Dreadlocks 101

February 9th 2012 19 beautiful baby dreads were born onto my head.

However, I need some help, and I hope the lovely patrons of the dreadlocks forum will give me that help.

I started this whole adventure by washing my hair with baking soda and water, but I found out I shouldn't have done that. Then I used a blowdryer, and my lovey used the twist and rip method to dread my hair.

It took about 3 1/2 hours, and it hurt like hell. Here are some pics from that day

http://www.flickr.com/photos/racheluldriks/6882050725/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/racheluldriks/6882050819/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/racheluldriks/6882050891/

sorry, there was a kerfuffle with the computer, and i couldn't get my pics to go into the box, so i linked to my lovies flickr account. i'll get it figured out.

 

So anyway, the thing I need help with now is that the base of my baby dreads are not dreaded, at all, the hair is nice and straight for about an inch and a half out from my scalp, then the dread begins. I've tried backcombing and it doesn't work.

Any advice?

 

That's how theyre supposed to be. If ya roots were locked up i imagine they would stick straight out and prolly hurt like a mutha. Ya scalp needs to breath.

If ya already twist n ripped I would just leave em alone and keep em clean. Backcombing any more will prolly just cause damage.

 

It's way more comfortable like that. Your dreads are pretty much gonna fall out anyway so don't worry about it ^^ OH and don't touch them with the comb again... doesn't work .. ever

 

what they said chill!

 

I would also take out the rubberbands but that's just my opinion.

There's a thread just a tad north of this one called NP's comprehennnsshmkkiv somethin somethin. You should check it out. Tons of helpful info.

 

Those are gonna be huuuuge.

and awesome.

 

^^^^ that's what I was thinking. Chunky monkey sections.

Please keep them for atleast a year. And post pictures.

 

AAAAH! I'm so relieved to know that this is normal. I will definitely keep on posting pictures!!

Dragonvine, why do you say they will fall out, that makes me so :bigcry:!!!

I plan on keeping them for a good many years, I've always thought dreads would be such an awesome experience, even though I've met with so much animosity because of them. Some people are so hostile about my hair, and they're only a week old!

I will continue to post pics of my progress, I'm so excited to see them grow up!

Also, Smelly D posted in here, and I kinda geeked out because her dready thready inspired me to actually do this, I had been on the fence about it for months, and her thread was just so amazing that I went for it the day after I read it! <3

 

Wow, those are going to be very chunky dreads! Can't wait to see them develop. Please take the elastic bands out NOW though!

 

Here are pics, I'm one week into dreads with the twist and rip method, and I'm feeling really uneasy and desperate. There is about 2 inches of loose hair at the base of my scalp now, and then the dreads start. Alot of loose hair is falling out, and it looks like breakage. Here are some pics of the different dreads on my head right now, I think they don't look very good.. maybe I should comb these out and try backcombing?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76942901@N02/6899806201/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76942901@N02/6899806007/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76942901@N02/6899806087/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76942901@N02/6899806153/

I'd greatly appreciate some feedback and good advice. I really want them to work, but I am feeling more and more certain that they were done wrong!!

 

Old dreads

 

they are so beautiful classic! i aspire to have such lovely dreads.

 

Thanks so much. <3
But at the end of their days, they were disgusting. xD

 

Little bit of an update, no pics right now.

I took out my rubber bands on the ends, and the dreads are holding together nicely.

Also, I read the sticky at the top of the dreadlocks forum, and learned all kinds of cool stuff.

Thankfully, I haven't made too much of a fool of myself in here, and I learned a cool trick to make my scalp stop itching, because it has been driving me nuts!

I will post some new pics soon of my progress. <3 peace.

 

i aim to please

 

random pics this time. gonna put some more up later today, just gotta get them off my lovies camera.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76942901@N02/6778016726/

my lovey does costume makeup, and she made me up for fun during the storm here 2 nights ago, and there are my dreads!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76942901@N02/6928639525/

 

bad news guys. i took my dreads out last night. it was time consuming and painful, but i still have a full head of hair. the fact that it only took a few hours to remove the dreads is kinda a testament that they were not done properly. they were unraveled about 5 inches at the ends., even though i was backcombing them every day. and there was alot of hair tearing at the base. I have alot of breakage, now. I'm super bummed, but I am going to try another method in a few weeks after i've done some maintenance on my hair. . . will post picks!!

 

well theres your problem - rebackcombing them every day. theyre meant to unravel and undread and stuff before they lock up, thats how it works almost all of mine fell out at least 80% before they locked up again!

 

Huh, mine are the same only a lot more than just an inch- some are as long as 4 inches, maybe even a bit more ^.>
But whatever. Another dready forum told me just to see how it goes. I'm just afraid they'll grow out. I can always re-do them though.