What are your thoughts on starting micro locs with micro braid ectentions?

[Ms Pearl]

What are your thoughts on starting micro locs with micro braid extensions?

I do realize I am posting on a natural hair form. But still I have the question and wonder if others have had the same.

I have worn my hair in some form of braids for about 35 years. With the last 20 years being micro braids that I do myself. Tired of the take out and re-do, last year I started researching locs for myself. This is when I discovered sisterlocks. Over the years I am sure I have admired sisterlocks on other women thinking they were micro braids. I missed out for many years.

Last year I talked to a few sisiterlock technicians and the cost of installation was out of my budget at the time. So I decided to start my locs myself with micro braids, not using human hair for extension length as I normally did. My natural hair is type 4c and length is about 10 to 12 inches. My natural hair micro braids shrank to about 4 to 5 inches. I was not comfortable with this shorter length and was nervous about doing the interlocking on my new growth making it all permanent. At about 6 months I took out my braids.

Since the take out I have consulted with several sisterlock technicians asking them to install sisterlocks with extensions. I received an absolute “NO” from all.

So now I am back to doing it myself. I am considering starting with micro braids, and adding human hair toward the end of the braid instead of at the roots to achieve the length I want, then cutting off the extension as my hair grows. Has anyone started their locs like this?

[KnottyAuthor]

You can, it's just not highly supported. There's a mental shift that occurs when locking. Having extensions dwarfs that process.

I do know some that experienced terrible integration, bunching, other issues from shed hairs not properly integration with the fake hair. I also now a few that had successful extension journeys. I really think it's going to fall upon your skill set and hair texture, maintenance.


I started my first journey with micro braids, no extensions. I kept them 7 yrs, great way to start, but I would never begin a journey with extensions, they don't integrate well, in the long run the lock looks emanciated and scraggly at the ends. At some point you'll want to cut. But where to cut do to matrix integration issues will be the challenge. Locking takes at least 12-18 months, that's a longtime to risk growing locks that might work, or not.