**READ ME** - dreading methods thread

Great work amy
I like the products section

 

That's looking good now. Some of the underlines have come orange and some black....best if all orange I think *aesthetically picky*

 

hey hey the product section was word for word how i originaly had it!

but she did do a lil editing in some areas and said things lil better then i had (and added the cute sheep)
i think only 2-3 sentences were changed alot from the original though with the exception of some spelling cleanup (wich i acrtualy in the draft b4 this changed all the kinda's to kind of's so technicaly did it lil better
but the wording changes she did do were defininately a plus so thank you amy! (just not for the product section..thanks for ther sheep)

 

i noticed that too abnd couldnt figure out why
but i think its good enough at this point that we can stop talking biut the 1st post and its appearance and start talking biut methiods and experiences

 

thought of a couple things i missed


root flipping

generaly not concidered a good idea, although some sights suggest it to tighten roots so i will discuss it here
accomplished by:
taking the whole dread and pushing it through the roots in random directions

now although i said its not as good idea and i'll explain why in a momment i will say i used a variation of this to kick start whispy hairs that were always blowing inmy eyes
what i did though was tie a knot in the end ogf the hair, flipping that knot through the strasight hairs in random directions about 1/2 inch lower each flip and stopping at least an inch from the roots, in essence a backwards 2 strand loose braid but sectioned randomly
it was only to hold the hairs togerther till they began to dread (in a week or 2)
because it was loose it did no dammage but early on looked kinky and crazy

now the pros and cons
pros
very debatable if there are any when used only to tighten roots, as roots will always take care of themselves and should have a bit of loose hairs to move and knot. but if yiour obsessed with tightening roots u can get it to seem tight to the scalp
cons
causes weak spots when done tight
probably restricts movement so they stay sorta braided looking till they grow out and move
has caused dread breakage

congos

congo is a term applied to dreads that combined
congos form naturaly if you dont rip connecting hairs at the roots enough (or at all)

accomplished by:

method 1, naturaly:
stop seperating dreads till they start to grow together on theyre own. typicaly a couple months without ripping will result in dreads matted together with no hope of seperating

method 2, beading/wrapping/tying
force a bead over 2 (or more) nearby dreads
or wrap hemp wool or other fibers around the bases to join them
or just tie some loose hairs around

important note:
mature dreads will usualy only congo at the roots and new growth will be thicker with splits in to 2 or more thinner dreads further down
new dreads that are not real tight yet may be possible to be joined root to tip
however, it should be noted that new dreads may thicken up on theyre own as they mature so congoing to get thicker dreads may not be needed

pros
thin dreads can be thickened either for looks or strength
some people preffer massive thick dreads and its easily accomplished by congoing

cons
there are many, of varying degree of seriusness, most minor, some more severe.

1. thicker dreads are harder to clean and take longer to dry
2. dreads over 2-3 inches in thickness can be impossible to get your fingers under the roots to clean the scalp
3. dreads even larger then that, or ones that have congoed from dreads whos bases are all over your head can pull on the scalp painfuly
4. congos can happen unexpectedly if your not careful to prevent them possibly resulting in a unidread
5. while admired by some in the dread community, a 8 inch thick dread that stands straight up might limmit your ability to look professional if needed.
6. may be more prone to mold/mildew due to the extra long drying times

 

more good work SE

 

something i ate is got me very sick very suddenly so forgive me if this post is messy
but i thought about this last night and wanted to get a lil further into it
just to try to make the issue allitle more well understood by all

the issue of dread purists/elitist

i know some of you are thonking, oh no, not this again
but i think its important that its discussed in full for the greatter respect of all.
throughout history dreads were a sign of wisdom, or spirituality and of devotion
the guru on his mountaintop meditating year after year and teaching his knowledge grew his dreads as a disattachment from the physical body, just like long fasts and enfduring hardships like poverty
the hindus grew theyre dreads from birth as a devotionto theyre beliefs.
all through history it was the ones most devoted to theyre beliefs that took vows to grow dreadlocksthen came the rastas who grew theyre dreads out of desire for salvation (when judgment day comes jah will rake his hand across the land and the dreadlocks of the ritoos will tangle in his fingers and be lifted to the promiced land)
the dreads were looked up to as spiritual leasders, mystics, higher beings

and then it hit the mainstream.. suddenly heavy metal musicians are flashing theyre dreadlocks while singing about worshipping satan, goths are dreading and turning it into a dark dismal morbid expression of depression
thousands of young kids sudeenly wanted dreads to look cool or rebel against theyre parents or society
and the purests who dreaded for only the most spiritual or religios of reasons saw this as a slap in the face, a direct mockery of theyre beliefs and downright insulting.

today theres not alot that can be done to reverse that trend
however there is a way for all sides to get along
and its as simple as this..respect

for the fashion dread side , its a matter of respecting the great sacrifices the purests endured for thousands of years and the deep philosophical connection they have with theyre locks
there should be deep respect for the religios or spiritual beliefs even if you dont personaly believe them yourself

and on the other side of the coin
the purests should understand that as a fashion dreads are not likely to fade away
and dreads do change people opening them up to new ideas, and if the purests are not disrespectful, they may be a strong influence that can teach the youth theyre ways (but not force theyre vgiews)

even the most enlightened beings have room for enlightening

therefore if we treat eachother with deep respect we can all learn from eachother

too often i see the purest saying "you dont desserve dreads if your not rasta (or fill in any other belief that embraces dreads)"
then on the other side you get "chill the fuck out dude its just a hairstyle"
odviosly neither side is giving the other any respect at all

now i have found from personal experience that speaking to either side with respect builds a bridge between the two, that allows learning from eachother

respect is a powerful thing..if you give it it comes back to you

so when your on your dready journey, no matter your reasons for dreading, at least take some time to contemplate those who came before you..the hardships and persecutions they endured.. the lifetimes devoted to spiritual persuites
and dont act all self ritios just cause u wanna wear yoiur hair that way (or on the other side u do have a devotion to a belief)
insrewad give respect to eachothers reasionings, its ok to express yourt pioint of view too ofcourse but do it with respect
only then will we ever see eye to eye

 

recomended products

so, we covered alot of commercial products and why they are not generaly recomended
so lets move on to some products we have found useful or even esential.
keep in mind, dreadlocks are a natural hairstyle so the more natural the products the better. also keep in mind that residues slow the proceses, wax being pure residue, and gels and the like being heavy residues that at least should come out easier then waxes.

soaps cleaning agents and conditioners
soaps and shampoos
here the knottyboy and dreadheadhq sites didnt screw up too badly, the soaos are not harmful and alot of people do like them, although some say onbe or the other may dry the hair and scalp and cause more itches, and may not rince well (i forget which)
they are not bad shampoos so are worth trying if you dont have ethical issues supporting sites thatsell harmful products and misinformation.

ones we recomend
dr bronners 18 in 1 magic soaps
bar or liquid
luiquid has the advantage of being diluted (12-1 aprox is best for shampoo) and can be used for almost all household cleanning and personal hygene uses. its also the most biodegradable soap there is (but still takes a long time in rivers and streams so when camping, use away from water sources, it biodegrades extremely fast in soil)
the medicinal value of each herbal scent may be discussed later.
one note, in certain water types or hair types it maty not rince without residues, assing a lil bit of borax should solve this issue


lush bars, hemp based soaps
most work well, without residues
some contain sls's (sodium laurel sulphates) or simular chemicals
i'm not 100% sure why these should hbe avoided (but i avoid any non natural sounding things) but i think they may be linked to cancers or something.
as aruke of thumb, if im not sure what an ingredient is i wont use it..but thats just me

nutregena daily clarifying and simular
never used it but its good for stripping away any buildup from conditioners and other residues.
possibly especialy helpfull at the pre-dread stage to prepare the hair for dreading.

others
the rule of thumb is the more natural the better, and the cleaner it rinces the better, a test would be, fill a glass wioth water and the soap/shampoo being tested, fairly strong on the soap, let sit a bit stirring now and then
then dump it out and give it a quick rince (not thourough) see what kind of film or scums left behind
if it doesnt rince very clean very easy it will be extra hard to get oyut of dreads.

cleaning agents (non soap/detergent)
deep cleanse
basicly 1/4-3/4 cups baking soda (the following ingredients are all optional) 2 tablespoons sea salt 2 tablespoons lemmon juice 10 or so drops teatree oil (and/or rosemary or other)
dump over your head leave on (wrap a towel around your head if u want) between 10 min and 1/2 hour or till the tingling is too intence
rince well (the rince water may come out really grey or brown, it removes more dirt then any soap)
it can make hair extra soft , leave out lemmon juice if its too much

ackee
its a tree sap i think from jamaicxa
may be hard to find other places, used like a soap byt technicaly isnot a soap or detergent
most jamaican rastas will not use anything but ackee
(hope i spelled it right..lol)

clay
i have no real info on this, and its not normal clay, but a microfine clay that does a super job of cleaning hair and skin
i cant remember the exact type, but if anyone searches way back in old threads theres a thread about using clay to wash, and i'd be happy to update this section with better info once its found.. do not go using normal clay in the meantime..lol)

conditioners
1st a note on conditioning dreads. drewads should remain as residue free as possible. new dreads may loosen alot using and conditioners, while mature dreads can handle any conditioners (i used to use one called mane and tail, made for horses but sold for human use too, it was a heavy residue, leave in conditioner..clearly not the best, but in mature dreadsu can get away with it)

in general, dreads should only be conditioned when they really need it badly.

recomended conditioners
aloe vera
this is not thye aloe sold for burns, you want only 100% pure aloe gel, either straight from the plant, (if from the plant be sure it is indded aloe VERA as other aloe varieties look simular, but some are highly toxic and can cause very painful scin reactions) or 100% pure aloe gel from the refridgerated section of health food stores.
aloe works like wax is suposed to, as it dries it shrinks pulling in loose hairs making dreads look tidy, at the same time it feeds hair and scalp. conditioning and creatting healthy hair.
unlike wax though, it rinces very easily with plain water
you can put some on your hands and roll it into each dreasd, or dilute it in a spray bottle and spray on

vitamin e
this is the ingredient in waxes that aloe them to claim its conditioning.
use 1-3 capsules broken open, or bout 1/8-1/4 teaspoon luiquid mixed in water and rinced thriough
again vitamin e like aloe feeds the hair and skin repairing dammage


jojoba and other oils
jojoba is very good for conditioning hair and skin alike, however can be expensive per oz
so i tend to mix it with other oils to spread it further
teateree (tiny bit, too much adds to dryoing) rosemary, sage, patxchoily, any of your favorites, and u can even add a lil olive oil to stretch it
mix it well in water rince it thru, leave on a good bit then rince out (or if too oily, wash out)
for extreme treatments of very damaged hair, put the mixed up oils (the whole sealed bottle) in a cup of very hot water for 5-10 minutes to heat the oils
sprinkle around the dreads directly then dump a cup of water over it to spread it round (not enough to rince it out) ..lweave be awhile then rince/wash

cocoa butter
or shae butter might also be useable, im not certain though
leaves a delightful scent, can be used as a leave in conditioner pretty safely
just wipe some on dry dreads between washings

apple cidar vinagar
also used to remove residues left behind by soaps
it can make hair extremely soft
not great to over do in early stage dreads odviosly but since it removes residues as well as softens hair, it is useful in any stage as long as not over used.
dilute a capful or 2 in a quart or more water, dump over your head..leave on as long as u thionk is needed (longer=softer)
rince out well
can leavge a faint smell of vinagar that lingers
you wont smell it after a day, but others might longer
so use weak and rince well to avoid that.


other products.. tams hats beads wraps misc.

tams
rule of thumb, alow for growth. tams will streth out as hair grows, but as they stretch they may fit looser as well.
so give yiurself a bit of room to grow before they begin being stretched.
wool is highly recomended, although any fibers are fine. hemp willlast forever but may be resistent to stretching (loose weave hemp though will have more room to expand)
tams are avauilibkle all over the place, but i highly recomend getting one from this forums very own crafters.
we have many to choose from, and hand made one of a kind beats any mass produced crap anytime. plus your supporting this community.
(crafters, dont add your tams here please, instead provide links to threads containing your work, or to your etsy shops)
to measure for a tam, if you have 1 custom made, measure around the hairline (slightly above hairline)
then ball the dreads up tight ontop of your head and measure fromt to back hairline to hairline for the volume measurement

(hint for crafters, when making tams for dreads as heavy as mine, a drawstring or elastic band sewn into the opening can help with a tighter more secure fit)

other hats/hesdwareits unlimmeted in the styles you can use, be creative funky and fun
hats or wraps that alow the dreads to poke out the back or top can be fun.
wraps can be made from any material.
dread sleeves can be a great alternative to tams, getting the dreads out of the way but not hiden out of sight.
bandanas and the like can tuck dreads out of the way too for work.
i used to live my cat in the hat type hat, so the dreads would fill it making it stand straight up.
the possibilities are unlimmeted
and making your own hats can be fun.


beads
you dont need dread sopecific beads. hell you dont need beads that are intended to be beads..lol
anything with a hole through it that will stay on will work.. rings (with nothing to snag other hairs, just plain round rings) bolts, bones, chillums, beads of ant sort or material work.
a trick to applying them, wet the tip of the dread, put a loop of thread through the bead, catch the end of the dread in the loop (as close to the end as u can) use the loop to pull the dread through the bead till u can grip the dread, force the bead upwards till it sticks.

beads can also be used in creating natural dreads, do the above with a section of loose hair, the hair will dread faster with the bead in it.

peyote stitches
these are made by using fishing line or other thin strong string and stringing together rows of seed beads (google peyote stitch pastters or search youtube for making peyote stitches)
they work like beads, but are flexible tubes, that allow greatter movement within the tube.
(and are a lot more confy to lay on..lol)
you can create beautiful patters
they are easy to make once you learn the basics.
can be easily made to any length or thicknes

hair/dread wraps
should be thought of as purely decorational, the debate wether it helps or harms dreading is too inconclusive to say either way.
theres 2 ways to do it, the 1st is simple fast (relatively fast that is) but wont last as long.
tie many colors of thread (or hemp) round the base of the dread then wrap 1 color while the rest stay flat against the dread inside the wrapped one..wrap wrap wrap till u wanna change scolors then lie that 1 against the dread wrapp;ing the new color around
finaly finnishing with a knot (if the dreads longer then the wrap) or a braid or knotwork if the wrap extends beyond the dread end.

2nd method, fancier and lasts longeer.
involves macromet knotwork each wrap cxan be single thread with 1 knot or double with 2 (even alternatomng colors) to create fancy patterns, spirals ridges and the like
its very resistent to unraveling unlike speed wraps so can last long times (years even if hemp)
you can add trinkets beads lil decorative touches along the way too by simply attaching them to the knots.

easier if u have someone shpw u a few knots 1st, but anyoone whos made macromet bracelets (or freindship bracelets) knows at least some of the basics.

misc.
i dunno what i intended to put here..lol
but i'll just start babbling biout other decorative ideas and see if anything usefull comes up.
feathers, flowers chopsticks (to hold in knotted styles)
all can be fun playful ways to add color and style

oh yea i know why i inclusded a misc now

accelerators and knot promoting things
you are far better off using natural (and inexpensive) axccelerators then chemical based ones

these "products" are so simple you'll slap yourself if you bought any others.

sea salt, or a dip in the ocean

yup its that simple, swimming in ther ocean, or making a sea salyt solution and spraying it on the dread (carefuly avoiding the scalp as it may iritate some)
is the best accelerator there is.
be sure to not leave itin too long as it can really dry hair out to an extreme..15 minutesthen rincing should be fine..a couple hours wont hurt..but days can do a ton of harm.
approximately 89 cents should be a lifetime supply.

knot promotors
this is a broad range
..playing with your hair a bit (as long asits not unknotting)
or, forgetting you have hair
a trip to the woods away from mirrors for several weeks washing in a stream will really get the hair knotty quickly (a watched dread will not dread?)
the less attention u paty to it the faster it seems to happen.

wool piillowcases can di alotta work while iu sleep too
or i used to pull a wool sweatter over my head (so the neck hole was at my hairline, and my hair inside the body of the sweatter)
wear that at night and wake up knotty



as you can see, dread "products" arent so much about store bought dread specific things, but most are things u can make or grow yourself or come directly from nature..as it should be

i know a hell of alotta dreadies, very few of whom "made" theyre dreads, the vast magority came from spending time in the wilderness alot unintentional even, they just found they had dreads by the time they finaly saw a mirror again.


for all the special tricks to create dreads i just explained i feel i must at least say that there really is no special trick to dreading (in almost all cases that is) they will happen on theyre own if u let them
ofcourse your welcome to try any methods listed above
but you really dont have to do anything at all
except be patient (no matter the method u choose)

peace out
feel free to add your own info

 

LMAO "might" hahaha

 

Cor you've written a lot soaringeagle! Really good You should produce a book

 

wow thats long, it hurt my eyes to read but Im very tired.
SE that must of taken you forever !!!
Its quite informative though

 

very very very in depth, congrats =]

 

i wanted to be as thoyrough as possible.. and literaly spent many hours thinking over each part (while trying to get to sleep) before tackling it.
i tried very hard to be as fair as possible too, but im certain there is room for disagreement.

i may add more in the next few days if i can think of any more, but i think i covered just about everything.
if theres anything at all anyone thinks should be added, im willing to cover any other topics, or you can give it a go yourself.

ozzy sticky this plz

 

Maybe this is an appropriate point for people to start pasting in links to their timelines, to show all the theory in action?

 

me me me!

http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?t=351050
backcomb, no wax, no palmroll, no crochet, no needles, no sewing.. a helluva lot of frizz =]

 

and then it hit the mainstream.. suddenly heavy metal musicians are flashing theyre dreadlocks while singing about worshipping satan, goths are dreading and turning it into a dark dismal morbid expression of depression
thousands of young kids sudeenly wanted dreads to look cool or rebel against theyre parents or society
and the purests who dreaded for only the most spiritual or religios of reasons saw this as a slap in the face, a direct mockery of theyre beliefs and downright insulting.




Geeze SE
Heavy metal does not equal worshiping Satan. Carry on!

 

i know it doesmt equal it but some groups sing about it alot ..and well some think they acftualy believe that (although its clearly a poser thing)
it was exagerated to make a point though.

i just meant ppl with absolutely no clue about the deeper meenings
and some sought to take an image that repressented possitive loving spiritual views and turn it into something very different, dark, negative ..aven hate filled

it wasnt a specific group or anything i was talkinmg about
i just meant like idf every lil emo kid starts wearring dreads and walkijg round saying life is meanninless so lets cut ourselves its a slap in the face to those who dread to bring possitive changes into theyre lives..

u took it too literaly

 

Perhaps!!!
SO are my locks negative? I don't feel as if they are. I love them!
Now you have me sad SE...bad SE bad!!!!

 

http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?t=352068

Its mine! Backcombed and waxed for a few months. Root looping to keep the roots tight until about 1 year then full neglect with random ripping to keep them separated.

Born May 5th 2007--present!

 

the root looping did u find it helped at all (keep in mind u havent root looped in a year and didnt need to) did it cause any issues that you are aware of?
ive heard second hand reports of root looping causing weak spots so bad dreads fell right off, but that was most likely from doing it obsessivly and way way too tightly.
i think its entirely unesacary and should be avoided since roots need absolutely no help to knot