Loc Retwist Schedule & Stage Timeline

How often to retwist locs: how the schedule is worked out

The planner does two separate things. It places your locs on the usual stage timeline from the date they were started, and it spaces your retwists according to the method you use and how quickly new growth shows.

months locked = days since the start date ÷ 30.44
next session  = last retwist + interval
interval      = short end of the range for fast growth,
                middle for average, long end for slow

The retwist interval

Palm rolling and comb retwisting are usually repeated every 4–6 weeks and interlocking every 6–8 weeks, because interlocked roots do not loosen when they get wet. Semi-freeform locs are mostly left alone, so the planner suggests a root check every 8–12 weeks instead. Fast new growth puts you at the short end of each range and slow growth at the long end. The planner then lists the next 6 dates. If your planned date has already passed, the list starts today.

Why not more often?

A retwist pulls on the newest, weakest part of the hair. Hairstyles that keep steady tension on the root are linked with traction alopecia, and the risk goes up with tightness and with how often the tension is repeated. That is why the planner never schedules sessions closer than 4 weeks apart, whatever you select. A retwist should feel neat, not sore. If you wear your locs in updos or ponytails between sessions, keep those loose too.

The stage timeline

Stages are named by how the locs look and feel — starter, budding, teen, mature and rooted — and the month ranges attached to them are averages that locticians commonly quote. The planner uses those ranges to tell you where you probably are and when the next stage typically begins. It also shows which stage each future session is likely to fall in, and gives washing guidance for your current stage.

What the planner cannot tell you

It cannot see your hair. Texture, loc size, how the locs were started and how you wash them all move the timeline, so you may be ahead of or behind the stage it shows. It also cannot judge tension: only you and your loctician can tell whether a retwist is too tight. If you are still planning your install, the loc count calculator estimates how many locs you will have, and the hair care calendar can hold your wash days alongside these dates.