Goddess locs

What goddess locs are

Your own hair is wrapped with soft textured fibre to make the loc shape, then curl fibre is blended in, so the style looks bohemian and many-dimensional. Locs are deeply rooted in Black hair culture, and many people see wearing them as a rite of passage.² Goddess locs are a temporary protective style, and a different thing from locs that you grow and keep.

The curls are what set them apart from classic faux locs. They add volume and movement, and they need more handling than a plain loc.

Our faux locs guide covers the classic, structured version. Our butterfly locs guide covers the softer, looped one.

How they look and feel

Soft, full and boho, with curls peeking through the lengths and at the ends. The roots stay neat while the lengths move.

The curls add weight as well as volume, and longer, fuller locs hang heavier from your hairline.¹²

See the look.

These images are illustrations, not photographs of our clients.

Who they suit

Goddess locs are a good choice if:

• you love a loc look with soft curls and a lived-in finish
• you want a style that frames your face softly and photographs well
• you like movement and curl through the lengths, with neat roots
• your routine allows simple weekly care: misting, separating curls lightly and wrapping at night

Wait, or talk to us first, if:

• your hair is very dry, thin or breaking easily, because wrapping and curls add weight and friction to fragile strands
• your hair is freshly coloured or often heat styled and feels fragile
• you are prone to neck tension or headaches and want extra length or fullness, because longer, fuller locs add weight¹²
• you want a very low-touch style, because the curls need gentle separation and night care

A scalp or conditioning treatment first can help. See our treatments.

If your scalp is sore, itchy or inflamed, or you had a chemical treatment in the last one to two weeks, wait and talk to us first.³ The braid care guide explains how to tell if your scalp is ready.

Length and weight

We offer large goddess locs at waist length.

Length and fullness decide the weight. Longer, fuller locs hang heavier from your hairline.¹ If weight is a worry, ask for a lighter version. Your stylist helps you choose a length and curl density that your scalp and neck can carry comfortably.

Your goddess locs install, step by step

The whole appointment takes about 5 hours, and most clients read, work or watch something.

1. Arrival and chat. We confirm your look, length and hair history. You do not need to wash your hair first, because the wash is included.
2. Assessment. Before any braiding, your stylist checks strand support, density, breakage, your hairline and your scalp.
3. Wash, condition and blow-dry. Your hair is cleansed, conditioned and blow-dried straight, ready to braid.
4. Braiding the base. Your hair is braided into the sections each loc will be built on. Tension is checked section by section.
5. Wrapping and curls. Each braid is wrapped with soft textured fibre to make the loc, then curl fibre is blended in so the curls fall free through the lengths and ends.
6. Finishing and home care. We check shape, curls and ends. You leave with a finished style and a walk-through of curl care and warning signs.

As your goddess locs grow out

Looking after goddess locs

Mist, do not saturate. Heavy products cause clumping and build-up between the wraps.

• Use a light leave-in or curl refresher on the curls and mid lengths.
• Separate any curls that cling together with your fingers. Avoid combs and brushes on the lengths, which cause frizz and shedding.
• Wrap your roots with a satin scarf at night, and gather the locs and curls into a loose ponytail or bonnet so they do not rub on your pillow.¹
• Cleanse between the partings every two to three weeks with diluted shampoo, and let the roots and locs dry fully.³
• Pain, stinging, crusts or tenting mean the style is too tight. Tell us, or take them out early.¹

The seasons in Pretoria, the gym, the pool, sleep and the warning signs are all in the braid care guide.

Taking goddess locs out

Each loc is unwrapped before the braid under it is opened. Allow extra time for the curls, which tangle at the ends. The longer the style stays in, the heavier it feels and the longer a take-down takes.

Taking locs out yourself takes far longer than people expect. Each loc is unwrapped before the braid under it can be opened, one at a time, and the longer the style has stayed in, the more time it takes. Many people dread it, put it off and wear the style too long.

Why the take-down matters, and how a careful one goes, is in the braid care guide.

Goddess locs against faux locs and butterfly locs

Words used in this guide

Extension (or fibre): the synthetic or human hair added to your own hair to make a braid longer and fuller.

Parting: the line of scalp that shows between two sections of hair.

Edges: the fine, thin hair along your hairline at the forehead, temples and nape.

Strand support and density: how strong each strand is, and how much hair you have in each section.

Take-down: taking the braids out.

Unplait: to open braids back out into loose hair.

Tenting: the scalp pulled up into little peaks at the base of a braid.

New growth: your own hair growing out at the roots since the style was installed.

Protective style: a style that tucks your own hair away so it is handled less, such as braids or locs.

Tension: how tightly the style pulls on your roots and scalp.

Loc: a rope-like strand of hair.

Faux locs: imitation locs made with extension hair instead of your own hair.

Wrapping: winding extension hair around a braid to build a loc.

Loops: loose, curved pieces of fibre left to stand out from a loc.

Sources

1. American Academy of Dermatology, Hairstyles that pull can lead to hair loss. Updated 6 November 2024.
2. Liesl Chapin, Soft Locs vs. Faux Locs: Hairstyle Differences Compared, StyleSeat Blog, published 22 March 2023, updated 11 August 2026.
3. Diane C. Bailey, Milady Standard Natural Hair Care and Braiding, Cengage Learning, 2014.

Keep reading

If something here gave you pause, one of these may suit you better: the faux locs guide, the butterfly locs guide, or the braid care guide.