Locing Perceptions "ugly stage"

**linette411** · 10-19-2009, 06:08 PM

I’m trying to find out depending on how you embarked upon your locing journey was your perception about your natural hair.
I’m very curious to see how this pole turns out. I will return later to provide my thoughts behind it.

**EvesDilemma** · 10-19-2009, 06:33 PM

I selected natural to loc, there were some ugly stages.

When I look at my hair and the way it looked, for me there were stages where it was less aesthetically pleasing. The difference was I didn't get caught up or depressed about those stages-I was expecting them. It is one of the reasons I waited so long to loc after returning to my natural state. I knew mentally I needed to know that my hair would stick up, out, and around in certain places and not give a good doggone what anybody thought about it. If I hadn't I would have taken them down and given up on the journey.

**ya~akua** · 10-19-2009, 06:36 PM

i was well into my nappyness b4 i starting locking and i didnt and dont embrace the idea of "ugly" stages...

**Neosoul** · 10-19-2009, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by ya~akua

i was well into my nappyness b4 i starting locking and i didnt and dont embrace the idea of "ugly" stages...

^^^ Same here ... to me it's all a matter of perspective.

**Fuesha** · 10-19-2009, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by ya~akua

i was well into my nappyness b4 i starting locking and i didnt and dont embrace the idea of "ugly" stages...

ditto! I hate the phrase as much as i had the phrase of "good hair" makes me so mad.

I find it so interesting that a little frizz or hair sticking out here or there is considered an "ugly stage" but when some pull their creamy crack hair up into one of those barley there ponytails with the hair sticking out at the nape because its broken off, or one of those unkepmt wannabe wet and wavy/natural crack jobs no one views that as "ugly"

I mean seriously. Its like we have to come up with some negative to apply to our natural hair to keep it down in the trenches. Of course im no fool and yes bad hair days exsist but come on, why do we as educated, smart beings do this? I will never begin or try to understand. I just wont support/by in to it.

**sharynleigh** · 10-19-2009, 09:02 PM

I don't feel that I had an "ugly" stage for my locs were never that. I did however go through an awkward stage during which time they were shrinking, very fuzzy, extremely unruly and too short to pull. On top of that, more than half unraveled, the tips have variations of straight hairs and curlies. I snipped some of the curlies and found that they were quickly replaced. I really did look unkempt just about every day.

I found the wonderful world of scarfs as headbands and then decided to ride it out. It started to change after 11 mos. That occurred in my second year. When I look at pictures taken during that time I realize that they were actually very cute just like naughty toddlers are. Now at six years, they are very good girls.

The only complaint that I have is that they take all day to dry.

**LBellatrix** · 10-19-2009, 09:45 PM

I was 8 years' natural when I locked but my ugly stage consisted of the period when I looked like Prince Valiant. Once my bangs grew out I felt I looked a LOT better. (Except for when I wore the Halle Berry (on relaxed hair) I've always hated bangs on me.)

**iREALiZED** · 10-19-2009, 09:54 PM

@Fuesha-ristic: Giiiiirrrrrlllll don’t get me started with that whole “good hair/bad hair” mess. LOL I hate that!

I was natural for a yr before I started freeforming. Thinking back to the beginning, I never considered myself going through any ugly stages. When I first cut my perm off I had a true to life TWA! (emphasis on the teeeeeeeny). When I had a short baby fro, I loved it. Six months in, I loved it. & now that its been a yr & a half & this hair is wild as all outdoors, I still love it. I learned to accept each "stage"; it’s never ending. I think people who deter from locking (or just going natural in general) because they fear an "ugly" stage, really aren't confident in their decision or themselves. You have to have confidence to do you, period.

**MzHoneyLocs** · 10-19-2009, 10:51 PM

I was natural first, then loced. My perceptio is that, yes, there IS an ugly stage. Its real and its quite ugly.

I think that if you're the sort of person who can always find a silver lining in a cloud, so to speak, then you'll be less inclined to think locing has an ugly stage.
I recognized it for what it was: butt ugly, and I covered it up whenever I needed to be distracted.

The ugly stage for me is when my locs no longer looked like twists, but they didn't look like locs. They looked like who did it and why...it look like someone beat me with the whole Ugly TREE.

**EvesDilemma** · 10-19-2009, 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by CurlieBoo

The ugly stage for me is when my locs no longer looked like twists, but they didn't look like locs. They looked like who did it and why...it look like someone beat me with the whole Ugly TREE.

at the bolded part!