hey everyone i have a question to put out there.... I have really long thick hair that i love... its like to the middle of my back and i was thinking about getting dreads... i heard that you can keep them real nice if you take care of them. What happens when i wanna take them out?? Will my hair still be okay? I can deal with having to cut it a little shorter but will it still be healthy? All comments appreciated:sunglasse
There is now a dreadlock forum and all dreadlock questions are now being directed from here to there. Please visit it at this link and ask questions there http://hipforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=209 We'll be happy to answer there because we're trying to get all the dreadlock questions out of the fashion and crafts forum.
I am going to say this again..dreads are not something you put in ur hair because u think they look kewl..and then u can take them out when ur done w/ them..dreads are a way of life...please do not get dreads for the wrong reasons..
I say get dreads for any fuckin' reason you want! Dye them neon pink, or let 'em grow fat and dukey. Pay no heed to the spiritual Gestapo and don't listen to people who think they know the "right" reasons to have dreads. Where them in what ever way you like for whatever reason you like. Letting your hair dread can be a humbling spiritual process. One that leads away from ego and vainity. However, almost ever person I know with dreads does something to/with them and makes them "artificial" in some way. If you let your hair dread, or put dreads in your hair, they will not be easy to get out. You can dump a bucket of conditioner on your hair and starting from the ends, brush it out. It will take all day, take out a good 2/3rds of your hair, and leave the rest looking trashed.
that is my entire point..if you get dreads for a fashionable reason..then when u want to take them out you have ruined your hair...so..u need to be sure dreads is the lifestyle u want to live..I have a number of friends who natrually let their hair dread..and do nothing artificial as u called it...natural is the way to go in my opinion..but...not everyone can have natural dreads...I think dreads make a big statement..and i think alot of these kids are not ready to deal w/ that...or better yet..do not even understand it..i get upset when i see people w/ locks because they think it is fashionable...there are right and wrong reasons in my opinion..your right reason may be different than the other persons...
I have only met one person who did not do "something" with their dreads. This man was a heights ras elder in his late forties with a single dread that went down past his feet. I have seen footage of Ethiopian monks or Hindu saddhus that have no vanity or ego at all and let their hair do what it will. It seems that in the states though, that those who let their hair dread naturally, still seperate their dreads, and do other things to encourage them to grow in ways that they like. It is in this way that, while non-babylonian, they are still a "fashion" statement for most people. You are right that it is such a commitment, such a statement, still, that it has to be a way of life for you to have them at all. From employment to everyday respect, dreads absolutely change the way the world sees you. You had better believe in what they represent! I just don't like/cannot stand the people with dreads who wear the whole hardcore rasta militant elitist façade. I think that dreads as style are still better than a crew cut as a style , and if you still need an outward sign to tell you who the heights ones and ones are, the sheep wear them different anyway. Peace
geez... I don't know how to reply to this without sounding jerky but I'm not trying to be. The reason why sometimes I and other people get offended with everyone wearing dreadlocks is because its meaning is so deep and spiritual. When I see someone young(you know, my age, younger... our generation) and I get to talking to them and I'll say something like so, why did you decide dreadlocks? It def. sinks my heart when they just say something along the lines of "I like how it looks". Everyone is wearing them, its tearing away the original reason and meaning. Its upsetting to see that because I have dreadlocks I am classified to some as a "dirty drug addict". How did that come about? People are wearing their dreads for all the wrong reasons... The true meaning of wearing your hair in locks is your trying to come closer to your creator. You are taking a silent vow to not, steal, lie, ate meat, not kill animals, bugs... all living creatures...the list goes on(theres 77 commandments in total). Be at peace and live with your trust is your creator. Dreadlocks are in every religion even christianity. Anyone, any race, or age can have them. It would just be nice if they all realized and understood the roots and culture of it all. Having respect for the culture you are taking a smybolic trait from is important. It doesn't really mean you have to be gung-ho(sp?) about it just respect it... So please, if you are interested in them don't wear them for your fashion statement of the year... wear them for a reason. They are the most natural form of hair, they belong to not specific race but be aware they are a lifestyle change. Hope this makes sense. Its not a rant just my opinion and view.
i think you should be able to get dreads for w/e reason you want, whether it be "hell these look so cool!" or "i want to be closer, spirituality-wise, to my Creator".. who cares?!
some people do, like I said above, thats why. I don't care as much as I used to. People do what they want but what is so wrong with pointing out their origins? It is just upsetting when no one sees the whole meaning of it and has no idea what they are representing. Its changing the true meaning to something less. I once read an article where a man was talking about how the swastika once meant something peaceful but Hitler used it and then turned it into something representing a hate issue(thats what he was comparing the dreadlock thing to). People now look at dreadlocks as a dirty hippy thing or a drug addict's thing. No one does much to disprove it either. If your going to wear something well respected in another culture try to wear it with respect yourself. Heres that article I mentioned above. http://www.xula.edu/herald/issues/20020321/editorials.html heres a paragraph that basically explains what I am talking about better than I said it. "I’m not trying to say that all of you fashion dreads out there have to cut your hair. What I am saying is that all of you should know and respect what it is that you are wearing, and you should also demand that others do the same. What you all do not seem to realize is that by helping to propagate meaningless locks you also help to devalue the meaning of everyone else’s, everyone who knows that they wear a crown upon their heads, a symbol of power, dignity, pride, and devotion. Just try to live up to that."
Right on Earthy Mama. I agree with almost everything you say. I love reading your posts in the forum, you are always positive and lifting people up! Just some food for thought (again, only my opinion): This i definately sight. It is too bad, but perhaps part of the "spiritual" and humbling nature of dreads. You are treated as one of the lowest possible creatures on the planet. Your ideas, valuable, are disrespected and laughed at! Agreed. Where did you get this? Commandments? If you were to sight commandments, you might sight Leviticus or Numbers for the vow of the Nazarite. No wine, grapes, grapeseed, grapeseed oil, (no alcohol), no cutting hair or beard, no funerals or seeing dead bodies, etc. But check this out: John the Baptist was a Nazarite and he almost certainly had dreads. He lived on locusts and honey: a bug, and a bug product. Ethiopian, and other Orthodox Christian monks eat meat and drink wine. They have "fast" and "non-fast" days as part of their liturgical calendar where they may or may not consume meat, cheese, oil, wine, etc. This is true even for most hermits, although some are totally vegan, all the time. The Black Lions, Ethiopian patriots that fought a 5 year guerilla war against the Italians from 1936-1941 and grew their hair into dreadlocks, subsisted on game from the bush. I can go on and on...but the main points are: 1) dreadlocks, while they may be a spiritual thing, shouldn't be used to box people in. 2) people who have dreadlocks should not suppose that because they have them for a particular reason, that other people cannot have them for whatever choices they make in their own lifes. It is not for you to say, what they are doing isn't right because it is not "spiritual". 3) Dreadlocks, even for people who are "spiritual" and don't wear them necessarily for fashion, can be an advowedly anti-spiritual thing, causing spiritual pride. I am also sorry if this comes off sounding "jerky" , I devoted my life to Rastafari, many years ago, as it had fundamentally changed my life. I went to college to study Greek, Amharic, and the ancient Christian churches of Africa/Middle East. However, the more I became involved, the more I became disenchanted with people who thought they knew what they were talking about and felt like they could impose their views on everyone else. That's another story. Anyways, I really didn't mean to offend. esp. two women whose views I love and respect in the forum. big up. Anyone who wants dreads, grow them. have fun. it's just hair! just learn something about them, their history, and others who wear them too. It will make you a better person.
I agree, I'm not saying I get angry about people wearing them for fashion and I don't want to box that together... I just meant if I can show others and help them to realize there are deeper meanings to dreadlocks we're closer to respecting each other and our seperate opinions. I think it is pretty cool for everyone to have their own thing but we should all have a respect for the roots of it all. I do not believe in every commandment just the ones I was talking about above. The 77 commandments are from a very strict belief of ancient kemetic knowledge. I read about it when I decided that I wanted a deeper meaning to my life, a belief. I found http://theearthcenter.com/ . I don't believe everything of what they talk about. They have articles with interesting points, and classes to take. I pulled together my beliefs from all different cultures. I believe in a little of everything. Some of the commandments they believe in are great... I thought about how I could take a little of every religion I have an understanding of/respect for and combine them. Very long to talk about so I'm just going to end it there, lol. My fingers are tired! One other thing I wanted to add though, I hate that steriotype but like you said it is very humbling. I choose to prove them wrong with kind actions and words and if someone cannot see past that then this is their loss... doesn't matter to me. *whew* hope I got everything I meant to say in there!
You sound like a beautiful mama . I always love your responses and what you have to say. I am interested to hear more about kemetic knowledge. Perhaps you could post something about it sometime soon.
i think you should be able to wear dreads for whatever reasons you would like. I also think it is a shame when people have no idea about the origins or just do it because it is the "hot" or cool thing to do. Thats why i am waiting... i want to know more about them and if it is really a lifestyle change i would like to make.
dreads shmeads. so much controversy! haha....yeah do what you want but i agree with earthymama that its respectable to have some sort of idea about its background if its something you wanna do. in my opinion, natural is the way to go. it'll teach you a lot and its so exciting!! anyway you do it is up to you and you have your own reasons, and if theyre good enough for you, then that's all that matters! good luck and learning
