Faux locs: Kinky/Marley Hair vs. Yarn

*update

Hey dolls. I thought I'd make a post on Faux locs as a protective hair style as well as the difference between using kinky/marley hair or yarn locs to achieve them. I tend to switch up my hairstyles frequently, it's a bad habit of mine but all is fair when you know how to do your own hair :) ! I'm also that weird person who thinks of hairstyles months before they actually put it in, like I plan what hairstyle I'm going to do this month and that month. I'm not sure if that's weird or not, but I like to plan my hairstyles according to when I know I have big events coming up, a busy schedule, etc. So, since November I just knew Faux locs were going to be my next protective hair style. I normally do this style once a year with yarn but this time I started contemplating doing them with Marley hair. They seem to look a little more realistic then using yarn to wrap the hair. But then 4 days ago when I completed a Faux loc set on my mother using Marley hair, my mind changed. Again. Safe to say I'll be using my trusted yarn to complete this hair style once again and here's why. I also give the pro's and con's of using kinky/marley hair or yarn to complete this look. One day I'll do a Faux loc set using Kinky hair but not this time around.

YARN LOCS

For those that do not know, Yarn is used to achieve this style & is wrapped around your hair to achieve the loc style. To achieve this style use ACRYLIC yarn not WOOL yarn or any other type of yarn or your hair will blend/loc in with the yarn- not a good look boo boo. 

PRO's

• IT IS VERY INEXPENSIVE- depending on how thick your hair is, alongside with how short or how long you want your hair- the cost of buying the yarn should not cost you more than $10-20 depending if you buy the big packs or the small ones. I always have plenty of yarn left over when I do this style. 
• The Yarn tends to look more natural looking over time similar to Real locs. 
• Yarn comes in a variety of colors--- more expansive than its kinky hair counterpart. 
• The more you wash your yarn locs the softer they become. 

CON's 

• Time consuming-- Having to Measure out yarn - and measuring out the right length of yarn has my hands hurting all the time. It also takes time. For a novice- This may be the hardest part of the entire process. 
• Can cause serious breakage if you do not moisturize hair ! Your hair is covered by a thick covering of wool- don't neglect it just because it's a "protective hair style"
• Can easily collect lint, and anything else that can cling on to your hair. 
• Can smell like mildew if not properly taken care of- I personally never had this problem. I think it comes from people who do not properly wash their yarn locs and don't let it properly dry. Just a wild guess. 
• When washed they take forever and a day to dry. Better clear your schedule boo. 

KINKY/MARLEY LOCS

PRO'S 

• Kinky Hair already comes pre stranded so you don't have to worry about cutting or measuring out yarn to achieve this hair style. 
• Great Hairstyle that can last from weeks to months. Just be careful not to leave it too long because it will lock with your real hair-- unless that's the look you are going for. 
• Great for those wanting to actually grow out Loc's but don't want to go through that awkward phase. Just remember that using human Kinky hair is actually better and more healthier than using synthetic hair if your goal is to actually Loc your real hair with the extensions.
• Gentler on hair than synthetic hair. 

CON'S 

• This hairstyle is way pricier than using yarn to wrap your hair. Depending on what method you use, it can bank around $30-60- if you just buy the Kinky hair to wrap to more than $100 if you buy the Kinky hair to braid/twist and wrap. No no my bank account says lol. 
• Two Hairstyles in One- The downside of using Kinky Hair for Faux locs is that depending on which method you chose to apply, you have to braid/twist your hair first then wrap the Kinky hair around the braid or twist you just made. Too much work. Too much time. 
• I didn't like the fact that there were so much fly away hairs sticking out of each wrap I did when i did this look on my mom. I kept trimming and cleaning up and it kept getting worse ugh. 
• The hair also tends to snag on to EVERYTHING. I think that's what turned me off the most. Even after applying conditioner to help soften it up it just snags - I think this can be contributed to the static of the Kinky hair just being naked or whatever. 
• Can cause breakage if you do not properly moisturize your hair. 
• Can easily collect lint, and anything else that can cling on to your hair. 
• Harsher on hair than yarn. 

Heaviness: Im honestly not sure which form is heaviest on the head. I think it all depends on how big or small your locs are as well as how many strands per hair you used which achieving the style. My secret to having hair that isn't heavy when I do Yarn locs is to use less stands of yarn to wrap the hair then I use to braid it. 

**These are based on my personal opinion as well as some research I did. Don't let this list prevent you from doing any of these styles if you are truly interested. Everybody is different from the next person. Regardless, I hope my list proved help worthy to all you folks who are thinking of giving the Faux Loc style a try ! Good luck !! 

*here's the video I promised you guys ! It basically says everything that's in the blog- but for those who prefer to watch ! Tune in !

xoxo