Back in 2016, I wrote about 5 locs salons I had personally visited in London for my loc maintenance – at the time I had long and beautiful dreadlocks; still don’t know why I cut them off, to be honest 🙁
2 years on, I am happy to say this post has literally been one of the most popular on our blog with nearly 12,000 visits to date. Wow! this is quite huge, and we’re always proud to give top quality black businesses the exposure they deserve. However, since publishing the blog post I never stopped receiving emails from other salons in London, asking to be featured in an updated article, which is fair.

 

What are locs?

Dreadlocks are also known as Locs or Dreadlocks. They are long strands of hair that are formed by braiding or locking hair into ropes. Unlike braids, which can be twisted and finished immediately, dreadlocks require some time to mature and this continues for as long as the hair remains. There are several organic or free-form techniques for locking hairs such as backcombing, braiding or rolling. The initial technique used makes all the difference and can make your dreads have that rope-like structure.

So here we are now, here is a list of 15 smaller or less known salons that you should still visit if you are in London. Enjoy! In no particular order!

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1. One Stop Dreadlock

One Stop Dreadlock shop is a natural hair salon based in North London, specialising in new and existing dreadlocks for Black, Mixed heritage and European hair types. Founded by owner Sarah Adeyemi in 2010, the shop has quickly built a good reputation for itself with an impeccable service and a modern decor.

 

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2. Premiere Locs of London

This natural hair salon situated in Crystal Palace was initially known as ‘Premiere Dreadz’ but dropped the ‘Dreadz’ in a dramatic rebranding in 2016, as people were a bit sceptical of word ‘dreadz’ (by the way we are currently working on a blog post that will dive into the history of dreadlocks; stay tuned!). Pay them a visit, they have a 4.8 Google reviews ratings!

 

 

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3. Rastamama Hair Studio

Edina, the founder of Rastamama hair studio, has been in the locs industry for over 17 years and opened her first salon in 2015 in Catford-Lewisham in South East London. Looking at all the reviews on both Facebook and Google, one can only praise their professionalism and knowledge. Plus their portfolio has gorgeous pictures. The salon is now in SE4, Brockley.

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4. Almocado

Almocado is your 360 studio! You can basically get the best products for your hair and get your loc maintained. Founded by Annette Clarke, the studio is based in SE18, London and specialises in sisterlocks (TM) and microlocs. If you want more information about Annette, read our post where she was featured amongst the 15 most inspiring afro hair entrepreneurs. Her story is quite amazing!

 

 

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5. LuvNatural

Alright, I might be a bit biased towards this one as I personally know the owner and founder, Fortune. Back when I had my locs I would literally chase him around and go to wherever places he would work. I remember going to a place in Willensden where he was renting a chair, then in Purely Natural where he was working. When I launched Afrocks he was also one of the first to congratulate and encourage me.
Fortune has now opened his salon in Walthamstow. He’s the best! Go go go!

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6. Nattie Dreadz

Another little gem in the Crystal Palace area! I actually went there once for an emergency loc maintenance; I had an urgent business presentation at work and needed a tidy up. Managed to grab an appointment on short notice and was actually quite happy with the service.
I remember the great vibe and the nice chat with the owner, Natalie who is genuinely passionate about all things natural hair. Go pay her a visit!

 

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7. Q2 Locs parlour

Q2 Locs parlour comes with a 4.9 ratings on Google and a super clean, easy to navigate website. Their photo gallery is creative and refreshing. The owner has over 8 years experience working with London’s premier celebrity salon Morris Roots Natural Hair Salon, and the team are specialists in starting locs, re-twisting and styling. The salon is based in HA1, Harrow.

 

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8. Adanna’s loc studio

 

Based in South London, West Norwood, Adanna’s studio usp is all about transforming the loc experience by adding the following ingredients: a friendly service, a passionate and experienced team, and affordable pricing. If you are looking for a smaller, more intimate experience, then this might be the place you are looking for.

 

9. Afrocks – On demand mobile locs service

If for some reason you don’t fancy going to the salon and you’d rather get a home loc maintenance service, then we can deliver exactly what you want. Afrocks will allow you to book and schedule an appointment with a vetted, rated and reviewed loctician in London, at your own convenience. Go to our platform afrocks.com and start your search by typing in your postcode. If you need any information or have any questions just send us an email at hello@afrocks.com.

 

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10. Abaka Hair Studio

Don, founder and owner of Abaka Hair Studio has been in the business of doing hair since the late ’70s. He pours his love and passion into his craft, stays abreast of trends and designs and is top in his field with afro natural hair specializing as a locksmith – this means, he cares, repairs and styles dreadlocks. Don is also an incredible fellow with a charming personality.

Abaka has a great website packed with all the info you need to know including 5-star reviews from happy customers and its address, which by the way is at Kennington, South London. Trust me; it’s a must-visit.

 

11. Caribbean Dreads

Based in Portland Road, South Northwood is this fabulous natural hair salon for all sexes. Caribbean Dreads offers a plethora of services from steams to trims, wash-ups, artistic stylings and so on for your natural hair and lock’s pleasure and at affordable prices. If you don’t have a style in mind, you can check out the gallery on the salon’s website. It hosts creative, modern and colourful styles for all ages. The atmosphere in Caribbean Dreads is always cosy and friendly; you can’t leave without a smile.

 

 

12. Locks Royale

Last on this list, is a place for royalty. Locs Royale is owned and managed by the beautiful and talented Liz Joseph. She is an experienced hairdresser, with an excellent understanding of afro hair, and is a pro-Sisterlocks technician, certified to teach clients how to take care of their Sisterlocks. Since its inception, her hair studio has helped many on their locks journey and inspired others to proudly wear their dreads. Hurry and join the league of customers who can’t stop talking about Locs Royale.

 

13. Perfectionist Unisex Salon

Founded by Denise Riley in 2004, this wonderful salon is located in Thornton Heath. Aside from being a qualified loctician, Denise adds charisma and professionalism to give your hair the natural Locs it needs. At an affordable price point, you can get your Sisterlocks styling, hair treatment, Locs retwisting, and microlocs style by walking in or making an appointment online. Perfectionist is popularly known for giving clients the perfect natural Locs. They are also known to treat and maintain Sisterlocks, Brotherlocks and dreadlocks. Uncertain of where you can buy your required Locs hair products? Perfectionist unisex salon has got you covered. They use and sell KeraCare products which are market leaders for shampoo, conditioners and styling products for your textured hair.

 

 

14. Kouture Locs

Are you new to the Locs world or do you want to add a different style to your Locs? Kouture Locs gives you that holistic loc care package. If you are looking to install Sisterlocks, loc styling, and lock tightening, they have certified locticians to give you premium quality and are located in Forest Gate.
You can either walk in to get your dreads done or you can book an appointment online to accommodate your schedules. With amazing blends of apple cider vinegar rinse, reconstructive conditioning and oil treatment, their choice products and services are guaranteed to give you the best loc treatment.

 

15. Regal Roots

Looking for pampering, style, and colouring? Regal Roots is here to do your bidding. They offer lots of loc services, from treating your hair to giving it that classic style that is fit for any occasion. Even if you’re undecided about the style you want, you can schedule an appointment with a Regal Roots licensed loctician who will assist you in choosing the right loc style and colouring.
At Regal Roots, your dreadlocks are treated like the kings and queens they are. For any mood, there are corresponding locs styles and colours to brighten the occasion. Located at Peckham’s palms, you can either walk-in or book your reservations to get your hair treated. To get an all-around service, they also provide hair treatment services that would moisturize and nourish your hair to maintain its strength, agility and shine.

 

How to find a loctician near me

It is often tricky and sometimes challenging to find a loctician nowadays, particularly one that won’t make you regret having locks or visiting their salon. Many people have had terrible encounters with inexperienced locks technicians. In most cases, people look for locticians on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or directories such as Gumtree.com, Yelp.uk.com, Yell.com and 192.com where there are thousands of hairdressers. While others prefer to visit a loctician recommended by friends or colleagues.

Yes, these are popular ways to find a loctician, but what’s the guarantee that a dresser you found on Facebook will deliver as promised. Don’t be deceived by an elegant profile; anyone can put beautiful pictures on their portfolio and claim to have the required skills.  This is why Afrocks might be your best option. How? Afrocks allows you to connect with only verified and vetted locticians in London. On our website, you can browse the profiles, view ratings, reviews and photos of these stylists. Hence, with Afrocks, you can rest assured that you’ll get exactly or even better than what you asked for. Also, booking an appointment only requires a few clicks; you can pay on the platform and get a 100% refund in the event an issue occurs.  In a nutshell, Afrocks is by far the easiest and most convenient way to get connected with a trustworthy loctician close to you.

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If you want to read more on the dreadlocks vs locs subject, check the brilliant post by Afrocks Head of content Nathalie: The Difference Between Dreadlocks And Locs

 

Hey! I am Hervé the Founder & CEO of Afrocks, a platform connecting mobile afro hairstylists with clients. I love having a good fight (inside a ring), excel spreadsheets and formulas and other geek stuff. Get in touch!
Email: herve@afrocks.com
Twitter: @hervedespois