How Long Do Butterfly Locs Last?
The butterfly locs hairstyle is quickly gaining popularity in the fashion world, mainly for how alluring it looks. However, not much is said about how long they last, which is also a crucial topic. So, how long do butterfly locs last exactly?
Despite having the term ‘locs’ in its nomenclature, butterfly locs last just as long as competing braids, and not much longer. Even with that, four to six weeks of carrying a protective hairstyle is pretty long, and that puts the hairstyle firmly into the long-lasting category.
In this article, you’ll learn how long you should expect your hair to last when you install butterfly locs. Also, you’ll learn how to make the hairstyle last longer through natural maintenance, while getting answers to some of your most pressing questions about the locs.
How Long Do Butterfly Locs Last?
Butterfly locs do have the word ‘locs’ in their name, fooling people into associating it with the dreadlocks hairstyle. And since you can keep locks in permanently, people do seem to ask: how long do butterfly locs last, and can you keep them in permanently?
If you were hoping to be able to carry your butterfly locs permanently, you’ll be in for a rude awakening, as butterfly locs don’t last nearly permanently. The average length of time you can carry the hairstyle before it starts to look terrible is around four to six weeks.
Compared to locs that you can leave in permanently, six weeks is nothing, but compared to other hairstyles, it’s an awesomely long time for your locs to last. You can even try to extend the lifespan further by trying some tips to make it last longer, and the following section will show you how.
How Do You Make Butterfly Locs Last Longer?
There’s only one magic that could help extend how long your butterfly locs last: maintenance. It’s not rocket science; the more time and effort you devote to trying to make your hairstyle look better and last longer, the more likely you are to achieve those results. So, how do you make butterfly locs last longer?
Firstly, you should note that it’s normal, and in some cases, recommended to undo some of the strands and redo them. That way, you can keep them looking like new without having to take apart and redo the entire thing, which is apparently a lot more work. This hack requires you to know how to braid, of course.
Still on looking neat, using a mousse will help hide the frizz that terrorizes your locs a few days after installation, making it as if you should get a new one already. A water-based mousse is the best option, especially if you prefer to keep things natural.
Finally, oiling your scalp keeps it moisturized, preventing a whole lot of problems including but not limited to a dry itchy scalp and terrible-looking locs. That way, you can continue wearing the style without feeling like it’s been ages old.
Does Butterfly Locs Damage Hair?
Butterfly locs are classified as a protective style, and that’s for good reason. As far as I know, there are no protective hairstyles that damage your hair when you install them correctly. But for the benefit of the doubt, do butterfly locs damage your hair?
As long as you install the locs correctly as they should, butterfly locs shouldn’t cause any damage to your hair. However, if you make the hairstyle terribly without any remarkable effort at maintenance, you may be dealing with frizz and breakage in no time.
In short, butterfly locs don’t have any magic that’s designed to damage your hair; it’s just a typical protective hairstyle that could protect your tresses when properly done When you follow the tips to make butterfly locs last longer above, you shouldn’t have too many problems.
How Much Does It Cost to Get Butterfly Locs?
Butterfly locs, just like pretty much any other hairstyle out there, don’t go for free. Even if you can install it by yourself perfectly, you still have to purchase some packs of hair extensions to add to the hair for the unique butterfly locs look; and that’s assuming you’re skillful enough to do it yourself.
To calculate the average cost of getting butterfly locs, you need to calculate how many packs of hair you’ll be using for the installation. Then, you add the hairstylist’s due, if any, giving you how much you should expect to spend. You can also consider putting future maintenance into account, but does that really count into the immediate cost?
As for the extensions, you’ll need around six to eight packs of water wave hair of regular length to make butterfly locs that don’t run longer than your normal hair. The average price of the hair depends on where you are, how much you’re budgeting, and what brand you’re patronizing.
Then, you have to factor in workmanship, which you can forgo if you can resolve to handle making the butterfly locs yourself. Before dreaming of getting butterfly locs, you may want to ensure you have at least $200 to $500; that should be fine for the entire installation process in most US states.
Can Butterfly Locs Be Permanent?
While locs can be permanent, butterfly locs specifically cannot be installed permanently because they don’t work like your typical dreadlocks. As many previous sections have explained, the hairstyle typically lasts for a couple of weeks, after which you’ll have to take it apart.
While your traditional permanent locs hairstyle is made from hair naturally tangling, butterfly locs requires hair extensions that you add before braiding the hair. That gives the hair a definite lifespan, differentiating it from the Rastafarian locks that can be carried permanently.
In short, you should always try to take your hair apart after a couple of weeks of carrying butterfly locs. That way, you won’t have to worry about frizz and breakage that may arise as a result of trying to take apart a hairstyle that’s already messed up with tangles.
Conclusion
Butterfly locs is one of the less popular protective styles that are slowly gaining popularity in recent years. If you’re curious about how long they last, you shouldn’t expect much over four weeks, unless you’re willing to undergo extensive maintenance, of course.
