Sunday 21 October 2012

Loose Hair, Roots and Tips


Loose hair

Sometimes you can become completely obsessed with the loose hair. Loose hair is going to happen no matter what you do, it's normal and everyone has them. Overtime my dreadlocks have gone through phases of having loose hair and not having so much, the sooner you stop worrying about it, the happier you will be.

You'll find you get way more loose hairs when it's summer and humid and everything will calm down in winter. If you really need them out of your face, then you can't go wrong with a wool hat/beanie/tam. The wool rubbing encourages frizzy hair and new knots, while also keeping the loose hairs out of your face. Failing that you can always just use a headband to hold them back and forget about them.

If it's a make or break situation and you need them neatening up, you can crochet the hair into it's nearest dreadlock. If you do this over and over again for all the loose hair you can end up giving the dreadlocks an unnatural texture that might not be even across your whole head, but it does work if you can get the technique down. The major problem with crocheting though is that overtime you can really damage your hair. Every time you punch the crochet needle though the dreadlock you're breaking the hairs. So if you do this a lot and break enough hairs it's possible that the dreadlock can pull apart / fall off, especially when they get heavy as you wash them.

I strongly believe that palm rolling is a myth. It's peddled a lot by the companies selling dreadlock products, mainly as a way of rubbing the product into your hair. Palm rolling is when you take a dreadlock and roll it between your two palms - back and forth. Short term you might manage to stick a few hairs into a few dreads but chances are you'll be back to square one once you wash them again.

Rubber bands sometimes recommended to help tame the loose hair. Often they will be placed with one at the root and one near the tip, sometimes with another in the middle of the dread. The problem with rubber bands is that the dreadlock will absorb them over time. Loose hair will dread over the top of the band and so you can end up with rubber bands buried inside your dreadlocks. So I wouldn't recommend rubber bands.

Loose hair will sort itself out over time, either by locking into surrounding dreads, or by forming they're own new dreadlocks. The hair behind my ears and at the top of my neck stayed loose for a very long time, but eventually the hairs naturally formed their own dreadlocks that then locked into larger dreads.

Here you can see a newly formed baby dreadlock that has formed from just the loose hairs by itself.

Roots and Tips

Ok, so we're talking about the roots and the dreadlock-tips specifically now. These are the areas that bother people the most. When your roots aren't dreading then you feel like they're going to grow out and when the tips are loose it looks and feels like it's all falling apart. Fear not! neither are areas you should worry about in the long term.

The roots are going to take a while to get to the point that most people would really like because that only occurs when your dreads have matured. The longer you have your dreads and the longer you leave the roots to their own devices, the faster you'll find that loose section between root and dread start to shrink. For the first year or so it's completely normal to have an inch or two of straight hair before the dreadlock really starts. There isn't much you can do about it. If you take the dread and rub the base in a clockwise motion against your head it is possible to encourage the root tightening, but I wouldn't over do it because you can make your scalp sore. This is obviously normally referred to as 'Clockwise Rubbing'. Do not resort to 'Root Flipping'. This is where you take the tip and thread it through the loose root - temporarily making it tight. Overtime this threading will damage the root and split it, meaning you'll still have the single dreadlock, but it will be linking to your head with two roots.

For the tips, some people like the thin whispy ends and others like the blunt ends. With new dreads it's normal to have loose hair/whispy ends. This can often look a little wild and messy but is actually beneficial for drying. The thin loose tips allow the water to run out of the dreads much faster than the chunky blunt ends. Rounded blunt ends take time to form. You can rub the tips between your thumb and forefinger to encourage the locking and you can cut off some of the loose length to make them look a little neater. If you want whispy-er ends then you just have to either brush or pick at the tips with a needle to get some loose hair out. But whispy ends normally form by themselves when water runs through them.

147 comments:

  1. I backcombed in about 60 dreadies, and I'm torn about the loose hair. I worked so hard getting then the size i wanted , if i just let the loose hair dread on its own will all my hard work be for nothing? Will they look messy?

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    1. The loose hair is normal, all dreadlocks start messy and don't start to look how most people want them to look until they've matured. The 60 dreadlocks that you've made will, over the course of the following months, slowly compress and tighten, forming into dreadlocks. It's impossible to get ALL of the loose hairs backcombed at the start and even if you did, many would still come out when you wash. Over time the loose hairs will join onto one of the surrounding dreads.

      Your hard work won't be for nothing, because the 60 dreads you have made will be the dreads that you ultimately end up with and so the positioning that those dreads have and the thickness that you've created will stay throughout the life of the dreadlocks.

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  2. HEY! I Have started dreads about 4 1/2 months ago doing a natural/neglect method. I have about 90 dreads (so you can imagine how much smaller they are!) SOME are bigger sections then others by a 1/2 inch and those have matured faster than the smaller ones being that i sleep on them. My question is about my roots the thin ones just seem to grow out without getting nappy and I don't do anything to form them (MAYBE, some clockwise help sometimes) the most long roots I have are also behind my ears and closer to my neck. I just worry about root progress on my smaller ones because the roots are so thin. Besides that I have many many loops on the back of my head and the front are starting now to lock up better with getting loops of their own. (will these loops diminish in the future?)

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    1. Roots will sort themselves but it will take a long time, normally around 12 months, but probably longer for natural/neglect, you just need to leave them to do their thing because interfering will generally just slow them down.

      The loops that form at the start form when the dreads shrink and tighten, they don't shrink evenly so you get loops. The loops might flatten a little but won't really go away, it's just what happens with young dreads. As the dreads grow longer you'll find the new growth has far fewer loops.

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  3. ok I am just letting these babies do what they will. The only concern I have left is loose hair I have semi long loose hair all over inbetween dreads, seems like more than normal. Should I actually put these where they belong. It keeps getting worse and longer

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    1. It's definitely normal to have loose hair, everyone with dreadlocks has some loose hair and it's definitely to be expected with young dreads. Over time the hairs will knot up and then join a dread. It's best to leave them be because cutting them will just mean they grow back and they'll obviously be short and shorter hair is less likely to dread and crocheting them in has it's own problems. With young dreads it's sometimes actually preferable as the other alternative is to have super tight crocheted roots with clearly visible lines all between the sections which are made even more visible by the crocheted roots being stiff and standing on end.

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  4. I have a question...I have had my dreads for almost a year and a half now and my progress was coming along good but before I dreaded I used to get my hair pressed alot and now my roots mainly in the top have become to straight to lock and now after washing instead of getting back nappy they just swell up and look very messy can anybody help me its become a huge problem to the point where I am considering cutting my hair which I have had a total of over 5 years and is now even dreaded well past shoulder length and I really don't want to cut it but right now its impossible to look neat please help

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    1. The roots can look swollen when they're tighter on one side. So if you have a length of undreaded root that's tighter on one side it causes the slightly looser side to get pushed out. I myself had this at probably around the same stage that you have and it is indeed very annoying because it's not a particularly attractive or neat look, lots of sort of bubbles of loose hair ballooning out around the roots.

      My hair sort of grew out of it which happens to the majority of dreadlock problems. I'm not entirely familiar with pressing hair but the root hair will be just 'fresh' normal hair that's grown out since you started and therefore shouldn't have ever been pressed or anything. I appreciate that they're annoying to live with when they're not cooperating, when my roots where ballooning out they were visible even when they were tied back.

      What I can recommend is having a look at what you're washing the dreadlocks with. While the roots are misbehaving I'd avoid anything that softens or conditions the hair - apple cider vinegar included and try to 'dry' the hair out a little with sea salt or lemon juice or just more knotty with wool rubbing. This should help encourage the roots to shrink up. If needed you can manually encourage the roots to lock up a little with root rubbing. This is where you hold the dreadlock at the point closest to the root where it's still locked and then rub it against your scalp in a circular motion and it should help encourage the pocket of loose hair to knot up.

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    2. Ok thanks for the tips I've been trying the lemon juice and sea salt for a while I think its helping some...I've also been neglecting them for a while to try and help them get more nappy...btw I started with the 2 stand twist method I was wondering if I took to of my dreads and twisted them at the roots together and let them stay together for a while (not long enough to begin to lock) but could the friction of them being together also help out this process?

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    3. You can rub and twist them anyway you want as long as you don't stress the weaker loose hairs too much. I'm not sure helpful it will be though.

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  5. i just got dreads started a few days ago. my friend used the twist and rip method. i naturally have thick, curly, frizzy hair. i know there are going to be loose hairs but is there such a thing as too much loose hair? he didn't section the hair off really so they aren't in any particular shape and the dreads around the middle/top of my head are also very loose and soft. is this normal or is there anything i need to do?

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    1. Well if your friend wasn't particularly methodical with the T&R I would imagine that they are going to be pretty messy. Young dreads are loose and mad at the best of times and if you're not careful with how they're initially started you're just going to exacerbate the problem. If you're happy with where the locks are positioned then you can leave them be. If you give them the time they require they will fully matt up and lock like they should. The loose hairs will either turn into their own locks or join a neighbour. If those loose hairs continue to be an issue there are things you can do to encourage them along but at this early stage it wouldn't be something you'd need to worry about.

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    2. Ok so. I did the twist and rip method and I'm an Indian(don't know if that makes a difference tbh lol) and I had a lot of loose hair. I had to make my dreads near before my fam freaked. So I took water and saturated it with salt. And used it on my dreads and palm rolled, however this only seemed to kind of straighten out the stray hair. I thought of crocheting but my crochet needle was too thick so I decided to take the stray hair and dread it around my original dreads hence locking in the rest of my hair too in a way helping the locking process. So I took the bits of loose hair and divided it into pulled it around the dread and twisted and ripped it two to three times and continued until I couldn't and then plan rolled again. It helped A LOT. Hope this helps

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  6. Hey thanks for all this valuable info and tips! I recently started my journey by twist n rip about 2 weeks ago and have about 80 or so pinky sized 6-9 inch dreads. I have extremely straight, blonde hair so I am surprised that dreads are even possible and I am loving every minute of having them. A friend and I twist and ripped them and she sectioned it out quite well into about 1x1 inch sections, some being smaller than others, but consistent for the most part. Some of the small sections though weren't done too well so I've had to go back and re-do some of the extremely loose ones. My main concern is the ones in the back. Most of the back is at an awkward length to where it constantly grazes my neck and shirt so they tend to come apart especially at the tips quite frequently. Is it a good idea to re-do any, or should I just let them do their thing even if they come apart and are back to completely straight hair?
    thanks,
    T-hawk

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    1. I think you should get those locks at the back to be how you want them to be and then leave them alone. If they come loose once then they'll likely get loose again even if you redo them and in the process of redoing them you'll be effectively starting over. The ones at the back are usually the first to start to mature because you're constantly rolling on them in your sleep so I'd just ignore them for a little bit and trust that they'll start to lock up. You don't need the original T&R to hold tightly, you just need it to hold the clumps of hair together long enough for them to start to mature.

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  7. How di i keep my hair from thinnin out its like it gets thin at the root then gets thicker as it goes up i dont want them to fall out so i double them wat should i do

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    1. You can crochet loose hairs into the base of a dread to add more hairs to it's root or you can congo multiple locks together to double them up. There isn't a lot else you can do, you can't magically grow more hair. Refrain from pulling more than you have to on the weaker locks, don't palm roll or root rub those locks and don't use a crochet hook on them for any reason other than to help add new root hairs.

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  8. My dreads are dreading together at the top? Ive ripped them apart, but that doesnt seem to do much. And also, one or two dread start quite low down, will they dread on their own at the top or not? Thaanks :)

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  9. Ive had my dreads for about a year now and many of them are thinning because I twisted to often and the roots couldn't handle it. I've just recently realized this situation that my dreads were thinning at the roots and was wondering...If I leave my dreads alone would the roots grow back thicker so they can support my dreads in the future? I would think that if the hairs in the dreads broke off that another hair would replace it and over time help support the weight of the dread. I am really worried.

    -Stefan

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    1. Please answer this one if you havent already! I have the same concern, if too much hair breaks off between the root and the dread will it repair itself in time or always have a weak spot? If the latter is there anything i can do now to save it?

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    2. There is a difference between thin roots and THINing roots. Some people will feel that their roots are thin compared to the thickness of the dreadlocks - but it's always going to be the case due to the body of the dreadlock being made from hairs compressed down vs the roots being loose, free hairs. However the roots can thin out, either due to damage or hair loss.

      If you have healthy hair and the root gets damaged, the damaged section will result in a thinner section - this thin section will move along the dreadlock as the hair grows. If the hair is healthy and the dreadlock is allowed to repair, the root can thicken back up again - but it will not 'refill' the thin section that has started growing down the dreadlock - the new growth hair will never be long enough to repair previous damage, but it will result in healthy new length forming.

      If the dreadlock is thinning due to hair loss / due to age... there's not much you can do to "fix" it... you just have to be careful with them so as not to make things worse.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvWUamEnc_o

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  10. i plan on dreading my hair again, but last time i did i had to get rid of the because my roots were messy and all matted together, what do i do to prevent this?

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  11. Hello, I am in the process of dreading my hair, and its taking a few days since I am doing it myself. So I was wondering since "dirty hair doesn't dread" if you think I should wash my roots to get rid of excess oil with my knotty boy shampoo bar or wait longer, if so how long?I'm only about half way done. Thank you much! :)

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    1. It's advisable to wait 5-7 days after starting them before you wash them. While it's true that greasy hairs won't form many new knots, you'll still want to give the new dreads some time to settle.

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  12. Hi, I started my dreads two weeks ago, I am an African, with curly hair, but chemically relaxed hair. My hair had lot of natural under growth before I dreaded my hair. I cut the tips of my dreads, the permed part because it did not look nice, now it looks awful. Please what can I do? Back comb or blunt the tips?

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    1. Hi Jay, in what way to they look awful? what shape are they and what shape would you like them to be?

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    2. Thanks for your quick response. The tips were so 'lean'. Now that I have cut the tips, they are all scattered, not a particular shape. I used the crotchet method to dread my hair. I probably cut it too close to the knots.

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    3. I just don't want the permed tips. Please what can I do?

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    4. Crochet the scattered tips back into the body of the dread?

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    5. Thank you so much, is that different from blunting the tips? And is it better than blunting the tips? Secondly, I have 30 short slim dreads on, my hair looks so scanty. What can I do? Do I just wait it out till they mature and see if they will look nice? Or add human extensions. I have been wearing hats since I got them in. I really appreciate your prompt responses. Thanks

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    6. It's the same as blunting the tips / it's blunting the tips. You only really have two options with tips, blunt them or leave them loose... and it sounds like they're loose now and you don't like it? You can otherwise shape the tips / cut them to shape or pick the tips loose a little with a needle to get them more to however you'd like them to be.

      If you don't maintain the roots / if you don't re-do them or twist them or anything and just leave them to dread on their own, then they should thicken up a bit.

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    7. I am so impressed by your prompt responses. Thank you so much.

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  13. Hi every week I will retwist my hair.. but my roots is not locking, but the end of my hair is kinda locking.. I had dreads 3 months now.. January 19th will be 4 months.. since I had my dreads I never washed it.. am I doing something wrong? Thank you

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    1. Yea.. if you retwist your hair every week, that hair isn't going to lock properly.. it's just going to be twisted up, it needs to be left alone for a long while without being messed with to lock up and mature properly.

      ...also you're going to want to wash your hair. The "you don't wash dreadlocks" thing is a myth. In reality clean hairs will lock much, much better than greasy, dirty hairs as greasy hairs will slip past each other rather than knot.

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  14. Hi I had a few questions about my new dreads. My hair is thick and curly and over two days I did my dreads myself with no products. Most are pretty soft and loose. The ends are not knotted about an inch on all ends that is just staying twisted together but not knotted. Is this normal for them to be loose and feel as if you could easily undo them by running your fingers through them? I cover my hair when I sleep and have not washed them yet. Second question is I do have loose hairs and can't find anyone to crotchet them in, I don't mind them I just want to be sure they will eventually lock. Guess my concern is that they will fall out after all my work. They are still holding together just don't want them coming out completely.

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    1. It depends on how you started your dreadlocks, how well you were at that chosen method and how long it's been since you started them. Since you've said that you are yet to wash them, I would think that they are very new and since they seem to be so soft while being so new, then you might end up in trouble once you do start to wash them.

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    2. Right, that was my concern. They are two days old. I did the twist and rip as I wanted smaller dreads and the back combing with a metal flea comb made my already thick hair huge and it was breaking my hair so I stopped after a few. Any advice on how to get them a bit more stronger/tight? I really do not want to use any product such as wax but I'm thinking a little might help just to hold them together until they lock up a bit more. I washed my hair really good before I started with a sulfate free shampoo so I don't mind waiting more than a week to wash. Rather try to fix them now verse doing them all over again from the start.

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    3. I could email you a picture maybe? You are the first person that has helped so I'll take any advice you have :) I appreciate it!

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    4. I probably wouldn't be able to tell you a whole lot from a picture. If the hair is still held in the sort of lumps that you T&R'd then I'd just wait and see what happens. The T&R is not for actually turning the hair into dreadlocks, it's for holding the hair in lumps so that over time those lumps will form into dreadlocks. So as long as it doesn't all fall out, you should be fine. Whereas if it does all fall out... well then it would need starting over.

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    5. Makes sense! Thanks for explaining that. So the key is to get the strands I T&Red to simply stay together long enough for them to start turning into dreads. As of now they are all staying in, in some shape or form so I might luck out. Time will tell, I'll T&R the ones that come out, if they do.

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  15. I just want to say thanks! This has been so helpful, I dreaded my 3 year olds hair and it drives me nuts with all the loose hairs.. Reading your blog and comments has me tremendously feeling better

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  16. Hi! I'm black, and have had dreads for about a year and a half now, but I am noticing that in the back-left part of my head, there are dreads that are thin in the roots, thick at the top. About 4-5 have popped off in the course of having dreads, but now there is a small patch where there are no dreads, and the hair is really short.

    Is there anything I can do about this?

    Thanks!

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    1. Hi Hadiya. Are you doing anything to the roots of the dreadlocks? Things like twisting the roots can break a few hairs at the roots, it's not really noticeable after each time... but over the course of a year or so the number of broken hairs will add up and the root will get thinner and thinner, becoming weaker and weaker. Then I would think due to the location, the weak roots are getting rubbed around while you sleep on them making the problem worse.

      There are other possible causes, but overworking the roots is the most common.

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    2. Thank you! I think that is the problem.

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  17. Thank you for this. I just backcombed my hair a couple of days ago. I feel like all the work I did was for nothing! I almost feel like I could have backcombed better lol. The roots didn't lock up too well, and they are laying flat but the midsection of the hair knotted up okay. I left the ends loose so I could keep them wispy. I've just been separating them so I don't get monster dreads. I've been thinking about taking them out and starting from scratch again. I haven't washed my hair either since the day I did them. Just been wearing a headband or large knitted beanie. I'm assuming it would be best to tough it out and let my hair take it's natural course now that I already started the process. I'm hoping that first wash will help, too. I started to section my hair, but in the end winded up grabbing sections in bricklay patter and let the dreads fall where they may. I liked the idea of random sized dreads throughout.

    I appreciate all of the time you take to post this information. It has been helpful in starting my journey. Thank you!

    Namaste!
    Ash

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  18. I've got black & red(8) dreads, chest length with extensions & I'm wanting to know if yourself or anyone has advice on dying dreads. I dye my dreads myself & haven't found it a problem other then being a bit uncoordinated but I've had a few hairdressers say this is a big no no because the product could stay inside my dread, over process & could lead to my hair breaking or falling out. I understand this hairdressing talk but I'm finding my home dying job ok for nearly the last year. Any advice or tips?

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    1. Bleaching and/or dying dreads isn't the most fun thing to do.. but it's certainly possible and many, many people regularly dye their dreads. The way I recommend applying bleach/dye is to simply paint it onto the outside of the dread. You don't need to soak the whole thing - no one will be able to see whether it's dyed on the inside etc. You just need to do the outside. A lot of rinsing will be required to remove the excess, but provided you've not soaked the whole thing and you rinse thoroughly, you should be fine.

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  19. Hi, already Had another set where i didnt have this problem, started with tnr.
    Now my new set is 4, 5 months and the top layers, and some other dreads just wont lock up, exemple : my dreads are 1/5 dreaded up from the bottom ( like a litle ball and the rest is just silky curly hair) I know I have to wait more but all the rest of my dreads are dreading normaly, and those just wont and are freezed on that stage.. and its like this sinds month 2.. should I continue to wait ? Seasalt doesnt help :( ( these aréna started with à verrrry light tnr, as good as freeform) what should I do ?

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    1. Hi Sofianne - The lower layers of hair will often lock first and faster because that is the hair which gets moved around while you sleep. The movement encourages knots to form and so the parts that you sleep on go fastest. This leaves the hair on the top of your head and in front of your face to usually take a longer amount of time.

      You have two options - you can either keep waiting. Sea salt will help if you have softer hair, but it's by no means a quick, instant change. Wool rubbing can also help but bringing movement to the areas that aren't getting much interaction from your day-to-day and sleeping.

      Or... you can take those out and start over.... but doing that is no guarantee. You might take them out only to find that in 4-5 months they are back the same again... and you'd have lost 4-5 months.

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  20. Hum okay well, ill stick to sea salt and wait ! I juste havre to stop freaking out hahhaa and ill try wool rubbing, I juste want to help it a little (: combing out is no option (:

    Thx for answering this fast ; and for all your advice, you are a dread guru :')

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    1. Hi Myca. They will all be loose and messy while they're young. The twist and rip is only for holding the hairs in sort of loose lumps - they need to be knotted close to each other and then over the following months the hairs will lock up and tighten... you shouldn't expect the to be locked and tight from day 1 - it takes months :)

      Just let them do their thing - keep them clean, separate them when they start to knot into each other and don't worry about them :)

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    2. Thank you! :)

      Speaking of clean...What method do you recommend for washing and how often for new ones?

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    3. I have always washed mine in the shower. You'll want to be sensibly gentle with young dreadlocks - take it slow. How often you wash them is up to you and your situation - what's important is that you keep the time between washes consistent.

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    4. Fabulous. Many thanks! <3

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  22. Hi there! Thanks for the advice... I just wanted to check because I am a little worried that my friends and I backcombed my hair incorrectly (we did it in one stretch from 11 pm to 5 am in the morning and they were not as tight as they could have been). Now some of the baby dreads are only really knotty at the middle-bottom with more than 2 inches of loose roots. Should I be worried? Do anything???

    Thanks!!!

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    1. The initial backcombed lumps are not representative of the finished dreadlocks (these will take months to properly tighten and form). The only thing you have to be aware of is - if you have not started them tight enough / if you have not put enough knots into them at the beginning, they can wash out.

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    3. hi christian.. im worried that i might backcomed my hair incorrectly aswell.. i have washed them 3X already and their still knotted however im getting lots of loose hair. and the tips are starting to wash out and getting loose.. need help please thanks

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  23. Hey there! I backcombed my baby dreads about a week ago and left rubber bands on them till yesterday. after doing some research, i decided to remove the rubber bands. i washed my hair for the first time without the bands today and now i look like a drug addict. i have a lot of loose hair and only a few of my sections even stayed together. should i comb it out and start over? will it fix itself over time? thanks in advance!

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    1. You likely won't gain a whole lot from starting over, unless they were started badly and you'd be able to do better next time. If you simply start over and do the same as you did before... a week later... they'd look like they do now... again. The looking like a "drug addict".. it's kind of how they're going to look after only 1 week unfortunately.

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    2. Thanks very much! i was worried i had completely ruined them by washing my hair.. but thats something you gotta do. i only have 2 sections (on opposite sides of my head) that stayed together. the rest of my hair is super knotted but not really sectioned anymore

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  24. I have had my dreads for a few weeks. Is it ok for me to just leave them? Cus im not so good with the crotchet, so if i just leavet the roots will it be ok? Ive noticed my loose hair starting to attach to dreads, but is it bad if my actual dreads are starting to attach to each other?

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    1. They can be left, they don't need to be crocheted. However they do need to be separated when they start to stick to each other, otherwise they'll combine and grow out joined together.

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  25. I have an issue I think might be more unique than to other people on here. I have a single dreaded rat tail. I've had it for basically 2 years. I mainly just neglect it and let it do whatever it wants and for the most part its worked well. The main body of the dread is tight and the tip is locked up pretty good. The problem is that at the root the dread is super super thin. Much thinner than the rest of the dread and the roots are also no locked up very well... I would like to thicken it up with some more hair but am unsure how to add hair to it. The hair I want to add is the same length as the roots that aren't locked. I'm not sure how its supposed to get added and actually stay in. Am I screwed?

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    1. You'll likely need to grow out the hair that you want to add - it'll need to be longer than the roots. There are a few ways of combining in new hair... however a lot them also carry the risk of damaging some hairs in the process, which you can't really afford to do when your roots are thin as is. If you decide on which hairs you want to add in you can just leave them to do their thing - let the hair grow and don't separate it off from the dreadlock when it starts to get knotted in. Dreadlocks will naturally eat up the surrounding hairs once they get long enough provided you don't separate them out.

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  26. Hey Man!

    Ok... so 4 months or so ago... I went and got fake hair extensions put in… they sectioned out my hair… and then added the extentions… I’ve been back ONCE for a ‘maintenance’ that was basically root flipping with a latch hook… That was like 6 weeks in…

    Fast forward to today... and I’ve decided to take all the extensions out… NOW… SINCE they’ve been removed... I have about an inch to an inch and a ½ of dreaded hair at the roots… and then about 2 inches of wispy/paint-brush like textured tips… Where the extensions were connected the hair has remained in tact.. some of the ‘dreads’ are more notty than the rest.. some are more wispy…

    Should I just leave it, and let it dred up on it’s own? It basically looks like a rats nest.. as I have a bit of curl and wave to my hair…

    Also.. would wearing a wrap or bandana prevent the tips from dreading up??

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would recommend leaving at all alone, keep it clean and separate them if they knot into each other.

      A bandana probably won't affect the tips a great deal... but the lack of movement may affect the roots ability to lock as well. Is there a reason you don't want the tips to dread up?

      Delete
    2. Yea.. that's what I figure I'll do.. just leave it...

      I would prefer if they did dread up actually... They just weren't/aren't because of the extensions... so it's roughly and inch of root, 2 inches of dread, and then 3 inches of tip.. :)

      I figure they'll likely knot up and shrink... I THINK the part that was exposed dreaded up over the months.. and then when I removed the extensions.. it was as though the rest of the hair (the 3 inches that was in and wrapped around the extensions) is just starting the dreading process now... So I'll just leave them... and hope that it catches up .. :)

      Delete
  27. ok i got questions i got synthetic dreads on the bottom and i created my own on the top. can i keep the synthetic dreads on my head and use them. the beads can i use them to help my hair dread faster.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm afraid I don't understand the question.

      Delete
    2. This was posted forever ago, but I want to say for anyone with the same question.. Keeping synthetic dreads in your hair long term to cause your own hair to dread can make your hair become thin and break off. Synthetic hair has weight and when it's wet, it's even heavier. The tugging and pulling could be enough to cause you to be able to see lots of spaces on your scalp.

      Delete
  28. So my boyfriend got dreadlocks a little under 3 months ago but they mostly fell out after 2 months. He was so heartbroken that i offered to re do them for him myself. They have been redone for 2 days now and look better than the first time. It would kill him to see them go again. How should we go about looking after them better? Should he wear a beanie to bed? How often should he wash them? How often is okay to wet them? Any tips on mantaining them would be awesome :) thank you

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As long as you get enough knots in at the start, they should hold - that's a combination of how proficient you are at your chosen method and how much hair there is to create knots in. Once he's gotten going they shouldn't be much of a worry as...well.. anyone with a hairbrush knows that knots continue to form and tighten over time whether you want them to or not!

      Wearing a beanie at night is not necessary, it'll make his head uncomfortably warm and can even restrict movement and therefore slow progress.

      He can wash them as often as he likes as long as he keeps the time between washes consistent.

      Delete
  29. I have been using the neglect method for about 10 months. however, 5 months into the process I had someone make sections by back combing about a half an inch at the roots. since then they have been dreading as they grow (before the part that was back combed) and also after the part that was back combed. So I have about 3 inches or so that is dreaded. Yet, the part below this doesn't seem to be dreading on most of the dreads. the hair sticks together, but is not locking up below the part that is locked up. I have quite soft hair. Is there something I can do to help them lock up? will they eventually lock up on their own? Or should I back comb the remaining part that hasn't locked up (which I would rather not do because my hair is fine and I will lose a lot of length. Also, the ones that formed completely will be a different length)? Thank you for any guidance you can provide.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you waited 5 months, backcombed and then waited another 5 months, the dreads will be 5 months along and not 10... as running a comb through the hair, even if done backwards will set everything back to the start and at 5 months not a whole lot is for certain. It would not make a length difference whether you backcomb the rest or not because the loss of length would be the same whether the dreadlocks shrunk up and tightened of their own accord or whether you backcombed them up... however backcombing through the hair would again set that hair back to the start.. and if the hair is already in sections it would not be at all necessary.

      Delete
  30. My dreads are starting to lock together (the top half). I haven't washed my hair in about a month. Is it better to stop washing until the rest lock up? or should I wash them? it seems like when I wash them the lower portion which was sticking together comes apart. I have heard mixed things. Some people say stop washing, while other say to wash a couple times a week. what do you suggest? Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is recommended to wash them regularly. Greasy hair will not progress as fast as clean hair. While washing them may make them loosen up... they'll loosen up the same whether you washed them tomorrow or 6 weeks from now. It is better to get the messy stage over with rather than prolonging it by refraining from washing.

      Delete
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  33. Hi there! Thank you so much for all the info you put out about dreads! ! I have wanted dreads for many years now & have been doing tons of research for about a year now, but still have a few unanswered questions. I have very long, thick straight hair, which I am very attached to (haha get it attached to my hair lol) sorry, silly joke...my questions are...since I only want maybe 5 to 7 thinner-ish dreads (as opposed to my entire head) how do i keep the undreaded hair from becoming entangled into my random dreads? What is is the best way to keep the ends wispy? I don't think the blunted tips would blend well in my hair. I have some beads that I thought may be good for keeping them separated, but I don't want to cause weak spots in my immature dreads. Would moving the beads up/down every couple days still cause weak spots? Sorry this got lengthy, thought the extra info mat be useful in answering my questions. Thank you! And please keep the info coming!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's no real simple, easy way to deal with partial dreads... they can be quite complicated. You need to shampoo all the hair with a dreadlock-friendly shampoo, but only brush and condition the regular hair. You'll really want to make sure you keep the regular hair as knot-free as possible so as to avoid the dreadlocks knotting into the regular hair.

      The ends will generally be whispy by themselves. Young dreadlocks will have whispy ends and most will stay whispy unless forced to blunt.

      Beads are usually fine provided they don't sit on the same spot all the time and provided you take them out when you wash your hair.

      Delete
    2. Ok good, I have been keep my 'regular' hair brushed/tangle free with no problem. I got a 100% vegan, sulfate free shampoo/conditioner. I use the shampoo on all of my hair, but I only put the conditioner from the nape of my neck to the ends, while keeping my dreads away from the conditioner altogether. I haven't had any problems w/ my dreads until today I noticed that some of the roots have become very lose. After all my research, that should be fixed w/ maturity, right? Also, I have noticed on a few that they have become very soft in certain spots. Should I worry about the soft spots or is that just another one of those things that will change in time? I have to say, even though they are "new fuzzy, baby dreads" and aren't even close to pretty yet, I LOVE THEM ALREADY! And I can tell it's going to be a struggle for me not to do my whole head lol

      Delete
  34. I have a question. My hubby has dreads and has had them for almost 12 years. He has always flipped them and always seems to have a lot of loose hair. I am new to dreads and in the last two years I have been trying to learn as much about them as possible, like washing and threading and all that but I'd like to know how to keep his newer hair growth neat and start to dread. Also, if your hair has grown in and you start to have areas on your head where it is not clear where one dread stops and the other starts, how do you fix it or can you?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some people will use hooks - crochet etc to pull in loose hairs. I personally am not a user of hooks or anything similar as they run the risk of damaging the dreadlocks over time. I myself just leave my hair alone and wait for it to lock up, which it will do by itself if you give it long enough. The same can be said for hairs that don't have clear dreadlocks yet - if left alone they will knot up into their nearest dread.

      Delete
  35. Hey!
    Thank you for the usedul info you share!
    I have my dreads for almost a year now. I havnt done much to them beside washing them. The problem is the sectioning was thick from the begining and now i haveonly 27 thick dreads. They are cool but i like to have some thin dreads as well. Since i have lots of loose hair is there any method that i can encourage the loose hair to make their own thiny tiny dreads and prevent them from being absorbed by the thick neighbor dreards and making them thicker and thicker ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unless you have huge amounts of loose hair it's unlikely that you'll be able to group enough of it up to make a new dread. Loose hair will knot together and form baby dreads... but there is normally so little from no well defined section that it's pretty much impossible to stop them from getting absorbed long term. To stop dreadlocks form getting absorbed they need to be separated, when they're so thin it's very difficult to separate them because the binding hairs will very quickly become as strong as the dreadlock itself.

      Delete
  36. Sooo... My babies (dreads) are about 3 months old. I literally do nothing but wash it every other day. The top layer of my hair is happily coming along, but the underside just hasn't decided to join the party. Should I just late that part of my hair just figure it out on its own, or should I help it along?

    ReplyDelete
  37. I have dreads a yr or less old and they seem to be limmpy?? Also around my face they don't seem to lay well . Also I do bleach and need a suggestion for the dead dry ends. Thank You

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm afraid I don't now what is meant by "limmpy".

      For dryness you can either look for a more moisturising soap/shampoo, go direct with aloe vera or they can be treated with essential oils either in a soak or a spray.

      Delete
  38. So I dreaded my hair 2 days ago :) (T&R method) & I have tons of loose hair.. like some dreads look like bottle brushes :( so I was wondering if it's something normal for brand new dreads or if I haven't dreaded them properly?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Twist & Rip does not create finished dreads, it just holds sections in place - it takes months - year for those sections to lock up into dreadlocks.

      Delete
  39. Hello I've been following your videos from the get go, but recently I've been getting a problem I can't seem to find the answer to. I roughly started my deadlock process about 5 weeks ago using the twist and rip method. I wash my hair once a week with organic residue free deadlock shampoo and will spray my locks with sea salt spray the two days before I wash it. I've noticed a fair amount of loose hair and a few inches of undreaded root that doesn't seem to be locking up. The dreadlock itself is pretty tight but I'm concerned about whether or not the root will lock up on its own. I've noticed poeple with younger dreadlocks then mine that seem to be locking up quicker. Should I wait it out or start over. :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Dylan. Different dreadlocks are going to progress at different rates - so while it's fun to check out other people's progress shots, you shouldn't get hung up on the fact that someone else's may look different to yours after the same period of time - there are many factors involved.

      5 weeks is not a particularly long period of time to expect great results from - it's not unlikely that you'll still have similar things happening after 5 months. Dreadlocks take around a year to fully lock up and mature - until then you just have to live with them. Taking them out and starting over means that you'l l just have lost 5 weeks - if you start them over today, 5 weeks later they'll likely be back in the same spot as they are now.

      Delete
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  41. hi .. im worried that i might backcomed my hair incorrectly .. i have washed them 3X already and their still knotted however im getting lots of loose hair. and the tips are starting to wash out and getting loose..its 1 week and 4 days now. need help please thanks

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hello! Love this Blog super helpful! Three questions for you!

    ONE: Should I center my dreads in the root section when originally forming? I originally was going to have them slightly lower then center in my 1"x1" sections so they lay flat. Will I get unruly loops?

    TWO: I wash my hair daily because I'm a healthcare provider. What are your thoughts on the whole don't wash immediately after creating? I was thinking gental washing, natural shampoo in the tub so the running shower water wouldn't promote gravity to separate out loose hair.

    THREE: Friends tell me to wear a silk scarf to bed to prevent frizzy hairs. Is frizz good? Sounds like I should just embrace it!

    FOUR: Before I started dreading I would use coconut oil in my hair but it seems like the drier and more oil/Product/wax free the better?

    Thanks again!

    For those curious I have a ton of long blonde hair that I have bleached ombre from my natural medium blonde into bleached white tips and currently have it sectioned into 39 micro braids all aprox 1x1" irregular triangular shapes staggered. I'm using a combo of twist rip and backcomb. (all of this to help them knot) I also have it braided so I can decide if I want only half dreaded intermittent with braids and or loose hair. If you want to see pictures of progress I'll be posting on istagram @Aliciakapeshka

    ReplyDelete
  43. Hello.

    1) I'm not sure what is meant by this one - you want to take a section but try and form the dreadlock more to one side of the section? I'm not sure how much success you'll have with this as new dreadlocks are pretty much just a lump of knotted hair so you really won't be able to have a whole lot of effect on where from the section you've knotted them up from. The standing on end is due to the hair being teased so I'm not sure it would even make a whole lot of difference anyway.

    2) Only time will tell whether you'll be able to get away with washing them straight away. It's not set in stone that you have to wait, but washing sooner will pose a higher risk of them washing out - so it depends how well they were started.... it's further down the line where you'll likely run into issues with trying to wash them every day.

    3) There's are two ways of looking at sleeping - one is that moving around in your sleep without some form of covering will rub loose hairs free and frizz them up. I however prefer the way of looking at it that the movement in your sleep moves those loose hairs and so makes them more likely to form new knots. Frizz is inevitable, especially with young dreadlocks... I personally prefer just to try and get it over with faster rather than keeping them "nicer" but prolonging the process overall.

    4) Slightly drier hair is more prone to knotting up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I started my neglect dreads a week ago. And the hair is knotting up as expected (more in the back) and i'm separating almost everyday to keep the bigger knots from clumping together. BUT! I have och big knot that's extremely flat... my question is: will this sort it self out or should i thy to separate it? Thanks!

      Delete
  44. My dreads are about 3 months young. But I'm starting to get a little concerned. Every time I wash my dreads all of the dreads in the back get stuck together, I fully understand this is somewhat normal but like I said its just about every dread in the back that I have to rip apart. Will this issue sort itself out down the road? I'm nervous because I do not want to end up with one massive dread at any point in this journey.
    Thank you in advance (: have a beautiful day!!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Ah, the joys of technology. My comments have been eaten twice, so we'll see if this works. Hey! I have a couple questions for you. I started my sections by tnr about a month ago. I have super long hair that was layered before I started. So... each section kind of looks like a bottle brush with individual hairs about 1/2-1 inch in length sticking out. I obviously cant do much with them except try to smooth them a bit with aloe vera if I really need to look semi-presentable. (yes, this is still followed up with a hat or tam at this point!) I don't particularly care right now, since I am counting on several months of crappy hair anyway. But I'm wondering if you think they will always be that way, or if they should get kind of sucked into the dread as it forms?

    Also, I am pretty sure the sections are done trying to unravel, and are starting to solidify and lock up a bit. But now I have about 8 inches of loose hair at the end of each section. I like the wispy ends, just don't want them that long. Should I try tnring them a bit to the length I like, since they don't seem to be doing much? I really don't do anything with my hair except wash it and separate it. Mostly it's just held out of my face with a headband, and sometimes tied back to one side if I'm carting around one of my babies. I don't use any products, though I have smoothed things a little with watered down aloe vera once. I would rather get through the super messy phase as quickly as possible than try to slow it down by making it look neater right now. BUT, there is also the way that I want them to look in the future when they are all done that I don't want to compromise by not doing any maintenance now. That is to say, bottle brushes with eight inches of undreaded hair at the bottom is NOT my end goal. ;) Ideas? What do you think? Thanks so much!

    And, I love your blog. I love that you are giving good and real advice and not trying to sell products that ruin things in the end. My friend could have had awesome dreads if he hadn't gotten sucked into the idea that he needed to constantly maintain them with wax. The wax made his hair so gross that he had to cut it all off. Sigh. Commercialism. Anyway, kudos to you, and thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The hairs sticking out of the body of the dreads might sort themselves out... however .... When the loose hairs are longer they're more able to tangle themselves up, but as the ones you're dealing with are so short, you may find that they just sort of hang around. Over time they will likely get a little tidier on their own - some may get knotted down and some may just sort of get broken off by day to day friction like the ends of regular hair. I wouldn't really worry too much while they're young, but if it continues to bother you once they're older... you can always just go around with some scissors and trim them off. While I don't really recommend diving in and cutting dreadlocks to shape, since they're just the hair ends, it's not going to make much difference to the dreadlock as a whole if they're trimmed off.

      As the sections are starting to lock up, you probably don't need to worry about them loosening up and washing out, but you can still have to deal with loose patches - such as the loose tips you have. Over time these should lock up as they're held together by the knotted part above, but you can help them along a bit. I wouldn't really recommend trying to re-T&R them as it's basically then a 50/50 chance that you'll either help them... or in effect start that length of hair over - they may hold the new T&R... or you may find that after the same period of time, they fall back again and you've gained nothing, but lost time. I would instead look to try and keep the hair slightly dryer - either by the use of a sea salt spray, or trying out a different shampoo. If your current soap/shampoo is a little too moisturising for your hair you can find that it keeps your hair just a little too soft to knot itself up as effectively as it could.

      Delete
  46. Hello! So my dreads are soon to be four months old. With one of my roots, I did the root flipping as recommended by a friend. Luckily, it's on one of my more hidden dreads so it's not a huge concern, I'm just curious what it will do in the future.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It depends on how 'root flipped' it is. Basically root flipping will split the dreadlock root in half and then twist those two halves. The root can't start to effectively knot itself again until it becomes sufficiently untwisted - as the root grows out the twist becomes less and less and then it will start to be able to knot again. How much it has to grow out will depend on how many times it was flipped. Long term you can notice a small sort of lump / change in texture at the point at which the hair was flipped.

      Delete
  47. Hi,

    I started my dreds 3-4 months ago following ur videos with twist and rip meathod.

    They started to fall apart 50% dreads 50% loose hair (or more)

    I starerd redreading them but they keep falling apart. The ones on the back of my head stood dreaded mostly - on the top they cant seem to dread up.

    I am using Wu2 shampoo (recommended by some hungarian dreadlockers) - I am not sure if its a good one.

    And I was using some elastic "headband" that went all over my head, wich might not have been good cause my dread couldnt move much.

    Please advise me on how i can stay dreaded ;-)



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Young dreadlocks will loosen from the initial tightness - however there is obviously a difference between expected-loose and falling out-loose. There are many reasons why they may not hold up right; the hair may be too short - or just too short for the chosen method, the hair may be too soft/conditioned, they may have been washed too soon or with an inappropriate shampoo, or the starting method may have been executed ineffectively.

      Twist & rip requires some skill/practice and also longer hair than backcomb. Some people are able to work with twist & rip, others can't get the hang of it. It is these days more popular than backcomb... but backcomb is still easier to do.

      If the dreadlocks start out fine but just keep getting looser and looser - not just loose hair, but loose throughout - and this loosening continues for weeks/months, then I would look into changing the shampoo/soap - as hair will otherwise not spontaneously unknot itself.

      Delete
    2. Its long enough and i think i did a good job :)

      I thought it might be the shampoo I ll read through thouse sections.

      Thanks!

      Delete
    3. Could You please specify the "innapropriate shampoo" ?

      Wich Ingredients are inapropriate ?

      Thanks in advance

      Delete
    4. If a shampoo leaves behind residue in the hair or is too conditioning for the hair, then it is inappropriate. I do not break shampoos down into good and bad ingredients because it is not quite that simple as even a perfectly formulated shampoo may still be too conditioning for some people and may still not be rinsed out effectively in certain circumstances. Finding the right shampoo is often a case of trial and error and the perfect shampoo for one person will not always be the same as the perfect shampoo for someone else.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g35MhTn6pPo

      Delete
    5. I think I found it :D Its one of these old school laundry washing soaps containing only glycerin, soap, salt and some limonene for fragrance - great!
      Bit tuff to rinse out, but it doesnt leave behind anything :)
      And my dreads finally hold

      Delete
  48. I'm a baby to dreads. All my dreads are new, I have about 12 and add more when I can with my busy schedule. I did the twist and rip method. I washed my hair later that night when I first added my first 5 dreads. My roots have recently started becoming obnoxiously loose and I looked at my ends and they're rediculously loose as well. I do not have access to crochet hooks but I found tweezers helped in getting some big loose hair sections into the dreads. They look nicer and a little neater now, with an odd braided look, and I am not sure if that is from the twisting and ripping itself. But I like it. I just got a new shampoo last Friday For dreadlocks to help tighten and keeps them clean. But the loops in the roots and how long the roots are and how loose they are concerns me and is frustrating. I'm overwhelmed with the ridiculously loose roots and how the loose hairs and loops intertwine with the roots of other dreadlocks plus the ends and bothersome and I really don't know how to approach either problem or I am suppose to look for or wait for
    Pweaz help? ��

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Young dreadlocks will be loose - how loose depends on how efficiently they were originally started along with factors such as how naturally soft the hair is and what the hair is washed with. Twist & rip does not create finished dreadlocks, it simply serves to hold the hair separated off into sections - over time these sections will lock up and mature into 'proper' dreadlocks - however this process takes many months. Provided the dreadlocks do not wash out, then they're on the right track and will require more time and patience.

      Delete
  49. Thank you for all your previous info!! I've had my babies for 2 weeks (brand new), and i am super excited for the journey ahead of me! However, I sectioned my hair into 1x1 inch sections, because based off what I've read and researched, that would give me the desired thickness of dreads. However, with having average hair, it's not thin at all, my "dreads" seem kind of thin. I used the tnr method. Will they thicken up? They are quite thinner than the section I originally made.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The dreadlocks are always going to be thinner than the section - the dreadlocks will never fill out the whole 1x1 inch area completely... unless you have infinitely thick hair. If you (lightly!) twist the hair so that it (just) starts to compress down, you'll get some sort of indication of how thick the resulting dreadlocks are going to be. How thick the dreadlocks from a 1x1 section are will depend on how much hair is within each section / natural hair thickness/density - and whether that's thick enough will depend on individual taste. They will likely thicken slightly as they shrink, but it's not easy to say by how much.

      Delete
  50. I'm going to try and keep this simple; I started my dreads about 2 weeks ago. Back combing method. They are still very knotted but more loose than when they were fresh. After reading all previous questions and replies, it seems like I should just give them time? Will they eventually tighten up alone? I have VERY coarse wavy hair. I'm using a basic eucalyptus castille soap for washing. I keep replacing the tiny elastics at the root when they break, which seems often. I think I'm just looking for some positive affirmations that I'm doing the best I can do and I just need to be patient. Whaddya think?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Backcomb doesn't create dreadlocks - backcomb holds sections together - time turns those sections into dreadlocks. The backcomb will loosen, but as long as it doesn't wash out completely, then they're still doing ok.

      Delete
  51. I had faux locks added to my dreads for16 weeks I like them.I read info that I should not keep them in but I get them retested at the root every month and I have not a problem.What can I do to maintain healthy roots?

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  53. I backcombed my hair about 4-5 days ago and originally my locks where tight enough where i couldn't put my comb through them, but now some of them are getting loose in the middle. is it best to backcomb those parts until I can't put my comb through again or should I let them be? my hair is 5-7ish inches but is stereotypical german; very blonde, thin, and straight so I worry my dreads will just unravel

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  54. Hi! My dreads are now 3 months my lil bro did it for me backcombing watched ur YouTube tutorial so thanks tonnes.. I have few problems that are bothering me though.. The loose hairs after every wash is so annoying m washing my dreads twice a week because it gets itchy.. Another problem is some of my dreads are really loose and didn't seem to lock I am getting worried nd restless. The third problem is the roots at the back are flattenning nd are not coming in shape even after palmrolling a very unpleasant feeling.. Loved ur blog and saw u replying to everyone hope you will reply to me as well.. Thanks.. Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  55. Hi,I dreaded my hair about 2-3 months ago,It took me 2 weeks,as I did it myself and backcombed it and crochet it,I have pretty thick hair and i have pretty long tails happening,my main concerned is that I always have it pulled back as its getting pretty hot!!!I am ok with the messy look,I am just worried as I done my dreads pretty thin and don't want them to join??The ones at the back of my neck feel like they are joining,i pull them apart now and then but other wise I just leave them,am I doing the right thing?

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  56. Hey I just had a couple quick questions. I'm about 9 months into my Dreads...I used the twist and rip method and I didn't section my hair..I just randomly grabbed parts..about the first couple months my Dreads were medium in size..now my Dreads have shortened and quite a few have become quite thick... Im actually going to get a few split tomorrow. I have 21 Dreads...by the time I get these split I'll have about 30.. My questions are is 30 Dreads a decent number of Dreads? Also I've gotten them crocheted a few times.. But its not something I wanna put heaps of money into..so will I have to get them crocheted for the life of my Dreads? Or can I just let them be and they will continue to lock? My hair is doing what it should at the roots but I don't want heaps of loose hairs some is fine..so will the new hair lock up with out crocheting and actually look decent... I don't want salon Dreads or perfect ones.. Hense I didn't section my hair and have all sorts of different sized Dreads.. But I don't want them to look horrid. Thx

    ReplyDelete
  57. Hey I just had a couple quick questions. I'm about 9 months into my Dreads...I used the twist and rip method and I didn't section my hair..I just randomly grabbed parts..about the first couple months my Dreads were medium in size..now my Dreads have shortened and quite a few have become quite thick... Im actually going to get a few split tomorrow. I have 21 Dreads...by the time I get these split I'll have about 30.. My questions are is 30 Dreads a decent number of Dreads? Also I've gotten them crocheted a few times.. But its not something I wanna put heaps of money into..so will I have to get them crocheted for the life of my Dreads? Or can I just let them be and they will continue to lock? My hair is doing what it should at the roots but I don't want heaps of loose hairs some is fine..so will the new hair lock up with out crocheting and actually look decent... I don't want salon Dreads or perfect ones.. Hense I didn't section my hair and have all sorts of different sized Dreads.. But I don't want them to look horrid. Thx

    ReplyDelete
  58. Hoh I love this Christian Hopewell n the all lazy dreads team u guys ve been helpful n wonderful I had my short dreads a month ago I wash them once a week they r lookin up pretty well just that I got loose hair n my roots r quiet soft in fact I was worried bout it but by reading from u guys i fully understand i will keep them clean be patient n give them time to do their jobs. thanks to all of u

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  59. my dreads are coming undone at the front but are solid at the back what should i do

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  60. Hey everyone just have a quick question. My dreads are about a month old, used back combing method, but I'm starting to run into some dreads that have come completely undone in the middle. The roots are still tight and the ends are good too, I just have about a half in to an inch of hair in the middle that is completely undone. Is this any concern? Or is it something that will eventually work itself out?

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  61. Hey everyone just have a quick question. My dreads are about a month old, used back combing method, but I'm starting to run into some dreads that have come completely undone in the middle. The roots are still tight and the ends are good too, I just have about a half in to an inch of hair in the middle that is completely undone. Is this any concern? Or is it something that will eventually work itself out?

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  62. Hey so I'm on a little over a month of my neglect dreads. no sectioning. Nothing. Just stopped brushing and conditioning my hair. My question is how long before they start laying a little flatter?

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  63. So I've had my locs for about a year now and I just recently had a retwist done but the locs on the back of my head won't stay twisted or lock at the root. The front and sides of my head are fine but in the back they just won't stay locked no matter how many times I retwist them. There's probably a good inch or so of new growth at the root. Is this normal or should I invest in a different locking agent?

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  64. My dreads are about 6 months old and I have loose hair everywhere what do I do

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  65. My dreads are about 6 months old and I have loose hair everywhere what do I do

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  66. My dreads are about 6 months old and I have loose hair everywhere what do I do

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  67. I've had dreads for about a month now. The bottoms on them have locked very nicely, most about halfway to 2/3 the way up the dread. My problem is, the top 1-4 inches of almost all of them are all very silky and smooth hairs that is not knotted at all. How can this be addressed? I use salt water sprays and wash every other day, should I just keep at it and let them do their thing, or is there any way to help the knotting process at the top of the dread? Thanks!

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  68. Hey!
    I started letting my hair dread naturally about 4 months ago. I've got about 9 solid dreads in the top layers of my hair, but my bottom layers won't lock up. What can I do to help this process?
    Thanks so much!!!

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  69. Hi, I'm caucasion and have thick curly hair. I have one dread my friend put it in about a year and a half ago near the base of my neck (like between the nape and the bottom of my right ear.) The dread itself is thick, but my problem is and I'm just noticing this - I don't want to say the root is thin or thinning because it's hard for me to tell the difference - but the best way I can describe it is it literally looks like the dread is hanging by a thread. I'm kind of surprised it hasn't fallen off...is there anything I can do to help or fix this?

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    Replies
    1. Most of mine are like that now. I had a lot to fall out. I'm hoping to get a response

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  70. Hey I started my dreads about a month ago. Backcombed in by my girlfriend. The top and sides are maturing nicely I'm not worrying about the loose hairs so much but the back of my head just won't seem to lock up or anything it just stays a frizzy rats nest back there. What can I do to make it lock up?

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  71. I had dreads for about a year and a half. I'm female and the problem is I have pretty decently locked in dreads but over time the bottom got very loose and it's like a mini fro in some spots. In those spots I used to have dreads. I still got a decent amount but they are thinning and falling out fast. The other thing is that the tips are fully formed, it just gets very thin in the middle the eventually break.
    Like is it time to cut it and start over? Like the new growth is coming in great but definitely can't reach the thin spots in the middle. What do I do? The longer I leave it the more my hair is falling out coming undone. I'm black and 24

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  72. Hi. I bleach and dye my dreads about every couple months or so. Should i be concerned about this causing my dreads to become brittle and break in the future. They are about 3 weeks old now.

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  73. Hi, I just got my dreads done using the twist and too method, if I wanna wash my scalp without washing the dreads, how often can I do that? Also how often can I actually was the dreads themselves

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    1. As often as you feel you need to. most people wash theirs every 3-4 days, thats after they've washed them the first time. as long as your hair has settled enough to wash, every 3-4 days or as often as you feel. daily isn't recommended, with the drying time for dread-locks and you could loosen them too much by over washing them.

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  74. Hi im a caucasion with cery soft and fine hair. I have had dreads for 4 months now and the tops of the dreads have matured however the middle down is just hair, should i backcomb te second halves of my dreads ir do u think it’ll eventually dread over time? I must know soon i have the comb and the wax i just would like to know if its worth all the work!

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  75. Loose hair all over head 3 weeks in. Gott 18 dreads my wife made and they are going to gett real large..thats what i wanted :) I do not worry at all aboute loose hair bacause it takes one year and i have no time 4 loocking at them. Just seperating roots after i have dryed hair after washing. Thanks lazydreads for your video..they are real informative :)

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