When photos of natural hair mavens rocking carefree, Lisa Bonet-inspired locs starting circulating around the Interwebs, we instantly became inspired. If you’re like the thousands of women who have been in awe of these free-form locs, you’re not alone.
Turns out, the process of achieving the look is way simpler than it looks on Instagram. But first, a brief primer on what free-form locs (also, dubbed as freedom locs ) actually are and the benefits of making them a part of your natural hair journey.
As the name implies, the free-form method allows dreadlocks to form organically, with one literal twist: you just let them grow without the assistance of hair products and with little to no manipulation. That’s right, no manual work required to retwist the roots because the locs just grow as they please. In fact, the most you’ll have to do is wash and oil your hair every now and then.Despite the style’s surge in popularity on social media, women of color have been adopting this easygoing style for years. Why? Well, for starters, you won’t have to worry about the tedious process of detangling. After all, we all know how tiring the wash day routine can be.
Secondly, free-form locs can help you save money, since you won’t be spending all your coins on that expensive line of pre-poos, curl creams and custards, and Eco Styler gel. Not to mention, no more unnecessary and costly trips to the salon to get them retwisted. Lastly, another great thing about free-form dreads is that you can grow them into any shape to form intricate up-dos, bantu knots or wild and loose locs. Regardless if you decide to try the free-form method or not, the key takeaway is that these dreadlocks are all about freedom and acceptance—accepting your hair in its completely natural state and texture. And that’s one beauty trend that, fortunately, will never go out of style.