It seems that everyone is combing out their locs. From the big hair influencers we followed from the beginning of their loc journey to others, they are going back to loose natural hair.

What gives? When you think about it, they are the reason why we started our loc journey in the first place right? How can they do that to us?

But in reality, everyone has a journey. Yes, that includes hair influencers. And what we also have to think about is that locs have been around forever. However, the pandemic made them very popular, and everyone decided it was the best time to start their loc journey.

Though now we are in a different time, things are slowly getting back to the way they used to be. And everyone is kinda missing the hair lifestyle they had before.

And that’s ok. But if you ask me, here are 8 real reasons why people are combing out their locs today.

The Trend Is Dying

Locs were a big hair trend when the 2020 pandemic started. We were all at home, scratching our heads, wondering what we were going to do with our hair. So those who had even the tiniest thought about starting locs did it.

But that was now 4 years ago, and the trend is starting to die. We are back outside now, and everyone wants silk presses, Fulani knotless braids, and sew-ins again. And we can’t do that with locs. So unfortunately, this is one of the biggest reasons why everyone is combing out their locs.

It No Longer Serves A Purpose

For some, locs were to serve the purpose of being low maintenance. That’s why it was so popular during the pandemic because it didn’t require a lot of hair maintenance.

But now things are back to normal, and we can go back to the hair salon for our monthly self-care routine, locs no longer serve that purpose.

Or, locs could have been the “protective style” some needed at the time. If you take good care of your locs, when you comb them out, you can have some retained length to restart your loose natural hair journey. So for whatever that purpose may be, some believe the time is up for having locs. So they have to go bye-bye.

Didn’t Like The Starter Loc Phase

Everyone can’t handle the starter loc phase. Especially if you started your locs when your hair was very short like I did. During this phase, the baby loc stage, locs are the most unruly.

They are frizzy and not well-behaved. They have a mind of their own and require the most attention. Hence the word, “baby”. And for some, they don’t like it, nor have the time or patience for it. So they decide to comb them out.

Doesn’t Fit Their Style

Sometimes, locs don’t fit everyone’s style. It’s almost like seeing an outfit online and loving it. But when you buy it and try it on, it doesn’t fit your style like you thought.

The same thing happens with locs. Some may feel ugly or just different with locs, even when others around them say that they look fine.

Think about it like this, when you make a drastic change in your look, it can come with some internal insecurities. With locs being a completely different style for someone, it can make them feel different about themselves. And that’s another reason why someone would comb out their locs.

For Work or School Reasons

As wrong as this is, some places are not as accepting of locs as other hairstyles. There are work and school environments that believe that locs are unkept, poorly maintained, and dirty.

Which is far from the truth. But others don’t understand it.

That’s why we have the Crown Act, which helps fight against hair discrimination. For us black and brown women, this is serious because a lot of places discriminate against us just by how our hair grows from our heads.

And when our livelihood is involved, sometimes it is a sacrifice for what we want, but we have to abide by their rules. Therefore, locs come with that sacrifice and they have to get combed out.

To help fight against hair discrimination in the workplace, school, and pools, you can sign a petition for the Crown Act here. I just did.

Locs Are Thinning Out

The misconception that locs don’t need a hair care routine is wild. Because many are not hydrating their hair enough, which causes their locs to thin out.

I’m not going to lie and say that having locs can make a person get a little lazy with their hair care regime. But then there are times when they believe that having one is not needed.

However, when locs are not moisturized enough, the scalp is not nourished, or the hairstyles are too tight, all can cause major thinning.

They start with thinning at the root and for some, they don’t know how to repair it. And if they have many that are thinning, they then decide that it’s not meant to be, so they comb them out.

Locs Are Falling Out

The same with thinning, at a certain point, locs will begin to start falling out. This is what I call loc breakage. It is when the hair has thinned out to where the loc is hanging on by a few strands of hair. Or it could be caused by hair color. Here’s the thing. Locs are fun. And sometimes people want to have fun by coloring their hair, which is fine.

However, when done incorrectly, the chemicals in the hair color can get stuck inside of the loc and cause breakage due to still being active. When the color is not rinsed well, it is still active inside the loc, which over-processes the hair.

Over-processed hair causes hair breakage. And when locs are concerned, that’s when they start falling out. When this happens, people will start combing them out to either start their loc journey over or go back to their loose natural hair journey.

Lack Of Versatility

People think locs are not versatile and that’s far from the truth. But for many, they can’t seem to think outside of the box when it comes to loc hairstyles.

If they don’t have a stylist or loctician who can create different hairstyles for them, they are stuck with the basic down, half up half down, or ponytail styles.

But if you look on Pinterest, you will see that there are plenty of loc styles to choose from to try. However, since some don’t want to try new styles, they get bored and decide to comb out their locs.

Final thoughts

I hope this helps you understand why others are combing out their locs. Although it can alarm you, rest assured that everyone has their own journey. What they do with their hair is their business. Although it can be disheartening to see your favorite hair influencer switch up on you. And I get it because I experience it too.

But in times like that, I have to remember that we are all human, and it’s ok to switch up at times. We are all here having a human experience, and that comes with it.

So whether you are looking for a sign to comb out your locs or just curious as to why others are, don’t worry. Know that locs aren’t for everyone and that’s perfectly fine. Just remember to give people grace.

As for me, I don’t see myself combing out my locs for a while. I am enjoying this ride and I intend to stay for some time.

Just my thoughts…

– Much love, Ash ❤️