A client sat in my chair last spring wanting waist-length locs for a wedding, and the first thing we talked about was not the look at all. It was her edges. That is the honest center of artificial dreadlocks hairstyles for Black women: done right, they give your natural hair a real rest while you wear locs in any length, color, or texture. Done in a rush, they pull on the very hairline you are trying to protect.
Faux locs are a protective style first and a creative one second, and the best ones hold both truths at once. The fifteen looks below run from a chic loc bob to dramatic waist-length sets, with how to keep your scalp and edges healthy underneath.
Faux Locs at a Glance
| What to know | The short version | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| How they protect | Your hair is braided or wrapped away under the locs | Less daily handling means your hair rests and keeps length |
| The one rule | Tension is everything; a tight install undoes the point | Soreness at the hairline is a stop sign, not a phase |
| Wear time | Roughly four to eight weeks, rarely past two months | New growth tangles at the roots and starts to pull |
| Rough cost | About $120 to $300 installed, depending on length and texture | Longer, curlier, or hand-wrapped sets sit at the top end |
Start Here: The Three Things That Actually Matter
Before any of the pretty pictures, three answers settle most of the worry I hear in my chair. Get these right and the rest is just choosing a texture you love.
- How are they protective? Your own hair is cornrowed or wrapped underneath, tucked away from heat and daily styling so it can rest and hold its length while the faux locs do the visible work.
- What is the one rule? Tension. Locs set too tight, or kept in too long, drag on the roots and edges and quietly cause the thinning you were trying to prevent.
- Butterfly, soft, goddess, Marley, what is the difference? Different hair and technique: butterfly is looped and distressed, soft is light and bendable, goddess leaves curls out, and Marley uses a coily matte hair that reads most natural.
Crochet Faux Locs for a One-Sitting Install
If your schedule cannot give up a whole Saturday, crochet is how most people get there fast. Pre-made locs are looped through your cornrowed hair with a crochet hook, so a full head comes together in two to four hours instead of the all-day marathon a hand-wrapped set demands.
Done with a light hand, it is gentle and gives instant fullness. The cornrow base is doing the protecting, so ask your installer to keep those braids comfortable, especially around the perimeter where tightness does the most harm.
- Fastest route to a full set, often $120 to $180 installed
- Tie everything down in satin at night to cut frizz at the roots
- Moisturize the braided hair underneath on wash days so it does not dry out
💡Mary’s chair-side tip
The night before your install, do not wash to fluffy softness. Lightly cleansed, fully dry, stretched hair grips a cornrow base far better, so your locs sit smoother and last longer.
Bohemian Goddess Locs With Soft Curls Left Out
Goddess locs leave loose, curly pieces of human or synthetic hair spilling out along the loc, and that softness is the whole romance of the style. The curls break up the uniform line of a faux loc and give the set a soft, free-spirited finish.
Best for
They protect the hair underneath the same way any faux loc does, while giving you a textured, glamorous finish you can refresh. A pea-sized bit of light oil smoothed over the curly pieces keeps them defined instead of fuzzy by day three.
Brides and event clients gravitate here because the loose curls photograph soft around the face. If you want the look but hate fuss, ask for fewer curly sections so there is less to maintain.
Marley Twist Locs for the Most Natural Texture
Marley hair is a coily, matte synthetic made to mimic natural Afro texture, and it is the closest a faux loc gets to looking like it grew from your own scalp. Nothing about it shines or reads plastic, which is why so many of my clients pick it.
- Reads organic and blends into natural roots with no harsh line
- Matte finish hides where the extension meets your own hair
- A common base for both faux locs and twists, so it is easy to find
Distressed Butterfly Locs for a Lived-In Finish
Butterfly locs are roughed up on purpose. The loc is looped and pulled apart in places to give a wavy, undone texture that looks like locs you have worn comfortably for years.
Honest trade-off
That deliberately messy finish is the signature, and it is forgiving: new growth and a little frizz blend right in, so the style ages well over its few weeks in. They also tend to be lighter and quicker than a sleek wrapped loc.
Where this goes wrong is over-distressing at the install, which can leave the set looking thin. If you like fullness, say so up front so your stylist loops more conservatively near the scalp.
Soft Locs That Move Like the Real Thing
Soft locs wrap flexible loc hair around a base, so the finished loc bends and sways with you. That movement is why people who once found faux locs too rigid end up loving these.
Because they drape like natural hair, they slip into a ponytail or a low bun without fighting you, which makes them practical for everyday wear. The softness also sits more comfortably against the scalp for long days.
The catch is weight. Soft loc hair can be heavier than it looks, so on a long set ask for a lighter density up front to spare your edges the strain.
👍Why faux locs earn their keep
- +Real rest for your natural hair underneath
- +Bold color with no bleach touching your own strands
- +Weeks of low-manipulation styling once installed
👎Where they ask for care
- –A tight install can harm the edges they protect
- –Longer sets add weight that strains the roots
- –Take-down must be patient, never ripped out
Bob-Length Faux Locs for Low-Commitment Wear
A faux loc bob keeps the locs short and sharp, usually chin to shoulder, and it is the set I hand first-timers most often. Less length means less weight on the roots, which makes it the gentlest way to test whether the loc look is for you.
- Light on the head and quick to install, so it is friendlier on the edges
- Polished and modern, easy to dress up for work or down for errands
- A smart trial run before committing to a heavier waist-length set
Jumbo Locs for Big, Fast Drama
Fewer, thicker locs make a louder statement, and the chunkier the loc, the faster it goes in. Jumbo sets are a favorite when someone wants impact without sitting through hundreds of small sections.
- Bold, defined, and quick to install, often the shortest chair time
- Heavier per loc, so a careful, looser perimeter braid matters even more
- Best for a strong, graphic look with real presence
📋Before you book, ask your installer
- ✓Will the perimeter braids stay looser than the rest?
- ✓What density keeps weight off my edges at this length?
- ✓How long do you recommend I keep this exact set in?
Color-Pop Faux Locs Without Touching Your Natural Hair
Color-pop locs use loc hair in burgundy, honey, copper, even teal, so the color lives in the extension and never touches your strands. That is the part clients are surprised by: you get a full head of color with zero dye, bleach, or commitment.
Why people love it
When the locs come out, so does the color. There is no grow-out, no damage line, nothing to correct, which makes a bold shade truly low-risk to try.
If you are color-curious but cautious, this is the no-regret way in. A subtle option is a single accent tone woven through an otherwise natural-colored set.
Wavy Goddess Locs for Loose, Beachy Movement
Where goddess locs leave tight curls out, the wavy version leaves loose beachy waves, a softer take that frames the face without much upkeep. The looser pattern is also more forgiving as it relaxes over the weeks.
- Relaxed, flowing finish that suits a casual, undone vibe
- A light mist of water and a touch of oil revives the waves
- Looser curls mean less daily definition work than full goddess locs
Waist-Length Faux Locs and the Weight Conversation
Waist-length locs are pure drama, and they are also the length I watch most closely. Worn down they look abundant and gather into elegant loc updos, but every extra inch is extra weight hanging off your roots all day.
Heavy locs need a gentle install, a wear window on the shorter side, and an especially careful take-down. When a client with fragile edges asks me for this length, we usually land on a lighter density or a shorter drop.
Deep Side-Part Locs for an Asymmetrical Edge
A deep side part sweeps a full head of locs over from a bold diagonal, and it instantly makes a simple set look styled. The placement adds lift on one side and a flattering line across the face.
The deeper the part, the more dramatic the sweep. It costs nothing extra and takes seconds to set, which makes it the easiest way to give any faux loc style some edge.
Beads, Shells, and Cuffs With Real Heritage
Adorning locs with beads, cowrie shells, metal cuffs, and thread wraps is a practice with deep roots across the African diaspora, where hair adornment has long carried personal and cultural meaning. Wearing them is a way to honor that lineage while making a set unmistakably yours.
The pieces slide onto or wrap around individual locs, so you can change them whenever the mood shifts. Choose sizes that fit your loc thickness so they sit light and do not weigh down or snag the ends.
Half-Up Faux Locs for Everyday Versatility
Pull the top section up and leave the rest down, and you have the everyday workhorse of loc styling. It shows off the length while keeping hair off your face, and it can look polished or casual depending on how you finish the top.
- Leave a few locs out at the front to soften the hairline
- Make the top a bun, knot, or ponytail to change the mood
- Easy on the edges since the front is not pulled tight all day
Space Buns and Top Knots for Off-Duty Days
Gathering locs into buns or knots keeps them secured and out of your way, and the placement sets the whole tone. Two high space buns feel young and playful; a single top knot leans sleek and grown. Either way the ends are tucked and protected.
- Great for gym days, travel, or a fast morning reset
- Keep the gather loose at the hairline so daily updos do not strain edges
- Wrap the buns in satin at night to protect the loc ends
Ombre Faux Locs for a Soft Color Gradient
Ombre locs keep darker roots and melt into lighter, warmer ends for a sun-kissed gradient. Like color-pop sets, the color lives entirely in the extension, so your natural hair stays untouched while you wear a dimensional shade.
Styling note
The gradient reads more subtle than an all-over bright, which makes it a soft entry point if a full color feels like too much. Honey and caramel ends are flattering across deep and rich skin tones.
Pair an ombre with a half-up style and the lighter ends catch the light where they fall, which is why this one is a favorite for photos and events.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The biggest one I see is treating tightness as proof the style will last. A loc set should feel snug, not sore. If your scalp is throbbing or your edges sting on the drive home, that is not the style settling in, it is a warning, and a few too-tight installs in a row is how traction thinning starts at the hairline.
The second is wearing them too long. Past about eight weeks, new growth tangles where the loc meets your scalp, and getting them out cleanly turns into a battle that costs you the length you were protecting. A careful take-down with conditioner and patience, plus a rest week before the next set, keeps the whole cycle healthy. For more on wearing the real thing, see our guide to dreadlocks for Black women.
- Do not skip the satin scarf or bonnet at night
- Do not let the hair underneath go dry; moisturize on wash days
- Do not ignore soreness, bumps, or shedding at the edges
Wear the Length, Protect the Roots
Artificial dreadlocks give you the loc look on your own terms, in whatever length, color, or texture suits the season you are in, while your natural hair quietly rests and grows underneath. That is a rare combination, and it holds up only when tension and wear time stay sensible.
Pick the texture that fits your life, take a photo of the set you love to your installer, and keep your edges first in every conversation. Protect them now, and every style after this one has a full, healthy hairline to start from.
