Style is the aesthetic manifestation of confidence and beauty. The problem is that the execution of that aesthetic manifestation is always up to you to figure out.
And that can be a problem for style novices who may be unaccustomed to managing fashion and hairstyles. But style is a tremendous responsibility that must be managed, updated, and perfected as necessary.
And this reality of style management can be a burden to dreadlock wearers. It is also ammunition for critics of dreadlocks who claim that there is only one way to wear dreadlocks.
Nothing can be further from the truth. Dreadlocks are the naturalized fusing, twisting, and augmentation of traditional hair follicles. Dreadlocks are converted hair follicles, but they are hair follicles just like straight hair.
And saying that there are only one or a few ways to aesthetically style dreadlocks is akin to saying the same thing about traditional straight hair. It's patently ridiculous.
The only limitation in which you can style dreadlocks resides in your or your stylist's imagination.
However, the stereotypes and stigmatizations about dreadlocks limiting potential hairstyle applications still persist. And this fact is especially true for black hair. Finding substantive style manuals online for perfecting different dreadlock hairstyles can be very hard.
But what is odd is that sometimes you can find dreadlock style manuals for those with non-black hair easier in some cases.
This is a dreadlock hairstyle manual published by a fashion institute. The beginning of the hairstyle manual touches on the fact that dreadlocks are usually associated with Rastas, a persistent stereotype. And it mentions "Afro" hair several times.
And then, the majority of the style manual is dedicated to methodically instructing those with non-black and straight hair on how to style their dreadlocks in a variety of ways.
You can find various Pinterest pages and articles with dreadlock-themed styling tutorials; it's true. But they are a wall of visual instructions and short videos that can be visually overwhelming.
And these pages, while well-meaning, do not always include comprehensive instructions on how to achieve these styles in a step-by-step manner.
So, we want to rectify this problem by continually publishing step-by-step style manuals for dreadlocks, especially for those with black hair. The only limitation in styling your dreadlocks is in the imagination.
So, let's talk about the Crown Loc style, also known as the Dreadlock Halo, and how to set it up step-by-step.
Always use Lion Locs dreadlock grooming products to groom your locs in a vegan, all-natural, and non-toxic way.
Related: What To Know About Maintaining Frizzy Dreads
What is the Crown Loc Style?
The crown loc style is an aesthetically regal hairstyle where the dreadlocks are folded and wrapped upon themselves in a way to look like a crown or halo on the head.
Think of the dreadlock crown as a tube-shaped expansion of the "bun” that covers the entirety of the head and aesthetically resembles a crown made of dreadlocks.
You can wear the crown loc style in a variety of ways. And most importantly, if you know how to braid or wrap hair, then it will be very easy and quick to master, perfect, and apply the crown loc style quickly.
But before we start with our crown loc style tutorial, we need to discuss a few prerequisites.
What You Need Before Applying the Crown Loc Style
The crown loc style is a relatively easy hairstyle to manifest, but there are a few things you need to do first.
Firstly, you need some appreciable length of dreadlocks before you attempt this hairstyle. The crown loc style is easy to achieve, but you need discipline and patience to get dreadlocks.
The average hair follicle can grow anywhere between a third, half, to a full inch per month. The speed at which your hair follicles grows depends on a multitude of factors, but the primary one is usually genetics.
But it can take between eight months and two years for your dreadlocks to develop fully. And initial dreadlock development does not equal increased length.
After your dreadlocks develop, it may take you a few more months or longer to grow out your locs.
Your dreadlocks should be eight to 12 inches before you attempt to create the crown loc style. But the longer your dreadlocks are, the better the crown loc style will be manifested.
You will also need optimal finger and palm dexterity to create the crown loc style.
This is not a difficult hairstyle to master, but if you are not used to braiding, plating, or wrapping hair, it may feel that way at first.
For best aesthetic effects, your dreadlocks should be thin or medium-width. You can style thick dreadlock strands into a bun, but they are aesthetically difficult to style into the traditional crown loc style.
And now that we have discussed all that let's discuss the crown loc style.
Crown Loc Style 101
Make sure that your dreadlocks are moisturized and not dry before you start. Moderately apply dreadlock gel or moisturizer to your locs before you begin styling them.
And it is worth repeating again that the longer your dreadlocks are, the more style options you will have at your disposal.
In the same manner that you intertwine rope strands to make a thick rope, you will start at the back of your head. And then Start forming and wrapping individual dreadlock strands into a circular tube-shaped crown.
It may be hard to start the loc "crowning" process with thin individual strands. You could start by taking two to three dreadlock strands and making two or three strand twists.
Each twisted strand is thicker in volume and may be easier to manipulate into a wrapped and threaded crown.
So, you now have to wrap, weave, or lightly braid these dreadlock strands or twist them into a tube-shaped crown around your head.
Here is a helpful five-minute YouTube tutorial that can help you perfect your crown loc style.
Lion Locs produces the best vegan and all-natural dreadlock grooming products in the industry.