The BEST Dreadlock Advice!

If you’re having hair problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but the dreads ain’t one.

I’ve been doing this a while now… a little while, and sometimes I get asked to break it down, to answer simply, ‘what’s the greatest piece of dreadlock advice you can give?’. Now despite having a page filled with tips and advice, my number one is an easy pick, and that is: stop worrying about them.

Now that may at first seem like a cop-out, but stick with me here. When my dreads were young, they were just like everyone else’s young dreads - loose, frizzy, MESSY, and just like most people with young dreadlocks, I worried about them. Every day I’d be checking them out, stressing over each loose root, every patch of loose hair. All this worrying made me pretty uninspired, and made the progress seem impossibly slow, if not nonexistent… then one day, I just stopped worrying.

I’m fully aware that telling someone to stop stressing usually has the opposite effect, and to truly become comfortable with something takes both a combination of time as well as persistence, but only once I stopped worrying over the small stuff was I able to appreciate the big stuff. 

What you’ve got to remember is that dreadlocks don’t NEED you, they’ll go about their business fine on their own as long as they have their time and space. I always advise to just to make sure you’re washing and drying the dreadlocks properly, separate as required, and anything else is just an extra. Treat it like any other hairstyle… and by that I mean generally ignore it while you’re getting on with your life, and things just go a lot smoother. When I stopped antagonising over each and every detail and actually let time do it’s thing I was able to actually notice the positive changes when I did take the time to check things out… and when the changes became noticeable they became a lot more encouraging, and so you replace the negative stressful cycle with a positive encouraging cycle. So there’s no doubt in my mind that the greatest thing I ever did for the progression of my dreadlocks was to stop over analysing, to let my hair be hair, and just to get on with my life, trusting that they’d do their thing.

When To Wash Freeform Dreads? + More! (Dreadlocks Q&A #59)

Welcome to the 59th instalment of my 'Dreadlocks Question & Answer' series.

This week's questions are:

Lyndon Watkinson

Question: Is it possible that i could get a nicely scented teabag to put in the sea salt spray as is contains no lubricants? Cheers

robert ruiz

QUESTION:

Lazy dreads rocks :D I have 4 month dreadlocks and was wondering how to keep my tips blunted some stay others get loose, with the crotchet hook I'm noticing split ends so I stopped as soon i as I could help D:

Mello 

Question: So I really want to start off my dreadlocks soon. But my hair length is weird, my fringe and sides are about 7-8 inches and the back is about 4-5 inches. Is there any point waiting for my back to grow the extra inch or should i just start now?

Santana Arce

QUESTION:Well I just started the neglect or freeform method to my hair a couple days ago an I was wondering what would be a good time to wash it should I wait or is it ok to go ahead and wash it.

Lexy Stegall 

QUESTION: my dreads were done yesterday I'm a girl and my hair is thin I don't have a lot of dreads and I feel like they are huge ! Is it possible to make them thinner or will they thin out? I back combed

Thin Hair & Dreads? + More! (Dreadlocks Q&A #45)

Clay Kid

Question: I have very fine hair and not a whole lot of it, I'm planning to start dreadlocks soon... So would they be thin or eventually become thick like yours?

Diana Rhoden

QUESTION: I know dandruff is just a big scary word for dead skin cells in your hair, but how do you deal with it, and control it? Will washing dreads more often help keep it at bay? Basically, I would just like a how to on all the ends and outs of Dandruff, and Dreads. Thank you Christian :D

Corey Seropian

QUESTION I decided to use the neglect/natural method and stopped brushing my hair about 3 weeks ago. I have thick, wavy hair and a lot of it has sectioned itself and started to lock. My hair is only 7-8 inches though, and I am beginning to wonder if I should untangle the mess and start over in a year when it is much longer, because messy long hair looks better than messy shoulder-length hair. I fear lots of shrinkage in the next few months as the dreadlocks progress. 

Jake Brown

QUESTION: So i have had dreads for a week now and i want to wash them.  And i have heard from other dread heads mine are to young to wash and i have a lot of loose hair but i feel as if they might fall out i wash them this early? :/

Jack J Daniels

If you had a child, would you let him/her hair grow long and have it dread locked so he/she would be like a mini you? 

Itchy Scalps & Dandruff With Dreadlocks

Ah itchy dreadlocks, a problem that plagues many, well it's more of an itchy head than itchy dreads but I'm sure you get the idea. Itchy dreadlocks can be a real pain and it leads to lots of people cutting off the dreads all together! fear not, I am here to help!

Washing Partial Dreads + More! (Dreadlocks Q&A #35)

Episode #35 of my long running dreadlocks question & answer series where I answer YOUR questions!

Rayna

Question: I have wanted to start making my locks but I want to make a few here and there and not just all at once. How would I continue to wash the hair that isn't made into dreadlocks when I needed to and what kind of shampoo should I use?

Kay Barton

Question: Hi Chris, my dreads are bout 7 weeks old now and most seem to be doing ok. Messy! But ok :-) but some are dreading at the ends and the roots but are completely normal hair in the middle! Is there anything I can do to help them. Or should I just leave them alone? Thanks :-)

Yo Momma

Question: Hi Chris, I started my dreadlocks yesterday and they are somehow already very tightly locked, but the sectioning is very prominent and I don't like the idea of seeing squares all over my head, is there away to immediately reduce how clearly the sectioning can be seen or do I have to wait for my hair to grow, and if so, how long will that take roughly? Thanks :)

jesuswalker84

Question-my dreads are a month old now. I started out with the crochet method, my parting and everything i did myself so i do have hairs criss crossing into other dreads. The root also seem to be coming out everytime i wash the mids and tips seem ok though. What can i do to keep roots locked without using crochet needle and how often should i pull dread apart to keep them from congoing. I do it like everyday. My dreads are only like 6in long and i want to go as nature from here on out as i can, just wanted to use crochet to get them sectioned and it seemed right for my short hair.

Stallone Fernandes

Do dreads tend to get thinner before they get fatter? Just wondering because I want fat dreads eventually. Dreads seem to be getting thinner. 

Backcomb Dreadlocks Information

Backcomb, backcombed, backcombing... running a metal toothed comb backwards through your hair to create knots. Backcombing has been a popular method for starting dreadlocks for quite some time due to the widespread availability of backcomb information as well as the relatively simple action required to form the knots.

General backcomb information, where it's best suited and the pros & cons.

How to make dreadlocks / How to start dreadlocks using the 'Backcomb' method.

Dreadlocks Questions and Answers #18

Ryan tay
 Question????? I have some small dreads that I would like to put together, how do I go about doing that??

Jacjumasch
 QUESTION: What should you do when you've got dreadlocks and become infected with nits??

matstreets
 Question: i have had my dreads for about a week now and I'm having a problem with my dreads in the back of my head. my dreads are about six inches. They are not wanting to stay locked. I did the twist and rip method because I feel like it's the most natural besides neglect. If you have any advice on keeping them locked that would be great

Jonas Hägg
 Question: I've neglected dreads and I wonder how your "dreamddreads" would look like if you know what I mean and since all dreads are different which are the coolest dreads you've spotted?

OnlyMy Own Voice
Is it actually necessary to do dread lock maintenance (pull the loose hair in with loose hair tools/palm roll etc) with new dreads - Or can I get amazing thick, rounded dreads by simply separating & properly washing/drying them? It seems like the tools seem to give an immediate smooth looking result. However, it seems to create more loose hairs & soft spots in the long run than areas I just left to their own devices. What's your experience on maintenance tools?

Dreadlocks Question and Answer #10

The 10th installment of my Q&A videos. 5 new questions ready to go:

Scales Yo
Question!!: I'm thinking about starting neglect dreads, do you have any specific advise for that method? I have soft straight hair and it's only about 6 inches long at its longest layer. Any advice would be lovely, thank you! Much love, xo

Ralf Florian
Question: I have afro growing hair, but im black and asian. This makes my hair have a weird texture (kinda soft but thick). I was wondering if this would play a role in sectioning.

angelsandfaes
QUESTION - what should I do for very dry dreads? I have done the deep cleanse and used apple cider vinegar. And it is soft only for that day. So my dreads are very dry and I'm worried about breakage.

Anu Kookla
QUESTION: What is the best way to get sand out of dreads? I went to the beach and now there is sand in my dreads and on my scalp.

Aaron95875
Question: what method of starting dreads is the best in your opinion backcomb, twist and rip or neglect and why? P.s thanks for the reply love your videos

Day-to-day Dreadlocks Information

Click the link to be taken speedily to the appropriate page.

• Dreadlocks and activities
• Weighing My Dreadlocks
• Keeping dreadlocks out of your face
• Sleeping with Dreadlocks
• Travelling With Dreadlocks
• Dreadlock Decorations!
• Caring for Dreadlocks with Decorations.
• Itchy Dreadlocks help
• Dreadlocks Scented Mist
• My dreadlocks regrets

General Dreadlocks Information

Click the link to be taken speedily to the appropriate page.

• The truth behind common Dreadlocks myths
• Dreadlocks frequently asked questions - FAQs
• Why wax is bad for Dreadlocks
• The best Dreadlocks advice

Washing and Drying

Click the link to be taken speedily to the appropriate page.

• Washing and drying dreadlocks
• Where to buy dread shampoo?
• Deep cleaning dreadlocks
• Residue in dreadlocks
• Itchy dreadlocks help
• Showering without washing dreads
• When to wash new dreadlocks
• How long does it take?

Lint, Dust and Fluff in Locks.

Ok, so the sight of anything alien, such as grey fluff in a lock is going to pretty scary, but rest assured it's nothing life threatening.

Lint, dust and fluff are everywhere. You can pick it up off of clothes, hats, towels, pillows.... you get the idea. It can sit on your locks just as easily as it can sit on any other surface. Then, just like on your clothes or other surfaces, the lint will easily wash off. Lint only becomes a problem when it's combined with a residue problem, in which case the lint won't just wash off, it can stick to the lock, building up inside the lock, in the tip or under a loop.

If you notice a grey deposit of fluff in or on your lock, do not fear, it can be very easy to overreact and worry, especially since the fluff can sometimes appear to be filling the whole inside of a dreadlock. Since lint is really just a visible symptom of residue you will deal with it in the same way with a deep clean. Deep cleaning will help to break down and remove the residue that the dust sticks to and then soaking and squeezing will help dislodge and remove the lint. If you have a particularly bad case it will take more than one deep clean. Little bits that are left over can be picked out with a needle if necessary.

You can help avoid general dust and lint by taking such measures as wrapping your locks when you sleep, using a microfibre towel for drying them and not laying on fabric surfaces while they're damp.




Residue Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i26lhsJJdM
Deep Clean Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X782R85mFJE

Question and Answer Part: 3

I've answered the next batch of Q&A questions!

Dreadlock sectioning and dreadlock thickness

The thickness of your dreadlocks will be heavily dependent on the size of the sections you make. Unless you're going with the neglect/natural/free-form method, then chances are you're going to need to section your head. Sectioning is when you square off your head into a chess board type arrangement. Often the sections will be held in place temporarily with elastics in order to keep the sections together, but these should be removed as soon as you're done. These square sections of hair will then be backcombed or twist and ripped to form the lumps of hair that go on to mature into the dreadlocks. Care should be taken when creating the sections as the sections are permanent, where ever you create a section, you will be creating a dreadlock, so take special care around the forehead, both for aesthetic reasons and also to make sure you don't create any that will pull too hard in sensitive areas.

Section shapes

Most commonly the sections will be squares. Squares are easy to create and easily to create consistently the same size. Another benefit to squares is that they won't pull too sharply in the corners of the section like for instance a triangle shaped section. Dreadlocks get heavier as they get older, longer or wet and so you really don't want sections with sharp corners where the weight can concentrate and while a square section obviously has corners it makes a fairly decent compromise between being fairly easy to create and not having too much weight concentrated on one single corner. I've seen sections like the surface of a soccer ball/football and this would go even further towards avoiding too much pull on one corner, but obviously it's a much harder section to create consistently and would require much more planning when working across a whole head.

Section sizes

I would say that the most common sizing for sections would be 1 inch by 1 inch squares and so a fully sectioned head could be seen as a chess board where each square is 1 inch high and 1 inch across. The size of the square determines how much hair will be in each dreadlock, a bigger square will result in more hair and therefore a thicker dreadlock.

Dreadlock sizes

Here is where the confusion arises, although two people could have their dreadlocks created by the same person, using the same method and the same section sizes, they could come out with very different looking dreadlocks and I'm not just talking about blonde vs brunette here. Hair thickness plays a very big role in determining how thick your dreadlocks are going to be. Obviously I'm not talking about the diameter of the individual hairs, but how thick the hair coverage is. Now I've never stopped to count hairs personally, lets say that one person has one thousand hairs growing out of a 1 inch by 1 inch section. Someone with thicker hair could have 2 thousand hairs growing out of the same sizes section and therefore their dreadlocks would be thicker from the same sized section! This leads to a lot of upset when someone aspires to a particular look or to have a particular style of dreadlocks but they just don't have the right hair for it. It can be seen quite easily when people compare the number of dreadlocks they have. I've seen people with as few as 10-12 dreadlocks and others with over 100! This can be quite upsetting for some, I remember one particular case where someone had an exact look in mind, they had a picture of a set of locks where there were many many thin dreadlocks, a whole head of thin even dreads. Unfortunately this person had very thin, fine hair and therefore their head would not actually be able to produce that many dreads, they would have to have quite large sections just to create fairly average sized dreads and therefore wouldn't be able to have a whole head with lots and lots of dreads.

Tightness vs Thickness misconception

There's a common misconception that if you create tighter dreads then you will create thicker dreads. By this I mean if you took two equal sized sections and backcombed one very tight and one not so tight, the tighter one would be shorter and fatter as it would be more compressed and the looser one would be longer and thinner. What will happen is as the dreadlocks begin to grow - you get new growth coming out, the new growth will be the size set by the section size. So both the tight dread and loose dread will have the same thickness of new dread growing from the root, regardless of how tight or fat you made the initial backcombed section. Over time the loose dread will tighten on it's own and shrink up when you wash it - see Shrinkage and the tight fat dread would either loosen up from washing or remain tight and fat, in which case you'd end up with club-like dreads, fat lumps on the ends with skinner dread bodies growing from the scalp.

All dreads will shrink up to some extent as they mature and each person's set will shrink a different amount so you shouldn't worry if yours haven't shrunk "enough". But once the dreads have been sectioned their thickness will have been dictated by the section size and your hair thickness, the only way to thicken the dreads after this would be to congo them - see Congo / Conjoined dreads. This is when two or more dreads grow together therefore increasing the size of the sections by two or more.

Things To Consider Before Starting Dreadlocks

I thought it was necessary to create a post with a little bit of information that could be important for you before you start. If you're on the fence, this should help you decide.

Dreadlocks, to begin with, can be a lot of work. They're going to do what they want to do and if you try and fight them, well... good luck with that. I'll elaborate - every set of dreadlocks is different, you can get dreadlocks, but you cannot get dreadlocks identical to a musicians, celebrities or friends set. It's just not possible. Everyone has different coloured hair, different thickness, curly, straight etc etc. You have some control over how fat they're going to become if you start with a method other than the neglect method. (If you go neglect then the only thing you can do as far as shaping them is ripping the strands apart to stop huge dreads forming). So, you know you don't have as much control over them as 'normal' hairstyles, as they're going to lock and grow however gravity and various frictions deem fitting.

After you've started they are going to be MESSY. 'Tidy' tight dreadlocks take time to acquire and I mean TIME. On average you're going to be looking at an easy 1 year+ before the locks start to mature and knot/lock up by themselves. The only thing I can recommend here is to grit your teeth and bear it. You can wear hats, use headbands or tie them back (if they're long enough), but you won't be able to escape the fact that you've got loose hairs, tips and roots and that there isn't a huge amount you can do about it. See my Loose Hair, Roots and Tips post for more information on this. So yes for the first year to year and half you're going to have a bit of a birds nest / rats tails, BUT once they start to mature and lock up, well then you can relax a little because your patience will have paid off and they will only continue to mature and tighten more and more!

They take a long time to dry. Each dread is like a little sponge and so they soak up water and cleaning them will involve squeezing them out and drying will also require more of this. The dry time is also obviously much longer than with normal hair. How long depends on the thickness, length and maturity of the dreads. More on washing and drying HERE.

Dreadlocks can also affect some hobbies and activities. More info on that HERE.

But..... dreadlocks really are a get up and go hair style, the extra time lost in washing and drying is more than clawed back when you consider the hair doesn't need brushing, straightening, conditioning.... you get out of bed in the morning and it's good to go. When they're young and messy you can just tie them up (if they're long enough you can tie them back with themselves!) and get on with your day.

Dreadlocks are a fun process, there are active online communities full of like minded dreadlocked people. Unlike with most things you do to your hair dreadlocks don't wash out and once they've gotten going they just get better and better, so you can make picture timelines and really see how they're progressing, getting stronger and longer.

Once you've got dreads they're cheaper than 'most' other hair styles. You buy just one shampoo or soap or bicarb... or whatever you choose to wash with and that's pretty much it. No expensive shampoo and conditioner combos. No expensive trips to the hair salon etc. Once the dreadlocks are left to mature they will do their own roots and tips and will lock in the loose hair by themselves, completely free.

Also, to set your mind at ease - dreadlocks don't attract bugs like some myths would suggest. They aren't inherently dirty (they're as clean as you make them). You CAN remove them without shaving your head.

Other things to consider are the various negative and usually false stereotypes that accompany dreadlocks which get tiresome: No I'm not homeless, I probably wash my hair more often than most, I definitely shower as often as anyone else, I don't listen to reggae, I'm not a stoner, I'm not uneducated - working towards a Physics degree, etc etc, you get the picture.

Still interested?! continue onwards to the Starting Dreadlocks section to choose the method of starting dreadlocks that suits you best and the Preparing for dreads section to get your head and hair ready for dreads!

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.

Washing Dreadlocks

Washing dreadlocks and keeping them clean is the most important thing you can do to ensure the longevity and enjoyability of your dreadlocks. If you don't keep them clean they will become greasy, itchy and generally unpleasant just like regular hair. Keeping them clean will keep them happy and therefore you happy!

You can wash your dreadlocks as little or as often as you so choose. I personally wash mine every other day but other people choose to only wash them once a week. However often you choose to wash them, as long as you keep the pattern regular then you will be fine. Here is a video where I talk through how your head gets used to how often you wash it and 

how should you wash your dreadlocks?:

 You can still shower your body as many times a day as you want. The only reason washing your dreadlocks every day is usually avoided is because they take so long to dry. See my "Showering without washing your dreads" post for more on that.

Soaps and Shampoos?

You won't want to use 'normal' shampoos with dreadlocks. They can leave residue in your hair, making it sticky and irritating. When the residue shampoo dries it will flake out like dandruff, an all round negative experience. You don't actually have to use shampoo with dreadlocks at all, I have been months at a time using only water, once your head gets used to not being washed with oil stripping shampoo it will re-balance it's oil production and you can survive just fine with only water., however it is my experience that the dreadlocks will not lock as quickly or as effectively without a soap/shampoo being used to clean the oils from the hair - using water alone doesn't really 'clean'.

If you're stuck on locating shampoos, check out my "where to buy" section.

My Washing Routine

I wash my dreadlocks in the shower and I would fully recommend washing in the shower over washing in the tub. The higher the water pressure you have, the better! Power shower? excellent. Washing with a high pressured shower means you can wash your dreadlocks thoroughly and faster, it also means you're more able to wash out the excess soap.

• Get in the shower and soak the dreadlocks completely. If you have a weak shower it might take some time as the dreadlocks can hold a lot of water, depending on how long and/or thick they are.
• You can then apply the soap / shampoo if you're going to use it. I only use a little over a teaspoon of soap for head.
•  I will apply the shampoo directly to my scalp. I will scrub it all over my head and the dreads will act like a scrubbing brush, moving it all around. You don't need to apply soap to the dreads themselves as the soap/shampoo will rinse from your head, through the locks.
• After that I wash the rest of my body, leaving my head under the shower, giving the dreadlocks as long as possible with water running through them as you really want to make sure all the shampoo rinses out.
• Make sure you scrub behind your ears and on your neck, these areas can get oiler than normal because the dreadlocks can keep your head warmer than normal hair - like wearing a hat. 
• After I'm done washing the rest of my body I return to my head, spraying it with the shower on a high setting, rinsing out the soap.
• I will then squeeze water out of the dreadlocks, they don't have to be squeezed one by one, but I make sure I squeeze the water out of all of them.
• After one last soak I will turn the water off.
• While remaining in the shower I squeeze out as much excess water as I can. The more you can squeeze out, the better. Also the squeezing is a passive way of maintaining your dreadlocks and encouraging them to mature.

 My Drying Routine

• Once they're squeezed I will roughly rub them with a towel to dry them some more. (Use a towel that definitely won't start flaking and leave bits of towel in your hair. You want a towel that you can really rub hard with, but not let any towel material fall out and get stuck in your hair).
• Wrap the towel around your body and then (possibly outside) headbang. Nod your head up and down shaking out the water that is left. This method really reduces drying time.
• You can then proceed to blow dry your hair, I do this while having a towel wrapped and leaning forward so as to trap the hot air within the towel and really heat the dreadlocks - be careful that nothing covers the intake at the back of the drier.
• After that I would continue with my day, usually using a headband to hold them back for a while because they will still be a little damp - depending on how long I had to dry them.

It's recommended that you don't wear a hat / tam while they're still wet because you can encourage mildew. Almost all negative odours that people can experience with dreadlocks is due to leaving them damp.

Deep Clean

See my Deep Cleanse topic for a step by step deep clean tutorial!

Dreadlock F.A.Qs

I'll get some FAQs going and add to it overtime as I find the need to. There is a lot of bad information regarding dreadlocks. I believe this is due to the fact that they're not all that popular in mainstream culture and therefore the rumours can run wild without anyone actually having the knowledge/experience to set them straight.

What are Dreadlocks?
Dreadlocks in their various forums are made from matted hair. That is all there is to it, hair that has knotted up so much that it has matted itself into tube-like ropes. Matted ropes of hair have been grown for a variety of different reasons by many different cultures around the world and throughout history. Given enough time all hair will matt together and so if it were not for hairbrushes everyone's hair would lock up. While matted / locked hair has been around as long as people with hair have been around, the term dreadlocks is much more recent and originates from a very unpleasant period of human history but has since become a generic term for all matted hair.

How are they formed?
If you refrain from brushing and conditioning your hair for long enough - dreadlocks will form. As the hairs rub past each other they form knots. Over time as more and more knots form, the hair will begin to become matted together. It takes a long time for this process to occur, usually 1-2 years for the hair to become fully matted and once this has happened, the dreads will take care of themselves, automatically matting the new hair as it grows from the roots. That's all there is to it. The various methods for starting dreadlocks merely control how thick the dreadlocks will be and where they will grow from, it's the time - not any products or maintenance that will cause the dreadlocks to fully form.

Are they made from real hair or extensions?
Well, as mentioned in the post above, they can definitely be made from real hair, despite the fact that many people think they are extensions. Similarly some people may have dreadlock-like extensions and other people may have dreadlock-like extensions attached to their dreadlocks!

Are they dirty? I heard you can't ever wash them... 

Some people believe that you cannot wash dreadlocks, which is ridiculous. Dreadlocks are only as dirty as the people who 'wear' them. You are freely able to wash your dreadlocks as little or as often as you like. It is in fact recommended to keep them clean as it helps accelerate the 'locking' process - greasy hair doesn't lock as well as clean hair. - remember the hair is locked together from being knotty, not from being dirty!

Do you have to shave your head to get rid of them?
Nope, I've helped remove a set of dreadlocks that were 2 years old. It takes time and patience but I successfully removed them leaving a full head of hair, I'll be making an in depth post on dreadlock removal in the future.

How long do they take? can't I just go to the salon?
Yes there are many methods offered at hair salons but they only give the impression of dreadlocks sooner. It will take 1 year+ before the hair properly begins to lock up. So while the hair salon might be able to create a dreadlock-like effect it's still going to take a long while before they start to mature. See my post on Starting Dreadlocks for more information.

What's all this I hear about Dreadlock Wax?
See my 'Why Is Wax Bad' post

How do I tighten my roots and/or tips?
See my Roots and Tips post

Loose hair?
See my Loose Hair post

Aren't dreadlocks full of lice and/or bugs?

I don't know who came up with this one but it's probably one of the most ridiculous misconceptions I've head about dreadlocks. Unless you are bound by some pre-written religious rules - dreadlocks are a choice. No one forces people to get dreadlocks, people take on dreadlocks for a different reason and because they want them. Do you seriously think that anyone would put up with a head full of bugs and lice just so they could have dreadlocks? no. If dreadlocks had things living inside of them I'd have never started them and you can be damn sure I'd not keep them. The people who spread this rumour have obviously never actually touched any real dreadlocks, because they'd pretty soon realise that they aren't hollow or honeycomb - they are fairly solid. You're going to struggle to fit anything in there anyhow.

Can I swim with dreadlocks?
See my activities post

Will dreadlocks inhibit me from any activites?
See the activities post

Can I shower without washing my hair?

Yuuup! read my showering without washing dreads post.