Everything there is to know about caring for long butterfly locs
Thinking of getting a new protective style? Consider long butterfly locs that are quickly emerging as one of the hottest hair trends of this season!
If you want a style that changes over time, requires very little upkeep, and is fuss-free while still protecting your precious tresses, the long butterfly locs are a great option.
The 90s-inspired protective style, like faux locs, is usually shorter and requires wavy hair bundles to provide instant length and volume. Do you lack the volume required to achieve the visually appealing long butterfly locs?
Consider experimenting with Hair Factory’s extensive collection of sea-like wavy hair made entirely of virgin Indian hair.
However, styling butterfly locs is not always smooth sailing. It’s important to know how to care for them to avoid potential hair damage to your natural hair.
Rest assured, you can keep the long butterfly locs in for more than two months, provided they are well cared for.
Without further ado, let’s have a look at some tried-and-true tips for maintaining long butterfly locs:
#1. Keep Your Hair Hydrated
Keep your butterfly locs hydrated
Most women believe that when their hair is tucked away, they don’t need to moisturize it, but that is not the truth because dry and brittle hair is more prone to breakage.
Here is how you can keep your hair hydrated:
Step 1. Spritz a bit of water-based anti-frizz moisturizer or leave-in conditioner on the roots and your crochet locs. You must regularly hydrate your long butterfly locs to keep them looking smooth and lustrous.
Step 2. To protect your locks, apply a moisturizer and seal them in. Moisturize your locs after every wash or at least twice a week. You’ll quickly fall into this hair care regimen for butterfly locs.
#2. Rinse Your Hair With Apple Cider Vinegar
Rinse your long butterfly locs with apple cider vinegar
This is especially vital if you’re sensitive and easily suffer from skin irritation. Most hair enhancers you buy from shops are sprayed with chemicals to keep them fresh inside the package, which may irritate your scalp or skin.
You can avoid this by washing the hair with apple cider vinegar and drying it before applying the product. This can help in avoiding potential damage and making your long butterfly locs last longer.
#3. Do A Pre-Treatment
Treat your hair with a deep conditioner
If you are using Gray Wavy Bulk hair for pulling off long butterfly locs, give your natural tresses and the hair enhancer a thorough wash the night before putting it together into butterfly locs.
Here is how you can do a pre-treatment at home:
Step 1. To wash your hair thoroughly, use a clarifying shampoo, protein treatment, and deep conditioner.
Step 2. Style your hair in loose twists with a very light water-based leave-in-conditioner to avoid product accumulation on your hair before securing it too tightly.
#4. Protect Your Virgin Human Hair With A Silk Scarf Or Bonnet
Use a silk scarf to protect your long butterfly locs while snoozing
As obvious as it is, people frequently overlook this major rule and are frustrated at having to make another large investment of human hair for locs.
The silk scarf protects your hair while sleeping at night, manages frizz, and maintains your long butterfly locs while keeping your roots intact. Since butterfly locs are styled with long hair, we recommend you use a bonnet or silk scarf to tie down your hair at night.
Wrapping your hair with a bonnet or silk scarves at night will keep it looking fresh and healthy, which helps in extending its lifespan.
#5. Do Not Leave Your Long Butterfly Locs In For Too Long
Give your hair a break from protective styles
If there is one thing that women with long butterfly locs frequently ask, it is, “How long can I leave mine in?” Although some hairdressers suggest four weeks and others up to twelve, the average is six to eight weeks.
Long butterfly locs can weigh your head down, which can cause breaking if you leave them in for longer than eight weeks. Moreover, there will likely be a significant amount of product buildup, which is extremely harmful to your hair’s health.
Pro Tip: A protective style is designed to benefit your hair, not damage it. It will be working against you if you keep it in forever. Make sure to give your hair regular breaks from protective styles to prevent stress on your hair and scalp.
#6. Don’t Load Up Your Hair With Product
Use liquid leave-ins to treat your hair with hair care essentials
When you use too much conditioner and styling products, your hair accumulates a lot of product, resulting in a white, thick film (or flakes) on the scalp that frequently resembles dandruff.
Avoid loading up your hair with gel and other hair styling products when wearing a protective style. To make sure you don’t apply too heavily, use liquid leave-ins with a spray top that allows only a minimal spritz.
#7. Avoid Making It Last By “Rigging” It
Avoid twisting your hair that’s growing underneath
There are endless YouTube tutorials and blogs that show women how to extend the life of their protective styles to three months or more.
Many of them include twisting the growing hair while leaving the existing braids or twists intact, giving the impression that each braid or twist was just completed. Even though the results are quite impressive on the surface, we advise against doing that.
Since you are essentially twisting your hair, much like people who wish to lock their own hairdo, “rigging” your hair has the additional effect of causing it to lock up over time, affecting your hair’s health.
#8. Avoid Over-Styling
Don’t over-style your long butterfly locs
The best thing about long butterfly locs is that they offer a million and one ways to style our hair. Even though it may be alluring to always draw your braids into a breathtaking half-updo or a high ponytail, the effects are undoubtedly not worth it.
Over-styling your hair leads to constant wear and tear that can easily cause loosened braids and a faster takeout time. Your natural hair may also be affected by this stress, and excessive pulling may even cause shedding and hair loss.
While occasionally experimenting with new styles is harmless, it’s ideal to keep your styles simple and lowkey most of the time.
#9. Do A Braid Touch Up
Touch up on your long butterfly locs
If nothing else works and your long butterfly locs start to seem fuzzy before the eight-week period is up, you can always get your protective style touch-up.
Recreating your long butterfly locs is an easy and the safest bet to achieve a salon-fresh look in a flash because most people are only excited by how your locs look on the outside.
Bottom Line
Nothing gets us more excited than having summer already here and three months of beautiful long butterfly locs. One of the best protective hairstyles, butterfly locs are the greatest and easiest choice for the weather ahead.
Long butterfly locs are amazing and easy, but they still need some maintenance to keep the style and natural hair looking good. Remember the tips mentioned above to ensure that your protective style lasts longer.
Summer is already upon us, and there’s nothing like rocking a protective style. Looking for some braid inspiration this season? Take a look at 7 Celebrity-Approved Twist Braids Hairstyles For 2022.
