Ashley's Loc Journey: 1 Year & 3 Months Loc'd

Sep 19

5 min read

Updated: Sep 19

Ashley is officially 1 year and 3 months into her loc journey, and her progress gives us a beautiful look at how an intentional foundation can shape the direction of an entire loc journey.

From the inspiration photos she provided during her consultation to determining her loc size, count, and parting pattern, Ashley’s journey was designed around her hair, her starting point, and the look she ultimately wanted to achieve.

Before the Locs:

Ashley’s Natural Hair

Before beginning Ashley’s loc journey, I started by looking closely at her hair in its natural state.

Her curls were absolutely beautiful, and most importantly, her hair was healthy and provided a great foundation for starting her locs with the size she wanted. Seeing her hair in its natural state during the consultation process helped me evaluate the texture, density, length, overall condition of her hair, and how those factors may influence the starter loc process.

Ashley was starting with a beautiful foundation, and the next step was creating a plan that aligned that foundation with her long-term loc goals.

The Inspiration

Behind Her Locs

During her consultation, Ashley provided her desired method, size & parts, along with inspiration photos that helped communicate the overall look and fullness she wanted for her locs.

She requested Small Traditional 2 Strands Starter Locs with Square Part, with the desire to keep her ends curly.

Although her desired size fell within the Small loc range, Ashley’s goal was to have more locs rather than fewer within that size spectrum. That detail played an important role in how I designed her foundation.

To bring her vision to life, I created smaller square parts within the Small size range, resulting in a higher loc count of 134 locs.

This is why loc size isn’t always as simple as selecting “Small,” “SMedium,” or another size.

Two people can both have Small locs and still have very different loc counts and overall results. Hair density, head size, parting size, texture, and the client’s desired look all help determine the final foundation.

In Ashley’s Words: Her Loc Journey 🌱

Beyond the physical transformation of her locs, Ashley’s journey has also been one of patience, confidence, and embracing every version of herself. I asked Ashley to share a little more about what inspired her journey and what she’s learned along the way.

Q: What led you to locing your hair?

“I’ve thought about it for years, but was never really ready to commit. Over time, more and more of my friends became loc’d, or I met individuals who were already loc’d, and they were just waiting for me to come to the other side lol.I started getting a little lazy with my loose hair—always wearing it in a puff—and then I had some major life changes that turned my world upside down. So I told myself maybe it was time to start new with everything, including my hair.I reached out to Paige and found out she had recently relocated to my area, and I felt like it was the Universe’s way of saying, ‘It’s the perfect time.’ And here we are over a year later.”

Q: What have you learned about yourself or your hair since starting your loc journey?

“One of the biggest things I’ve learned is patience and humility—and that I’m beautiful in all forms and versions of myself.My hair was always a secret security blanket. I’ve always been complimented on it, especially when it was straightened, long, or I was having a ‘good hair day.’ Day one of my starter locs made me realize shrinkage is real! And I had nowhere to hide.I’ve also embraced the frizz because slick backs are a thing of the past now. I’ve become a lot more comfortable in my own skin, and I’ve loved watching my locs go through each transition.”

Q: What’s your go-to style?

“Wake up, shake and go. But I really love half-up, half-down styles.”

Q: What’s your favorite loc product?

Ashley’s current favorites include Taliah Waajid Green Apple & Aloe Oil, As I Am Rosemary Water Spray, and Cantu Wave Whip Mousse for maintaining her ends.

Follow Ashley’s Journey

Want to see more of Ashley and her loc journey? You can follow her on Instagram at @complex_simplicity39.

Ashley’s story is a reminder that a loc journey can become about so much more than hair.

From learning patience to embracing frizz, shrinkage, change, and every stage in between, her first year has been just as much about becoming comfortable with herself as it has been about watching her locs mature. 🌱

1 year and 3 months down—and Ashley’s journey is still unfolding.

Where Ashley’s Loc Journey Started

On May 22, 2025, Ashley officially began her journey with 134 Small Traditional 2 Strand Starter Locs with Square Parts.

Her 2 strand starters gave us a structured foundation while allowing her natural hair to gradually move through the locing process.

Over the past 15 months, we’ve watched those defined two strands transform. They’ve expanded, budded, settled, and continued developing into more established locs—all while maintaining the higher-count look we intentionally created at the beginning of her journey.

Watching the Transformation

Over the past 15 months loc’d, Ashley’s locs are continuing to mature, but maturation doesn’t happen uniformly or overnight.

Along the journey, some locs and areas of her head progress more quickly than others, while others areas continue showing characteristics of the original 2 strand pattern a little longer.

She has experienced frizz, bunching, budding, expansion, texture changes, and other necessary changes throughtout her loc journey thus frar.

Instead of rushing those changes, we’ve allowed Ashley’s hair the time it needs to naturally transform while continuing to support the integrity of her foundation.

8 Maintenance Appointments & Counting

Ashley has completed 8 maintenance appointments with Works by Paige since beginning her journey.

Her maintenance appointments give me an opportunity to do much more than simply retwist her new growth. I'm able to monitor how her locs are maturing, maintain the integrity of her square parting system, care for her hair and scalp, and address the needs of her locs as they change throughout each stage.

When you look back at Ashley’s natural hair, her inspiration photos, her starter locs, and where she is today, you can see how each part of the process connects.

From Inspiration to an Evolving Loc Journey

One of my favorite parts of documenting these journeys is being able to show more than the finished look.

Ashley came into her consultation with healthy natural hair, beautiful curls, and inspiration for what she wanted her future locs to look like. From there, we created a customized foundation—Small square parts and a higher loc count—that supported that vision.

Now, 1 year and 3 months later, those 134 starter locs are continuing to develop their own shape, texture, fullness, and character.

Her journey is also a great reminder of why the consultation and planning process matters.

The goal isn't simply to install starter locs; it's to create a foundation with the future of the journey in mind.

1 year & 3 months down, 134 locs, and Ashley’s journey is still unfolding. 🌱✨