Associations are easier than ever to find. For those dreadlock professionals who wish to be a part of the larger movement of locticians who want to spread their knowledge about the culture of dreadlocks and the lifestyle that may go along with it, associations can be a fantastic place to start. Not only are associations created to bring together a culture, they are there to support individual locticians in their training, supporting their needs, and allowing like-minded professionals a space in which to grow.

See associations for dreadlocks professionals:

• https://pocketsuite.io/associated-hair-professionals-ahp/
• https://pocketsuite.io/professional-beauty-association-pba/

Dreadlocks require a skilled hair braider to achieve the look of this particular hairstyle. Dreadlocks also need special care to keep the hair clean and hygienic without damaging the shape of the locks. These extra requirements mean you can charge more for your services while looking forward to repeat business. Once someone chooses a loctician to braid their dreadlocks, the customer tends to return to the same salon for upkeep and maintenance – so long as you do a great job and provide good customer service.

As a skilled dreadlocks professional, you’ll help clients achieve the look they want with dreadlocks, while advising them on proper cleaning and maintenance of their hairstyle. Multiple appointments are typically necessary to get dreadlocks established and growing strong, so you can also look forward to steady business from every new client who walks into your shop. Generally, the straighter or finer the client’s hair, the longer it will take to lock.

Working as a loctician, you’ll also enjoy the professional satisfaction and creativity that comes with helping people achieve a bold look that expresses their individuality. You also stand to make good money. Dreadlocks professionals earn on average three times as much as a hairstylist. The work takes skill and patience, and the financial rewards reflect this.

In this article you’ll learn:

• How much money you can make as a dreadlocks professional
• Training and Certification
• Professional Groups to Join
• Employment opportunities
• Finding Clients
• Plus helpful tips for new dreadlocks professionals

How much money can you make?

The average salary for a dreadlocks professional is $71,902 annually, according to SimplyHired. That’s more than three times as much a typical hair stylist earns. The top 10 percent of dreadlocks professionals are making more than $165,000 per year.

Weaving full dreadlocks by hand, a skilled loctician can charge anywhere from $200 to $800 or more for this hairstyling service. Pricing generally depends on your skill, your location and competition from other salons and locticians that offer dreadlock weaving.

Training and Certification

Training programs for locticians can be found throughout the United States. Prices for beginner courses range from about $500 for a 4-hour course to more than $1,000. If you live in a state that requires licensing for locticians it’s important for you to choose a training program that satisfies those requirements. Online programs generally cost half as much as in-person training, although by attending classes with a live instructor you stand to gain more hands-on experience, which may get you up to speed faster than studying online.

In 23 states no license is required to offer dreadlock services. Other states variously require a full cosmetology license or a special license for hair braiding. Check with your state’s cosmetology board to confirm any requirements that apply where you live.

Some of the topics a good dreadlocks training program will cover:

• The main dreadlock braiding methods, depending on hair type.
• How to braid dreadlocks that are neat, tight and well formed.
• How to make dreadlocks without using products.
• Maintaining dreadlocks without resorting to wax, threading or looping through.
• How to set up a dreadlocking studio.
• How to provide great customer service.
• How to create the correct sized base for dreadlocks depending on the hair type.
• Providing after-care advice.
• How to quote pricing.
• Basic marketing for your services.

Professional Groups to Join

The largest and most respected association for hairstylists is the American Cosmetology Association. By joining this association you’ll be able to network with professionals across a range of beauty fields.

Locticians Across the World offers a venue for professional discussion, networking and the exchange of tips and techniques.

There’s also a private Facebook group, Professional Locticians Worldwide.

Employment

Visiting local salons with copies of your certification, license (if applicable in your state) and resume are a great way to get your name and face in front of prospective employers. Even if there are no immediate openings, many employers appreciate the initiative it takes to walk in the shop and introduce yourself. It sets you apart from the many people who simply email their resumes and wait. A quick online search should reveal all the salons in your area that offer loctician services, including dreadlocks braiding. For salons that do not offer dreadlock braiding, consider visiting with the owner or manager of each and recommending that they should offer this service. You might just be able to create a job for yourself.

Online searches on sites such as Indeed and ZipRecruiter will also turn up job openings. Just remember that some states have licensing requirements and others do not. 

Your credentials may not automatically transfer from one state to another. In moving to another state you may have to take that state’s licensing exam to keep working.

Also use the networking power of your professional memberships to find jobs. After all, other locticians will be the first to know about job openings in the shops where they work. You might learn about an opportunity even before it’s advertised.

Finding Clients

Business cards and a basic website should be part of your marketing toolkit. The website need not be fancy or expensive. Just attractively designed, with photos of your work, location and contact information. If customers contact you about cost, explain that you’ll need to do a consultation to evaluate their hair and understand the look they want to achieve. Once you get them in your shop, then you can talk about cost. Serious clients will come see you. People who are shopping around for the cheapest price will just take up your time on the phone

In addition to your business website, create an Instagram account to showcase your dreadlock braiding services. The idea is to post plenty of “before” and “after” photos with hashtags so that people looking for a loctician can find you. For example, using #Dreadlocks as a hashtag will cause your Instagram page to pop up when people search for this hair braiding service on the platform. Instagram is the #1 online venue for beauty professionals to display their work. Be sure to get written permission from your clients before you post images of their faces. You can download and print free photo release forms here.

Other strategies for attracting new business:

• Ask happy customers to review your work online. Word-of-mouth endorsements are still the best advertising.
• Give discounts to new customers.
• Create a referral program with discounts for returning customers who bring new clients to you.
• Ask clients to review your services online. According to a survey, 90% of people say their buying decisions are influenced by positive online reviews.
• Ask all new clients to complete a simple form about their interest in your sugaring services. Get their contact information on the form. This lets you follow up with clients and increase repeat business.

Good to know:

A great way to help your customers and boost your profits as a professional loctician is to stock an assortment of dreadlock-specific beauty products in your shop. Dreads require special care and maintenance, and there are shampoos, conditioners and oils formulated just for the maintenance and cleaning of dreadlocks. Selling these products should be easy because your customers will need them and they are already in your shop, so it’s convenient for clients to buy now. The other benefit of stocking these products is the profit margin – up to 40 percent. It’s attractive math: the sale of one $15 bottle of conditioner could put $6 in your pocket.

New clients just starting out with dreadlocks may need to visit you two to four times a month for up to six months until the locks begin to grow strong. Keep them on schedule with PocketSuite’s appointment booking app.

If you enjoyed this article, check out some other PocketSuite.io content that can help you grow your career as a dreadlocks professional. Here’s a great place to start. You’ll also love our guide on how to generate leads for service businesses.PocketSuite has thousands of business owners who all started where you are right now. Our community is always happy to help you ramp up, grow your client base, and achieve your income goals, both within the PocketSuite app and as part of our exclusive Facebook Community Group. PocketSuite’s vision is for any professional to be able to work for themselves and make a great living. It starts here. It starts with you. It starts today. Let’s get started, download PocketSuite now! Feel free to reach out with any questions (we’d love to hear from you)! Text us @ (415) 841-2300.

The specific training and certification to become a dreadlock professional varies between states across the country. Some states require locticians to undertake a full cosmetology course through a registered beauty school, while others do not require any formal education to become a practicing loctician. Some states require only hygiene and safety courses to be completed, and/or braiding units from a larger course. Regardless of the individual requirements of each state it is always a good idea for any professional to improve their skills in a competitive market. By completing a cosmetology course or other registered beauty course, or by taking online or face-to-face dreadlock courses, you will only help to increase your chances of becoming successful in the industry.

If you have a love for hair and a passion for the cool, unique style that is dreadlocks, you may want to consider becoming a loctician. These professional hair stylists specialize in creating the hairstyle made famous by the rise of the 1960s Rastafari movement in Jamaica and made particularly famous by musician Bob Marley. A dreadlock professional or loctician is responsible for:

• The guidance and preparation of a client’s hair to create dreadlocks
• Using different techniques to create dreadlocks, based on the client’s hair type
• Create ongoing relationships with clients to maintain the growth of a dreadlock into a fully established dreadlock
• Administration duties
• Scalp treatments

There are specific government mandated regulations to becoming a dreadlock professional, particularly regarding the services that you are able to provide. As such, it is important to conduct specific research into each element of the profession, and to find the best option for you and your future career.

Requirements for a Dreadlocks Professional

To become a loctician, you may be required to undertake specific training in the field in order to provide your professional service to a range of clients. Professionals may also be required to become certified in their state before they can legally practice their work with clients. Similarly, these requirements may differ based on whether a dreadlock professional is working with a salon or offering a private service. These requirements will vary from state to state and can be confusing to those new to the field. Many professionals find it beneficial to join industry-based community groups or associations to help guide you on the path towards the requirements of becoming a dreadlock professional.

How Much do Dreadlocks Professionals Earn?

The earnings for a dreadlocks professional, or loctician, can be extremely variable. The range in annual earnings for this type of profession can range anywhere from $28,000 up to $80,000. This massive range has a great deal to do with a loctician’s influence on social media, overall skills, clientele, location, type of business and more.

Growing Your Career as a Dreadlocks Professional

To become a successful dreadlock professional there are many steps that must be taken. Not only will a loctician be required to undertake training and certification, but they must also establish a name for themselves in a fast-growing market. Social networking is a must for those hoping to break into the beauty world. By creating an online presence, people may begin to notice your work and you will begin to stand out above your peers. This is an extremely useful tool in the modern business world. Online groups and associations are also extremely important for the metal health of individuals, a sense of community and to help upskill one another within the dreadlock profession.

Search through the resources below to begin a journey to your dream job.

Resources to help in starting or expanding your Dreadlocks Professional career:

• Dreadlocks Professional Certification Programs and Training
• Dreadlocks Professional Associations
• Dreadlocks Professional Networking Groups

The dreadlock community consists of professionals with far-ranging interests, from those who associate their dreadlocks with the cool vibes of Jamaica, or for those who dare to be different. In today’s online world, the community of dreadlock lovers and locticians has grown through the formation of networking groups. Through Facebook groups, online forums and Instagram hashtags, more people than ever are able to come together and embrace this community. This is particularly important for locticians who want to spread the word of their work, gain new followers, or who wish simply to educate people on the creation of dreadlocks. Websites such as Meetup allow you to search for industry-specific gatherings in your area, allowing locticians and hair professionals of all fields to come together in one place. As with associations, dreadlock communities provide a less formal method of congregating and supporting one another as professionals.

Check out Facebook Groups for Dreadlocks Professionals:

professional dreadlocks

DreadsLocks

Dreadlocks Specialists

Dreadlock Philippines Official

Dreadlocks

Dreadlock Artist Ng Pinas

Dreadlocks Pinas

Divine Dreadlocks Community (& Dread Models)

styling dreadlocks salon (SDS)

dreadlocks Asia

Dreadlock Kingdom

Dreadlocks And Damage Hair Specialist

DIXMAN’s DREADLOCK STYLES @BOTSWANA

Dreadlocks natty dreads

Dreadlocksolutions

AbeLove Dreadlocks Styles

Dreadlocks Site

Dreadlock Creators

Dreadlocks Styles

DREADLOCKS DOCTOR

Dreadlock Covet

Dreadlocks family

Dreadlocks – Professional

DREADLOCKS HAIRSTYLES.

#Dreadlocks_Lover’s ??

Dreadlocks

The Dread Dr. Dreadlock Specialist U.K

Brenda’s Dreadlocks professional Salon

DREADLOCKS 4 EVER

Dreadlocks united

Dreadlocks

DREADLOCK CHANNEL

DREADLOCKS NATION

DREADLOCKS MY LIFE STYLE

PHILIPPINE DREADLOCK ARTIST

PHIL. DREADLOCKS FAMILY

The Dreadlocked Mama

dreadlock naija

Learn,Teach,Share HairKnowledge- Dreadlocks Box Braid Ext Color & Dye

Dreadlocks UK & Ireland

Natural Dreadlocks Lesotho

Your locks is my concern

Philippine Dreadlocks Family

Design DREADLOCKS (SIEY)

Dreadlocks city

Dread Locks (I love my hair style #viadreadlocks)

Caucasian- typical dreads: appearance

KIDS THEIR DREADLOCKS

The Dread Shed Dreadlocks network and support

AY AMBASSADOR STYLIST & DREADLOCKS

★Dreadlocks in Sydney★

Divine Dreadlocks Advanced Loctician Support

Dreadlocked Fun

Freeform Dreadlocks

DREaDLOCKS: ATTRACTIVE & MEANINGFUL

Dreadlocks calamba

Dreadlocks Nation ( Everything Dreads)

VICTOR NQOBILE DREADLOCKS

Naturalista Zimdreadlocks

DREADLOCKS CLINIC

I.K Natural hair and dreadlocks

Dreadlock Centric

DREADLOCKS IN DELHI

Dreadlockz PH

Dreadlocks and rasta around facebook

Share your dreadlocks style

DREADLOVE©

Seems like the kinda thing people with dreadlocks do 2

Rocked locs dreadloc group

DREADLOCK HOLIDAY Band

Dreadlock Extensions – Worldwide Shipping – Next Day Delivery

Those arent Dreadlocks, It’s matted unwashed hair

Dreadlocks permaculture

The Dreadlocked (US and Canada)

Richie the Dreadlocks Teacher(RDT)

Divine crown dread lock natural care

MOSES PAC DREADLOCKS , 0753714352

FOXYlocks Dreadlocks

Extreme Dreadlockz Expertz

DreadLife

INTERNATIONAL DREADLOC CULTURE

ILOCANDIA DREADLOCKS FAMILY

(Nii O’s WORLD) OF DREADLOCKS AND HAIR CLINIC

AMIGOS DREADLOCK SPECIALISTS

Dreadlocks France

Get knotted! My professional dreadlock journey

PRINCE’S DREADLOCKS & MORE

Dreadlocks

Tich DreadLocks

DreadlockTruth

Dreadlocks 101

Dreadlocks styles

Associated Hair Professionals (AHP) is a membership organization offering liability insurance and business support resources for professional hairstylists and barbers.

AHP was founded by the people responsible for Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) and Associated Skin Care Professionals (ASCP), the nation’s largest professional membership associations in their fields. ABMP has been insuring and assisting its members since 1987, and ASCP since 2007. In 2012, they welcomed hairstylists and barbers.

How to Join Associated Hair Professionals (AHP)

Visit the website linked below to join and learn more about AHP’s membership benefits.

Resources for Associated Hair Professionals (AHP)

Location: 25188 Genesee Trail Road, Suite 200, Golden, CO 80401

Website: https://www.associatedhairprofessionals.com/

Email: info@associatedhairprofessionals.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahphair/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahphair/

This training program promises to give you “a massive jump start serving clients.” The program includes hands-on training with professional techniques, as well as access to an exclusive team members area, database app, and the recognition of the Dreadlock Central brand.

Training Programs at Dreadlock Central

• Dreadlock Central Apprenticeship Program
• Price Range: Starting at $2,975

Resources for Dreadlock Central

• Phone: (937) 524-5368
• Website: https://dreadlockcentral.com/careers/apprenticeship/
• Email: Connect@DreadlockCentral.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreadlockcentral/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreadlockcentral

Dreadlock Extensions and More by Keisha offers Locs training classes, enabling students to begin a new, financially rewarding and long lasting career in natural hair.

Training Programs at Dreadlock Extensions and More by Keisha

• Starter Natural Dreadlock Class
  
• Starter Natural Dreadlock Class For Caucasian or/Straight/Wavy /Curly Textured Hair
  
• Temporary Dreadlock Extension Class
  
• Human Hair Dreadlock Extension Class
  
• The Master Loctician Class
• Price Range: $500 – $1,000 

Resources for Dreadlock Extensions and More by Keisha

• Phone: (404) 428-3632
• Website:https://dreadlockextensionsandmorebykeisha.webs.com/dreadlocktrainingacademy.htm
• Email: dreadlockextensionsandmore@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/locgoddessatlanta/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Loc-Extensions-and-More-By-Keisha-257646141017596/

Phyllis Allen Training Center offers comprehensive training for the hair care industry. Learn in a hands-on boot camp about hair locking.  The 2-Day Hands-on Ultimate Deadlocks Masterclass Boot Camp comes with certification in providing dreadlock services.

Training Programs at Phyllis Allen Training Center

• Hands-0n Ultimate Dreadlocks Masterclass Boot Camp
• Price Range: $1,495 – $2,855

Resources for Phyllis Allen Training Center

• Phone: (407) 733-0705
• Website: https://www.ultimatelocmasteryclass.com/
• Email: trainingcenterpa@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phyllisallentrainingcenter/

The Loc Science Course focuses on proper loc maintenance and is designed to help students learn and understand the fundamental science of the loc. The loc course demands precision, requires focus, and teaches skill, all while challenging students to push their limits. 

Training Programs at Loc Art Hair Studio

• 3-Day Loctician Course
• Price Range: Starting at $1,100

Resources for Loc Art Hair Studio

• Phone: (678) 894-9083
• Website: https://locartstudio.com/atlanta-loctician-training-classes/
• Email: locartteam@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LocArtStudio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LocArtStudio/