This is the thread I'll post updates to my dread journey with. Before dreads: Day 3, heavy with water soluble goop (NO wax!) Day 5, Less heavy Day 9, even lighter.
Day 13, the last pic before the first washing Right after the first wash (after they dried). Goop completely gone. This is when I discovered they weren't really done as I had requested they be done. Also, tons of my hair started falling out and still is even today. Ouch Day 17. Looking a little better. Locked up a little bit, faster than I expected in 2 days since washing (since I expected none lol)... Today is day 21. I will come back later today with pic updates as soon as my hubby takes them. The only real problems I am having is that my hair continues to fall out (as in to the floor, not just out of dreads) every day. I am not sure why this is, but it seems I am losing hair and I didn't really do this before. Weird. I'm hoping I don't end up patchy and partially bald... The other problem is that since the job was actually so badly done, there are a few with HUGE clumps in them that I am not going to be very happy with when they lock up. I am probably going to comb those out up to the clumps and then redread them, but i am taking a break from messing with my hair right now.
I don't know. The lady that did them put it in (just the first day she did them, I did not put anything else on my hair after that). She made it herself, and was one of those people that is very into all natural stuff. She told me what was in it, and I remember thinking it WAS all natural and sounded fine at the time, the only ingredient I remember is honey lol. I let her do ONE dread with it and then went to the bathroom to test just how well it would wash out, and it did wash out very easily with just a light rinse. So I let her put it on the whole thing, and went by her instructions to not wash for 2 weeks. Supposedly the goop (according to her) was supposed to help it keep shape AND lock up while it did so, but I think it just held up the locking process rather than helping it. I am glad the goop is completely gone. It made my dreads look awesome, but that is all it was good for. I would only ever use it again to sharpen up the appearance of my dreads for special occasions if I had any of it. I have to admit it was awesome how well it really did come out and left no residue. ETA: forgot to add, yes I did twist them all the same direction after palmrolling. I'd give them a good rub and then finish them off by palm rolling counter clockwise all the way down and then let it go and move on to the next dread. (I liked the twisted appearance). The goop is what made them "stay" twisted like that. I wish I could make them look twisted without goop.
i'd use sea salt spray and play with them a whole lot. i think they're off to a good start. don't give up!
I don't know about that goop, but now that it's all out, your hair texture actually looks very similar to mine...
Well, I'm not sure what in the world happened, but I think that maybe they were screwed up worse than I thought. As in, I couldn't even have gone the natural way if I wanted. I mean, starting at the root, they all started combining into one massive unidread and no matter what I did, I couldn't get them pulled apart or anything... it was turning into a nightmare. So I have spent the last week or so combing them all out. I still have a few to go and I still have to get to the massive mat in the back of my head that I can't get apart for the life of me, and I am hoping I can get that combed out too. It is an extremely time consuming gradual tedious process, but worth not having to cut my hair off. So the current plan right now is to take a couple of weeks off after I get them out, and then decide what to do from there. I do know at some point I am going to redread them but I am reconsidering the method for the second try. One thing is for sure, I am doing them myself this time around and hopefully it won't turn into the giant unworkable mess that it did this time. Sucks though
That's strange that they all started combining right away at the roots. I think maybe it had something to do with the method that was initially used. Because when going natural, it will usually section itself off first into the right sizes, and THEN start knotting up. For me, the ripping started around 6-7 in. I would say consider going the natural route next time and just see how it goes. Keep a close eye on the roots and tear apart if necessary. I don't think it should be that much of a problem until at least 6 months in. Just for reference, here is a pic of mine about 3 months in... I think our hair textures are very similar. You can see that it has started sectioning itself off, but hasn't really started knotting up that much yet. anyways, good luck on whatever you choose to do, and happy knotting!
i could tell your hair would dread like craxzy if left to go natural.. but ya probly will have to keep ontop of the ripping till they start forminmg and getting mature..you have alotta hair like me..i wouldnt bother with twisting or palm rollimng at all, i would only worry about seperating the sections..hell with your hair id do it daily assumming you'll miss a few in the proicess..at least untioll they start to hold together and not want to swallow every hair on your head the losing hair isnt good that maybe a result of the backcombing or whatever she did your hairs probly been pulled out from the roots and all broken up in the middles from the agressive backcombing ..naturals far gentler to your hair it could also be goopp related, no idea what was in it but ..goop can clog up pores get into the roots and possibly even kill it off.. how many times have ya heard of ppl losiung theyre hair after dye jobs or perms or other treatments>/ possibly its a rejection like symptom or alergic reaction to an ingredient i dunno,nbut it is possible the goop or the methid used disd alotta dammage your hair seems to self sectuion easily, but since they asre just loose sections the sections will tend to cross and combine and eat eachother, if u just go over your hewad several times a week at least and rip 1 from another they'll begin to dread without combining too much..u might get a few that combine before u can seperatre em and thats ok as long as they arent too huge just try to keep ontop of it and you'll be fine oh u shoulkdnt have hads the elastics in that long either in fact why use em..some beads will tame the process more and u can let em become permenantly attached
