Washing Dreadlocks - How Long Does It Take?

Today, a question that I don't actually know the answer to: How long does it take for me to wash my dreadlocks? - Only one way to find out!

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

Super Dread Microfibre Towel Review

Today I'm checking out a microfibre towel from UK based Super Dread. 

You can find the towels from Super Dread here:

http://superdreadshop.com/collections/dreadlock-shampoo-dread-shampoo/towels

Microfibre towels are a popular choice for people with dreadlocks as they tick the boxes that most people are looking for - they're light weight, they don't flake fibres into the dreadlocks and of course they're super absorbent. 

Blow Drying Dreadlocks

If you’ve had dreadlocks for a long enough period of time you’ll know that the washing and drying process can be quite time consuming and rather annoying - and as the dreadlocks mature and grow longer… this process doesn’t get any easier.

It’s important to be able to effectively and efficiently dry dreadlocks. For one so that you can get on with your day and not have your life revolve around damp dripping dreadlocks and secondly so you can avoid the risk of mould/dreadrot that comes along with improperly dried dreadlocks.

Different people will have different drying routines for their hair depending on, well, pretty much what’s practical for them and their situation. Someone with short dreadlocks in a hot dry climate is unlikely to follow the exact routine as someone in with long dreadlocks in a cold, damp environment. There’s all sorts of different ways to dry dreadlocks, towels, shaking, squeezing, sitting in the sun - today I’m going to cover blowdrying… if that wasn’t already obvious by the title above.

Hairdryers are pretty popular among dreadheads for pretty obvious reasons. A lot of people with dreadlocks will have had long-is hair before starting out and so most will already own a hairdryer, but many will ask whether it’s appropriate to use one on dreadlocks - is it effective? is it safe?

The risks that blowdrying poses to dreadlocks are the same risks that are posed to regular hair… as, well, dreadlocks are still formed from hair after all. Excessive heat can damage hair… and dreadlocks are made from hair. Dreadlocks are slow drying - it’s not so difficult to dry the outside - this can be done simply with a towel, but it’s the inner part that retains the moisture that you want to actually dry out. The problem is that people will be tempted to just crank the hairdryer and pretty much fry the dreadlocks. Trying to dry them this way really isn’t all that effective as you simply end up drying out the exterior hairs - the high levels of heat on your hair will then usually be uncomfortable on your head and then you’ll have to stop before you’ve actually really done any good. This is really not a method of drying that I’d recommend as the targeted high heat is not going to be very effective at drying the dreadlocks and will have an increased risk of damage to the hair…. but I do still personally use a hairdryer.

My method for using a hairdryer is to enclose the dreadlocks in a dry towel and funnel warm air into the towel. This provides a warm environment with a gentle heat that will be distributed to all the dreadlocks and not just concentrated to cook one specific patch. Your head will also be within the towel so you’ll be able to make sure that it doesn’t get too hot in there - if it’s too hot for your face, it’s too hot for the dreadlocks. A slow, gentle drying is more effective and less damaging than a concentrated application of a hairdryer on turbo high.

How you dry your own dreadlocks is going to be entirely up to you and will require you to weigh up the pros and cons and consider them against your personal situation in order to find what works best for you.

Choosing A Dreadlocks Shampoo

One of my most commonly asked questions is: what shampoo should I buy to wash my dreadlocks with?

Now this is a commonly asked question for good reason - despite the common misconception, every dreadhead needs to keep their dreadlocks clean and will therefore need something to clean them with. However, picking the right shampoo is not always quite as simple as it may at first seem. There is no one-size-fits-all solution that I can recommend. I believe it’s easiest to explain if we first talk about regular, non-dreaded hair.

With non-dreaded hair it’s easier to see that everyone’s hair is slightly different - You’ve got people with long hair, short hair, straight hair, curly hair, fine hair, thick hair - dry hair and greasy hair. When you’re picking a shampoo to use on non-dreaded hair you’re always trying to get your hair into that perfect balanced state - hovering equidistant between too dry and too oily - if your hair is oilier you’ll need a shampoo that swings the balance one way - if your hair is drier you’ll want one that takes it the other way. If you had very oily hair and your friend had very dry hair and the two of you swapped shampoos, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to find that the shampoos didn’t work out quite so well for each other. When you go into your local shampoo stockist you’ll likely find shelves and shelves of various different types of shampoo catering to different needs and hair types.

What some people with dreadlocks seem to forget is - even though their hair is dreadlocked, those dreadlocks are still formed from the same type of hair they’ve always had - Instead of thinking about the need for a shampoo that works well with their hair, hair type, scalp etc, some people can think that they no longer have the hair-type that they used to have, and instead look simply for something that has worked for another dreadhead— regardless of whether their situations are at all similar - and this can lead to problems. I’ve had people contact me saying that after starting their dreadlocks their hair has become incredibly dry, or incredibly greasy, or that they’ve developed issues with dandruff - and they will assume that it’s the dreadlocks - and not what they’ve been washed with - even though using the wrong types of shampoo on their non-dreaded hair would have had similar effects. What works for one person will not necessarily work the same for the next person - it doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with you or your hair, it just means that you haven’t found what works best for you yet. When you have dreadlocks you still have to get your hair evenly balanced on that dry vs oily scale - though often people will aim for a slightly drier balance as the optimum balance for forming dreadlocks is not quite the same as the optimum balance for regular hair - but there is still a balance.

Ok so now we’ve got that out of the way, what do you need to look for in a dreadlocks appropriate shampoo? - you want something that washes out from the dreadlocks effectively and so won’t leave a build up of residue - you want something that balances YOUR hair: not so conditioning that it softens the locks, but not so dry that it leads to damage - you also want to make sure that it’s something that’s practical and economically viable for your situation:

Low in residue: This is of universal importance for dreadlocks - it’s important that whatever you put into or onto the dreadlocks can wash out again easily - if it doesn’t easily wash out then you can find that traces of it will begin to accumulate in the core of the dreadlocks, building up and slowing down dreadlock progress, reducing the ‘freshness’ you get from the washing process and can eventually lead to moisture getting trapped and mould forming. To keep the risk of excessive residue to a minimum you will want to make sure you’re washing with something that’s designed to be as low in residue as possible. A lot of dreadlocks shampoos will list themselves as “non-residue” or “residue-free” - in my experience, in practice they will still leave trace amounts of residue that can slowly build up - but significantly less than what you can experience when using a shampoo that has not been designed to be residue free - it’s not important and some would argue not actually possible to find a shampoo that is perfectly 100% residue free in all situations, but a practical solution is simply to find a shampoo that leaves behind so little that it does not become noticeable in the time between dreadlock deep cleans (and deep cleans will remove built up residue). In avoiding excess residue it’s also important not to use too much shampoo - the more you use, the more you’ll have to rinse out and therefore the more likely it will be that some is left behind. You need only apply shampoo to your scalp and let it rinse it’s way over and down - the amount needed is often a lot less than people expect - I use around half a teaspoon per wash, although exact amounts vary depending on the soap I’m using. Most regular shampoos do not work very will in this regard because they have not been designed to rinse as easily or to be as low in residue - as there is no need to design normal shampoos in this way as things will simply wash off or get brushed out - dreadlocks, with their ability to soak up liquids are a unique case and a small market and so most regular shampoos are not designed with dreadlocks in mind. It is also worth mentioning that the effectiveness to which a shampoo will wash out is also affected by the mineral content or “water hardness” in your area - with “harder” water being less effective at removing soap residue - and therefore you can find that a soap which works great on dreadlocks in a “soft water” area does not fair as well when used in a “hard water” area.

Correct balance: As I covered earlier, everyone’s hair will require slightly different care in order to maintain a comfortable, healthy balance. It’s important that the shampoo you use correctly addresses your needs. Find the right balance and your dreadlocks will be clean, pleasant and comfortable - get the wrong balance and you can end up with your hair being either too oily or too dry and ending up with irritation and discomfort. It’s really not all that easy to tell which you’ll find the most suitable before you’ve actually tried them. I would recommend trying out as many different options as you can in order to see which one works best for you - some dread shampoo sellers will offer the shampoo in smaller sizes and sometimes even sample or travel sizes and I would recommend picking these up to test them out before investing in a larger quantity. I also think it’s a good idea, where possible to try out the shampoos before you start your dreadlocks - young dreadlocks can be a little uncomfortable in their own right - if you then go on to throw an inappropriate shampoo into the mix, you’re probably not going to be in for a good time. It is also worth mentioning that environment will play a role in the overall balance - the humidity of your environment will affect your hair - this is expected in non-dreadlocked hair, but sometimes forgotten about by dreadheads - what balances well in the more humid months might need to be adjusted during the drier months and vice versa.

Economical and practical: Something that isn’t often so well covered is the practicalities of buying dreadlock shampoos. With the internet being global when you ask people for shampoo recommendations you could be getting reviews made on shampoos in the US… but you might be living in Australia - shipping shampoos long distance can be expensive and prohibitive - there’s no point settling on shampoo that you can’t actually get a hold of when you need it and so local availability will also play a role. With dreadlocks being a pretty small, niche market, most stores won’t stock anything dreadlock specific - sometimes you can get lucky and find something appropriate in speciality stores, but in most cases online shopping is the way to go. A major criticism I seem to come across a lot is the pricing of dreadlock shampoos - they are often marked considerably higher than off the shelf regular hair variety soaps and shampoos - this is again down to it being a niche market - large brands are able to mass produce huge quantities of shampoo, whereas more often than not dreadlock shampoos are designed, produced and distributed by very small businesses and even in some cases individuals and therefore the costs are always going to be slightly higher. It is worth mentioning though that over the long run these expenses more than balance out - as mentioned earlier dreadlocks only require very small quantities of shampoo per wash and dreadlocks will usually be washed less often than comparable regular hair - all in all this leads to a bottle of dread shampoo lasting much longer than a bottle of regular shampoo - with it not being uncommon for a large bottle to last up to a year - at which point the pricing becomes more reasonable and understandable, especially compared to buying a years worth of shampoo, conditioner and even hair cuts with regular hair.

So in conclusion - there’s a whole world of different dreadlock soaps, dreadlock shampoos as well as alternatives out there - By all means research potential shampoos as thoroughly as you can - check out shampoo reviews to see how other people got on - though do search out independent reviews and not just those displayed on the seller’s/store’s website - but remember, everyone’s situation is different, what works great for one person with one hair type in one location may not work as well for you - do not be disheartened, just move on to the next alternative. There is no one-size-fits-all dread soap and so it’s up to each dreadhead to try out the various options available in order to find the perfect fit.

Hard Water? + More! (Dreadlocks Q&A #53)

The 53rd installment of my long running 'Dreadlocks Question & Answer' series, where I answer YOUR questions!

Devon Renee

question: my hair is supper damaged from perming it, bleaching it and dying it a ton. 

i really reeeeeaaaaally want dreadlocks but I'm afraid that my hair will just break. what should i do?

noahmariscal

Question: when you start your dreadlocks with 6 inches of hair how long will your dreadlocks be if you use the backcombing method? 

Rainiepie

question: I'm sorry I think you've already answered this but, I've only had my dreads for two weeks now and I had much thiner hair than I realised and there are only 18 dreadlocks. Do you think this will make it more likely just to clump up into one big knotted mess? 

Jose Mendez

QUESTION: can I put baking soda in sea salt spray? And what do you do during deep cleans?

Joseph Yaden

What is hard water, how do I know if I have hard water, and how does it affect dreadlock progress? 

When To Deep Clean Dreadlocks?

Deep cleaning is an important part of keeping your dreadlocks clean, fresh and happy, and happy dreadlocks lead to happy dreadheads - but this often leads to the question of 'when to deep clean dreads?'.

How to deep clean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X782R85mFJE

Just how there is no simple one-size-fits-all answer for when you should wash your dreadlocks, the same goes for a deep clean. The straight forward, blunt, but at the same time not all that helpful answer is that they should be deep cleaned when they need deep cleaning.

I personally deep clean my hair every 1-2 months, so on average, every 6 weeks. I do not stick strictly to this schedule, if my hair needs deep cleaning in the meantime, I will not hesitate, but I find that soaking them every 6 weeks or so allows me to stay well ahead of most issues that can arise and that frequency keeps my hair happy - it's a decent balance between keeping the dreads fresh... and not spending every weekend with my hair in a bucket.

Some people may find their dreadlocks benefit from being deep cleaned more or less frequently as different environments, climates, water hardnesses and regular soaps will all play a role. Overtime you will begin to be able to tell when your hair needs deep cleaning.

If you've never deep cleaned your hair before, it's never too late to start, but some will ask whether it can be too soon. Generally young dreadlocks do not need to be deep cleaned. Young dreadlocks should not yet have had time to accumulate soap residues and will generally rinse quicker than older, denser dreads, so will take longer for build up to... build up, but a deep clean can sometimes be welcomed for treating irritated scalps or removing the residue from an inappropriate soap. A deep clean will strip away anything left within the dread, leaving just clean hair behind that is primed for knotting, so some people will find the benefit from deep cleaning even younger dreads: however if you plan on deep cleaning younger dreads you will need to be cautious with the use of the conditioning/moisturising/softening ingredients: ACV, essential oils, as these may be too softening for use on already soft, young dreads.

When To Dye Dreads? + More! (Dreadlocks Q&A #52)

Episode #52 of my long running 'Dreadlocks Question & Answer' series - where I answer YOUR questions!

Robin L

QUESTION do you have any experience swimming in lakes or rivers with dreads? i know lakes and rivers can be dirty but i go all the time and i have new dreads. i have not swam in the river or lake yet with them yet. just wondering if you have any insight on the subject :)

margot escargot

QUESTION! After i went swimming in the sea, i used to wait a few days before i washed the salt water off my dreads. Is that bad? Should you rinse away salt water right after ?

Julia Rizzuti

QUESTION if I only dread some parts of my hair what should I was my hair with?

Eulises Tovar

Question: so far I only got three dreads in my hair, just testing it out, and two of them have loosened up a lot except for a small section by the roots. Is this normal or should I work on my twist and rip technique?

Sarah Arnold

How long would you recommend to wait before bleaching or dying your dreads? X 

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? 

When To Wash New Dreadlocks?

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. 

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?

Showering without washing your hair video

Ok guys I've got a new video up that basically just shows how I'll have my hair when I'm showering. Anyone with dreadlocks will know it's not practical to wash your dreadlocks every morning, but don't let dreadlocks stop you from washing as often as you like:

Dreadlock Deep Cleanse Video

My dreadlock deep cleanse video is up! Super basic, just bicarb and water soak, but it's up to you whether you want to add other niceties to the soak. I like just the bicarb because it's cheap and simple and I always have it. Breaks down the soap residue and makes the dreads all bendy and nice!

Follow my youtube channel for more dreadlock-info goodness and leave me a comment with whatever extras you put in your dreadlock soaks!

New Washing and Drying Method Videos

Me going through each step of my washing and drying routine.

Washing

Drying

Dreadlock Cleanse

Super Deep Clean!:

Basic Bicarb Soak:

There are many different variations on this. Some with nice smelling additives, but I'm going to explain what I do and then once you've got the basics down you can feel free to experiment a little. Tea tree oil is a normal addition due to it's anti-fungal qualities and Rosemary oil can be added to help with dandruff problems.

Every now and then you'll find you want to give your dreadlocks a serious deep clean. Over time various shampoos and soaps can build up in your hair (even if they're residue free) and you'll feel like they're a little bit heavier, a little bit stiffer, just not as 'alive' as they once were. There are also more extreme cases where you'll use a shampoo only to find out it is definitely not residue free - when you squeeze out after washing, the water that comes out is a little stickier / doesn't feel like straight clean water or on the extreme - you'll get white powder accumulating in the tips of your dreads once they've dried.

What can you do about this?...........................Deep cleanse!

How I go about it:

• I feel a washing bowl with hot water, the hotter the better, because you don't want it going cold on you while you're still using it. But obviously not so hot that you burn yourself! (You can also use a bucket or whatever you want, as long as it's deep enough to hold the hot water and your head of hair. I've even seen it done where you lay on the kitchen counter with your head back into the filled sink!)
• Then I will add bicarbonate of soda / baking soda. There's no exact measurement for this and everyone is going to use a different sized bowl and a different amount of water. I'll usually add quite a lot, but not so much that you get undissolved bicarb in the bottom of the bowl.
• Then you lay back and dip your hair in the water. It's tricky to do this actually, I lay on a step or box, even a skateboard to get my body higher than the bowl so that I'm comfortable dipping the hair.
• You'll want to soak them for around 30 mins. You can rub the hair in this time, make sure you get everywhere wet and just relax. It's nice to have the warm water flowing over your head and it removes itchiness.
• Once you've finished soaking you'll want to squeeze everything out of your dreads. You can repeat this part without the soaking time, just dip and squeeze, dip and squeeze.
• Then wash your hair as normal.

You should find they're a little lighter, bendier / bouncier, less itchy. All round new and improved!

I don't think bicarb washes should be overdone because it can make your scalp dry and therefore it's easy for it to get sore. I recommend every 4-6 weeks for optimal nice-ness! You shouldn't need to do it anymore often provided you wash and dry your dreads correctly. See my Washing and Drying post.

Dreadlock Maintenance?

Ok, people tend to be torn two ways on this. There are those who get dreadlocks and can't leave them alone, each loose hair has its place and each dread tip must be immaculately crocheted to perfection. Then there are people who never touch their hair and enjoy the extra time they gain from not having to brush and condition and cut and trim etc etc.

Here's what you need to know...

Dreadlocks are formed by neglecting the hair. You leave the hair to its own devices and eventually dreadlocks will form from the chaos, so you really don't have to do much to keep them on the right track. 

The best thing you can do to maintain your dreadlocks is to follow a good washing and drying routine. Keeping them clean and then keeping them dry is essential for the longevity of your dreadlocks. When you keep them clean, but not conditioned, you're putting your hair in a good state for locking-up. Also if you keep a regular cleaning routine you're going to stop the hair from becoming irritating and itchy. Thoroughly drying them after they've been washed is equally important. Leave anything damp sitting around long enough and it'll start to become unpleasant - dreadlocks are no exception. Roughly drying with a towel also causes a lot of friction and can help form new knots.

Washing and drying is the essential maintenance. Companies will often try and sell you maintenance products that you don't need - they will assure you that you do.... but they have products they want to sell. Not all products are bad, but most are unnecessary and most are just repackaged simple ingredients you can find around your own home. I cannot stress enough that dreadlocks need time and patience, but that makes it easy for companies to cash in by selling quick fix dreadlock products. There are no magic instant dreadlock products, there are just those that are waxes or variations on waxes/gels that stick your hair together to make them look more like tighter dreadlocks (while in reality actually slowing down the locking process by inhibiting the movement of the hairs and therefore stopping them from forming new knots). Then there are also products that simply dry out the hairs and make them more frizzy allowing them to knot up. The gels and waxes you really don't want to go anywhere near, the drying/frizzing products are completely unnecessary and the same effect can be achieved without buying branded products. You can make your hair dryer and more frizzy by using lemon juice, swimming in salt water or rubbing a wool jumper over your hair. Do you need to do this? no. Does it actually help in the long run? who can say. Over time the lemon juice will also bleach your hair slightly, but it's kinda sticky so needs washing out quite quick.

You may have to rip and/or cut certain dreads to stop them from merging together into congos. This is normal maintenance, if you would like your dreads to be fatter then simply don't split them! More information about that on my Congos page.

You really don't need to do anymore work with them than that. Feel free to play with them during the day, the friction encourages the knotting process, but they get it from the towel drying and when your head rubs on the pillow anyway (this is why you will find that the dreads on the back of your head mature the fastest).

I'll cover some other little bits here:

Palm rolling: 

this technique is commonly recommended by most sources of dreadlock information. You place a dreadlock between your palms and... roll. You're squeezing the dread, pushing loose hairs into the body of the dread and rounding the whole thing off. This technique doesn't cause any damage to the dreads but it's positive effects are also debatable. Most visible progress made by palm rolling will be undone once you wash the dreads again. So by all means palm roll, but don't stress too much about it!

Clockwise rubbing:

you take the base of a dread between your thumb and forefinger and rub the dreadlock against your scalp in a clockwise motion. This technique definitely has pros and cons. Some people feel that it helps knot up the roots better. But on the down side it can give you a sore scalp and possibly break hairs at the root, which you really don't want. Roots will lock up by themselves given time and patience, the best thing to do is leave them to it for the first few months!

Crocheting:

another really popular one here which has pros and cons. You punch the really thin crochet hook through a dread, grab some loose hairs on the other side and then pull them back through into the dread. It can also be used to blunt the tips of a dreadlock. Many people use this method for attaining very neat locks, the problem is that it is very easy to over do it. Every time you crochet your hair you are punching tiny holes in the dread, now while the really thin hook will push most hairs aside, you are still running the risk of breaking hairs inside the dread. This can, overtime, weaken the dreadlock, which needs to be strong to hold up all that weight of wet hair!

Rubber bands:

 

I have some more information on loose hairs, dread roots and dread tips in my - Loose Hairs, Roots and Tips section.

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!