From Freeform to Faux—14 Stunning Loc Hairstyles to Save for Endless Inspo
Your hair is an undeniable proclamation of self. In fact, it’s often one of the first things people notice about you when you step into a room. Whether you’re fashioning your hair into a protective style or electing for intricate braids, your tresses should make you feel like the best version of yourself, which is why so many It girls and celebrities choose to wear their locks in locs.
Locs are a hairstyle that can form naturally with “matted hair eventually shaping into a ropelike shape,” says Ursula Stephen, celebrity hairstylist and Moroccanoil global ambassador. “This usually happens after weeks of not combing, brushing, [or] washing the hair.” She adds that “light, directional manipulation” with your fingers is all you need to make these tendrils naturally take shape. However, locs are a common salon style as well. Kari Williams, PhD, celebrity hairstylist, trichologist, and creator of goddess locs, explains that
“various methods such as braiding, twisting, interlocking, palm-rolling, coiling, or crocheting” can be used to fashion different types of locs, such as Sisterlocks, microlocs, goddess locs, and more.
We’ve spotted a bevy of gorgeous locs on some of our favorite actresses, models, and influencers—such as Zoë Kravitz channeling her chic mother, Lisa Bonet’s, iconic tresses, and Halle Bailey giving us a crash course on the coolest loc’d lob.
Needless to say, locs are a personal representation of culture, creativity, and self, and if you choose to don this style, there are seemingly endless ways to wear it. Ahead, see 14 loc ideas worth screenshotting for your hairspo board.
14 Loc Style Ideas
Goddess Locs
(Image credit: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET)
Williams transformed singer and actress Chlöe Bailey‘s tresses into golden-hued goddess locs for the 2024 BET Awards—the lauded hairstylist’s own creation. Williams says this style is distinguishable by its “loose, curly, or wavy ends,” which offer a softer finish. We’re loving how this style allows Bailey’s bone structure to shine without it being a half-up, half-down creation.
Boho Bun
For something a little more carefree, consider this artfully messy updo. Allow the tendrils to fall around your face for a beachy and festival-ready look.
Free-Flowing Locs
(Image credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Kravitz’s lengthy locs are the stuff of dreams. The actress dons medium-thick locs with terminal ends, which add a tousled touch to her voluminous yet sleek style.
With a Headband
Another thing about this hairstyle? It works incredibly well with accessories. If you’re in a styling slump, try pushing your tresses back with a chunky headband, like influencer Destiny Joseph.
Loc’d Lob
The Bailey sisters always deliver a hair moment. We can’t stop staring at this series of selfies Halle Bailey recently posted, her loc’d lob taking center stage. If you want to switch up your length without losing your style, try this mid-length iteration.
Piled High
How effortlessly cool is this messy updo on influencer Fia Hamelijnck? Her locs resemble freeform twists thanks to their natural-looking shapes, and they look so chic swirled into a bun atop her head. For that extra touch, leave a few face-framing tendrils out.
Sideswept
A romantic way to wear your locs down is to simply sweep them over one shoulder.
Romantic Updo
There’s something so lovely about Bailey’s face-framing updo. Her wavy locs form a gentle curtain around her face before sweeping into a loose, messy bun. Somewhere between freeform and butterfly locs, her tendrils are the picture of effortless beauty.
Microloc Bob
(Image credit: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
Academy Award–winning actress Lupita Nyong’o always inspires us with her loc’d looks. This microloc bob is the perfect way to try the buzzy bob trend without compromising on texture.
Mixed Texture
For an edgier, more dimensional take on long locs, try letting your natural curls spring to life within with the ropes and twists. This adds even more volume and dimension to your look.
Beachy Topknot
Locs look especially cute thrown up in a large bun. Try this style on your next beach day or vacation.
Sweeping Ponytail
(Image credit: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images, Getty Images)
Nyong’o never fails to provide us with hair inspo. Case in point, this Rapunzel-esque loc’d ponytail that she donned at the 2025 Met Gala. Her statement hair accessories add the sweetest touch.
Voluminous Distressed Locs
There’s something about perfectly undone locs that looks so effortlessly cool. This style features the same curly ends as goddess locs, which add even more texture to this dimensional look.
Ombré Updo
(Image credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Once again, we find ourselves enchanted by Nyong’o’s microlocs. This time, she styles a chic ombré look that we can’t stop thinking about. The actress wore her hair in a woven topknot with a swooping side bang, the gradient color making the look all the more interesting.
What are the different kinds of locs?
“There are many different types of locs,” says Williams. “They can be grouped into natural/freeform locs, salon locs, and faux locs.”
- Freeform locs: “[These] locs develop without manipulation, allowing the hair to follow its natural locking cycle,” says Williams. “Within this category, there are also wicks. These are very large locs formed by binding chunks of hair together or letting big sections naturally mat over time. While there’s some manipulation in starting them, wicks still follow a natural freeform process.”
- Salon locs: “Salon locs are created through techniques like palm-rolling using products to form single-strand or comb twists and interlocking using a tool to lock hair in a consistent pattern,” Williams explains. Two other styles, Sisterlocks and microlocs, also fall in this category.
- Sisterlocks: “These are groomed and trained to grow specifically and intentionally in a very thin and small direction,” says Stephen. The style resembles strands of hair. “[They’re] formed using a tool that locks the hair from root to tip,” adds Williams.
- Microlocs: “[These] locs are created with small two-strand twists, which are left to mature into locs naturally,” Williams explains. “There’s also crochet locking, [which] uses a crochet tool to mat the hair into a cylinder.”
- Faux locs: “These are temporary, using locs, extensions and synthetic braiding hair to mimic traditional locs,” explains Stephen.
Which loc styles last the longest?
“Traditional loc styles last the longest,” says Stephen. Williams agrees and adds that Sisterlocks and microlocs can also last for “years or even permanently with proper installation and maintenance.” Styles with more free-flowing elements, like goddess locs, can last for up to four months.
How do I properly care for locs?
According to Stephen, the care and keeping of your locs depends on your lifestyle and how long you’ve had the style. She recommends waiting “at least six weeks” before washing new, or “starter,” locs. “Once your locs are established—meaning they have locked and won’t unravel—you can shampoo them as much as you like,” Stephen adds. However, she recommends washing them every two to three weeks.
Williams agrees that clean and moisturized locs are the key to preservation. “Shampoo regularly with a clarifying or detox shampoo to remove buildup, then follow with a moisturizing shampoo to restore balance,” she says. The trichologist recommends using a hydrating spray “to maintain moisture” and to finish with “lightweight oils for softness and shine.” If your locs feel dry or brittle, Williams recommends trying “a hot oil treatment in place of deep conditioning” for deeper hydration.
Shop Products to Care for Locs
Moroccanoil
Clarifying Shampoo
Pattern Beauty
Cleansing Shampoo
Moroccanoil
Treatment Hair Oil Mist
Curlsmith
Wash & Scrub Clarifying Detox Shampoo
CÉCRED
Nourishing Hair Oil
Kérastase
Elixir Ultime Refillable Hydrating Hair Oil
SheaMoisture
Multi-Tasking 100% Pure Argan Oil
Olaplex
No. 4c Bond Maintenance Deep Clean Clarifying Shampoo
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