Alright team, About three weeks ago, my mates and I started the process of dreadlocking my hair. We sectioned and backcombed, using a kit from DreadHeadHQ. Since then, I have read many reason why I should not have done this (many of which on this forum), but what is done is done. Some of my dreads are relatively tight, considering the amount of time they've been in, whereas others are a complete mess. Some aren't properly knotted, some are loose at the root, and there are loads of loose hairs flying around. Baring in mind what I have already done, what would you all advise I do now? Should I wax, gel, use natural "products" or do nothing at all? Also, each one has a rubberband at the end, tying it together, is this a good thing? I've noticed that there are some very strong opinions on this forum, regarding wax and the natural method, and I am worried that my question will spark a torrent of conflicting views. What I would really like to know, is the advantages and disadvantages of each approach (time consuming, easy, creates tigher dreads, longer-lasting dreads etc etc). I'd really appreciate any help you can give me, the internet is so full of conflicting opinions it is really hard to know what is happening. I love my infant dreads, and I want to do what is best for them! Cheers, McAsh
Well, i took the same route as you did, and week later i scraped most of the wax out (still have a few dreads where i can't get the wax out, i hope that wax will grow out so i can cut the dread tips maybe). Well the point is that u need to get the wax out.
I used Knottyboy and my locks are now 7 months and perfectly fine. If you think they're too loose, backcomb them some more til they're tighter. Don't let these guys here scare you about products. Just don't use too much wax, and I don't recommend DreadHeadHQ personally (but Knottyboy is awesome) but if you choose to stay with them stay away from the Lockpeppa. Wait about a week before you wash the. And I had the small black elastic bands on the roots and the tips of a lot of my dreads. It will be fine, just kinda helps them along. They'll break themselves and come out while you shower or something.
Advantages of Natural: No products, no money spent. Disadvantages of Natural: They'll fall apart a lot easier, not knot up faster, and you can't control their size and placement. Advantages of Products: Keeps your locks smelling good, keeps them tight and in your control. Disadvantages of Products: Not using them properly will result in waxy dreads that won't last long. Tips: Don't use too much wax. After you've backcombed, put a tiny bit of wax in each one then rinse after a week. Don't use anymore til around month 3 or 4 just for maintenance. If you use the gel, only use a tiny bit (it goes a long way, and wait til they're at least 3 months) Use residue free shampoo (all natural/organic shampoo).
plresse dont use any wax at all, its not good and never ever comes out without extreme effort oit will only attract dirt and cause mould and in the end result in loss of dreads maybe not in a year or 2 but 90% by year 3 are gone follow the wax removal in the wax removal thread (carefully to remove wax requires very hot water) once your wax free just leave em be the toiightening takes a few months at least (do not rebackcomb rebackcombing destroys all progrewsss made anbd dammages andfd weakens dreads) your hair needs noithing but time to dread loose hairs are part of the process dont worry abiut them u will aleways have an inch or so loose at the roots..noithing to worry awbout thsts just how dreads are longest lasting dreads are natural dreads easiest less time consuming (and cheapest) are natural dreads u can spend hours a day crochetting each hair rolling into exact perfect roundness ..u can rub away all day trying to get the roots toight as can be.. but in the end dreads do what they wanna doi the nature of the drwead process will take over no matter how much effort u waste in treying to control it fuzz happenbs..loops happen.,. lumps splits and uniqueness why control whats out of your control? get them sclean n wax free use non residue (wax and gells are residue..duh..dont add residue that your trying to not add with soaps..use some sence) once your residue free be patient..week after week you'll notice changes..month after month you'll noticce maturing..onvce your counting years you are beyond getting dreads and intro growing dreads if you stay wax and product free jusyt stickj to residue free shsmpoo nothing else then after say 5-8 yewrs your into keeping dreads ask around the ones like vili here who suggest wax are under a year.. the few whove used it and reached 3 years at least tr]ied hard to get as much out as they can and wouldnt put more in ever.. the few whove gonr 10 years or beyond never used any to begin with and never would
short, simple answer: dont take anyones opinion as truth. listen to all sides with an open mind and formulate your own opinion. that is the only way to do what is right for you and your dreads. if you want my opinion, theres not a thing wrong with backcombing, maintenance or putting stuff in your hair. as long as you understand that you have options, and understand how to use the methods and products so they dont have a detrimental effect on your hair. personally, i dont use any products, do any maintenace and if i was to start again, i wouldnt backcomb. im all about letting my hair do its own thing, becuase all hair, when left to its own devices for long enough, will dread. that being said, i see nothing wrong with wanting control over the process, or wanting smooth, perfect, even locks. everyone should be able to do what they want with their hair and no one (least of all dreadhead hippies) should judge them or attack them for it. my advice in your situation is to leave them. theyre backcombed, so youre already on your way. but if you have put wax in them.... well, just assess the situation. if you used tons of wax and its inside the dread, you will almost certainly have some problems with getting your hair to dry after washing, or to lock up at all. wax tends to hinder the locking process. in that case, you might want to comb the dreads out, wash the wax out and start again, because you will have trouble getting in out of the middle. a little tiny bit (like 2 rice grains worth) palm rolled onto each dread (only after it is formed), is not going to hurt (speaking from experience with my first set, goddamnit! for the wax nazis ) and will keep the frizz down a little. you dont NEED to use anything though. products are only for making your dreads look a bit more presentable and they dont help the locking process at all. as for the loose parts, totaly dont worry about it. it will all be a bit random for several months and your roots and tips and sometimes most of the dread will loosen up or fall out. it really will lock back up. you can twist and rip the ends a bit though if a lot has fallen out and it bothers you, but its not necessary. loose hairs are normal too, everyone has them they will always be there to some extent, but it slowly gets better as your dreads tighten and the hairs are drawn in. again, if it bothers you, you can crochet them in. but they seem to come back out or more take their place lol. dreads are not easy to control. apart from that, just wash em when you feel like they need it. use soap. i dont like dreadhead hq shampoo because of the chemicals in it, but if that doesnt bother you then use it, it works fine. anyway, good luck and post some pics so i can see what youre working with
Cheers for your help everyone. If I were just to leave them now, and just wash them every now and then, without touching them with any products or a comb, what would that do? I have to admit, one of the overriding benefits of the natural method is my complete laziness, but that is a bit destroyed if I have to spend hours picking wax out of my dreads... =P Also, is DreadHeadHQ shampoo a bad idea? scatteredleaves, you said you don't like it because it has chemicals in, but what exactly is the effect of these chemicals on your dreads/scalp? Or do you dislike it for ideological reasons? Thanks guys P.S. My camera has broken, so I will put photos up as soon as I have a working one at my disposal =)
yeah wax is bad no matter how you look at it. If you have any left in your hair, you should try to rinse it all out as soon as possible. There's nothing wrong with using products, I would just make sure they are natural products, and use in moderation. Personally, I can't be bothered with any products and kind of a waste of money. But yeah, I would suggest leaving them alone. in 6 months, you will probably be amazed at how much they have tightened up.
Right, my plan of action is to continue to wash my hair weekly or so and put no more wax in it. Hopefully much of the wax will come out over time. And when it feels right the bands will come out too. Any criticisms of the plan?
Ok, just noticed post about the bands rotting or being swallowed. Should I pretty urgently get them out then? Will the dreads not just come undone?
Yeah, take the rubber bands out. I've seen what happens if you leave them in. The dread literally takes it inside itself. If I were you, I'd rather do what feels like a back step allowing them to loosen, but it's worth it imo to get the rubber bands out. I think they would be happier without them, once it's all said and done.
