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? 

Dreadlocks New Growth

Dreadlocks new growth - the hair that continues to grow out once you've already started locking up your hair. Despite all the shrinkage, compression and length loss that may occur as the dreadlocks mature - your hair will in fact always be growing, 24/7, round the clock, day and night. This new hair will of course be regular, unknotted, new growth... so what happens to this hair? Does it need to be maintained? does it need to be redone? - rebackcombed? will the hair just grow out as normal and will the dreadlocks grow out? 

This video covers the topic of this new growth and what happens to it.

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!

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.

Wax And Other Dreadlocks Regrets

My Top 10 Young Dreadlocks Regrets:

1) Wax - no surprises here, wax is going to top my list. Technically it did stop the knots from loosening.. but left me with club-like backcombed lumps that never softened and eventually all had to be cut off. Biggest regret.

2) Wait on washing - I took the 'don't wash for a few weeks' too literally and wouldn't let any water (or rain touch my dreads).

3) Soap residue - I had no idea what residue was and therefore paid no attention to all the soap building up in my young dreads.

4) Young dreads stress - I used to stress out REALLY bad with my young dreads, so much so that I would get up 2 hours earlier than I would normally to straighten them neat every day! Unneeded stress and a waste of time.

5) The no washing method - I used the no washing method for a fair while when my dreadlocks were young. I didn't use it because of the myth.. just because I didn't enjoy trying to wash waxy, residue'y dreads. Didn't take long for my head to get used to it and I'm certain someone in high school would have made fun of me if they smelled bad from not washing... the only thing I really noticed is that the roots and loose hairs really don't lock well when you don't wash your hair and it gets uncomfortable in the heat. Not exactly recommended.

6) No poo method - A few years ago the 'no poo' method was all the rage on a different dreadlocks forum so I gave that a go. Pretty much the same results as the no washing method really apart from it did feel nicer to have some form of washing there. No horrible side effects, just not all that great for promoting locking. Again, not all that recommended.

7) Palm rolling - Palm rolling in itself is not really a regret as nothing terrible comes of it... but in my case nothing really came of it at all, so I regret wasting hours and hours and hours doing it for no real reason.

8) Root flipping - I thought I'd invented this myself, but obviously most people figure out root flipping at some point. Temporarily tightened the roots in question but then I was left with split roots for a few months after.

9) Dread Rot - Dreads take a long time to dry... so why not let them dry while you sleep? right? I used to not own a hair dryer and I'd sleep with them wet and so all unpleasant things happen - dry your dreads!

10) No documentation! I regret not taking many pictures of my young dreads. I took like... 0 because... well.. I kinda hated the wax, residue filled things, but looking back it would have been really useful to have the pictures for one to show what some of these regretful things do to the hair and also to show that if you leave them alone long enough you can fix most problems.




A couple of other regrets that didn't get into the video... because I forgot:

11) Trimming loose hair - I used to try and trim my loose fringe hair because... well.. it was loose. Problem is, it grows back and then you're stuck with a silly, mini-fringe until it grows back out again.

12) Grid sectioning - I had a rigid grid-type sectioning with no brick-lay overlap that didn't look all that pleasant with young dreads. After years of congo-ing it's no longer an issue, but it would have helped to start out with a more irregular pattern if I had my time again.




Ok so plenty of regrets there... but luckily I've learned from all of them. Have you made any dreadlocks mistakes? anything you wish you hadn't done? something you'd like to go back and change?

Natural / Neglect / Freeform Dreadlocks

Natural / Neglect / Freeform Dreadlocks information. What are neglect dreadlocks? How do you start the neglect process? what are the pros and cons of neglect dreadlocks?




This method requires you to do nothing... nothing!. If you leave your hair along for long enough it will in fact form deadlocks. To use the neglect method successfully you simply need to stop brushing and conditioning your hair.




Pros:

This method will create completely 'natural' dreadlocks. Their appearance will differ from those attained by other methods because the hair will not be constrained to any predetermined root pattern.

This is obviously the cheapest method because you don't need to buy anything special or pay anyone to create the locks for you.

This method doesn't require any hair or scalp work so you will not experience the sore scalp that some of the other methods immediately result in.

This method doesn't require any products / no waxes or gels are required for this method




Cons:

This is in some ways the slowest method for attaining dreadlocks. While all methods will take 1 year+ to mature, Neglect dreads take a really long time before they even look like dreadlocks.

You have very little control over how they look. The other methods have a vary degree of control over how thick or thin the dreadlocks are because you create them from the root upwards and therefore the dreadlocks will always be as thick or as thin as the root pattern you used. In the case of neglect dreadlocks you are leaving them to their own devices and this can result in very uneven looking dreadlocks. You will have to periodically pull the matted sections of hair apart yourself in order to stop them forming one huge dreadlock, but that's about all the control you will have.

Why I Got Dreadlocks + More (Dreadlock Tag!)

The dreadlocks tag... or dread tag (whichever you prefer!). Answering 20 questions all about my dreadlocks!




My previous dreadtag video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYYTZtqRu40


1. Do you remember the specific moment you decided you were going to dread your hair? Where were you and how did you feel?

2. What method, if any, did you use to start your dreadlocks?

3. How old are your dreadlocks?

4. What is the length of your longest dread? And shortest?

5. Do you have any dreads that are especially unique, strange, or awesome?

6. How many dreads do you have currently? Is that the same number you started with?

7. What shampoo or other products do you use on your dreads?

8. How often do you wash your dreads?

9. Do you do any regular maintenance on your dreads?

10. What are your favorite beads or other decorations?

11. If your dreads had their own personal motto, what would it be?

12. If you could start a new set of dreads, would you do anything differently?

13. Is there anything else unique about your appearance other than dreadlocks? (tattoos, piercings, etc)

14. How many people do you know personally with dreadlocks?

15. Have any employers turned you down for having dreads? Any wanted you BECAUSE of your dreads?

16. Whats the WEIRDEST question you've gotten about your dreads? DUMBEST? FUNNIEST? Most Common?

17. Have you ever had a freak accident or an embarrassing moment involving your dreads?

18. Do you have any dreaded role models? If so, who?

19. What dreaded YouTubers could you see yourself hanging out with in real life?

20. Who are you going to Tag?

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

Starting Dreadlocks

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

• Considering Starting Dreadlocks?
• How To Prepare For Dreadlocks
• How To Start Dreadlocks
• Hair length for dreadlocks
• Salon vs Homemade Dreadlocks
• Dreadlocks Sectioning And Dreadlock Thickness
• Sectioned vs unsectioned dreadlocks
• Partial Dreads Information
• Elastic / rubber bands
• Best time of year to start dreadlocks
• How dreadlocks can affect activities
• Dread wax info
• International Dreadmakers Directory 

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

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!

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.