Butterfly Locs Guide For Beginners: How to Install and Maintain the Hairstyle

What are butterfly locs?

Butterfly locs are quite similar to faux locs. They are both achieved using the crotchet method where wavy hair is looped into a braid with a crotchet needle and then loosely attached to braided strands of your hair.

They are incredibly beautiful and a great protective style you can rock all year round. What makes the butterfly locs stand out are the curly loops created in them when styling.

How many packs of hair do you need to achieve butterfly locs?

To achieve this protective style, you need a minimum of about 6 - 8 packs of wavy hair extension.

The pack of extensions you need depends on how full and long you want your butterfly locs to be. Also, longer styles tend to have thinner locs, while shorter styles have jumbo locs. Whatever style or packs of hair you use, ensure that they are not too bulky, so they don't put tension on your scalp.

How long does it take to install butterfly locs?

It takes between 4 to 6 hours on an average to get this hairstyle done. 

The amount of time it takes to install your butterfly locs depends on your choice of length. Installing butterfly locs on your natural hair doesn't hurt since your natural hair is braided before the installation.

For how long can you wear this hairstyle?

With proper maintenance and care, you can wear your butterfly locs for a period of 4 to 8 weeks.

However, you need to ensure you use hydrating products, wash your locs with dry shampoo or let them air dry if you use a liquid shampoo. While you clean your locs, ensure you clean your scalp too, to avoid frizz or the growth of dandruff.

Can you wash your butterfly locs?

Yes, you can wash your butterfly locs.

However, you need to ensure that you properly dry out the moisture so your hair doesn't smell. If you prefer not to airdry, you can also dry it out with a hand dryer.

How to care for your butterfly locs

1. Massage your scalp with organic oils like olive oil, argan oil, or almond oil to keep your scalp moisturized and looking fresh while wearing this style.
2. To keep your butterfly locs looking neat, you can apply a mousse at intervals to refresh your locs.
3. You may also need to unravel a few locs, reinstall them and apply some edge control.

How to install butterfly locs

There are a couple of ways to install the butterfly locs on your hair, we would be showing a step-by-step method on how to achieve the butterfly locs using the crotchet method.

Watch this tutorial by Kathryn Bedell to see how she installs her butterfly locs.

What you need

• Packs of locs extension
• Crotchet needle
• Apple cider
• Vinegar
• Edge control

Step 1: Braid or twist your hair

• First, you can start by soaking your locs extension in an Apple Cider or Vinegar rinse. This will prevent any form of itchiness on your scalp and hair, especially if you have a sensitive scalp.
• Then, choose a parting style for your parts. You can use jumbo square box braid parts, zig-zag parts, diamond parts, or triangle box braid parts. To keep your parts neat, you can apply any edge control of your choice.

Step 2: Prepare your water waves

• Simply take two pieces of water waves locs extensions and separate into two.

Step 3: Crochet the extension into the base of your hair

• Take the crochet needle and place it through the base of your braid, by your scalp.
• Now, loop the separated water wave hair in the needle’s hook, close it and pull it through less than halfway. You’ll want about ¾ of the water wave hair on one side to start wrapping.

Step 4: Begin to wrap the extensions

• The next step is to wrap the extension around your natural hair with the lengthy part of the extensions.
• Ensure that you wrap about 6-7 times at the base of your hair to keep it firm. However, you can choose to go messy while wrapping the remaining part of your hair. They don't need to be as firm as the roots.

Step 5: Seal the ends

• Once you have gotten your desired length, the next thing to do is seal the ends of your locs. You can achieve this by creating a loop towards the end and then wrapping the remaining part of the extension upward. You can also use nail glue as you wrap upwards to keep the strands firm and in position.
• Repeat the same steps for all your braids. Once you're done, your look is ready!