Seattle · Central District
Most people who sit in this chair for restoration were told to cut and start over. Usually they don't have to.
Thinning at the root, unraveling ends, snapped locs, matting, or work from a previous loctician that went wrong — this is repairable more often than not. Send photos before you come in and we'll plan it properly.
What gets fixed
None of these require starting your locs over, in most cases.
The most common reason people come in. Years of tight retwisting wears the base down until the loc is hanging by a thread. Rebuilt from the root so it holds weight again.
Locs coming apart at the tip, usually after a wash or a stretch without maintenance.
A loc that has already broken off can often be reattached rather than started over.
Locs that have grown into each other at the root, separated and re-formed as individual locs.
Years of product, residue, and lint trapped inside the loc — cleared with a clarifying soak before any repair begins.
Uneven sizing, over-tight installs, wrong technique for your hair type. This is a large part of what walks through the door.
Pricing
Published, not quoted on the spot. The consultation fee comes off the work.
| Service | Price | Time | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loc restoration consultation | $50 | 45 min | A full assessment, a written plan, and a firm quote. The $50 comes off your restoration service. |
| Loc repair — minor | $90 | 90 min | 1–10 locs. Thin, unraveling, or damaged locs rebuilt. Book the consultation first if you're not sure of the count. |
| Loc repair — major consult first | $180 | 3 hrs | 11–25 locs. Repair across a larger section. Consultation required first. |
| Root repair / reattachment consult first | $120 | 2 hrs | For locs thinning or breaking at the root. Rebuilds the base so the loc holds instead of snapping again. |
| Full loc restoration consult first | from $350 | 5 hrs | 26+ locs. Whole-head work for locs that have thinned, broken, matted, or been damaged by a previous loctician. Quoted at consultation. |
| Loc detox & clarifying treatment | $65 | 60 min | Deep clarifying soak for buildup, residue, and lint. Recommended before any restoration work. |
Some locs cannot be saved. If yours are among them you'll hear it at the consultation — before you've paid for anything except the consult.
We would rather lose the booking than take $350 for work that won't hold. A loc that has been over-processed, burned, or worn down past the point of rebuilding needs to be cut, and pretending otherwise costs you money and time.
The consultation exists so that conversation happens first, not halfway through a five-hour appointment.
How it works
Text or email photos of your roots, your ends, and any locs you're worried about. Good light, no filter.
45 minutes in the chair. Ruth assesses every loc, tells you what can be recovered and what can't, and writes you a plan with a firm price.
Buildup and lint have to come out before repair. If your locs need clarifying, that happens before the rebuild.
One client in the studio at a time. Large restorations are sometimes split across two visits so nobody sits for eight hours.
"My locs had been worked on by different locticians over time. Ruth confidently assured me she would fix them — and she absolutely delivered. When she finished, I fell in love with my locs all over again."Sifa Ali · Loc restoration · Seattle
Questions
At The Coil Studio, repair of 1–10 locs is $90 and 11–25 locs is $180. A full-head restoration starts at $350. Every restoration begins with a $50 consultation that includes a written plan and a firm quote — and that $50 comes off the cost of the work.
Most thinning locs can be repaired. Thinning usually happens at the root from retwisting too tightly over a long period, and the base can be rebuilt so the loc carries its own weight again. Starting over is a last resort, not a first suggestion.
Yes. Correcting previous work — over-tight installs, uneven sizing, the wrong technique for the hair type — is a regular part of what we do. Bring photos and we'll tell you honestly what can be recovered.
Minor repair takes about 90 minutes. Larger sections take around three hours. A full-head restoration is a five-hour appointment and is sometimes split across two visits.
For anything beyond a few locs, yes. Restoration cannot be quoted accurately from a photo alone — the consultation is 45 minutes, includes a written plan and a firm price, and the fee is credited toward the work.
We'll tell you at the consultation, before you've spent anything but the consult fee. Some locs are too far gone, and it is better to hear that plainly than to pay for work that won't hold.
Restoration consultations are $50 and 45 minutes, credited toward your service. One chair, one client at a time, in the Central District.
Book a restoration consult