Why Isn't My Hair Dreading?

I've been trying to get dreads through the neglect method for 3 months now, but my hair isn't even starting to knot yet. I have stick straight hair, it's almost down to my nipples, and the shortest layers are about six inches. I shampoo with baking soda once a week and use a sea salt spray made of just sea salt and water, and rub my hair dry with a tool. Occasionally I tie headbands around the back of my head to the front of my forehead. Thanks ahead of time!

 

Caucasian hair is too straight and oily to dread as quickly as ethnic hair. I would suggest using the twist and rip method then neglect.

 

I don't have dreads now but I dreaded my hair for about a month in high school. You might like Murray's Pomade! They have it at Target I think. This stuff is pretty sticky! Don't know if you will like it or not but it's only like $2.00 at Target. It might not be as good as the neglect method but it would definitely be faster.

Of course, you really don't need any product to dread your hair... just roll it between the palms of your hands. That's what I did anyway. But you said your hair is really straight so even this might be moot! Good luck with your dreads!

 

Generally speaking neglect dreads take the longest to form. My dreads were done as a mixture of back combing, twist and rip, elastics and neglect. The ones coming in from neglect are there after about 4 years.

C/S,
Rev J

 

I'v had mine for about a year now and if there is one thing i'v learned over the year was people did not recommend any sort of wax. To be fair though i used it once or twice at the start now i just let them do there thing.

 

twist and rip. my hair is super curly dry and frizzy and knotted minutes after brushing before I put the dreads in but my friend who did it with me has the same pin straight hair and we had to backcomb the initial like quarter inch of her hair then do twist and rip and even then it would get too fine to tangle and we would backcomb and roll it in our palms to get the twist and rip method to work on her hair. I don't think waxes are a good idea, but that's my opinion I haven't ever used wax so I really have no experience with which to judge it.

then palm roll and after the first week or so, keep them clean. straight oily hair comes unraveled easier, at least that's what I gather watching my friends dreads and from what we read online it is because oil makes it slick like conditioner and loosens knots, so the cleaner it is the more likely it is to knot.

 

Mine didn't really start until hmm month 6?! (stick straight as well) and I'm going on month 9 now and the whole sections have just finished forming. like a few little knots in what would be the sections for my dreads. aahhh still a few loose sections, but can count about 30 sections (30 knots?? hehe)

it'll come. We definitely learn patience through it though!

You could try T&r. i did this with my first few partials, but i heavily crocheted them too early on (which i now very much disapprove of), but so i can't say if they would have actually formed any quicker for me, but you would at least have the sections. On the other hand, if you try to t&r, keep in mind that it will put you back to day one essentially, so at this point, it's best to just let them go and do their thing.