2010 Dread Forum Survey

I think a lot of important information about our own personal journeys often gets lost among the threads, questions, answers, and bickering. I thought it would be nice if we all answered some basic questions about our locks.

What hair type do you have?
my hair is fine and straight, but I have a lot of it.
How long was your hair before locking?
about 12 inches
How long have you had your locks?
20 months
Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
maybe about 2-3 inches, and it did not seem apparent until about 16 months
How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
1 inch or less
What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
backcombed. and then mostly left to their own devices.
What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
I shampoo with Bronners or Burt's Bees about once a week. In the past I have used aloe, but not for about a year now. I put conditioner in occasionally now that they are more mature. I always blowdry after washing.
What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
I wish I knew how patient I could be and how easy it is to say "fuck what everyone else thinks". I wish I would have went neglect.
How long do you think you will have your locks?
Until they hurt.


Feel free to add more questions to the survey as well!

 

What hair type do you have?
course and curly, and very thick
How long was your hair before locking?
i was neglecting from when it was about an inch or two long
How long have you had your locks?
2 years and some change
Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
12-14 inches
How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
an inch or less
What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
natural/neglect... long story short: i went on an extended camping trip in 2008, i was kind of a vagrant. and before long i had dreads.
What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
i wash my hair when i feel like it. usually with water only. i find that bronners strips my hair of oils and makes my scalp itch after only a day or two.
What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.
Dalai Lama (i took that from someones signature, wise words.)
How long do you think you will have your locks?
when my hair turns completely grey, ill start some new dreads.

 

What hair type do you have?
frizzy, bad, curly, thick!

How long was your hair before locking?
about twelve inches I think.

How long have you had your locks?
near 14 months

Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
pfftttt tons of shrinkage. Slowly starting to grow though, maybe two inches the last few months.

How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
most are pretty close to my scalp, but bigger ones are a big mess...maybe 1-3 inches.

What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
backcombed some, had one braid, few t&r, all half assed and pretty left it to do what it wanted to do.

What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
Head and shoulders when my hair is actually dirty, just water when its just a bit not-clean. ACV every few months.

What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
(even though I knew it, I didn't understand it)
-THEY WILL FALL OUT,

How long do you think you will have your locks?
I imagine I'll have them for a long time, It suits me very well and my combed hair looks like shit (as if my dreads not don't )

 

What hair type do you have?
thin/strait
How long was your hair before locking?
round 'bout 5-7 inches, i 'spose
How long have you had your locks?
8.5 months
Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
Some as much as 2.5 inches or so, some none, a few small ones still forming, so losing length.
How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
<2cm
What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
....method?
What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
Shower daily, either warm water or bronners, sometimes vinegar to mix things up.
What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
Nothing, I did my homework. It would have been nice to know more about the neglect process, but very little information is available other than "do nothing, rip". It's all you need, but I wanted to know what to be looking for. But of course, as soon as you see it, you know.
How long do you think you will have your locks?
I have no plans to ever cut my hair. If I let things congo to the point where it's hard to care for or uncomfortable, I might start neglecting over again.(since at the moment I'm letting about half my dreads double up.... I'll have lots of Y shapes...)


I knew it the whole time, but I could never refrain from ripping locks that seemed enormously fat, I wish I haden't ripped on the back of my neck so much, some hurt, but most would have sorted out and become the perfect fatness.

 

]What hair type do you have?
Thick. Straight in some places, wavy in others, and even a few curly ringlets around my ears lol

How long was your hair before locking?
I think my fringe would have been about 6-7 inches, not sure about the rest. the back came down past my shoulders

How long have you had your locks?
4 and a bit months

Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
The front as grown an extra inch or so, but they've got their lenthg due to the loose ends. The back has shrunk an couple of inches though

How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
Some of them it's knotted right down to the scalp and there's a patch of a few dreads where all the roots are matted over the scalp, but they're not real tight. The majority about an inch.

What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
Backcombed

What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
Wash when they're feling like the need it. Normally about once or twice a week now. Washing with baking soda too

What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
That I should have saved myself money and backcombed them myself (if I was to have backcombed them again). If I didn't have problems with my work, I would have gone natural

How long do you think you will have your locks?
Hopefully for a while. I'd like them to get pretty long, although I'd like to go natural at some point aswell. So in a few years if I decide to comb or cut out, I'll probably regret it, and use that opportunity to start again neglect.

 

What hair type do you have?
curly and crazy. sort of thin but theres a good amount of it.

How long was your hair before locking?
eh, mid back? has since shrunk to chin length around 4 months in

How long have you had your locks?
almost 11 months.

Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
saw a little bit... ended up cutting it off since i was getting a mullet which is a no go in my book.

How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
around an inch or so?

What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
backcombed then just washed.

What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
baking soda wash every 3 days. sometimes some Apple Cider Vinegar. and sometimes some regular shampoo for kicks.

What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
eh, nothing really. i think next time i'll go natural just to see how different they look and such.

How long do you think you will have your locks?
at least another 3 years or however long college takes, then depending on what my degree lands me, i'll see how long i can keep them.

 

What hair type do you have?
Thin curly hair that i couldn't do anything with but tie in a ponytail

How long was your hair before locking?
When pulled straight down to my shoulders blades but with the curls it was at shoulder length

How long have you had your locks?
19 months

Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much
I started to see length gain at about 10 months with a big growth spurt aroun th 16 month mark they have gained about 2-3 inches

How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
Most of them have about an inch of new growth at the roots

What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
Backcombed, no wax

What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
they get washed about once a week sometimes longer with Thursday island plantation Tea Tree shampoo or just water depending on how they feel

What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
Should have started them years ago not wait till I was in my fortys ( i know this makes me an old fart lol)

How long do you think you will have your locks?
That is like asking how long is a piece of string at the moment it is a very long piece of string I wont be cutting any time soon but I wont ever say never. I would like to have them long enough to reach my waist

 

What hair type do you have?
thick wavy hair

How long was your hair before locking?
few inches below the shoulders

How long have you had your locks?
10 months and some dayz, this is my 2nd set

Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much
still shrinking....

How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
about an inch or more
What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
went neglect this time around with just some ripping apart the big ones into smaller ones... had just fatties last time around and when i got migraines, it hurt.
What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
wash with some organic shampoo or bronners about twice a week, sometimes less

What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
since this is my 2nd set, i have been avoiding stuff that i remember not to do. like living in a moldy house... not anymore, living with cig smokers, nope. not washing all the time, nope. not giving a flying .... about what people think, yup. definitely glad i went for the neglect journey this time

How long do you think you will have your locks?
until i am at least 30.... maybe longer

 

What hair type do you have?
Before dreading it was dead-straight and blonde

How long was your hair before locking?
Layered, and just above the shoulders

How long have you had your locks?
2 years and 3 months

Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much
2-3 inches

How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
I can just about get my pinky through the root/base of a dread

What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
Backcomb yyeeaa!!

What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
I wash with water about once a week. I scrub my scalp with exfoliating gloves Gets rid of scalp gunk, works a treat.

What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
Eeeerrrrr.. To calm down. I was always fretting (like any noob) and now I sit as an older dreader, all zen. I would say Elder. But I'd consider an elder dreader to be 6 years +. Drealder. xD

How long do you think you will have your locks?
Eerrm not sure! I'd like to think I could hit the 7 year mark, cus that is pretty epic. Maybe 10 years. 7 is pretty cool though.
Alternative answer: until they are long enough

 

What hair type do you have?
Straight ass hair

How long was your hair before locking?
shoulder length

How long have you had your locks?
2 years

Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
The first year it grew past my shoulders then the 2nd year was nothing but shrinkage. Im back at shoulder length. meh.

How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
about an inch?

What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
freeform, backcomb, and some twist and rip.

What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
I wash a couple times a week with an antidandruf shampoo. Thats about it.

What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
I kind of wish I would've waited till my hair was longer because eventhough I love my locks I don't like the length. I can't wait to get to the point where I can put them up and do gorgeous things with them!

How long do you think you will have your locks?
Till they are to my ass

 

What hair type do you have?
Straight and very thick
How long was your hair before locking?
16-18 inches
How long have you had your locks?
40 Months
Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
Dreadlocks are still shorter than my unlocked hair was
How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
2-4cm
What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
backcombed
What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
wash with DHHQ shampoo or Bronners, using a Bicarb soak whenever they start to feel bad. Use a hair dryer and shake out excess.
What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
The lottery numbers for the following week
How long do you think you will have your locks?
until I don’t have them anymore

 

What hair type do you have?
kinky. very curly. pubic, so to speak....

How long was your hair before locking?
i'm not exacly sure it has "locked"

How long have you had your locks?
8 or 9 months (i think?)

Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
not too sure they have locked, but yeah... i've seen some length increase. 1 or 2 inches, perhaps?

How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
1 inch

What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
I just go to this one guy. He just knots them up....

What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
I shampoo it with some green-tea shampoo some guy with dreads recommended me, once a week. I also use a coconut dread-locking, 100% natural gel before going to bed and when i need to look half-decent for work... (that's rarely)

What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
I wish I knew how much it itches!!

How long do you think you will have your locks?
For the time being, up to shoulder length because of company policy.... but when I start my own business, it's going to be free-for-all baby!!!

 

What hair type do you have?
thick and ringletty curly
How long was your hair before locking?
short im not sure maybe 5 inches or so
How long have you had your locks?
Almost 9 months into 2nd set
Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
maybe 4 inches?
How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
About an inch
What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
could loosley be termed "neglect" with some t'nr in stubborn places. Thanks you dreadlock gods.
What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
Wash every week or so with shampoo every 2 weeks, usually blowdry unless its sunny.
What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
Thankfully I learnt a lot from my first set, mostly not to use rubber bands or wax but also that hair is pretty fucking resilliant. But I wish I'd learnt earlier just to chill out about progress and other people's negative reactions... But in that way dreadlocks have been a bit of a lesson in patience and tolerance which is amazing.
How long do you think you will have your locks?
Long as possible

 

What kind of hair do you have?
curly, nappy, knotty
How long was your hair before locking?
22 cm
How long have you had your locks?
5 months
Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
5-6 cm
How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
2-3 cm
What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
neglect
What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
Nothing, wash with Dr. B's
What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
I did a lot of research before I started so nothing.
How long do you think you will have your locks?
I can not see that far into the future.

 

What hair type do you have?
I have thick wavy hair.

How long was your hair before locking?
Lower back length.

How long have you had your locks?
11.5 months.

Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
Mm, they've been shrinking for months now, maybe an inch or so?

How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
It ranges from a half inch to an inch.

What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
I backcombed then let them do their own thing.

What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
I wash them once a week, using regular cheap ass shampoo. As for styling I use a bit of hair gel to make them look a little bit more presentable, it washes out nice.

What is something that you wish you knew when first starting your locks?
Basically not to fuss with them and just sit back and enjoy the ride. In the beginning I was always messing with them and trying to palm roll them, make them uniform, etc... after a few months I just said, "Fuck it... I don't care." Also, I wish I went completely neglect, I think it would be much more interesting as far as experiences go.

How long do you think you will have your locks?
A long long time.

 

What hair type do you have?
I'm half Spanish and half Japanese, so my hair is thick and mostly straight although random sections are a little wavy.

How long was your hair before locking?
about 6 inches i'd say

How long have you had your locks?
1 year, 1 month

Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
my hair is still locking up. so i can tell my hair has grown a lot but it is still shrinking up here and there.

How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
an inch to 2 inches

What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
first i backcombed only to find my hair worked its way out of the backcombing knots and was back to normal in a matter of 2-3 weeks. so i've just let it go since then

What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
wash almost daily. i use dr. b's on days i go biking, hiking, gym, anything that makes my hair sweaty and greasy. other days just a good water rinse.
make sure they dry. my favorite way is to roll down all the car windows on my way to school.
and finally just enjoy having long hair, shake it around, play with it, let it blow crazily in the wind, head bang, and so on.

What is something that you wish you knew when first starting your locks?
the FAQ sticky on this forum

How long do you think you will have your locks?
no intention of cutting anytime soon. i guess as long as they work for me.

 

What hair type do you have?
My hair is wavy and thick.
How long was your hair before locking?
Started at around 5-6 inches
How long have you had your locks?
About 3 and a half years
Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
About 3 inches, and that has only been over the last year or so.
How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
About an inch
What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
Complete Neglect, but occasional ripping to stop it congoing to much
What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
Don't do much, i wash it using LUSH Cynthia Sylvia Stout Shampoo, about once every 2 weeks or more often when getting really dirty
What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
Than wax is bad, and than locks aren't made they grow.
How long do you think you will have your locks?
Don;t know, there are many paths in life and i don't know what paths will appear in front of me. But i'd love to have them forever!!

 

What hair type do you have?
thick and wavy edit: looked at an old picture and I guess my hair wasn't very wavy; it was, for the most part, straight but got bushy/wavy towards the ends.
How long was your hair before locking?
about a foot
How long have you had your locks?
10 months
Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
I don't really recall how long they looked at first but others have told me that my hair has gotten longer
How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
1 inch or less
What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
Backcombed and then, for the most part, didn't touch them.
What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
Usually wash with shampoo one week then wash with water and squirt some tea tree and rosemary oil the next week.
What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
I wish I had found hipforums before I started because I only had the advice of my hairdresser and a girl that was like "OMG WAX!!!" to go by.
How long do you think you will have your locks?
They're probably going to get chopped off within a yearish time frame so I can start over with neglect. But, for all I know, I'll keep them for another 10 years.

 

What hair type do you have?
Thick and straight

How long was your hair before locking?
about 2 or 3 inches past my boobs

How long have you had your locks?
32 months

Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
8 or 9 inches since I started my dreads. I had extreme shrinkage and they were getting fatter instead of gaining length but right now, I have never seen my hair gain so much length so quickly.

How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?
I don't pay attention so I don't know

What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
Backcombed

What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
Wash them with Lush solid shampoos every 1-3 weeks and then I smooth on R&B Moisturiser on my locks to stop any more of them breaking off. I used to use Dr Bronner's which was ok but the scum it left in the bathtub was so nasty and disgusting I had to stop using it. I also used to use apple cider vinegar rinses to clarify and bi carb to deep cleanse but I found that neither worked on my hair.

What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
That I'd be the pied piper only my dreads are the flute and the children are dumb as fuck people.

How long do you think you will have your locks?
Honestly, I can't say.

 

What hair type do you have?
Wavy, few curlies here and there, and rather thick

How long was your hair before locking?
Just long enough to be held in a ponytail

How long have you had your locks?
Wow, just realized its been 15 months of dreadies already!

Have you seen any gain in length since locking? How much?
Yes indeed probably 2 inches?? Maybe more, its hard to tell.

How long does your new growth/roots get before they start to lock?Depends some are really thick and take longer some are really thin and lock almost immedietly.

What method did you take on in order to receive your knots from the dreadlock gods?
Backcombed most of them but in the past 15 months of neglect i've formed three more.

What do you do to care for your locks? Do you use any products?
Dr. Bronners magic liquid soap. Hemp wrap around one dread to help cure a Giant loop, and blue and orange hemp wrap twisted around one congo I formed just because I think it looks original and want it to grow as is.

What is something that you wish you knew when first starting you locks?
Well, I sometimes wish I would have gone 100% neglect because they would have been that much more special to me, but always next time eh

How long do you think you will have your locks?
Until I feel like cutting!? No plans on that really, things always change but it's been over a year now and that thought has not crossed muh mind.

Thought I'd add...
I love my dreads very much and decorate them with things I gather from cool places and good people. I have a wooden dread bead from my friend J.P's hair, a metal ring from my friend Kristi's thickest dread, a black and white swirled glass bead from bonnaroo, a blue & green polka dot bead I picked up from portland on my thinnest natural dready, two hemp wraps (as mentioned before) and I had an obsidian stone in one but it fell out so I fashioned it into a necklace.