Locs: The history behind the style

There are millions of hairstyles in the world and each has its own story. The history fascinating, because each is a unique story. Our hair helps make us stand out, it makes us unique, but if we let certain styles fade out over time, not only are we losing out on a killer look, we are letting a part of history die along with it. So, let us take a look at the history behind the dreadlocks style.

Dreadlocks are more than just a fashion statement. From Egyptians to Ethiopians, and from warriors to Islamic Dervishes, this hairdo is found all over the globe, not in just one region. That is because the style of “locs” were worn by people of power or people who were close to God.

It is said that the style was originally founded in Egypt, or Crete. While in some cultures locs were the symbol of a warrior or of power, in Ethiopia they were the sign of unity or rebellion, so this style has more than one meaning behind it, depending on the culture because each culture has its own reasoning for wearing the style.

You might be asking yourself, what exactly are dreadlocks? In ancient times, after taking vows or due to religious purposes, certain people would promise not to brush or even touch their hair, which would cause it to form locs – because the hair would keep growing and tangling, and even developing knots, and over time it eventually would become matted. What was cool about the look was that it would begin to take on a snakelike appearance because of the texture of the hair. This look was referred to as locs , dreads or dreadlocks.

Historians have actually documented primeval people (long before countries were formed) wearing long dreadlocks; again, this is a style not unique to just one culture, but to many.

Hair is something a lot of us take pride in. We style it, spend hundreds of dollars on products to keep it healthy and looking its very best, and some of us even have a formal budget for haircuts and upkeep. Dreadlocks are a style that is rich in history, and I would be saddened to see such an awesome hairstyle slide into oblivion.

So, the next time I see someone rockin’ this style, I’ll know there’s still a chance for this look to keep thriving!

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After doing my research I managed to have a one-on-one Q&-A with a Thomas Singleton, a loctician based at Brenda’s Knotty Dreads in Portland’s Pearl District. Below are his responses:

Q) How long have you been in the hair industry? Have you ever thought of doing something different?

A) I started my career as a loctician in 2021. No.

Q) What is your best memory of a style or client, and what is your worst?

A) My best memories at work come from clients that come in with incredibly messy hair. I love taking before/after videos to see the drastic differences after I work.

My worst memories come from people on the outside of the business or potential clients that refuse to get their hair done by me because I’m half-Caucasian. It also pains me to hear clients tell me their stories of how they were shamed for having or wanting dreadlocks because they are Caucasian. Dreadlocks don’t belong to a skin color.

Q) Do you feel like this style of hair is becoming less of a trend or do you feel like it is coming back in style now with the younger generation(s)?

A) Dreadlocks are growing in Portland. I can’t speak for other parts of the country or world but I do see growth in Portland.

My dream is to eventually normalize it as a hairstyle. Dreadlocks have often been misrepresented or believed to be a “dirty” hairstyle that is caused by neglect. There are some dreadlocks that fit that description, but they do not make up the entirety of the dreadlock community. There is another side of the dreadlock community that have entire hair care routines that ensure their dreads don’t look so “dreadful”. People go to see their loctician on a regular schedule to stay on top of their hair maintenance whether it be for a “professional” aesthetic in the workplace, or just to feel neat and put together.

Q) What are some tips you could give someone looking into getting dreads, or even just starting their journey?

A) If you’re just starting dreads, especially with short hair, there is always a very awkward phase in the beginning where your hair looks pretty wild or “ugly”. Stick with it and get through the first couple months of having starter locs. They develop and mature as time goes by and they look better and better if you take care of them. Eventually you will end up with some glorious dreads as a result. Just gotta tough out the beginning.

Q) What are some of the best styles you have ever done? Were they interesting to do, or more of a hassle?

A) I don’t style dreads, I just create them based on the client’s desired thickness. I would say the most tedious dreads to create are the small ones. The smaller they are, the longer they take to do

as a whole service because of how many you end up having to create. It’ll take me less time to create 50-65 medium size dreads rather than creating 100-plus smaller dreads.

Q) Is this your main profession, or do you have any other jobs that you do on the side?

A) Being a loctician is my main source of income.

Q) Do you know how to do other styles besides dreads? If not, do you wish to learn at some point?

A) Perhaps one day I’d like to learn how to braid.