Celebrity Hair · Oct 25

Chlöe Bailey's locs can do anything. Here's who makes them

From a knee-length jumbo braid at Essence to a sculpted updo at the VMAs, Chlöe Bailey and stylist Fesa Nu keep showing what locs can do. Here is how loc styling with added hair works and how to protect the scalp while you wear it.

By BraidingFest · Oct 25, 2026

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Video: @hair__poet on Instagram · 2026 VMAs · Hair by Fesa Nu

Chlöe Bailey has worn her locs long, high, braided, pinned and hidden. In 2026 alone she has taken them from a knee-length jumbo braid to a sculpted updo at the VMAs. The common thread is that the locs never go away. They just change shape.

A year of range

At the 19th annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards in Los Angeles on March 12, Bailey braided her locs into a single jumbo braid that, per Essence, swung all the way past her knees. Essence compared it to a look Tia Mowry had worn.

In late April she posted new visuals with her locs styled into dramatic high ponytails, long lengths moving down her body. HelloBeautiful, in a story republished by Black America Web, said the look had people asking whether those were really locs. For a Cécred hair party she wore an all-white look with a twisted bun, short bangs and long side pieces.

At the 2026 MTV VMAs in Los Angeles in September, she paired a crystal-embellished cutout gown with silver beading and mirrored details with locs piled high into a sculptural updo, curled pieces framing her face, according to Hot 100.9.

The artist behind the range

Bailey's longtime collaborator is Fesa Nu, the stylist known online as The Hair Poet (@hair__poet). HelloBeautiful credits Nu with Bailey's April loc looks, and Nu's own reel, embedded above, carries the VMAs hair credit. The partnership goes back years. Marie Claire credited Nu in December 2023 when Bailey hid her locs under two layered wigs for her Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Dionne Warwick. In a behind-the-scenes clip, Bailey reassured fans that the locs were still under the wig. In March 2024, The Zoe Report credited Nu with Bailey's jumbo box braids with curly ends at that year's Essence event, and noted that Nu also styled Alicia Keys for her Super Bowl performance with Usher.

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Photo: @hair__poet on Instagram · #locversatility

In an Essence "In The Chair" feature, Nu said she grew up doing her own hair, starting with braids, and came to California hoping to work as a celebrity makeup artist before hair took over. She lists protective styling, locs, braids and extensions as her specialties. Her stated secret for styling locs under wigs is building the flattest possible foundation while protecting the natural hair underneath, so the finish looks seamless. Her advice to clients is short: "Don't be scared to try something new."

Styling locs with added hair

Most of what makes a look like Bailey's possible happens before the styling starts. Locs can be braided, twisted, pinned and gathered like other textured hair. When a client wants more length or fullness than her locs have, a stylist can blend in extension hair for the event and take it out afterward, leaving the locs as they were. That is a different service from permanent loc extensions, which are attached to become part of the loc.

Nu is open about her method. In the post above, she lists the hair: six bundles at 34, 28 and 22 inches.

Loc clients can get a better result by briefing the stylist clearly:

Bring references. Show the shape, height and length you want, plus a photo of your outfit.
Ask how the added hair attaches and how it comes out. Make sure the plan leaves your own locs intact.
Talk about weight. Long added lengths and high styles put more load on the root.
Agree on how long to wear it. An event style is not meant to stay in for weeks.
Say something if it hurts. Pain in the chair is information, not something to push through.

Scalp and loc care while styled

Nu's own top tip in Essence is consistency: a healthy scalp, regular maintenance, hydration and protective styles that avoid excess tension on the hairline and scalp. She prefers lightweight moisturizers that do not leave buildup. She also pushed back on a common myth. Protective styles can help retain length, she said, but they do not make hair grow on their own.

The American Academy of Dermatology lists locs, tight buns, ponytails, updos and extensions among the styles that can cause traction alopecia, hair loss from constant pulling, when worn too tight. Its warning signs include pain, stinging or crusting on the scalp and sections of scalp pulled up like a tent. It recommends looser styling at the hairline, thicker braids or locs, keeping locs shorter, and giving hair breaks between tight styles. It also notes that traction alopecia can become permanent if it is not treated early, so a client who sees thinning should see a board-certified dermatologist.

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Photo: @hair__poet on Instagram · Blue Note Los Angeles

THE BRAIDINGFEST ANGLE

Loc clients want range without cutting or combing out. Styling with added hair is a service most loc clients don't know they can book.

Offer loc styling sessions: updos, jumbo braids, ponytails and extensions for events.
List the hair you use, the lengths and how it comes out. It builds trust.
Build the style on a flat, low-tension foundation and protect the hairline, especially under heavy added length.
Post every look with the same hashtag so your range builds a portfolio.

Sources: Essence · Essence: In The Chair With Fesa Nu · Black America Web (HelloBeautiful) · Hot 100.9 · Marie Claire · The Zoe Report · American Academy of Dermatology

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