I've done it to a few of my dreads once or twice when a massive loop is forming on top of m head, just to flatten it a bit. Anyone else do this? I like the look of it when the dreads mature. Does anyone have any proof (as far as internet proof can go) that it's caused damage?
It doesn't so much cause damage as much as, where the root has been flipped, the hair doesn't lock up. Eventually, because the hairs aren't as tangled and integrated it can get weak. 4 years after flipping you can still see where I did it and the lock is flimsy in that particular area in comparison to the rest of the lock.
u take the tip of ur dread and push it through the root out. never done it, but ive seen it talked about.
dont ask its not worth doing ive head of dreads breaking from it, but im assumming they overdid it to the point of getting it super tight which will really screw em, up.. i really wqould recomend u dont i did however sorta do it not to tighten roots but loose strands that annoyed me id tie a knot in the end and root flip a couple rtimes very very loosely 4 times in 6 inches..just to hold em then they knotted fine from there but as a methiod of tightenint roots thet dont need tioghtening..its a bad idea
I have done it on a couple, did help temporarily, although in 90% of the dreads, I ended up pulling back through otherwise you get a chain on gaping holes
SE- I took this from the link you provided: "there are many different methods of combining dreads but i recommend the felting needle method. buy a felting needle " Do you still stand by your source of info?
I don't do it cuz I'm worried about the roots dreading up, I did it to shove some crazy looking loops under
Would this be good for a few of my dreads that I can like stick my fingers through the roots???????? Like as in a hole...like as in how the hell did that happen anyway????
I don't think you should either Callie, I can still do that to most of my roots at the very top where the hair is only semi-locked if I feel around.
I did it all the freaking time... you can see it all the way down my dreads for about 4 inches... my dreads are fine, and not flimsy... and they still lock up around where it was done, just not like it would if you left it. I did it because I liked the way my roots felt when they were nice and snug. as well if I had some longer loose hairs, I'd tie them in a knot then flip the dread around and around so that it would stay. does any of this make sense? I've stopped doing it now though just because I like the fluffier appearance of my roots. If I changed my mind, I'd go back to root flipping. its a great way to get rid of those super big loopies... but like everything else... if they are ignored in a while, they'll get sucked into your dreads Hope that helps. Oh and to address some concerns... yes for a little while it may seem like you put a gaping hole in your dread, but as you can tell from my dreads... if you then let it go...it knots together just like if you were to congo two dreads together. its not a problem at all.
I think your dreads are looking fine Caliie, I was just peaking at your album and they look great to me. It's true I don't have any evidence to back up that root flipping can cause damage because I've never done it. Dunno it just sounds like a dodgy idea to me and I don't see it as being necessary. The only thing I've ever done, if for some weird reason I need to make my dreads look "tidier" for something/someone, is twist the loose hair in my fingers, stuff it into the nearest root and root-rub a little. Of course it usually springs out after a while, but works for long enough to keep the weirdo "I'm scared of dreadlocks people happy". I hope you know the people I mean here, the kind that when you walk past them they look at you like you're an alien or something.
I dont have many like that..its really not that huge of a deal to me. Thanks Merri...I do know what ya mean
Ya callie... its totally not neccessary and won't help your roots lock up any tighter.... long ago i didn't understand how the roots could knot... because its like having elastics on sorta... the scalp and where the dread begins... couldn't figure out how it would knot in between there.... but it does.... so if you just leave it alone.... it'll get started... I rootfliped because I wanted tighter roots, but it definitely changes the texture of the dread if you do it all the time. people often ask me if I started my dreads from braids.... but if its just once in a while to get rid of a loopy root thats wierd looking like Luxie did... it'll be fine. i don't think it changes the integrity or strenth of the dread.... mostly just the appearance.... hmmmmm.... maybe I'l see if I can to a crop of an old pic to show you what I mean.
So there... I guess the only way I can explain it any better is.... you know when way back when, when it was cool to flip a pony tail... how the hair looked when it was like that? Well i have a whole much of those on my dreads.... but after time, they do dread around and I couldn't stick anything through them if I dreamed to.... its very tight....