seeking professional advice on dreads

Hi all, I'm new to these forums and am wanting to get dreads. The catch is, because of different styles in the past my hair is choppy in the weirdest ways. The top of my head is 6-9 inches, the sides 5-7 inches and top back to bottom back is 2-3 inches.

I do want to grow my hair out for another 3 months before I get dreads in, just so the back does not look all funny, but my question is, should I start washing my hair with residue free soap for 3 months, and then section my hair and back comb? or should I continue using the normal shampoo, and let it grow, then do the sectioning and back combing?

Feedback appreciated!

 

dude, just don't worry about it. you don't put dreads "in", anyway. just wash with residue free stuff and wait. and rip. thats it. there's really...nothing to it...

 

true that, but in the sense of back combing, can i do that 3months down the line when i have the right length for it, and after i have been using residue free shampoo for that long?

 

^ you can do that if you want to go natural.

As long as your hair is 3 inches or longer, you can do the backcombing method. Section, back comb, and wait about a week to wash with residue free shampoo.

 

yeah, you could wait 3 months to backcomb it, or you could just do it now. but anyways, if you are going to wait three months, why not just neglect in the time in between? then 3 months later, you'll have a really nice start on dreadlings to begin with.

 

agreed. you might as well just start treating your hair as you will when you have dreads. that way even if oyu decide to backcomb it, it will be nice and natty already.

 

agreed. while you're waiting for it to get longer, just wash with residue free shampoo, and don't comb. or comb with fingers or whatever (this is what my loverman did for a while cause he didn't have a brush, and he almost ended up with dreads in 2 months, lol)... then when/if you decide to do the backcomb, there'll be a few knots in their already, and you can just tighten them up.

 

wash with residue free by 3 months backcombing woyld be a step backwards

 

I will be back-combing my hair and sectioning it tomorrow (most) my back hair is not the right length, so We will back comb whatever works, and residue it up for the rest of my time. I'm stoked about this guys! Tomorrow, 4 of my friends with 4 combs each, some pizza, movie, and a lot of back-combing action haha. Peace all, and thanks for your replies

 

one quick question that I need to know the answer asap. Instead of using rubber bands to keep hair in place when back-combing, what should I use? or will rubber bands work fine?

EDIT: The reason I need to know this quick is because I am going shopping for some items for today. I will be meeting my friends in a couple of hours for the entire back combing process, so speedy replies much appreciated!

 

Rubber bands are not good to use.
Get some beads.
Ive used a string of hemp too, just tie a knot at the root and leave it there a few days

 

rubber bands are fine to use for sectioning. just dont leave them in, take them out as you backcomb.

 

update:
3 people made it on time, and 2/3 people had not a single clue what was going on, and did a VERY sloppy job of back combing. I had to untangle a lot of it (which was a &$@#! to do, I must add), but the one guy that knew what he was doing agreed we'd re-do them. The other dude that failed to show up because of some stuff that popped up is meeting with us tonight, and this kid has had dreads for 7 years.

So let's hope for the best, and pictures when I am done

 

A few days old, after back combing, and using hemp string to keep some in place, I'm loving them!

 

they look awesome! im impressed they are staying down lol... mine were all sideshow bob and shit

 

haha, funny you should say that. Back in highschool, I walk in one day and get randomly called bob, and it stuck as my nickname for years even though my name is Omar, don't ask me why. Anyways, I was meeting up with an old friend 2 days ago and he hasn't seen me in a while. When we meet up, he gives me a O.O face, and slowly says "...sideshow bob.." followed by "... sick dreads dudes"