50 New Butterfly Locs Ideas and Inspiration

Although butterfly locs are all the rage nowadays, most people don’t know what they are exactly and how they differ from similar styles.

We are here to explain the basics of this style and deliver a collection of trendy looks you can adopt if you are ready to take the plunge.

What Are They?

They combine natural tresses and hair extensions to form rope-like strands similar to dreads. Curly loops throughout the shaft add texture and give them a signature look.

What Hair to Use for Them?

There is no single solution on the best hair, but most experts recommend synthetic water wave extensions since they are affordable and have an irregular pattern which creates better volume and looks like natural Afro texture.

How Many Hair Packs Are Required?

It depends on the length and fullness of both the desired style and your natural curls. You are unlikely to use less than 6-8 packs of extensions for wrapping, and you will also need some filler hair for ropes longer than your own strands.

How Long Do They Take?

The installation time varies from two hours for a mid-length style of jumbo size to six hours for long and thin strands.

How Long Do They Last?

You can wear them for 4-6 weeks before your roots grow out and the strands get frizzy, but you should be also guided by your hair and scalp condition, which can be affected by buildup and tension.

50 Fancy Styling Ideas

Now, let’s move on to learning cool ways of styling various lengths and sizes.

1. Platinum and Ginger Curly Ropes. We really don’t know what makes this style stand out more — its unique color scheme or the marvelous texture.

2. Black Defined Curly Comb Over. Here we have a lavish side-parted style gaining volume through both the extra lift on the crown and the texture enriched with a bunch of springy curls.

3. Long Textured Pieces with Gypsy Feel. Although this style also incorporates loose spirals, it feels much more effortless and free-spirited due to the messier texture and irregular pattern of the ropes.

4. Massive Top Knot with Face-Framing Strands. If you are not sure how to style dreads, you can steal this classy look.

5. Color and Texture Increase. Here is another striking way to insert color and texture into your coif: the black base ensures amazing depth for the style while the flyaways and fluffiness placed throughout the brown and blonde add fullness.

6. Wrap Around Pony with Front Pieces. This girl doesn’t get by with throwing her ropes into a textured pony and adds a pair of intricately knotted strings to the front to handsomely frame her face.

7. Small Bronze Brown Tightly Wrapped Pieces. We like these small pieces for the natural feel of their brown-to-black melt and the swirly pattern they add to the signature wing-like texture.

8. Hip-Length Knotty Ropes. With such a length and volume, you don’t need a pink mane to steal the spotlight.

9. Texture Mix in Copper. Using loose hair for this style is old hat nowadays, but this vibrant coppery look goes beyond just two textures since its strands start tight yet end messy.

10. Statement Mid-Length Two-Tone Style. Don’t you like this cute two-tone look? Pair your favorite shades for a standout look – both in color and texture.

11. Half-Up Loopy Ropes. This voluminous style has some strands interlaced, which, together with multiple loops placed from top to bottom, makes it seem fuller and more textured.

12. Wine Red Dreads and Curls. This gorgeous set of dreads and beach waves catches the eye with a vibrant magenta color and a stunning mix of textures where the ropes of hair are intertwined with loose strands.

13. Long Curly Shag in Platinum. The sassy blonde shade alone would be enough to make this style stand out from the crowd, but it also comes with an extended size and an extremely piled texture.

14. Yummy Black and Red Loopy Dreads. If you are not ready to go super bright but still want some pops of color in your coif, this blend of black and wine red will give you a balanced berry-themed look.

15. Honey Blonde Ropes with Extreme Fluff. These waist-length fake dreads are sure to sparkle among other styles thanks to their offbeat texture spiced up with a golden color.

16. Aged Ginger Kinky Buns. Not only does this edgy style successfully mimic the look of mature dreadlocks, but it also shines out with the kinky texture and brick-red color.

17. Delicate Loopy Lob. This center-parted blunt lob with a fun curly string in the front features tight ropes of hair that gradually get frizzier toward the ends, thus creating a distinct pyramid shape.

18. Mid-Back Dreads with Color Pops. Here is convincing proof that dark brown is a good fit for bright blonde, and you can combine the two to arrive at a show-stopping, rich-in-contrast style.

19. Lavish Loopy Crochet Style. This butt-length style is done without bells and whistles, yet it manages to brilliantly show off its messy texture and bohemian nature.

20. Half-Up Space Buns. Thanks to the flexibility that results from a less stiff finish, you can construct fancy half updos, such as these dramatic space buns coupled with cascading golden spirals.

21. Bohemian Waterfall of Dreads. This style boasts a remarkable length complemented with a lush texture, and it also gets volume on the top with some strands gathered into a high pony.

22. Medium-Length Kinky Pieces with Highlights. Apart from the authentic feel of matted dreads, this style garners attention thanks to the playful blonde insertions peeking out from the black strands and replicating trendy highlights.

23. High-Shine Black Midi Coif. While many dreads are made basically one length, the ropes of hair in this bouncy style vary in length to add interest and create a kind of layered look.

24. Short Super Curly Kinky Pieces. Instead of putting ringlets into the strands, you can opt for ultra-loopy extensions and enjoy a bombshell style like this fluffy and bouncy lob.

25. Soft Shoulder-Length Loopy Bob. Wearing dreads doesn’t prevent you from playing with asymmetry, especially when it gives more space for showing intricately styled baby hairs.

26. Extra Length and Texture for Round Faces. This gal rocks her Rapunzel dreads loose, but they are ready to embrace various upstyles too.

27. Loopy Lob with Color Pops. Sometimes less is more, and a couple of golden pieces here prove it right.

28. White and Butter Fluffy Dreads. Those willing to try on a strikingly different hair color can get even several shades with hair extensions.

29. Thick-on-the-Bottom Dreaded Lob. This girl has arrived at handsomely shaped hair with the pieces getting thicker toward the ends.

30. Gorgeous Half Up Half Down. Apart from the volume and length that come with the loops packed into a high bun, we cannot but give a second glance at these fun spirals.

31. Jumbo Tight Blonde Ropes. Amazed by the color and the size, you can miss the texture that becomes messier on the bottom.

32. Loopy Lob Updo. This lovely coif feels totally bouncy, from the bulk of spirals on the top to the face-framing pieces.

33. Loopy Lob-Length Ropes. While oval faces pull off a center part easily, you are free to customize dreads to flatter your face shape.

34. Contrasting Texture and Long Length. This girl has chosen to emphasize the texture transition with tighter wraps around the roots.

35. Bob-Short Kinky Dreads. The next picture shows that short hair is not an obstacle to installing playful dreads.

36. Loopy Ropes with a Shaved Side. What could make a shaved style even bolder? A mix of black, brown, golden, and white pieces, of course!

37. Dreads with Chocolate Flavor. This style catches the eye with its fancy color and distinct loops of hair.

38. Fluffy Kinky Style with Interesting Parting. Playing with parting is just another way to give a unique touch to your dreads.

39. Kinky Box Dreads with Wispy Curls. The well-defined spirals in the front work to set off the cute messiness of these lob ropes.

40. Half-Up with Triangle Parting. The triangle parting selected for this hairdo adds whimsical star-like patterns to the look.

41. Shoulder-Length Comb-Over Bob. Actually, those ropes can be smoother or messier depending on the way the hair extensions are installed.

42. Feminine Long Layered Dreads. You might not believe it, but these lavish ropes are done on the base of a short pixie.

43. Crimson Red Eye-Catcher. Going red from roots to ends is the surefire way to garner attention and make your style pop.

44. Flirty Heart and Box Parting. The ropes of this bob got additional bents to create better fullness and bounce.

45. Neat Tightly Wrapped Pieces. Here, we have a nice blunt lob made of ropes with a more regular pattern and smoother finish.

46. Bold Striped Lob. Since lighter shades tend to better showcase the texture nuances, the white pieces of this lob accentuate the fluffiness.

47. Bronze Brown Layered Look. Going for dreads with metallic shine is a smart move when you want to highlight the texture.

48. Royal Burgundy Loopy Lob. If you wish to spice up your look but aren’t ready to rock bright red, burgundy extensions are just the thing.

49. Soft Waist-Length Style. This coif is oh-so-feminine, and its loopy ropes feel absolutely effortless.

50. Flared Coily Lob with Fiery Highlights. Well, you are not limited to black and white when creating stunning contrasts.

Frequently Asked Questions

After scrolling through our collection of bang-on styles, you could have some questions left but we got them covered.

How to do them?

You can use a hook to pull pre-looped crochet pieces through braids or make tight twists/braids and wrap them with pieces of extension hair, either with the help of a hook or without it.

How to seal?

The most common way is to make a kind of knot at the end and wrap the remaining piece of extension hair up the shaft. Pressing the hair with a flat iron or fixing the ends with a hair clue are alternative methods.

How much do they cost?

The cost of the styles done in a salon ranges from $150 to over $400 depending on the style complexity, hairdresser skills, and salon location (hair extensions are not included).

Do they hurt?

No, if they are not too tight.

Is it possible to do them on short hair?

Yes, having pixie-length hair is enough for the installation.

Are they a protective style?

Yes, they shield natural curls from physical impact and environmental factors.

Do they tangle?

They are not likely to tangle but can become messy over time.

Do they pull your hair out?

No, if they are done with no extra tension at the roots.

Why may them become stiff?

They may become matted with time if not maintained properly.

Do they help to grow your hair?

They can contribute to hair growth by protecting the length from manipulations.

How to refresh your style?

The maintenance requires spraying them with a mix of hair-friendly oil and water and massaging the oil into the scalp.

You can also shampoo the scalp and let the product run through your extensions when rinsing the hair.

How to take them out?

You need to cut a piece a bit below the point where your natural hair ends and then unravel the extension hair, moving upwards.

Now you have all the answers and a bunch of inspirational pictures for your next hair goal. Follow a video tutorial for a DIY coif, or book a visit to a salon — we are waiting to see the outcomes in our next collection!