Ok i've been browsing this place for about a month but just now got a user name / password my hair is about 4 in long and strait. I plan to grow my hair to shoulder length, section and back comb, and *gasp* wax VERY lightly. I know that you all dislike wax but ... my mom doesn't like dreadlocks and if they look completely crazy for th first month, she will probrably make me cut 'em. how big should i make the sections to get 3/4 - 1 in dreads when they lock up? What is THE best shampoo to use. I read a site that said bronners left some residue. I want a shampoo that is great for my hair, and leaves no residue at all. what is the best wax to use if I had to use some? I plan to use a felting needle , and a crochet hook to tighten them. (please no hatin' on the wax.... I already know ok)
Bronner's is the best I've used. no residue at all left behind. if you have sensitive scalp at all the tea tree oil soap is really good for that.
bronner's does leave residue unless you rinse very,verrrrrrry well. it is still the best soap i've used as of yet. I have heard of a few horror stories about bronners (soap not coming out of locks and they get all stinky) Sometimes I will come out of the shower and start towel drying my hair and hear that dreaded soap in the lock sound but its nothing a good 10 minutes under hot water cant fix. the general consensus is that bronners is great. I personally prefer the tree tree oil bar soap.
The dreadfx bar soap is pretty good, but you'll get alot better value for money if you use Dr Bronners as you can dilulte it alot and it seems to last forever! If you insist on the wax, might be worth looking at knotty boy lock steady gel, as it'll be a DARN sight easier to get out than wax will, with similar effect. Or better yet, a bit of aloe vera gel.
i second the aloe vera. if you're looking for a non-residue shampoo but using wax, it doesn't make much sense. wax is going to trap water and bits of dust and grime that no shampoo is going to be able to get out easily. aloe will help tame the frizzies but not destroy your hair.
dr bronners is great and it all comes out of my hair very easily, you just have to make sure to dilute it a lot. as for wax, i waxed my first set just a little and ive been using a little on my friends dreads to take care of his frizzies. i dont see any problem with using it as long as you dont use too much. i think most of the wax horror stories are from people who use waaay to much and cake their hair together. its meant to be palm rolled very sparingly onto the outside of a formed dread. it doesnt seal the water out or in or anything like that, and it doesnt really stay in your hair long enough to mold, unless you use too much. i have knotty boy wax, it smells good and has no yucky ingredients. just scrape the top with your fingernail, smear it onto your palm, rub your hands together and palm roll down the dread. the total amount of what you use should be about the size of a sunflower seed kernel (the inside part lol) or less since you have short hair. as long as you dont use more than a tiny bit, it shouldnt be visible and you shouldnt be able to feel it. i do think that wax is totaly unecessary, i dont use it, but if youre concerned about frizzies then it does help a bit. it certainly wont help your hair lock up though. anyway, good luck!
Depends how fat you want your dreads really, i think an inch by an inch is fairly bog standard. But you can always tear 'em apart or let them congo. I love it when people have let it congo some, gives the dreads more character an individuality. It all comes down to personal tastes though.
Well the section sizes also depend on how thin your hair is. I have VERY thin hair and I had 1.5" x 1.5" sections and I still had TINY dreads. I used dreadhead HQ soap and it worked pretty well. I think mane and tail is supposed to be good too? But I never used it. Also if you want them to lock up use some salt water spray, but MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T GET ON YOUR SCALP. OMG I can not stress that enough!! The first night I used it I wasn't careful and went to bed and I had pimples and stuff ALL OVER my scalp for like 2 days, it hurt so bad! So yeah, watch the residue. I used wax when I started my dreads, I caution you, be careful! It's a slippery slope, you start with a little, then oh maybe a little more, a little more, etc etc etc. But yeah, hot water takes it out fine. Enjoy the locks!
yeah it depends on how fat you want them and your hair type. if you have thick hair and you want lots of dreads then make them a bit smaller, etc. i have crazy thick hair and 30-something dreads and they are pretty fat. a friend of mine has rally thin, strait hair and i made 40 somehting dreads in hers but she wanted a lot. the sections were like 1/2" and her dreads are really tiny. when i sectioned my hair, all i did was grab a chunk of hair that seemed to want to be together and backcomb that. it might not work if you have really silky hair though. mine would section itself off if i didnt touch it for a few days. anyway, i would say if you have semi thin hair and dont want uber fatties, make between 30 and 40 dreads. its hard to say how big they need to be but just do what feels right
