Loc Taper in Mississauga: Clean Edges Between Your Retwists

Our part of a loc appointment is the edges

Every clipper, trimmer and razor stroke in a loc taper happens on the short hair below and around the locs. We shape the sides, clean the nape and set a lineup at the forehead and temples that follows your natural hairline.

The locs themselves are your loctician's work. If a loc needs shortening, repairing or reattaching, or your roots need a retwist, that is a separate appointment with them. Our loc taper guide explains taper heights and neckline options in full, so this page sticks to booking with us.

Lining up your barber visits with your retwist

Most people retwist less often than a taper stays sharp, so the two calendars need a small plan. The simplest routine is one barber visit right after each retwist and one halfway between.

If you like the whole look fresh on the same day, book your loctician first and our chair after. We are open until 9 PM daily, which makes an evening taper after a daytime retwist easy to fit.

What to tell us when you sit down

A two-minute conversation at the start keeps the taper where it belongs. These are the points we ask about, so have answers ready.

• Do you mostly wear the locs down, tied back or up in a bun? The answer sets how high the taper can go.
• Where is your lowest row of parts at the sides and nape?
• Is the scalp tender anywhere from a recent retwist or a tight style?
• Tapered, rounded or blocked at the neck?
• Are you growing the locs longer, or keeping the length steady?

Which barber suits the edges around your locs

Marcel Shabo leans toward low and mid tapers and fine detailing, which is most of what a loc taper is: a soft, controlled blend in a small area, cut close to hair you cannot touch. Book him on Booksy by name if that is the finish you want.

Mark Yousif leans toward skin fades and razor lineups, so he suits clients who wear their locs up and want the sides taken to bare skin. Either barber protects the locs during the cut, and both finish with a razor-clean outline. You can read more on the Marcel Shabo profile.

Locs, hats and Ontario summers

Summer is when most people tie their locs up to keep them off the neck in the humidity, and that is exactly when the nape and the area behind the ears are on show. Book a little more often from June to August if you wear them up, perhaps every two weeks instead of three, and keep the neckline tapered rather than blocked so the regrowth looks soft between visits.

In winter, hood linings and scarves rub at the nape and can leave the neckline looking fuzzy sooner. Keep ties loose and move your updo around between visits; if the temples start to thin, see a doctor or dermatologist rather than hiding it with a lower lineup.