Butterfly Locs vs Boho Faux Locs: The Texture Difference
Clients send me the same reference photo under two different names. Half call it boho locs, half call it butterfly locs, and the photo is usually one with a bit of both. The names are not interchangeable, and the difference decides what hair you buy and how the set looks at week five.
The difference is texture. Boho faux locs are wrapped smooth and tight, with loose curly strands left out along the length for softness. Butterfly locs are wrapped loosely on purpose so loops and frizz form along each loc, giving a distressed, matte look with no separate curls. Both are faux locs, both protect your hair, and I install both on the butterfly locs menu.
The texture difference in one look
Run your hand down a boho loc and it feels smooth, like a rope, with a soft curl brushing past every few inches. Run your hand down a butterfly loc and it catches on loops the whole way, and the surface is fuzzy rather than sleek. That is the entire distinction. Everything else, the base braid, the length options, the colors, is shared.
From a distance, boho locs read as polished and romantic. Butterfly locs read as lived in and textured. Close up, boho locs show a clean wrap with curls floating around it; butterfly locs show the wave of the wrapping hair bunched into loops along the loc. In photos, boho locs catch light on the smooth surface, and butterfly locs absorb it.
The confusion comes from the hair companies. Pre made loc packs are sold under boho, goddess, butterfly and soft loc names with very little consistency, and a looped loc with curls attached might be labeled any of the four. Ignore the label and look at the wrap: smooth with curls beside it is boho, looped and fuzzy with no separate curls is butterfly.
What boho faux locs are
Boho faux locs are part of the goddess loc family. The base is a braid or twist on your own hair with braiding hair added, and the wrap is done tight and even with a smooth braiding hair, so the loc has a uniform, rope like surface. What makes them boho rather than plain goddess locs is the curly hair worked in at intervals along the loc, left loose so it hangs beside it. The curls are usually a deep wave or a loose curl in the same color family.
The result is a loc that looks finished and a head of hair that looks soft. It is the version people want for weddings and photos, because the curls frame the face and move. The trade off is that the curls are the maintenance: they frizz without a scarf, they tangle at the ends, and they need a little mousse or curl refresher through the wear.
Boho locs also come as pre made crochet units, with the curls already attached to each loc. Those install faster but sit heavier at the root, and the curl placement is whatever the factory decided.
What butterfly locs are
Butterfly locs use the same braided base, but the wrap is water wave hair rather than smooth braiding hair, and the wrap is loose by design. As the wavy hair winds around the braid, it bunches and leaves small loops standing out along the loc. Those loops are the look. The loc ends up thicker, matte and fluffy, with a distressed finish that looks like it has been worn for a while from day one.
There are no separate curls. The texture comes from the loc itself. That makes butterfly locs lighter in the hand than a boho set with a lot of curl added, and it means the style ages gracefully, because a little extra frizz at week five blends into a set that was already textured. The deeper guide to the install, the hair and the wear is in butterfly locs: what they are and how long they last.
Side by side: hair, weight, wear and upkeep
Here is how the two compare on the points that matter when you are choosing.
| Point | Boho faux locs | Butterfly locs |
|---|---|---|
| Wrap texture | Smooth and tight | Loose with loops |
| Wrapping hair | Smooth braiding hair | Water wave hair |
| Curls | Curly pieces left out along the loc | None; the loops are the texture |
| Finish | Polished, shiny surface | Matte, distressed |
| Weight | Heavier with more curl added | Lighter, airy |
| Frizz over time | Shows on the curls and at the roots | Blends into the look |
| Typical wear | 6 to 8 weeks | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Best for | Weddings, photos, a soft romantic look | Everyday, vacation, a low effort textured look |
Install time is similar for both when done by the braid and wrap method, because the slow part is wrapping every loc from root to tip. Boho sets take a little longer when a lot of curl is added, since each curl is placed by hand.
What hair to buy for each
Buying the wrong wrap hair is the number one reason a set comes out as the other style. If you bring smooth braiding hair and ask for butterfly locs, you get goddess locs. If you bring water wave and ask for boho locs, you get butterfly locs with curls.
For boho faux locs
- Braiding hair for the base and for the smooth wrap, in your chosen color.
- Curly hair, deep wave or a loose curl, for the pieces left out. A pack or two in a matching or lighter shade.
For butterfly locs
- Braiding hair for the base, one or two packs.
- Water wave hair for the wrap. This is the whole look, so do not substitute.
For either, buy one pack more than the plan. Running out at the nape with three sections left is not a problem a stylist can fix. Keep the receipt and return the spare pack after the install if it is still sealed.
Which one to choose
Choose boho faux locs if you want a soft, polished look for an event, if you like curls around your face, and if you are willing to tie the curls down at night and refresh them. Choose butterfly locs if you want the lowest effort version of a loc style, if you prefer a matte texture, or if you want a set that still looks right at week six without a lot of attention.
Face and occasion both matter. Curls around the face soften a strong jaw and are flattering for photos. The looped texture of butterfly locs gives a bob or a shoulder set more presence and suits a casual, everyday wardrobe. The length and the updo options are the same for both, and I go through those in butterfly locs styles.
Can you combine them
Yes, and that is what most of the reference photos actually show. A butterfly loc wrap with a few curly pieces left out gives you the looped texture and the face framing curls. Ask for it that way, bring both water wave and curly hair, and I build it loc by loc.
If you are still torn, think about week six rather than day one. Day one, both look great. Week six, the boho set needs its curls refreshed and the roots smoothed to look intentional, while the butterfly set mostly needs a scarf at night. People who love doing their hair pick boho. People who want to forget about it pick butterfly.
Book boho or butterfly locs in Springfield Gardens
I am Tyca, and I install both styles at the Tyca Beaute studio, 146-20 232nd St in Springfield Gardens, Queens, by appointment only. Bring the right wrap hair for the style you want, arrive with clean, detangled hair, and tell me the length and loc size when you book. The studio is open Wednesday and Thursday 9am to 7pm, Friday and Saturday 9am to 8pm, and Sunday 9am to 5pm, with a 20% deposit to hold an online booking and rescheduling up to 72 hours before.
Book on the booking page under butterfly locs, or call (973) 963-7449 if you want to send the reference photo first and settle which style it is.
Questions readers ask
Are boho locs and goddess locs the same thing?
Close. Both are smooth wrapped faux locs. Goddess locs usually leave only the ends curly, while boho locs add curly pieces along the whole length. Many stylists use the names loosely.
Which is lighter, boho locs or butterfly locs?
Butterfly locs, because water wave hair is airy and there are no extra curls added. A boho set with a lot of curl at waist length is the heaviest of the two.
Can butterfly locs be made to look like boho locs later?
Not really. The looped wrap is set at install. You can add curly pieces to a butterfly set at the next install, but you cannot smooth a looped wrap afterward.
Do boho faux locs frizz more than butterfly locs?
The curls frizz and the smooth wrap shows fuzz against it, so yes, boho locs show wear sooner. Butterfly locs are already textured, so extra frizz blends in.