There was a time when dreadlocks were an unacceptable hairstyle to wear in general culture.
And depending on where you live even today, it is perfectly legal to discriminate against you in the workplace and even fire you for wearing dreadlocks.
But those are issues to talk about for another column.
Dreadlocks and various other dreadlock hairstyles are slowly becoming more acceptable in mainstream society.
The unfortunate flip side of that fact is that dreadlocks usually trend on social media because Jay-Z and other celebrities start wearing them.
But if society can accept celebrities wearing dreadlocks, then it will have to accept everyday people, especially black people wearing them. Especially people who have been wearing dreadlocks for years, or all of their lives, before celebrities made them cool.
Dreadlocks are beautiful. So, always be proud to rock your dreadlocks.
And to help you with some styling tips, here are some dreadlock hairstyle trends you should consider.
Only use all-natural and organic dreadlock grooming products from Lion Locs.
Related: Dreadlocks: The Cultural Significance
Knotless Braids
We start our list of dreadlocks trends with the knotless braid trend. Knotless braids can resemble faux locs is tyle properly. And they take several hours for a hairstylist to install.
So, If you are willing to sacrifice all of the time to get knotless braids, you may want to think about getting dreadlocks.
Dreadlocks will essentially give you the same look with drawbacks of braid maintenance.
Knotless braids are just another version of the box braids hairstyle without the tight knot installed at the base follicles at the scalp. Instead of a hair extension being tightly knotted around the hair at the scalp, the extension is fed into the braid somewhere below the scalp.
Knotless braids do not cause any high-tension tightness against your scalp. Wearing hairstyles that involve excessively tight braiding and hair twisting can result in traction alopecia or baldness.
Knotless braids also leave more surface area of your scalp visible. So, along with freedom from high braid knot tension, you can apply essential oils to your scalp easier.
The only major drawback to knotless braids, or any braided hairstyle, is that after removing them a month o two later, you will have a lot of hair product residue, grease, air particle, and dirt buildup in the hair follicles.
And it may cost you hundreds of dollars to pay a hairstylist to spend hours installing them.
But they are a great faux loc hairstyle trend that may inspire you to get the real thing.
Congo Locs
Congo locs are two or more individual dreadlock strands that lock together and naturally and gradually become one larger dreadlock over time.
You can develop congo locs intentionally by hand manipulation. You can also develop congo locs by doing nothing as well.
The thickness of each individual dreadlock is determined by how you form them long before your dreadlocks develop.
When you start developing dreadlocks, you first begin by sectioning parts of hair on your scalp into squares. You should grow at least six inches of hair before growing dreadlocks.
The thickness or thinness of each sectioned strand of hair determines its width. So, twisting thick strands of hair will form thick dreadlocks. And twisting thin strands of hair will result in thinner dreadlocks.
As long as you twist each dreadlock individually and follow an essential oil moisturizing routine, each dreadlock should stay individual.
But if you slack on your grooming routine a little bit, then you may notice that individual dreadlocks will start follicle locking and clinging together.
The exterior follicles on your dreadlocks will naturally adhere to adjacent dreadlocks if they touch each other for extended periods.
So, you can tie two or three dreadlocks together and begin twisting them together. Congo locs are a pronounced and augmented dreadlock aesthetic that grabs attention.
Unless you really prefer the look, be careful to twist congo dreadlocks from the scalp to the tip.
Otherwise, the tips of your dreadlocks may begin to resemble rope-like tentacles or fingers. Those digit-like extensions are the end tip remnants of the formerly individual dreadlocks.
Sequoia Locs
We don’t know if “Sequoia Locs” is the actual name of this hairstyle, but any hairstylists out there are free to use the term as long as they credit us.
Sequoia locs are massive dreadlocks that look as thick and wide as three trumps.
The billionaire rap star, mogul, and industrialist Jay-Z has recently become as notorious for his new hairstyle as much as for his storied music career.
Since 2019, Jay-Z has been fashioning massive congo loc dreadlocks.
Today, his dreadlocks are so massive that calling them congo locs is an understatement.
You can tell that they are congo locs because the ends of his massive dreadlocks feature spindly rope line protrusions, which are the remnants of the formerly individual dreadlocks.
So, the term “sequoia locs” seems more appropriate.
The thing about sequoia locs is that you can only manage to have a few of them on your head.
You can have many individual dreadlocks if they are thin. But you will have a few dozen dreadlock strands with medium and thick dreadlocks.
You may be lucky to have less than a dozen sequoia locs on your head due to their size.
Young rapper Kodak Black is infamous for his long and spindly sequoia locs. At one point, he had less than eight large and thick dreadlocks on his head and all of them from massive congo loc manipulation. It was Kodak Black’s signature look for multiple years until very recently.
Now not everyone can pull off the sequoia look. You need to be confident, bold, and not worry about what others think. And you should have a stylish wardrobe to compliment the look.
One thing is certain – now that billionaire moguls and minor celebrities are rocking the sequoia look, the hairstyle will gradually become more acceptable.
Lion Locs is a variety of vegan dreadlocks grooming products that leave your dreadlocks residue-free and naturally nourished. Check us out today.