**READ ME** - Dread Newbies FAQ/ PLUS Basic Care and maintenance Guide

Welcome to the forum guys. If you have a question just ask here. Chances are someone might have already asked it so browse beforehand, you might find your answer!

 

Oh such an awsome thread. Mine are going crazy right now, the crazy stage. Is it better to wax them, or not to wax? I haven't waxed them in a long while...maybe because they're partially locked.

 

Well, from personal experiance I've found wax has only hindered my dreads! I don't like wax. If you must use wax, use in moderation. Be very careful. Over-waxing can be hazardous to your dreadies, lol. I prefer not to wax and feel wax is not helpful until your dreads are well formed(helps w/ fly-aways). Others though love their wax so I guess it varys. If your dreads are crazy right now you may not want to use it. Just remeber though, moderation if you go the wax route. Good luck and thanks for posting! Hope I helped!

 

Well i would defentley say no to wax.. in every which way.. but its really your personal choice

 

well, i started my locks almost 3 years ago and still haven't figured out a proper way to wash them! even before starting dreadies, i used apple cider vinegar because it cuts the oils and grease and leaves your hair really clean, but i'd like to use something nicer, less harsh, and less funky smelling. so my mom bought me the dreadheadHQ soap, which i REALLY don't like. so i'm still looking for the perfect way to wash without getting nasty funk in my hair. so i bought this bar from the Vermont Soap company, it's not made for hair, but it's rosemary herb; all natural with organic oils. Do you guys think this sounds like a good thing to use? i seem to remember someone on hipforums saying that rosemary is good for dreadies but i don't remember why....anyway, here's the ingredients list: Saponified oils of palm, coconut, and olive, Natural Rosemary Essential oil blend, Organic Rosemary Herb, Rosemary Extract. What do you think? Is this ok to use on my hair? I'm all nervous about getting nasty build-up in there.

 

Hmm sounds like your doing just amazing so far...

That soaps sounds pretty much just right for your hair.. but if you look for a mix with some good old tee tree oil in it…. This is great for dry scalp dandruff, inches, or just plain ol non oily or greasy goodness.





I had this bar from knotty boy.. witch the soap was AMAZING best ever! but its way to much for me and my liking…. I think it was 15$ a bar or more... it lasts a long time though..... but u have the perfect idea with the all natural bar soap.. use it a few times and if it leaves some residue then try to find a different bar but I don’t think u should worry to much.. u only should wash your scalp anyway and only once 2 or 3 times a month.. maybe once a week. and 3 years of natural!!! ohhhh man they must be beautiful!!!!! let us see them some time

 

yea show us a pic.
Hmmm well i'd say it sounds you've got it right as far as going natural goes.But i would recomend looking for a shampoo Bar rather than normal soap because normal soaps can be more oily.

I buy Jumping Juniper soap from Lush, i bought one bar a year ago and im barely half way through, its great. Leaves no smell or residue and drys out and cleans them nicely. Its a hand made natural soap.
Basicaly avoid all chemicals and anything with moisturising agents in it.

I got recomended by an African lady to use Aloe plant if my hair drys up too much. Take the leafs off the plant and split it and scrape out the white stuff, lather it up and use like shampoo, she said thats what she would do back home. Ive not tried it though.
Other washing stuff :
Sea salt water :- Dries out the dreadies but leaves a salty residue so should be washed out with clean water too.
Tea tree:- Helps with itchy scalp and any cuts or bugs.
ill have more of a think for you though

 

Rosemary tea helps itchy scalps. Take rosemary, steep it in some hot water you brought to a boil and let it steep. Then, cool the mixture down and seperate the liquid from the rosemary thingys(lol I forget what they're called!). Then pour the liquid on your dreads and it soothes your head. I got that from someone a while ago and tried it. It did soothe my scalp but I don't know how a rosemary bar would do. I suppose the rosemary bar could possibly help with itch. I'm currently using a "Clearly Natural" glycerin bar in unscented. My hair feels fine it just doesn't have any "washed with soap" smell anymore.

oh and btw it said I edited ur post mountain girl but I didnt! I accidently hit the wrong button. I hit the edit instead of the quote button, sorry! *blushes*:&

 

wow, cool. thanks for all your help everyone. about the not washing too often, i really only wash it maybe once a month.....sounds kinda gross, but i've never had a smelly hair problem. and the only time i've ever had flakes in my hair was after using that damn dreadheadHQ stuff. and i would love to post pictures of my dreadies....they've come such a long way, but i've had some strange experience on here with a kid who claims to go to the same university as me, so i don't want people like that being able to recognize me. it creeps me out. :-( so i can't show off my dreadies like i'd like to. maybe if i can take a picture of just my hair, like, real close up....maybe i can post something like that. i wanna show 'em off! i'm so proud! they're my babies....i started with some backcombing, so they're not totally natural. but in the beginning, the ones in the front came down to my cheekbones, and now, they're almost shoulder length. and those are the shortest ones! but, man....you all have some very beautiful locks! i've loved seein the pictures around the forums.

 

hmmm... thats a sucky situation. How about have someone take a picture of the back of your hair? Or, take a picture and black out your face on photoshop? They sound great so I hope you get the chance to show them off!

 

Oh you can just privately send it to some of us individually

 

hahaha...that could work. sooooo.....if you're not a psycho and you'd like to see my dreadies, let me know. i'll try to get a pic taken....

 

Hahahah okay well.... i do know im not a psycho! heheh and i do nkow i would love to seey our dreadie's sooo im letting you know!!!!!

I do indeed have 2 e-mails of which u can send to any

experiencechange@hotmail.com
or
Sacredroots@hotmail.com

 

I have a great home made soap that is awesome for dreads! It's made of saponified palm, coconut, olive and hemp oils with tea tree, rosemary and peppermint essential oils. No residue, smells great and helps with itchy, flaky scalp. Another great herb for dreads is stinging nettle. Make a tea out of it and rinse your scalp with it.

 

i need help with bleaching my dreads. i bleached them at the hairdresser before i put my dreads in but now the roots are kinda dark, and they've gone a little mousy looking. any advice? i dont know what kinda bleach to use. can you get special bleach for hair? where can u get it, in the chemist? boots? also i have some purple extensions in it that i got in holland. i wont be able to get anymore till march so i dont want to ruin them by getting bleach on them.can anybody give me some advice?
these pics are of me in amsterdam, just after i got them so they look a bit shit, and what was i thinking with the dark purple dreads??

 

I have had my natties for about 5 months now and the are kinda flat. Some of em are rounder in places-but over all the flat. Is this normal? Will they round up on their on? Is their anything I can do to help this out? I have tried rolling them in my palms to kno success. I have also tried-I guess the best way to describe it would be jerking the dread off to get em more nattie, but nothing has really worked.

 

Jennifer:-
Reguarding bleaching the dreads ANY "blonding" dye will be a bleach, so just buy a blonding dye kit and just apply to the roots, however i dont recoment chemicals. IF however it is sunny where you are, put lemmon juice (mixed with water) on the root and go out in the sun, its a natural bleach and shouldnt harm the extensions (if they are acrylic ones) like chemical bleach would.

Smokey:-
some of my back dreadies are flat too. Palm rolling is the best way to sought them out, however ive found that allthough the bits that dreaded while the hair was long is flatter the fresh new dreads (near the roots) are all perfectly round. Its just because you sleep on them and lie on them that they get flat.

 

Even the ones I dont sleep on are flat-is this just because there young? And if I am too lazy to palm roll will they round up on there own over time?


Thanks again Fleassy for all your help-my dreads have come a long way since I have started taking some of your advice!

 

Hey smokey its ok WELL ID SAY THAT YEAR ITS BECAUSE THEY ARE YOUNG AND TO BE HONEST (oops sorry about caps there) i think it will sort itself out, if it comes to it try crocheting them to a slightly rounder shape, or wrap the flat bits with some hemp or cool wool (and no problem.. its all just my opinions i guess.. so if anything goes wrong.. dont sue me :S)

 

Yea-im just lettin em do their own thing now for the most part-I still rub em some to knot em up some more. I have also problems where some of he dread will start to pull out in one spot. The rest of the dread is is knotty, but that one part is not. It almost makes the dread look like an "S" shape. Its hard to explain-but I guess you would kno what I was talkin about if you have had the same problem...