There are many methods for creating locs. I've selected some of my favorites. Done correctly these are all effective techniques that achive consistent results but they are not all right for everyone's situation. Choosing a method is pretty straight forward.
Several things will influence your choice of locking method:
- Your Hair Type
- Your Hair Length
- Your Lifestyle
- The size dreads you want
The following list provides information regarding these factors. The methods further down towards the bottom of the list are more resiliant so they are better suited to those that need to wash their hair frequently or who engauge in more physical activity.
Spin and Pin : Aka: Finger Twists, Twist and Pin, Comb coils, etc. Only works in highly textured hair types such as African hair. Can be started in hair as short as 2". Works best if the hair is 3″-6″ long. New Spin & Pin dreads are very delicate. Frequent washing and active lifestyles make them very difficult to maintian. Dread size can be adjusted by sectioning. Neat, even dreads are possible.Brush Rubbing: Only works in highly textured hair types such as African hair. Hair can be as short as 3/4". Will not work in hair longer than about 2.5". New Brush Rubbing dreads are very delicate. and easily disturbed by heavy activity and washing. Brush rubbing creates smaller sections and therefore smaller dreads.You don't have control over dread placement or size. Brush rubbing is often chosen by those who have very short hair and would rather start dreads now than wait for it to grow out.
2 & 3 Strand Twists: Works best in hightly textured hair types. Hair should be at least 2" long. Three inches or longer is easier to work with. This style works well for long hair as well as short. Strand twists are a bit less delicate than Spin and Pin twists but washing and heavy activity still pose risk and cause loosening. Dread size can be adjusted by sectioning. Neat, even dreads are possible.
Backcombing: Works in straight and textured hair. Because it doesn't rely on hair texture it works well even if the hair has been relaxed. Works best if the hair is 3″ or longer. Backcombed dreads are more durable than twists right from the start. Until they mature a bit you'll still want to be careful with them when you wash them but they are ideal for active lifestyles. Dread size can be adjusted by sectioning and a wide range of dread sizes can be created. Dreadlocks done with this method look very decent and much like dreads as soon as they are put in.(Rather than looking like twists or braids) They look fuzzier than mature dreads but they compress and get smoother after a few months. One of the most noticable long term benefits of backcombing is that the hair which was backcombed has a texture almost identical to a that of a "true" dread (new growth which has locked as the dread has continued to grow).
