Unpopular opinion: Microlocs is not as "Japa Friendly" as you think.

I know, I know; they sold you the half-truth or you "by yua sef" imagined that once you loc your hair you dont have to ever touch it again and its ceases to be a part of your body you need to care for or worry about. You have also weighed the options and figured out that Microlocs are extremely versatile and beautiful so you decided that you'll get Microlocs 3days before you relocate. You also insisted that you want your locs super thin; rope-like to be exact, so that it still looks like "your natural hair".

I have not so great news for you.... You still have to maintain your Microlocs and it is not as straightforward or easy or cheap as you anticipated. As a matter of fact; the thinner your locs, the more frequently you need to maintain (to avoid breakage); the more it is likely to cost (most locticians abroad charge per hour or the prices go up with the number of locs) , and the less likely you might be to find a credible loctician that might be willing to take you on.

I personally run away from locs that exceed 500 if possible😅🏃🏾‍♀️. I am also personally of the opinion that past a certain size/number ; Microlocs lose their advantage and become more stressful to manage because you spend too much time retighening, go only a few weeks between retightening (4-5 weeks instead of the average 6-8 weeks) and spend more money on your loc maintenance.

So while Microlocs are generally low maintenance, they are most definitely not "No Maintenance" and they certainly aren't cheap (well, it depends on what your hair practices were before you got locs). Ensure that prior to starting your Microlocs on your way to "Japa" you have ;

1. Researched thoroughly the country you are traveling to and the average cost to retightening your microlocs.

2. Checked If there are credible locticians in the area you will potential settle and if they are willing to take on transfer clients (a client that a loctician did not establish their locs).

3. Read on the rules that most locticians in your area have; how long in between retightenings, their policy; etc

4. Counted the cost; is it sustainable down the line?

On a final note; Microlocs are definitely beautiful and nothing beats the "get up and go" in comparison to dealing with loose natural hair, but a great mantenance schedule, consistency and an amazing loctician is needed if you want a beautiful set of Microlocs.

P.S Japa is a Nigerian slang for relocating out of Nigeria.