Microlocs
Permanent Loc Family
Illustration -- About our illustrations
Microlocs are very small permanent locs made from your own hair. They can be started with small twists, braids or interlocking and maintained by retwisting or interlocking new growth, giving a fine, versatile loc pattern that styles almost like loose hair.
Distinguishing characteristics
Microlocs is a general size term, not a brand. Sisterlocks is a separate, trademarked loc system with its own tool, grid and trained consultants; microlocs may look similar but are started and maintained by other methods. There is no single diameter or loc count that defines microlocs.
Advantages
Creates a fine loc pattern with room to agree on parting and maintenance choices. The style can be worn without added extension hair.
Considerations
Many small sections can mean substantial installation and maintenance work. Uniform maturation, a particular count and a simple reversal cannot be guaranteed.
Warning signs
Stop tightening painful roots. Seek assessment for thin attachment bases, persistent bumps or new loss along the partings.
Preparation
Discuss section size, parting preferences, maintenance access and the time and cost of ongoing appointments. Ask the loctitian how the chosen starting method fits the hair and what to do if a section begins to slip or combine.
Daily Care
Handle the small sections gently. Avoid repeatedly manipulating new locs to make them appear mature; ask for an assessment if adjacent roots start joining in a way that conflicts with the plan.
Night Care
Use a comfortable loose arrangement and avoid tying fine locs tightly at the edges. A covering should not substitute for drying after cleansing.
Washing
Use the method agreed for the current stage and starting technique. Clean the scalp without a blanket no-wash period, rinse appropriately and allow the locs to dry.
Scalp Care
Look at the roots as well as the overall pattern. Increased scalp visibility is not by itself a diagnosis, but a changing thin base or new patch of loss needs assessment.
Refreshing
Retighten or maintain regrowth using the agreed method and interval, adjusted to the actual hair. Do not increase root tightness simply to make the grid look newly installed.
Removal
Discuss the long-term commitment and possible change-of-style options before starting. Fine locs are not temporary twists to unravel on a standard braid-removal schedule.
Styling tips
Fine locs can be curled, pinned into updos or worn in braided styles once they are established. Keep gathered styles loose at the hairline, especially while the locs are young.
At a glance
- Estimated price
- $500–$1650
Planning estimate, not a validated market benchmark -- local salon pricing varies and this figure should not be treated as a typical or standard price. - Chair time
- 10–40 hrs
- Sizes
- Micro
- Lengths
- Shoulder Length, Waist Length
- Looks
- 5 looks
Looks
- Interlocked Microlocs
- Micro Shoulder-Length Microlocs -- Micro, Shoulder Length, Natural Black
- Micro Shoulder-Length Twisted Microlocs -- Micro, Shoulder Length, Natural Black
- Waist-Length Interlocked Microlocs -- Micro, Waist Length, Natural Black
- Dark Brown Micro Microlocs -- Micro, Shoulder Length, Dark Brown
Price & time
- Estimated price: $500–$1650
- Estimated time: 10–40 hrs
- Confidence: Medium
Planning estimate, not a validated market benchmark -- local salon pricing varies and this figure should not be treated as a typical or standard price.
US national estimate; strong regional variation by major metro (LA/NYC/DC).
Culture & history
Microlocs: The Uncertified, Un-Trademarked Small-Loc Alternative to Sisterlocks
Microlocs are small, uniform locs formed via interlocking or twisting on a fine parting grid -- visually similar to Sisterlocks, but explicitly marketed and priced by salons as a separate, un-trademarked service: no certification is required to perform it, the grid/section size is not fixed to Sisterlocks' own proprietary system, and it typically costs 10-30% less. This catalog does not reuse Sisterlocks' own interlocking technique row, since that technique is specifically defined as the certified, trademarked method -- Microlocs uses a genuinely uncertified variant of interlocking or simple twisting instead.
FAQs
- Are microlocs automatically Sisterlocks?
No. Sisterlocks is a trademarked loc system with its own tools, training and consultants. Small locs started and maintained by other methods are microlocs. Ask your loctician which method they use.
- Should I choose a starting method and maintenance method separately?
Yes. Ask how the locs will be started and how regrowth will be maintained, including what may change as the set develops. The size label alone does not answer either question.
Related styles
- Sisterlocks -- Both are very-small-loc techniques; Sisterlocks is a specific trademarked system within the broader Microlocs category, not a separate parent style. Compare
- Traditional Locs -- Both are permanent loc techniques sharing Permanent Loc Family; Microlocs is distinguished primarily by loc size, not a different foundational method. Compare