Faux locs are beautiful and a great way to protect your natural hair. Wearing them will give you a natural look. Now, the installation of faux locs might take up to 8 hours. What about the removal process? How to take out faux locs?
Some people take hours to get them down. Some women even complain about the removal process as it is taxing. You might think it is the easiest protective style to take down.
And yes, it is easy when you know how to do it. Today, we will talk about how to take out faux locs. Let’s go.
What Are Faux Locs?
Before we get to the how to remove them part, let’s talk about what are they. As one of the hottest trends in protective styling, faux locs popped up on red carpets in 2015. Since then, celebrities are using them to transform their hair into a chic and bohemian style.
Do not confuse them with loc extensions. Unlike the loc extension, faux locs are a temporary style that is closer to box braids.
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- Knotless Braids VS Box Braids – Which One Suits You More?
This hairstyle is low-maintenance, yet, still requires special care to look best.
What Are Soft Locs?
We said you should not confuse loc extensions with faux locs. Soft locs are another story. They are a variation of faux locs that are soft to the touch.
This softness is a special accomplishment. Some years ago, faux locs were all stiff and appeared unnatural. Nowadays, soft locs managed to achieve it because of the hair and method we use.
Yet, like all faux locs, soft locks are a protective style. They carry the added advantage that they look fantastic on your hair. Yet, if not installed correctly, they can damage your hair.
Some of the issues include added weight due to extra hair, excessive tension, continued stress on the scalp, damage to the edges, and more.
Difference Between Loc Extension And Faux Locs
Let’s go over this once more. Faux locs are a temporary protective style similar to box braids. Loc extensions, on the other hand, are permanent extensions of your hair. They are more extensive and are installed with only human hair.
It is important that the density ratio of the attached hair matches the ratio of your real hair. When installed properly, loc extensions can grow as the natural locs grow. So do not worry about your hair growth messing in the way of the traditional locs.
Which Style Is Best For You?
Let’s put it this way, if you want to get the appearance of locs without the permanent commitment, faux locs are the way to go. It is a great protective hairstyle you can use to try something new and spice up your hairstyle.
Extensions, on the other hand, are great if you want long hair but couldn’t achieve it. These extensions will allow you to achieve your desired length immediately.
What Type Of Hair Is Needed For Faux Locs?
Women around the world want to know whether their hair is suitable for the faux locs style. Well, you can use synthetic braiding hair for faux locs. It makes them a lot more budget-friendly than opting for human hair.
Faux locs hairstyle can be installed on any hair type, as long as their density matches your natural hair. And the cost is quite affordable. They cost around $12 for three packs of synthetic braiding hair. Compare that to the price of human hair, which is close to $75. So, synthetic hair is much cheaper.
How Long Can You Keep It?
At the end of the day, we have to remember that faux locs are a protective style. Like any other protective style, they are not forever.
We recommend keeping them for between six to eight weeks. Anything more and you risk damage to your natural hair. By this point, your natural hair will have started to grow out.
How Do You Wash Them?
Unlike other protective styles, faux locs are quite easy to take care. Gently wash them with a sulfate-free shampoo. Then, let them dry naturally, or buy an at-home hooded dryer if you want to speed up the process.
How To Take Out Faux Locs?
Now let’s talk about the different removal methods you can try. We do not suggest one is better than the other. We have a couple of methods you can try and find the one that suits you the most.
No matter which one you try, you should pay attention not to damage your healthy hair. Yes, locs are protective styling, so make sure you keep your real hair intact.
Moisture Friendly Method
The moisture-friendly removal method is one of the best ways to remove your locs. This method emphasizes the importance of keeping the hair moisturized during the process. This way, your hair doesn’t get tangled and matted. How do you do it? Here is a step-by-step guide.
- Take out any decorations on your hair and prepare your hair for the removal of faux locs
- Wash and condition your hair to ensure it is moisturized before a takedown
- Hold the base of each loc using your finger and then separate the faux loc and the braided hair using your finger. Cut the faux loc, but be careful not to snip your hair. The best way to do it is to use a mirror or let someone else do the cutting
- Now gently remove the faux loc by sliding it down your braided hair
- Repeat the process until your remove all faux locs
- If your hair becomes dry, moisturize it further before you start unbraiding it
- Take your time for each individual braid. It is best to start from the end of the braid down to the root
- Remember to be gentle. Use your finger to detangle the hair instead of pulling knots apart
- When you finish with all braids, add even more conditioner and continue to gently detangle your hair. Finish off by washing your hair
Cut And Unravel
This is another method you can try. This technique is a bit longer than the moisture-friendly removal. But you can easily use it to detangle your hair.
Depending on the condition of your hair, this can be easy or difficult. This method is best when you do not want to use the same locs again on your hair.
- Cut the end of the locs and unravel them through to the top
- Follow up by applying conditioner or leave-in conditioner to the roots of the hair
- Twist the locs in the opposite direction
- Separate your crotchet hair from the braid. You can also twist it and cut it. But be careful not to cut your natural hair
- Finish by gently pulling leftover crotched hair from the roots. Slide it off
Gentle Pull Method
The last method you can use for how to take out faux locs is the gentle pull method. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it.
- Start by removing any decorations on your hair. This will ensure you do not snug on your real hair
- Loosen the loop on top of the hair
- Continue by gently pulling out the hair and the crotchet through the loop on the top
- Pull out the dread. Ensure your hair braid is safe
- Unravel the hair
- Drench each section of the hair in a conditioner. This will ensure it remains moist
