Hey all! I'm new here, been browsing around and you guys seem like a real awesome community of dreadheads! Which is great, because well, I have no idea where to start ;/ My hair type is thin, wavy very soft hair. Not thick or curly at all. I've been growing my hair for I guess 2 years now? It goes down past my chest, just about. I realised that dreads are PERFECT for me and exactly what I want only a few days ago; sad because for a very long time I never knew what to do with it but I'm too attached to it to cut it, as most people are with long hair. I used to get cornrolls all the time, then grew out of it. Now my hair is almost always in a messy ponytail, and I always have a du-rag over when I go out ;/ The problem is that I don't know how to start the process. I'd rather backcomb then go the natural way because, well, I feel stupid for not getting dreads at least a year earlier. I know the whole process is patience either way, but is there any negative things from backcombing rather then going natural? Also.. has anyone tried that Dreadheadhq Supa Kit here? It seems to get ALOT of happy customers, and doesn't praise alot of wax use. I know I know, keep away from wax! It also seems more put together,I wouldn't know what soaps to buy other then from there; I don't know anywhere that sells Dr. Bonners. I just want something to start me off; money is not an issue. Any ideas? All tips are taken into consideration :]
IMO backcombing is better with long hair. First wash your hair with a non residue soap or shampoo. I use knottyboy's shampoo bar but you can use whatever feels right to you. Then dry your hair completely. Brush it (I know it sounds silly but brushing it before you dread it seems to help somehow) Then section your hair (you can omit this step if you're not concerned about having uniform dreads...either way they come out good) Take a section of hair and backcomb (best thing to use is a metal flea comb). Start at the roots and backcomb in small strokes. Do this until you have reached the tips. Palmroll and backcomb a bit more if you have to. Repeat. It can take either several hours or even a few days depending on how long you can do it in one sitting. *hugs* and good luck! Be sure to show us pictures when you're done!
IMO I don't think the kit is really worth it. Wax and rubberbands cause problems. The accelerator is pretty much just saltwater, which you can do cheaper yourself. You can get the comb cheaper too. Shampoo...well everyone has different preferences and needs when it comes to this and options are endless here. ( I personally don't mind their shampoo and use it when I don't have time to DCC. Others say it flakes their scalp out) I'd be suspect of all their happy customers. I remember researching before my dreads and thinking the same thing. I learned about wax n' rubber bands and then looked back - what I found is that alot of pics in their gallery and testimonials seem to be from people who've only had their locks a month or so. 'OMG I did my dreads last week and DHHQ rocks!" and not so much " OMG, I've been using this stuff for years and live by it " That being said - they have some really nice instructional vids on backcombing that are worth a watch by all taking the comb to your head (if you go the pile of friends/dread party route) The only negative thing about backcombing is that on occasion, you'll run into some high-holy naturals that will judge you for it. :1eye:
ive been readin around to start mine as well and am curious about if layers make a big difference or not, my hair is quite curly but very soft. and after palm rolling do you put anything on them? i would think i would know this since ive done hair professionally for 10 yrs. but we didnt seen to cover that in school...hehe
Thanks for the input guys! Very helpful so far.. Hmm.. so I'm definatly going to go the backcomb route. So, not using rubberbands HELPS the dreads? I thought it makes them stay in place better at first? And I'm guessing sea-salt water sprays are avialable in hair/cosmetic stores? Also, does anyone know any sites that have information on natural dreadhead products? Sorry if I'm asking so many questions, there's so much I have to learn. Remember guys, any input is extremely helpful and appreciated And I never knew dreadheadhq wasn't that effective, that god I came across this site. Anyone know any other knotty sites that have information for natural backcombing and such? :tongue:
To answer your first question. NO rubberbands. It hinders the hairs tangling at the roots. I mean you can use it when you section your hair to simply keep it in sections, but thats about all they are good for. The saltwater spray is soooooo easy to make, salt, water shake spray, and taht didnt cost you anything. I find people stress tooo much about dreads, gets your self a flea comb, and a friend, section out your hair, then backcomb it. After its done remember, you do not have dreads yet, they are very delicate, treat them so. Palmrolling helps. and use that sea salt spray. Oh yes and for backcombing instrux, check www.knottyboy.com. Just dont use their wax, or other stuff, its a WASTE of money, check their ingrediants page, that shit is super easy to make THe knot teas are good, I used to get them from Enchanted soapworks, I found they really felt soo refreshing. ( That was about a year into having my dreads) As for soap, check here : hyenacart.com, or etsy.com There are TONS of soap makers out there who make NATURAL soaps. HOpe I helped answer soem of your questions. I am EXCITED as I am about to start ym knotty journey again. My husband finally realized I wasnt gonna EVER shut up unless I was dready again
Thanks for all the tips dreadedhotness, they're helping a bunch! I'm going to start my locks this week, without buying a starter kit like I originally intended.. I'm basically going to buy the best all natural soap/shampoo I find (not going with dr.bonners yet since I want to get started asap and I can only purchase this from the net it seems, but I will definatly buy some later down the road), wash out my hair thoroughly, let it completly dry, brush? then start parting my hair into sections and starting the grueling backcombing process. After I backcomb I'm gonna go natural and let my hair do it's thing, but from what I've read it's not a bad idea to get your hair going first, right? My only question is, I know how to backcomb but in the tutorials and videos it's always followed by twisting and waxing. How do I do it without waxing? I assume just backcomb, no twisting of any sort? And for making my own lock accelerator, it's just salt+water+lemon juice possibly in a spray, right? I plan to keep the rubberbands on my tips for the first week to help the lock stay in place, then remove them. I read in 2 posts just don't keep it in past 2 weeks, sound good? Other then that I'm gonna try to forget about my hair. Oh and I plan to not wash my hair for a week or maybe 2 following the backrolling, whatcha think? Last question (I promise!): would I always have to keep my hair uncovered or in a beanie/wool cap? I would prefer not to; at least not until my dreadies are up and running :tongue: not sure if I'll like the look yet.. Sorry for the long post, you guys have been a GREAT help so far, I honestly don't know what I would've done if I just followed the dreadheadhq insructions instead of coming here! :hysterica
If I were you, I would do everything as intended, however, I can find dr. bronner's all over the place and am buying some off the net. Also, if your used to a beanie of some sort, buy a tam! Billed or non. Edit: Nno i'm sure you dont need to cover them!
Yeah, I plan on buying a crocheted dread band (is that what the thick bands are called?) so my hair sticks out in the back! hopefully that can get me by. Thanks Ska. Anyone else avaliable to answer my questions in my previous post?
You don't have to keep your hair covered. I cover mine because it looks neater and I only use a hankechief. You could use a dew rag or whatever. Wool is best but not a necessity so don't worry too much. As for washing, WASH THEM. Oily hair doesn't hold knots well. I suggest washing them every few days. They can sometimes take a long time to dry so you don't want to wash every day unless you blow dry (they can get mouldy). So be sure to wash. Plus, unwashed dreads tend to smell because the dreads lock in scent.
