Wearing dreadlocks as a hairstyle is a very personal style decision to make. Dreadlocks are an ancient hairstyle that probably originated over 4,500 years ago, although no one knows for sure.
What is certain is that dreadlocks are an ancient African hairstyle that is aesthetically rich with the power of black culture, politics, spiritualism, and heritage. Wearing dreadlocks can be very spiritual or religious to make for a person.
Still, for many people wearing dreadlocks is just a cool hairstyle fashion. In fact, many pop culture magazines write about dreadlocks often when celebrities and pop stars sport them.
For example, a recent entertainment article said that there are essentially "three" types of dreadlocks; "sister dreadlocks," "traditional dreadlocks," and "freeform dreadlocks."
Apparently, "sister dreadlocks" is the nickname for extremely thin-coiled dreadlocks. Traditional dreadlocks are self-explanatory. And freeform dreadlocks, which we will explain in greater detail later, naturally form with minimal manipulation.
While it's plain to see that dreadlocks have become so popular that the style sections report on them, it is erroneous to believe that there are only three dreadlocks styles. And there are multiple ways to form dreadlocks as well.
Congo Locs
But let's stay on the topic of different kinds of dreadlocks. Have you ever heard of congo dreadlocks or "congo locs?"
Congo locs are essentially one or more individual dreadlocks that have naturally fused into one. If you have seen a pic of billionaire rapper and business mogul Jay-Z recently, then you have already seen an example of congo locs.
From 2017 to 2022, we have all watched Jay-Z grow out his hair into freeform congo locs. The rap legend now rocks a signature congo locs look. His dreadlocks are several locs that have fused together at the root into thick and voluminous locs.
And at the end of his congo locs, you see several spindly and vine-like thinner locks growing out of the large loc. This is a dead giveaway that he probably formed his locs freeform and that his locs are fused all the way to the follicle roots at the scalp.
So, are you interested in growing congo locs? Well, if you don't regularly groom, twist, and maintain your dreadlocks, they will develop into congo locs naturally anyway.
Here is everything you must know about congo locs.
Take care of your dreadlocks the natural way. Only use natural, organic, and vegan dreadlock grooming products from Lion Locs.
Related: How to Get Rid of Dandruff in Your Locs
What Are Congo Locs?
To understand how congo locs form, we need to talk about traditional dreadlocks briefly.
So, what are dreadlocks? Dreadlocks are a type of hairstyle developed by naturally locking and entangling hair follicles together until they form a thicker rope-like strand of hair.
Instead of individual follicles of hair growing apart, the fused, locked, and matted follicles in dreadlocks continually fuse and lock as they grow. The size and thickness of each individual dreadlock depend on how the dreadlock was developed.
Contrary to popular belief, individual dreadlocks will only stay untangled with regular grooming and maintenance. To keep individual dreadlocks individually coiffed and separately requires the regular twisting and coiling of each individual dreadlock.
If you want each dreadlock on your head to stay individual and untangled with other dreadlocks, you have to work at it. If you neglect to twist them regularly, you will notice that your dreadlocks will begin to naturally fuse into each other over time.
Congo locs will develop if you don't twist your dreadlocks regularly or prefer to let them grow naturally with minimal twisting or manipulation.
The same process that allows individual dreadlocks to develop is the same one that will cause several dreadlocks to fuse into one.
Dreadlocks form when the hair follicles become trained to densely lock, entangle, and become matted with other hair follicles.
So, when one or two dreadlocks touch each other or are pressed together as you sleep, they will naturally begin sticking and locking to each other.
And this process will not happen quickly. If you don't twist your individual locs regularly, then you will notice that two or more of them will begin sticking together. The process could start at the scalp, and over time two or more dreadlocks will fuse and become one larger dreadlock.
The end of the massive dreadlock may resemble spindly vines - these are the remnants of the original and individual dreadlocks.
Or your congo locks could start fusing at the base or mid-length area of the dreadlock with the dreadlock roots at the scalp still separate.
So, now let's talk about how to prevent the development of congo locs and how to get them if you prefer this style.
How to Prevent Congo Locs
Congo locs will occur despite you if you don't take regular maintenance care of your dreadlocks. And this is not a good or bad thing. It's just the way that dreadlocks naturally behave as they grow.
You must develop a regular loc twisting and grooming routine to maintain your dreadlocks and to prevent individual locs from sticking together. And get in the habit of using natural dreadlock gels and oils to keep each dreadlock moisture and individually follicle locked.
Once congo locs begin sticking and fusing together, there is no way to untangle them without damaging or cutting the individual dreadlocks. Congo locs fuse slowly, so you will notice when locs begin fusing.
How to Get Congo Locs
There are a few ways to get congo locs. And be patient. It can take months or two years at least to develop dreadlocks and then congo locs, depending on the length of your hair.
If you are starting to grow dreadlocks from scratch, you can employ the freeform method and just let your locs develop naturally. Stop combing and brushing your hair, and over time they should develop into dreadlocks and then congo locs.
Depending on your hair's natural properties, this may not be feasible. You could try backcombing your hair or holding a length of hair outwards and then combing towards the scalp to help hair follicles become entangled.
You could braid your hair and let it lock, but that could take months. Or you could begin palm rolling and twisting your hair into dreadlocks and then letting it naturally lock up.
It will take months or years for congo locs to form, but it will happen relatively quickly if you have full-formed dreadlocks already. Just stop any twisting maintenance. In time, you will notice individual dreadlocks sticking and fusing together.
Take care of your dreadlocks in the organic, vegan, and natural way. Only use dreadlock grooming products from Lion Locs.
Related: 4 Ways to Moisturize Your Locs