Express Yourself
Safe Loc Coloring for Microlocs & Sisterlocks®
Vibrant honey blondes, deep auburn cherry tones, and dimensional highlights can elevate your loc journey to an entirely new level. But introducing chemicals to locked hair requires advanced scientific understanding.
Because locs act like sponges, processing methods that work on loose hair can be disastrous for locs. Through our licensed color partners at both studios, we coordinate deeply conscious color for Microlocs, Sisterlocks®, and Traditional Locs, so your vibrant new color never comes at the cost of your hair's health.
Licensed Professional Service
Color services are performed by a licensed cosmetology professional. Locs By Steph B does not directly offer color services, as this requires separate professional licensing.
Consultation
Strand test & porosity check
Color Process
Safe lifting & depositing
Moisture Restoration
Intense hydration bath
Protecting Integrity
Why Professional Color is Non-Negotiable
Dyeing locs requires an entirely different skill set than dyeing loose natural hair. Because a loc is composed of thousands of intertwined hairs tightly compacted together, it acts as a highly absorbent sponge.
When chemical lighteners (bleach) or permanent dyes are applied, they immediately soak deep into the core of the loc. If these chemicals are not thoroughly neutralized and rinsed out—a process much more difficult than rinsing loose hair—they will continue to slowly process from the inside out. Weeks later, this trapped chemical residue literally eats away at the hair fibers, causing the locs to snap in half like dry twigs.
Color is performed by our licensed color partnersat both studios. They use liquid and cream formulations designed to penetrate carefully and rinse cleanly, and factor in your loc's current porosity, previous color history, and moisture levels before any developer is applied.
Warning: Henna
If you have previously used Henna or metallic home box-dyes on your locs, you must disclose this during consultation. Applying professional lightener over Henna can cause severe chemical reactions resulting in immediate loc destruction.
How Our Color Partners Work
Steps to Vibrant, Healthy Locs
Before committing to a color service, a consultation is mandatory. Your color specialist performs a strand test on a hidden loc to verify how quickly your hair lifts, the underlying pigment they are working against, and how well the hair retains its elasticity.
On the day of the color session, your color specialist applies the developer and lightener with meticulous care, focusing on achieving an even lift without compromising the bonds of the hair. Processing times are strictly monitored. Once the desired level is reached, the locs undergo an extensive, multi-step rinsing and neutralizing protocol to ensure absolutely zero active agents remain inside the loc barrel.
Finally, the color relies just as much on the finish as the chemistry. Because coloring strips the hair of its natural lipids, an intensive hydration recovery and pH-balancing bath is performed. This closes the hair cuticle smoothly over the new color molecules, locking in the vibrancy and ensuring your locs remain soft and pliable rather than dry and brittle.
Preserve the Shade
Caring for Colored Locs
Once you shift to color-treated locs, your at-home regimen must upgrade to match. Colored locs demand dedication to moisture.
Color-Safe Shampoos
Harsh clarifying shampoos with high sulfate contents will rapidly strip the deposited color. Switch exclusively to high-quality, sulfate-free, color-safe cleansers.
Cool Water Rinses
Hot water opens the hair cuticle, allowing color to bleed out of the loc down the drain. Wash and rinse your hair in cool to lukewarm water to lock the cuticle shut.
Moisture is Mandatory
Lightweight leave-in conditioners and rosewater sprays become your best friend. Colored locs are infinitely more susceptible to dryness and brittleness. Keep them hydrated.
Ready for a Change?
Schedule Your Color Consultation
Transform your look with colors tailored specifically to enhance your complexion and perfectly complement your loc set, at either of our studios.
Los Angeles Area
Inglewood, CA
Inside Naturally You Salon
8464 Crenshaw Blvd
Inglewood, CA 90305
48-hour notice to cancel
Join the WaitlistNot accepting new clients at Inglewood right now. Join the waitlist and you'll be contacted when a spot opens. Existing clients, book as usual.
Studio detailsDMV · Montgomery County
Silver Spring, MD
Inside Noire Salon · 2nd Floor
8225 A Georgia Ave
Silver Spring, MD 20910
14-day notice to cancel
Book at Silver SpringStudio details