When you ask Rastafarians about this, many will tell you that the difference between locs and dreadlocks is that one is a hairstyle and the other one is a lifestyle. The hairstyle is cultivated, dreads are not. ... Since I am not a Rastafarian and my locs are cultivated, my hair would be just locs.

Are dreads the same as locs?

You might think that dreads and locs are the same thing (and may have even used each word interchangeably). But surprise, surprise. For some people who wear their hair in this way, dreads and locs are not the same hairstyles. Per TheyDiffer, both dreads and locs are created by sculpting one's hair into ropes.

Should I say dreadlocks or locs?

You have locs and that is fine. This indicates that having natural afro hair is no longer radical and this is progress. However “dreadlocks” should be regarded as a powerful word. It has been and still is a symbol of empowerment and “wokeness” before the term “woke” was ever trending.