Deciding on when to start my dreads...

Hiya! So, I tried dreads a few months ago but they weren't locking great, so I just sorta pulled them out (sadly, I miss them)

I still have a few but when I dreaded my hair it shrunk so much it was a little disheartening for me, so here's my question

If I dread my hair when it's around waist length would that be good? It wouldn't shrink too much? Here's a picture of my hair now ---



It's kinda thin. I'm not sure how to sum I'm what I'm asking.

- If I dread my hair when it's at waist length, it won't shrink much?
- What would be the best way to dread my hair?
- Do you think dreads would suit me?
- Will my hair dread well?

Thank you all ^.^

 

No matter what if you dread your hair you will get shrinkage. I always say expect your hair to shrink to about half it's length so waist length hair you might get a bit longer than shoulder length. There are multiple methods for dreading hair, for patient ones the neglect route works best but for other people backcomb and twist and rip methods work just as great.

I think dreads suit anyone who wants them honestly and your hair will dread if you wash it and let it do its thing. Dreads will shrink, they will knot and twist and they will become beautiful. Just remember to be patient.

 

Your hair is great for dreads, any natural wave or curl will help the locking process, as for how to do them, I got mine crochet hooked in and I use salt water spray to keep it all tight I just didn't want any wax or chemicals in mine and thats why I went this way.

You could do them any day now if you wanted to, your hair is long enough easily. You wont lose much length but what you lose you will regain within a month or 2.
I TOTALLY think that dreads would suit you! actually you'd look awesome with them, I LOVE my dreads and highly recommend them.

 

the longer your hair the more it'll shrink, as there is more straight hair that needs to know up. from waist length you will lose alot of length. also I've found that the longer your hair when you start your dreads the more loops you get as they form during shrinking. if you don't mind loops they its fine though

 

And you'll look adorable with dreads hehe

 

This is all very true. Taking this into consideration as well as some other tips I've heard, I think I'm going to grow it out just a little bit longer just to be safe. I'm thinking I'm going to seperate and then backcomb then probably head on 'the neglect route' as stated, this is what I've heard works best, am I right?

Thank you very much. I will remember to be patient.

 

Oooh, thank you so so much! I'm hoping they work out. I think I'll grow out my hair a little longer, just so that it's a little more down my back. I don't plan on using any of that unfavorable product like wax etc in my hair, I've heard sooo many horror stories... I'm actually a little conflicted on if I should dread my hair myself or get a professional too..

as for the saltwater, so do you think it works best if say I have it in a spray bottle and just spray my whole head? Or do I wash my hair with saltwater..?

Thank you so so much! I'll hopefully start my dreads around the New Year or a little earlier maybe..

Another really big thing I've got is lice. (they give me the heebie jeebies!) we have a lice check at music camp every year, and music camp is the most important thing to me, but the thing is they're actually the reason I took my hair out because they told me one year a girl got lice and had dreads and she had to keep her hair in one of those shower caps and she just couldn't get rid of the lice..! She eventually had to cut them out I just don't know what I'd do. I'd be completely devasted. To cut out my hard work or go home from my favorite place in the whole world??? Ahh, it just makes me worried thinking about it..

 

Oh.. hmm.. maybe I'll go just a little more down my back. It's just 2 or so inches past my shoulderblades right now. I fear if I dread them now I'll have really tiny dreadies (which isn't bad, but I'd prefer to start off long!) Hmm.. do you think if I let them grow just a few more inches I'd be okay? I think loops are really cute actually!

 

ahh! aw. Thank you so much ^.^

 

I dissolve pure dried ocean rock salt (not table salt or iodised salt) in a pan then cool and put it in a spray bottle with 1-2 drops of pure peppermint oil (just so it smells fresh and nice). The ratio isn't that important but thr more salt you put the more the dried white crystals will be visible in your hair and it dries your scalp out with too much salt.
I spray every second day and wash every third in summer and every 5th in winter. Everyone is different though.

Definately go with Flakeofsnow with the patience, there was a few times I was getting impatient but I had to learn to chill out... and now I'm happy

 

of course it'll be fine! it just has to go through a bit of a longer awkwar stage. loops are fun anyway ^_^

 

Update pics?

 

Coming soon!

But for now.. here's what I've got! These are older dreads that I put in for fun, and you can't see them too well because my normal hair was feeling all dry and sticky and sticking to my dreads... yuck, but here you go. This is how my hairs been dreading so far



A weird one I grew by accident that's starting to lock a bit..



my oldest one.. i think i made it jan. 2013 or something along those lines. anyway, it's older and it's been growing.. and shrinking.. and taking in more and more of my undreaded hair..

 

oooh, the awkward stage is so silly, i love it it cracks me up

 

ooh, i loooove the smell of peppermint oil! is there a certain brand you use?

my hair gets greasy super fast, last time I had dreads my bangs got REALLY greasy and it caused awful acne on my forehead (tmi?) but it was actually literally painful, I couldn't wash my hair because of my dreads it was a problem. Before I start dreading again, I need to grow out my bangs all the way. I'm certainly going to try a salt spray and see how it works for me. Thank you so so much.

 

also here's my old dreads.. very fuzzy, unhealthy dreads, greasy on top.. wasn't too great.

 

updates!

 

No special brand, just gotta make sure it is pure peppermint extract and not some solution of oil and other stuff. I pay about $18 for 20mL in Australia...

 

update pics!



so far they are coming along wonderfully



the hair not dreaded is pinned back



even though they're still in the awkward phase.. i'm loving it.

 

ok ok one more update~