With over 14 million Instagram followers, Lil Durk has become just as well known for his unique hairstyle as he is for his music. If you want to learn how to make the iconic look your own, you’re in the right place!
This article will walk you through everything you could possibly need to know about getting, styling, and maintaining Lil Durk’s signature hairstyle. Let’s jump right in!
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What Is the Lil Durk Hairstyle?
Lil Durk is a well-known Chicago rapper and singer. Lil Durk’s hairstyle has evolved over the years, but as of lately, he’s been known for his braided dreadlocks.
To get the look, his bleach blonde dreadlocks are parted and plaited. The individual locs are on the smaller side and look about the same width as a pencil.
How to Get the Lil Durk Hairstyle
Lil Durk’s hairstyle is excellent for people with medium-length to long hair. Although it's better if you start with mature dreads, we’ll walk you through the process of installing them from scratch. Without further ado, here are step-by-step instructions on how to get the Lil Durk hairstyle.
Install Dreadlocks
What makes Lil Durk’s hairstyle so iconic is that it is a bleached, dreadlocked hairstyle. So, if you want to recreate the look in its entirety, you’ll have to bleach your hair and get dreadlocks installed.
Although there are multiple starting methods, Lil Durk started his dreadlocks using comb coils.
Coiled dreadlocks get the “loc look” relatively quickly and can help you achieve the Lil Durk hairstyle in a fraction of the time it would take with other dread starting methods.
How to Do Comb Coils
To create comb coils, start with freshly washed hair. Then, apply a loc cream or mousse and make sure it's evenly distributed. Part your hair in your desired pattern, with each section representing one dreadlock.
Use a fine-tooth comb to grab a section at the root and twist it clockwise until it forms a smooth coil. You want your hair to be damp as you create your coils, so spray your hair with water if it starts to dry out as you work through your hair.
Once satisfied, secure the lock with a clip, and move on to the next section.
Repeat the process until all of your hair is in coils. Once you’re finished, the only thing left to do is wait for your hair to loc. They’ll lock up within 6 months to a year.
All you need to do is keep them clean, twist up your new growth every 4 to 6 weeks, and oil your scalp as needed.
Get Your Locs Professionally Bleached
Bleaching your hair is optional, although Lil Durk’s platinum blonde locs are key to his style. Kinky hair types are incredibly fragile, so we recommend going to a professional stylist if you want to get your hair lightened.
Ask your stylist to bring your hair up to a medium or light blonde, although you can also show your stylist a picture and ask them to recreate the same shade.
Keep in mind that this step is optional, so you don’t have to lighten your hair if you don’t want to or if your hair isn’t healthy enough.
Prepare Your Hair
Once your hair is ready to style, shampoo and condition your locs. Starting with clean hair helps your style last longer and promotes healthy hair.
Once your locs are clean, it's time to figure out how you want to part them.
Lil Durk’s braids have more of a free-form parting pattern, so you don’t have to spend time making sure your parts are crisp.
However, they should be roughly the same size, so your braids look uniform. Determine how you want your braids to fall and separate the locs into small groups.
Braid the Locs
Once you’ve decided on your parts, gather the dreadlocks and braid them in groups of three to six. Braid the section from roots to ends and then move to the next section.
Repeat the process on the rest of your locs until you’ve plaited them all. After you’ve finished braiding, smooth on some cream or serum, and enjoy your new hairstyle!
How to Style Your Lil Durk Braids
Once you’ve finished creating your Lil Durk braids, styling them is a breeze. Lil Durk typically wears a middle part, although you can experiment with different parts to see which one works best with your features.
Carefully plan the direction and size of your braids. Make sure they fall the way you want, and add face-framing braids to make the style more flattering.
Rub a small amount of pomade between your palms and smooth it down your finished style. That will help lock out frizz, give your locs some shine, and help your hairstyle last longer.
How Long Does the Lil Durk Hairstyle Last?
If you take care of it properly, your Lil Durk-inspired hairdo should last about 1 to 2 weeks. You don’t want to keep your locs in braids for too long, or they may start to get tangled and fuse together.
Every week or two, take your braids out and give your locs a thorough wash and conditioning treatment. Then, let your hair rest for a day or two before braiding it back up.
How to Take Care of the Lil Durk Hairstyle
Giving your Lil Durk hairstyle the proper care will keep your locs healthy and looking their best. It will also help extend the life of your braids, but don’t take our word for it.
Here’s a crash course on how to take care of and maintain your Lil Durk-inspired hairdo.
- Protect your hair before you go to sleep - Sleeping with your hair unprotected will leave it dry and frizzy. Cover your locs with a satin scarf, durag, or bonnet.
- Get your dreadlocks retwisted regularly - Lil Durk’s dreadlocks are exceptionally well maintained. If you want to recreate the look, you should follow suit and get your dreadlocks retwisted every 4 to 6 weeks or as necessary. You can get them professionally retwisted or learn how to do the upkeep yourself.
- Give your hair plenty of moisture - Moisture is critical for locked hair. Without it, your hair will dry out, become brittle, and break off. Keep your hair hydrated by applying a deep conditioner once a week. Use hydrating creams, lotions, and sprays as needed, and seal the water into your strands with a hair-healthy oil.
- Detox your locs - Sometimes, dreadlocks need a deep clean. Detoxifying treatments use highly concentrated cleansers to cut through stubborn buildup and get your strands squeaky clean. Loc detoxes eliminate leftover products, oils, dirt, and dead skin cells much more effectively than shampoo alone. Don’t want to buy a pre-made detox? Make one yourself.
- Don’t go to sleep with wet hair - Dreads and braids hold onto water, and this style has both of them. Unfortunately, a warm, damp scalp creates the perfect conditions for an explosion of bacterial and fungal growth. Going to sleep with wet hair increases your chances of developing scalp issues like itching, flaking, and dandruff. Make sure you dry your hair thoroughly before sleeping and, if you can’t avoid it, sleep with your hair uncovered. That way, the moisture can evaporate rather than become stagnant.
Lil Durk’s hairstyle is unique, low maintenance, and beginner friendly. However, it’ll be more challenging to achieve if you don’t already have mature locs. You’ll also have to decide whether or not you want to commit to bleaching your hair.
While bleached locs are visually striking, it’s fragile and takes effort to keep healthy. That said, we hope this article has answered all your questions about Lil Durk’s hairstyle and how to get the look at home.
