Roots and ends

I think the picture is taken from the top down...


This piece of scientific research probably wouldn't be being conducted if hair didn't grow in a whorl.

A bit more current to the topic:

I've done a little bit of 'root flipping' (I've also heard it called the locking process, although, that seems to make very little sense) as an experiment. It did work quite well in that it tightened my root a bit but at the same time it seemed to not let the hair move about and do it's own thing and lock up normally as large groups of it were constrained and unable to move about. So I'm not really an advocate of it, but, I guess it depends on hair type etc. I've met some people who have used it and it still made wicked dreads, so to each their own I guess!

 

Well, I probably won't do the root flipping thing, as so far other than doing a little backcombing to get the dread semi started in the begenning I've really done nothing to them but a little palm rolling and then just playing with them (mainly putting the dread between my thumb and index finger and twirling it clockwise). However I am interested in getting my ends round, as I'm worried that when I swim this summer they'll come out more and more, as whenever I shower the ends seem to come undone a little more each time, especially the back ones. So, how exactly do I do that felting needle thing?

Oh and I'll try to take a pic and post it, just to give ya'll an idea of what they look like.

 

Some people are dumb enough to do it in the same direction. You have to do it once horizontaly, then verticaly. - | - | - | and it will turn out ok. I dont do it, but a friend does, and his dreads look great.

 

once horizontely 1nce verticly? maybe i have no clue what u mean by root flipping?
coulkd u explain?

 

hmm it didn't turn out right what i said. This is the dread's root:

|-----|
|-----| <--- (1)
|-----|
^
|
|
(2)

the best description i could give. (1) Put the dread trough the root in that place. The second time you do it, put it trough nr.2. You have to alternate. If you put it trough the same spot it will weaken and split the root. This way u keep the root together.

 

On the subject of roots. I have one dread eating into another, smaller one at the very start of the roots. I'm talking RIGHT on the scalp as the hair begins to grow out of it, so it seems almost impossible to just rip them apart. The hair stolen from the other root seems pretty well intergrated into the larger dread as well. Cutting scares me so if anyone has any suggestions I'd appreciate it.


I've been good about keeping them from attacking eachother, but this one must have sneaked by, they seem to do this so fast!

 

fffffucking hell mate...

...and then you deny that you have to always be right??


(However I commend your use of the word 'bogus'...)

 

is tye sjmaller dread actualy comming from inside the bigger 1 or just have a few hairs connecting them..u can rip as much as u can then with fingers break the coiuple connecting hairs..or u can let it combine..there comes a point where whatever u do they will do what they wanna do....
wouldnt cut tho

 

ok by horizontsal and verticloe you mean
taking a dread that is lets say sticking straight out like this() then once from the side ()< and
v
() once from ther top or bottom? odviosly when u do this u want to choose locations randomly not just flip thru the same spoot every time
when u described it i was picturing this as the dread

|----|
|----|
|----|
|----| <roots flipping thru the roots then somehow verticly straight up the length of the dread (what i thought of as verticly) insteasd of a right angle (or id preffer a random angle) pattern


and murderhorse ill have to play in paint a bit to explain why that clockwise countrerclockwise myth still makes no sence
edit nevermind i suck in paint with this scvrewed up mouse

ok to explain a spiral swirl has a cejnter the crown of the head that is the only plkace the spiral is a spiral
everywhere else the hair growws in 1 direction based on where it falls in the spiral (and which way your hair spirakls since like not every1 is right handed bnot everyones hair spirals 1 way

in the front of the head it spiurals ---> that way and back <----- that way


in hair going that way ----> when you rub in only 1 direction..clockwise youyr moving the har at the top ---> that way and bottom <---- that way so no matter what the hell way you rub counter clockwise or clockwise you are rubbing an equal ammount both with amnd against the grain.. therefore neither direction makes the slightest bit of difference logiccly right?

im sorry if i come off as havinbg to be right i dont im just applying thought to nonsence you just choose to blindly believe without thinking...forgive me

again i ask..how is 1 direction different then anotherr escept on the one dread comming out dead center in the spiral

also..rubbing in 1 direction only how does that create tight knots not just twist the dread? knoitsd would form best by rubbing in both directions

ok lets say this is your roots ||||| rubbing in 1 direction would give u this /////// rubbing in both directions gives u this \/\/|\/\ which do u think would knot faster?

 

.....

 

lol i know dreading just dont seem right when u gottsa start drawing diagrams ..lol
whicvh way to rub is purely speculative when u realize not rubbing works just as good as either direction

 

no, just flip the dread, trough the undreaded hair from it's root once from left to right, then from front to back, or any direction you want it, just not the same. Maybe this makes more sence.

 

um yeah, DO NOT ROOT FLIP! It is not good for the dreads and will not help them in any way. All it will do is make the root weak I have seen dreads that have FALLEN OUT completely from root flipping.

There's no science for making hair dread faster. you can try all these little techniques and tricks, but in the end, it's not going to make much of a difference. The only thing that will really make a difference it TIME. Roots will eventually become tighter as the dreads get more mature it's really that simple. As for tips, you can rub them or whatever if you want rounded tips. Personally, I like whispy tips...

Let Mother Nature take care of your hair, she knows best. Every little thing gonna be alright...

 

i didn't say it's good to root flip, i just explained it. Some say it ruins the dreads, but a friend of mine has been doing it, and they look great. I prefer not to do it, because this way they get thicker and look a lot more like real dreads.

 

yea thats what i call randomly..lol
ive dont this on a couple ..
just tied a knot in the end of loose hairs and flipped em thru random\ly never tried it to gert roots tight dont think roots need to be tighter then they are only did that to get a few loose strands to dread and works great

only did it once tho on a long trip, 3000 miles with loose hairs blowin in my eyes was annnoying so i played around had no idea i was root flipping tho only knew i was keepin the hairs outta my eyes..lol

come to think of it..that maybe how i leatned everything bout dreading..lol

for the root flippin tho id only do it a lil and not tight i can see how it could dammage the dread if u did but if u do a few looslky the dread will dforgive and move and dread anyway
just helps get the hairs together to get the party started

 

Fucking Christ, that's the single worst advice in this entire thread. DONT EVER DO THIS!
This will FUCK your dreads up in the lond run, you'll get weak, thin roots. I've known peoples dreads to eventually break of from this crap.

 

^Agree with Loki. I practically cringed while reading that. Again, my suggested solution to this problem is TIME. Time is your best friend people..and patience. Roots will lock up eventually, don't even worry about it. Do you really want perfectly formed dreads?

 

I don't really plan on doing any of this, although I have been quite entertained with all you people's ideals.

 

hey i started reading the forum last night and it has really helped but i still ahve two questions

1. i have a part in my head from were i did my dreads three days ago will that part every go away?
2. my hair is undoing at the root and i think its cause im a mixed kid ") what do i do to keep it from coming undone all the way oh and yeah the tips are really tight and nice and round

thanks for the help!!!

 

the part will go away yea u probly shoulda avoided it when u started biut its ok and the roots will be fine leave em be
roots are meant to have a 1/2 inch to inch undreaded near roots so they can move ..its normal

if its dreaded right to the scalp its alot harder to clean ther scalp