paddles

What is going on? My dreads look like big flat paddles on my head! My hair was about 18in long and now it is about 6-8 in. Has anyone had these paddle dreads? Do they end up rounding out? I'm having a bad dread week!!! I almost want to brush them out. They are 2 months old. I don't want to hear just have patience either. I have plenty of that having three kids.

 

You could palm roll then when damp, or utilize that patience? As far as I understand those are the only things that work for rounding. Sometimes a bead helps, but I have found it only to work well with flat areas, not entire dreads.

 

A lot of mine are fat flat bastards and I like them that way, although one has folded over on itself semi-permamently and will probably end up rounding out.

 

If they are flat like a beaver's tail that is completely ok. I like ones like that. If you want some rounder ones do some palm rolling after you get out of the shower. Just don't do it too often it will weaken the roots or the dread. Don't comb them out ! Let em do their thing !

 

i had a couple of flat ones, they were loose, they locked hard then rounded themselves out.

 

When i got my dreads, i flipped em trough the roots once. That made almost all of them flat, but in time they have folded once and became round. You cant even see where they folded. On this one you gotta have some patience

 

beaver tails are the shit

 

you! post some pics
edit: just noticed your thread

 

I believe it is totally natural and normal for them to flatten out before they get rounder. Most of mine are flat-like weird little beaver tails and still frizzy as all hell! I know its frustrating at times but just keep the bigger picture in mind. Your only two months in! Thats nothing compared to the time it actually takes for those suckers to lock up. What they look like now I guarantee you is NOT what they are going to look like when they're mature. Hang in there momma...its just a phase! =]

 

Thanks guys. I will try and get pics up soon. For now I will rock my beaver tails!!

 

they can take a few shapes before rounding out.

 

first off spiral mama.. I saw your pics and your hair looks beautiful.

Dreads do have a way of working themselves out in the end... but that said, there are unique challenges that go along with dreading from long (especially when fine) hair. One being that the dreads shrink from the years worth of growth, which may result in clumpy bottoms. You could palm roll them when wet to help round them out... but that definitely won't change them overnight. You'd have to work on it. Palm rolling with wet hair is best. Even in the shower.

Just know that your dreads still have a long way to go, so there are a lot more changes your hair will go through.

 

Thanks for your kind words. I wondered if having the long hair had anything to do with it. I will give the palm rolling a go. Not too much right?

 

try doing it after you wash them, which is also good for squeezing out extra water (or right in the shower while they're good and wet... more "moldable"). You'll find it won't do much right away, it works somewhat over time. ...and no, don't overdue it because any stress like that will weaken the hair if done too often. You'll figure it out

 

thanks gaiabee i did try it out today in the shower. it seemed like it worked well on this one i felted with a felting needle.

 

You got one?

 

it dont matter how dreads dread it gives em personality
i have som,e that are flat.ive hade beavertails and loved em they were some of my favorites
i have some super thin with big ol balls on the ends and many that are 5 or 6 thinner dreads commin outta thicker ones
theres no reason to try getting every dread to behave exactly like you hope because i guarantee a year from now when theyre more mature it will be the crazy ones iu love most