure you don’t keep them longer than eight weeks, or else the chance of faux locs damage will increase.
Locs don’t grow your hair faster but can give them a better environment to grow out of the pollution.
Yes, you can swim with faux locs. Just make sure to take extra care of your locs while swimming, as chlorine and saltwater can be drying and damaging.
Faux locs can get wet, but they will become frizzy and may start to unravel. If you want to keep your faux locs looking their best, avoid getting them wet if possible.
No, locs do not smell. In fact, they can actually help keep your hair smelling fresh and clean.
Conclusion
Now you have an idea of what hair to use for faux locs with your natural hair, how to maintain your faux locs, and how to install them. If you have long hair, it may take longer to complete; therefore, consider getting help from a hair stylist.
If you want to get into faux locks hairstyles but don’t know where to get them, you easily find them in a local beauty supply store. Good luck with your next protective style.
