Here’s a video I did for my YouTube channel showing how I latch/interlock my new growth using my homemade NappyLock tool. It’s a metal yarn needle that I have modified to make it easier to use on my braidlocks.
I hope this demonstration is helpful to you and empowers you to maintain your locs on your own.
Related articles
- How to Make A Cheap Latching/Interlocking Nappylock Tool (ceraisis.net)
- How to Set up Mirrors for Rear View Hair Styling/Maintenance (ceraisis.net)
- Homemade Interlocking/Latching Tool for Dreadlocks (ceraisis.net)
CeraIsis 
This video was right on time! I’m retwisting/retightening my hair tonight and am still not quite sure which to go with. I have a few that are latched that seem to be doing quite well but I am still very very nervous about retightening vs retwisting my whole head.
I’m glad that it helps! Don’t be nervous, take your time and stop when your attention span starts to wain. You know The same principle applied when your hair was loose and you had to take your time taking down twists and detangling so that you did not rip out your hair.
cool video!!! so that’s how you do it. i’ve been wondering how…
Thanks!
This post saved me a ton of time. The tool is easy to make and to use.
Glad you liked it!
Hi, I just wanted to say that I latch my hair using a paperclip that I straighten out and then bend in half (they look like a cursive letter l). Its the easiest tool to use and I can make one anytime I need a new one (cause I loose them all the time).
Hi Becky! Thanks so much for your comment as it adds to the knowledge bank for me and others! I started out latching my locs using a paper clip…I have a post showing how to make that one. I keep up with my tool by keeping it with my hair accessories. So far, thats been working for me.
Thanks so much for stopping by and come back often!
dear ms cera isis thank you for putting this video up. im starting my braidlocks tonmorow however im very nervouse because alot of websights are telling me that interlocking is one of the worst ways to destroy your hair and they have also told me that interlocking with braidlocks will make yoyr locks fat on one end and extremley thin on the newgrowth end so they will ultimatley break off. people have told me that pushing a metal needle thru your newgrowth rips away at you follicles and causes roots to weaken. i dont want comb coils and the two strand twist method is not for me. i want braidlocks but all these stories about how maintaining new growth with interlocks causes permenant damage is really scaring me. pleeeeease help!
As long as you make sure your locs from root to tip are moisturized (with water), you take your time and are not interlocking too often and all the way down to the scalp, you have nothing to worry about. The crochet method which is sometimes called interlocking is the method that I could see damaging the hair. These methods are not the same at all. Interlocking with the tool that has a hole in it has no parts that catch on to hairs to rip them out. What you are doing is basically a 4 strand braid if you are using the 4 point method…that’s the method I show in my video.
Yes, in the beginning your locs will probably be fat on the ends. If you look at my pics through the early years you’ll see that. As they matured, the ends slimmed down to the size of the rest of the loc. If I remember right that started happening by 1.5 years.
Make sure you are using shampoos and other products that wash out of the locs easily.
Locs sometimes do get thin at the oldest parts of the loc over time. Now this can happen to locs no matter how they are maintained. I follow long term locers who maintain by twisting, palm rolling and free form…they have all had that happen. I’ve also seen locers who’ve never interlocked and only twisted have their locs break off.
Like I said, if you take care of your scalp and hair in the way that’s best for it and you’ll be fine. When interlocking, stop when you are tired or your attention span is short. Otherwise you’ll start making mistakes and ripping through your hair. And make sure your hair is properly moisturized with water.
I know that you posted this some time ago, but I wanted to say THANK YOU for doing it. I love your locs and many on loc boards that I joined have been making me feel really nervous about interlocking. I just started my locs three weeks ago. I have thin, fine hair so twists and comb coils were not a good option for me. I’ll continue to follow your blog.
Hi Missy!! You are so welcome and thanks so much for the feedback that my videos and blog has helped you be more confident in caring for our locs on your own!!
Omg, I really need to get back to writing in my blog and setting it up so that I get notifications of comments. Please forgive me for the late reply.
Since some time has passed since you’ve started your locs, how are they doing?