Why Does My Loc Have a "Thin Spot"? The Natural Hair Cycle Explained
If you’ve ever run your fingers down a loc and felt a sudden "dip" or a spot that feels thinner than the rest, you probably panicked. Was it a bad retightening? Is the loc about to snap?
I sat down with Chantel Zalmijn, certified Sisterlock Loctician with over a decade of experience and owner of Devine Hair Solutions in the Netherlands to get the real answer. Her explanation is the only one that truly makes sense when you understand the biology of your hair.
The Truth: Your Hair is Just Doing Its Job
To understand those thin spots, you have to understand the three phases of hair growth:
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Anagen: The active growth phase.
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Catagen: The transition phase.
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Telogen: The shedding phase.
The Hair Growth Cycle: During the Telogen phase, the hair strand detaches from the blood supply. In locs, this strand stays inside the loc, but the temporary lack of new growth at the root is what creates that 'thin spot' sensation.
As Chantel explains: "If you know the growth phases of hair, you know there is a phase when the hair is naturally falling out (shedding). That is exactly what causes these spots in the locs."
How a "Thin Spot" is Formed
In loose hair, when a strand enters the Telogen (shedding) phase, it simply falls out and ends up in your brush. But in locs, that shed hair stays trapped inside the structure of the loc.
However, hair doesn't always shed one strand at a time. If a cluster of hairs in one specific area all enter the shedding phase at the same time, there is temporarily less "new growth" filling that space in the loc. As the loc grows out, that momentary gap in volume appears as a thin spot. It’s not necessarily breakage; it’s often just a natural biological cycle.
Can You Prevent These Spots?
While you can’t stop the natural shedding cycle, you can ensure that your follicles are so healthy that the "growth phase" is as strong and consistent as possible.
If your scalp is dry, tight, or has poor circulation, your hair cycles can become irregular. This is where Scalp Care becomes your best defense against thinning and the key to long-term loc strength.
The "Strong Foundation" Routine
To minimize the appearance of these spots and ensure each loc stays thick from root to tip, you have to treat the scalp like soil.
1. Awaken the Follicle with the Scalp Roller Use a Scalp Roller once or twice a week. This creates micro-circulation, bringing blood flow and nutrients directly to the root. It "wakes up" follicles that might be sluggish, encouraging a more robust and steady growth phase.
2. Feed the Growth with WNL Hair Serum Follow your rolling session with WNL Hair Serum. In my experience, the secret to resilient locs isn't coating the outside—it’s hydration. Most oils just sit on the surface, but this serum is formulated to hydrate from the inside out. By penetrating deep into the hair shaft, it restores the internal elasticity of your locs. This makes the hair "bendy" and supple rather than stiff. When your hair is hydrated from the core, it is far less prone to breakage during its natural shedding cycles.
The Science of "Inside-Out" Hydration
Why most products fail: Most hair oils are "occlusives." They have large molecules that sit on top of the hair. If your locs are dry inside, these products just "seal in the dryness," making the hair feel greasy but still brittle enough to snap.
The WNL Difference: Our Hair Growth Serum bypasses the surface to travel into the "medulla" (the core) of each strand.
Resilience: Hydrated fibers can bend and move. Dehydrated fibers snap.
Buildup-Free: Because it absorbs rather than sits, you won't find the grey "gunk" common with heavy waxes.
Experience Inside-Out Hydration: Shop the Serum & Roller Duo
Final Thought
The next time you feel a thin spot, take a deep breath. It’s likely just your hair moving through its natural season. The best way to support your hair through those seasons is by giving your scalp the tools it needs to thrive. A healthy follicle produces a healthy loc.
Stop Loc Breakage: Shop the Scalp Care Collection.
