A few questions about dreads :)

Hey folks, im planning on getting dreadlocks, but before i will ask a few questions

I've heard that it's a bad idea to use wax on your dreads, why/why not?

Should i get my dreadlocks made by a hairdresser or by myself?

Here's some information about my hair and so on:

My hair is curly, its afro alike when i use hairdryer. When i don't use it, it's a mix of smaller thicker curls and still some afro some places. My hair is very thick, so i suppose if i get dreads you wouldn't see much of my "skin head" lolz Currently my hair is almost 4 inches (Its around 8cm-9,5cm) but i dont want small ugly dreadlocks, so i think i will wait untill my hair is around 6 inches. (Will they still look small and ugly when they're made from 6" hair?)

I hope you will answer some of the questions, and give me some advices!

Peace everyone

 

wax - cakes your hair in gloop, feels disgusting on your hands, smells icky, traps crap, is hard to wash out (but is possible over time and with hot hot hot water). wax prevents hair knotting properly BUT some people here have used it with no problems. i have recently started dreads (3 weeks ago) and have not used wax, and it was the best decision i ever made =]

'getting dreads' - do it yourself. dont get ripped off. read the dready method discussion thread, its PACKED full of info, all you need to know

the ugly/short look depends on what method you choose.. backcombing can cause instant shrinkage, natural could shrink over a period of time..

just keep reading round the forums, and ask any more Q's if you want =]

 

Smelly D

Thanks ! Maybe i should just do backcombing method without any wax. (I assume that it takes a bit longer, but i don't mind.)

But i would really like to see a pic of a white with dreads made from 6" hair, just so i know how it would look like

One of my friends got his dreadlocks made by 3 black womens, it costed around 200$. He said they used coconut oil? Nevertheless he has nice long dreads today, he have had them for 3 years now.

(BTW i'm planning on dreading my hair just before summer vacation, so after vacation i assume the dreads wouldn't be so awfull)

 

well im about to update my progress thread, so you can have a ganders at mine.. backcomb with no wax or any products, and i dont do any 'maintenance' eg, crocheting, palm rolling =]

coconut oil.. it was recommended to me by my black friends when i had my last lot of dreads, they said to use it as a conditioner, so i would advise against that, espesh on baby locks.. slippy hair = unkotty hair (but that doesnt mean dirty)

err. *cant think of much to say*

backcombing.. it gives dreads a kick up the bum to get going. a few people on here are against it, but im very much pro backcombing. get a couple of friends to help. dont use rubber bands.. use beads and wraps to keep the hair seperated.. itll look a right state for the first week or so until it all calms down, frizz is perfectly natural/right, loops will form.. its all good fun..

 

Smelly D

I watched some of your pics on myspace, and i think your dreads are nice

How old are they now, 3 months? (Some of your pics said 2 weeks old at that point )

I'll just post pics of my friends dreads

Here's the pics:

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3715/n14786133618254697591.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/4512/n14786133618254708553.jpg

I don't have as blond hair as he does though, but darker hair would be cooler i think Btw normally he has straight hair.

 

my dreads will be 3 weeks old on monday =]

heres a link to my thread..

http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?t=351050

pic heavy =]

 

Nice

Only after < 3 weeks?

 

yessum =] good eh? i love 'em

 

Yes awesome

Anyone else that has some inputs?

 

dreadlocks arent gotten they are grown
at least traditionaly, these days theres store bought kitse that screw ya up, and the idea of instant dreads causes total disatisfaction the momment they are not perfect for a day

its wax
u use wax on your car
u burn wax in candkles
why put wax in your hair
wax in dreads glues hair together stiffens and prevents movement, movement needed to create knots that become bdreads. so it slows rthings down a ton, also
its sticky stiff and gross
sticky wax is next to impossiblye to remove without intence heat
it catches dirt and locks all dirt into the hair along with water that leads to mold
it melts onto pillows and clothes
often ppl cut theyre gross waxy dreads within a few years and find wax caked at the core even 3-4 years afyter quitting its use.

never ever ever a hairdresser
they are guaranteed to screw u up, and rip u off, they can charge up to 1000 or more for a total mess that will never become dreads
look up mammajojo's salon experience or others here..every single 1 redid theyres wothing a few months every 1 weas a very expensive didsaster.

your haior is amazing for natural dreading
stop combing and they will dread fine, just rip em as they dread to prevent huge congos
they will shrink slown]\ly to 1/2 to 1/3 the length before growing, that cant be helped, the longer the hair the quicker they will dread naturaly
but your hair type should dread very fast regardless.

im sure u will have more questions, but
ill just say your hair is perfect for natural so any other method would be a waswte and a shame, although those who used em will insist theyre better based on nothing at all.

you could even do the twist then neglect method common with black folkjs,

this may reduce shrinkage at 1st too
take sections and twist em up into lil pointy sections all over your head (not too \thick at the bases though, they will thicken up to biut the size of the root sections)
then leave em alone
if they fall apart too much retwist em, but only sas bnneeded and stop entjirely soon as your able (when they no longer fall apart when washed)

its ass simple as that

or u can go pure neglect and let them form entirely on theyre own

 

i agree with SE i have really curly/coarse hair still relatively short( like three or four inches) like yours is and all i do is the twist and neglect method. i started with my hair super short like nearly a shaved head and when it gradually grew i twisted and played with it a little bit and now its starting to lock prettty quick. i have a bunch of black friends with dreads and they told me its as simple as that. also i noticed that when i do the salt rinces that helps a ton.....

 

soaringagle

Wow thanks for a very long and helpfull post

The one with not combing isn't for me i think because if i dont comb my hair it looks awfull because it stretches everywhere lol I can consider the twist/palm rolling method.
What's wrong with the backcombing method? It seems the fastest and most customiseable way.. It seems that people think that it's best to do the natural / twisty way, why that?

 

people think that backcombing is very damaging - i disagree. its worked fine for me, i dont have masses of problems, it didnt hurt, it didnt take ages, and they look fine. downside is they stick up for a while after, more so with short hair =]

 

nsrtural is gentler non evasicve at all, and the resulyts more organic less manufactured looking (in general, backcombes can go wild ofcourse especioaly when they mostly fall apart before dreading)

the prob is..metal teeth jammed repeatedly in the wrong direction while puklling the hair outward to make it ttight enough to comb. the metal teeth scrapping the haoir backwards is dammaging so is the oulling that can yankhairs out at the roots (most common if u let others do it for u, your usialy gentler on yourself)

the neglect ..pure neglect method u will look lil funny sw few weeks for sure, no big deAl, cover the head and they will look amazing soon..or just dont care
the twist neglect method gives ya a neat dread look fast, with no harm unless u over twist or twisrt too tight.

they may get lil funny now and then but a rewist a week for 1st couple weeks should tame em and in no time they'll dread so wont need any additional work

try a few twists now, see how well it works
get your hair stripped of residue and spray it with sea salt and twist away

throw in a hat awhile
then take it odff, seperate em retwist any srtrays..tryto twist less and less till none as quick as u can..weeks
u dont gotta make em perfect every day..

 

Soaringeagle

Okay, how long do you think it will take from i start to twist and don't wash em more than once a week, to they will look like "real" dreadlocks? It would be perfect if it took maximum 2 months Then i could grow my hair a bit longer till summervacation and let em grow.

The saltwater thing was my 2. question. Because im going on vacation this summer at the ocean, they don't untwist themselfes in saltwater if i don't dive and such? I have around 3 weeks from summerholiday start to vacation..

 

The salt water will help your locks tighten. The ocean is your friend.

 

with your hair type if u twist today most likely they will hold together as dreads on 3 weeks or so..not tight yet but recognizably dreads, 2 months will probly give em plenty of time
its an estimate tho
sooner u start the better they will be by summer

 

thats what got me everytime i got my hair wet i was like in my head *oh no ruined* but seemingly when it dries it goes back to place tighter than before so yea salt water hooks it up

 

Okay, hehe one with the nature

Can one of you send me a pic of dreads made from quite short hair?
Not the total short as a lot of black guys have(; <- Btw im not racist at all

(EDIT: I've seen your pictures, and of curiosity i would like to ask why you are in a wheelchair. It's totally okay if you don't wanna answer me, but i feel sorry for you. )

 

i know u meant dreads started from short hair while still shgort..lol
but this is all i had
mine were started naturaly from ..hmmm 2-3 inches
a few in the back i added beads
the rest left alone or playede witrh lil bit (idly twisting or fiddling withy em)

dont worry biut how ya are gonna look next week or next month.. year after year after year they just get better
keep your focus on the lifelong goal