Why do you have Dreadlocks??

why do you feel you need to wear your hair in the style, what is your inspiration, your motivation, your dedication, anything.

i am just developing relationship with mine so i do not have a good answer for this, but i am very interested to hear from the big hitters who have had theirs for years. gracia!

 

My were born on jan 2nd this year.
I dont really know why i got them done, it was something i always wanted to do but wanted to wait until the time was right.
I have always been known as wiggy the sick one, and i surpose having dreads makes me feel like im wiggy the dreadhead not the sick!!!

I got them done when i turned into a grown up as well, or when i felt i was changing into a grown up!!

 

discipline.

 

I should have said

discipline and a certain sense of spirituality.

 

i am confuse by that could you talk more about that?

 

discipline in that dreads are a huge commitment and take time patience etc etc

spirituality is hard to explain and a very personal thing. I'm a "spiritual atheist" in that I don't believe in god but I believe that the spiritual realm is a very real thing that science has yet to prove. My dreads will be an extension of my quest for what the spiritual realm is. Like I said it's very personal and hard to explain but the discipline factor is related to the spiritual factor.

 

For me, it's a form of body modification. Just like my piercings, and just like my tattoos will be. I feel like my body should look a certain way, and it didn't look like that already, so I'm doing something to myself to change it.
I think I should have a big ass hole in my septum, so I will. I think my skin should be covered in ink, so it will be. I think my hair should be knots, so it is.

 

it's a cultural statement. it is fashion too. i like dreads aesthetically. but having dreads is counter-culture. i don't want to say "hippie," because i don't even consider myself a hippie, and i've met plenty of dreadies who were far from hippie. but it is different from the norm. and dreads, unlike other "alternative" hair styles, do require dedication and time. it's not something you can like you can just cut your hair on whim and then cut it again when you don't like it. dreads are a commitment. and it is true, it is harder to get jobs and such with them, and i like that. i want people to see me for who i am and either be freaked out by things like my hair and not want to talk to me, or love them and be able to tell upon first sight that i am someone cool. anyone with dreads would be someone worth talking to, in my opinion. dreads also leave an impression on people. when i had them before, people always remembered me as "the girl with dreads." so if i was a jerk, that would have given the impression being jerks about all "counter-culture" people or at least dreadies. people have a lot of messed up ideas about people with dreads, like that we're a bunch of dirty bums, which can be true, but even dirty bums can be really kind, generous, considerate people, and i like to give that impression.

 

what loki said is a big part of why i have dreads. i modify my body. actually im not too stoked on the word modify. i decorate my body in ways that i think are beautiful and feel right. i pierce my skin, i stretch the holes, and i have dreads.
also, this jsut seems like such a natural way for my hair to be. i hate fussing with my hair and now i dont have to. its freeing.
dreads fit into my lifestyle too. i like to keep it simple and in touch with the earth and thats what dreadies are. no chemical crap from god knows where, just me, my hair and time.

 

I just wanted to allow my hair to grow into its natural state.

 

they just fit me. i hate walking out the door looking like everyone else. i also hate getting my hair cut. i also hated brushing my hair. they also show i'm not afraid to openly express myself, which you don't see too often these days. it's sad. and i feel so much better with them. and now, random black guys at the grocery store call me "rastaman."

 

When I decided to get dreads I needed a big change. I was either going to shave my head or get dreads, which I'm soooooo glad I decided on dreadies. At the time I was feeling at bit lost, I needed to do something for myself, to grow into the happier, confident person I am today.

 

great advices! right now i am in agreement with all of the sentiments here, well put and well spoken friends.

 

a

 

I find that dreads just suit me. I find them to be very beautiful. They're an expression of ME. I am who I am regardless of what society says. I'm not an automiton. I have them because I like them. Oh sure, there are some spiritual aspects to it. I have Celtic roots and I feel as though I'm connecting with my ancestors. But it's more than just that. I can't really explain it. So I'll just go with I like them and that's that. lol

 

I've always loved dreads, and I was tired of trying to fit into societies standards of beauty. Personally, I find dreads much more beautiful, as they are natural. When I look in the mirror now, I think that this is how I should look! And there is an element of connecting to a spiritual side, but I'm not really sure how to explain it.

 

i have a question...i dont want anyone to take this offensive.. but do white people with dreads, can they wash their hair? because i know black people can because of the texture of their hair that it stays that way but what about white people with em? and if you can wash em, can you get small dreads not big ol clumpy ones like bob marley...for a white person?!? im thinkin bout tryna get em.

 

yes of course white folks can wash their dreads

and yes you can get whatever sizes you wants

 

I have them because they are me. I love feeling different than everyone else. I LOVE not brushing my hair. I have always cut my hair short which I hated because it was just so hard to brush in the back when it got past my shoulders. Now I can't wait until I have dreads down to my butt. I also love body modification. I have my ears stretched. I just love it all..lol. I love being able to enlighten people about dreads. That OMG you can wash your hair and dreads aren't dirty unless you allow them to be.

 

I don't really feel a need to wear my hair in this "style"...it just happened because I don't feel the need to comb my hair and put lots of chemicals in it. My interest in living naturally has motivated me.