My Dreads

6 months

Swimming With Dreadlocks

Ocean: Dreads are natural swimmers, especially in the ocean.  Salt water is probably the best product to use in your hair.  It helps tighten them faster, especially if you palm roll them during your swim.

Fresh Water: Lakes, streams and rivers wont do damage to your hair.  They may seem to come apart a little in their early stages.  Don't fret.  Keep palm rolling and crocheting.

Pools: Say NO to public pools.  I have been a swim teacher for over 7 years now.  Unlike natural bodies of water, pools are small confined bodies of water.  Although they are filtered, there is still a lot of traffic on a day to day basis (with public pools anyway).  Every person that goes into the pool, will leave behind small bits of whatever their body dropped off (hair, skin, saliva).  Those bodily products are floating around in the water, and if they come across your nice clean dreads, they'll get stuck in their like lint to velcro.  You can wash them, but its very unlikely that you'll be able to get all that scum out.  Wear a swim cap, you worked hard for your nice dreads.
Chlorine will damage your hair, natural or dreaded, especially if you swim on a regular basis.  Stick to salt water pools and swim caps.

Dreadren at the beach rolling his baby locks.

Losing Length in Dreadlocks

You'll probably notice that your new baby dreadlocks are a bit shorter than your original hair, especially if you backcombed.  After many hours of crocheting, I have discovered that backcombing is not actually necessary.  It certainly helps to get them started, but can be skipped completely if you're willing to do a little extra crocheting (and if your trying to keep your length).  Even after crocheting, you may loose an inch or two.  For about the first 6 months, it'll seem as if your hair has stopped growing.  Don't worry, this is totally normal.  As your hair tightens, it'll bend and turn more within your dreadlock, making it seem as if your hair stopped growing.  Be patient, somewhere between 6 months and 1 year, your hair will start gaining some length again.

Using thread as bands (root thread)

Many people start their dreads by separating hair with rubber bands.  This is a great way to start dreadlocks.  After a week or so however, rubber bands will start slipping down the dreadlock.  After a month or too these rubber bands will start to break off/break apart.  This is when the thread comes in.

I have not found too much online about using thread in replace of bands.  I decided to try it myself.  I have had the thread in for just about over a month now.  I find that they don't slip as much as rubber bands, and (unless its not wrapped enough) tends to stay on longer than rubber bands.

I will be posting some videos later about hot to thread roots.

How to put on a tam hat

1. Flip your hat inside out.
2. Bunch your hair into a loose bun and hold it.
3. Stick your hand inside your hat with your other hand and grab your bun.
4. Pull the front of the hat over your head, flipping it right side out.
5. Give it a fluff and you're good to go!

History of Dreadlocks

-Maasai men in Tanzania and southern Kenya wore dreadlocks their entire lives.  There is no exact date as to when this tradition began.

-Egypt is also known to have had dreadlocks in its past.  Mummies with dreadlocks and dreadlock wigs have been found.

-King Tuts mummy supposedly still had his dreadlocks attached.

-The Hindu deity Shiva and his followers have been described as having "jaTaa" or "twisted locks of hair."

-The Greeks, Pacific Ocean peoples and Naga peoples have worn dreadlocks.

-The monks of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Nazirites of Judaism, Qalandari Sufi's the Sadhus of Hinduism and the Dervishes of Islam also word dreadlocks.

-Very earliest Christians may have worn dreads.

-James the Just, first Bishop of Jerusalem word dreadlocks to his ankles.

-Pre-Columbian Aztec priests were described as to have worn their hair untouched, leaving it long and matted.

-The Baye Fall, followers of the Mouride movement, are famous for their dreadlocks and multi-colored gowns.

-Warriors among fullani, wolof, serer and mandika were known to have dreadlocks as adults and cornrows as children.

-The term dreadlocks was first recorded in Jamaica in the 1950s for the "young black faith," and early sect of the Rastafari which began in the 1930s.  They ceased to copy the hairstyle of Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia.  It was said that the wearer lived a "dread" life or a life in which he feared God. (Henceforth the word dreadlocks)


-Many Rastafari attribute their dreadlocks as a dedication to Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia as well as the three Nazarite vows, in the Book of Numbers, the fourth of the books of the Pentateuch.

Dreadlock Tam Hats

Tam hats are a great way to help tighten those locks.  You want to look for a tam made of wool, as this is the best material for locking.  Simply by wearing the tam and rubbing your head with your palm will cause the friction needed to lock up your dreads.  Some people have told me that they sleep in their hats, letting their nightly tossing and turning do the work. 

Maturing Process

Depending on the type of hair you have, your method and how often you tighten will determine exactly how long it will take for your dreadlocks to mature.  Most say it takes about a year for dreadlocks to reach maturity.  Here is a little time line I put together of what dreads look like from babies to grown ups.  NOTE: This time line does not apply to natural born dreadlocks.  Natural dreadlocks will take a few months longer to mature than dreadlocks that have been regularly maintained.

Brand New Baby Dreads
Your head is probably sore after having been pulled and tugged for a couple of hours.  This should go away after a few days, if not, you may want to loosen a few extra tight bands.  They are separated nicely and with a headband or hat, should look pretty good.

First Week

There is a good chance that your dreads start to go down hill from day one.  After sleeping, touching, shaking and playing with them, they probably look a little frizzy.  Keep palm rolling them as often as you can and touch up with a crochet hook.  REMEMBER WATCH THOSE ROOTS!!!  Keep those roots nice and separate.

First Month

The first month with baby dreads is varies between two extremes.  One being you're totally psyched on your new babies, or two, every day is a bad hair day.  Somedays were good, but most were bad when I first got my dreadlocks.  It helps to find a style of wearing them that you are comfortable with.  My favorite hairstyle for the first few months was to tie it up in a bun with a head band.  It looked cleaner, and less cave woman like.  As for washing, you should still only be washing about every week and the most.  If you can go longer, then go longer.  Keep palm rolling and crocheting, and watch for signs of congoing. 

4 months to One year

Dreadlocks should be pretty separate and tight by around the 4th month.  There will still be lots of loose hairs, but the dreadlock itself should have a pretty definite shape and an almost "solid" feel to it.  There may still be some loopy looking dreadlocks in the 4-7 month, but majority should be looking pretty good.  Your scalp should be used to not washing as much, and the maintenance requirement should start to decrease.  

5.5 Months

7 Months

9 Months

One Year

Famous Dreadlocks

#1 Bob Marley

Jamaican Singer-Songwriter and Musician.  Without doubt the most famous dreadhead and rastah mon.

#2 Lauryn Hill

American singer-songwritter, rapper, musician, record producer and actress.  Bob Marley's "daughter in-law."

#3 Rita Marley

Jamaican singer.  Widow of Bob Marley

#4 Whoopie Goldberg

American actress, comedian, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.

#5 Lil Wayne

American Rapper.

#6 Lisa Bonet

American Actress

#7 Jason Momoa

American Actor

#8 Jason Castro

American Singer

My Take on Dread Wax

Dread wax can either be a success, or a total mess.  I personally do not like using wax.  Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:

• Can help tighten dreads faster (if used properly)
• Will condition dreadlocks without taking them apart
• Keeps fly hairs in place

Cons:

• Messy; the wax can get on your face, neck, ears and back and can be very uncomfortable
• If not used properly, can do more damage than good
• If too much is twisted in, it can flake

How to use wax: Its better to put in too little, rather than too much.  Damage happens when too much is twisted in. Collect some wax between your thumb and index finger and rub it down the entirety of the dreadlock.  Palm roll after.

You can also use dread wax in only parts of a dreadlock.  Say theres a section of a dreadlock that is a little frizzy.  Rub a little wax in and palm role.  Some people use wax only at the roots or tips.  

If you can find wax at the store,  I say it's worth trying.  It works well for some people.  I simply don't like it because I can't stand getting the wax on my face and neck.

How to separate hair for dreadlocks

Any type of small rubber band will do the trick.  When starting dreadlocks. I like to divide the hair by its part.  I've found that guys usually like their part in the middle.  My part is on the right side.  Once the hair is divided, I rubber band half a head at a time.  Tie one side up for later.  Start from the nape of the neck and work your wait toward the forehead.  With a pencil or blunt end of crochet needle, draw a line in the hair to make your first layer of dreadlocks.  Some people like to divide by triangles, others like squares.  I tend to stick with squares.  Section of your first dreadlock and tie with a rubber band.  Make sure the rubber band is tight but be sure not to pull the scalp too much (this will cause headaches later).  You may need to go through and put new rubber bands in after about a month, as they will become soft, loose, and slip down away from the roots.

I have also been experimenting with using embroidery string instead of rubber bands (After the original rubber bands were cut out).  I wrap about a foot of embroidery around the base of the dread and tie it nice and tight.  So far they have been working really well, and don't slip down as much.

Questions?

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to comment.  Id be very happy to help you with any problems you may be facing dreadlock wise. :)

Temporary Dreadlocks

I discovered how to do this while I was in high school.  I went to a catholic school, so real dreadlocks were not an option.  I wanted dreadlocks that could be worn for a day.  Here is how you do it:

You will need...
-hair straightener
-hair gel
-hair spray
-some clips or rubber bands
-flat iron protection spray (so you don't fry your hair)

Step 1. Start from the back of your head and make your way forward.  Clip/rubber band most of the top section of your hair.  Leave enough hair by the neckline to make 3 (larger dreads) to 5 (smaller dreads).

Step 2. Spray that section with that flat iron protection spray.  Divide the hair into sections.

Step 3. Twist the hair tightly and hold the end.  Iron the lock up and down a few times, going toward and against the head.

Step 4. Generously gel the lock while holding on to the tip.  Keep it as tight as you can.

Step 5. Let the gel dry for a few seconds before spraying with hair spray.  Continue until you have a head full of locks!

Remove by washing!!!

NOTE:  They will not be as tight as real dreadlocks, but will coil up individually quite nicely.

Tightening Dreadlocks

My favorite way to tighten dreadlocks is with the crochet hook.  They can be bought at most craft stores for about $3.  It takes a little longer to tighten them with crochet hooks, but they mature faster and can be controlled much more.

Palm rolling is also an excellent way to tighten, and can be done anywhere at any time.

Dreadlocks love swimming in salt water.  If you live by an ocean (one that is suitable for swimming), taking a frequent dip will do wonders for dreads.  Palm rolling them while wet with salt water will help even more.  You can also put diluted sea salt in a spray bottle and spray it in your hair.  This will essentially have the same effect.

Dreadlock Vocabulary

Dread Needle = Crochet Hook; Works for all hair types.

Backcombing = "Combing Backward" to create dreadlocks.  Works for all hair types.

Twist and Rip = Separating a section of non dreaded hair into two parts. Twisting them together, combining the two parts into one, and separating again into two different parts (half of the first part should be placed with the other half of the second part??? if that makes any sense) Works best with kinky hair.

Twisting = Twisting a section on non dreaded hair with wax between two fingers over and over until a dreadlock forms.  (I don't know very much about how good twisting is at making dreads)

Dread Braiding = Starting dreads by braiding sections.  I've heard that this works in making dreads, but it takes a little while longer and may result in clumpy looking dreadlocks.

Neglect/Natural Dreadlocks = Stop conditioning and brushing.  Takes much longer to mature and your hair decides what kind of dreadlocks it wants.

Dread Perm = Chemically frying the hair so that it can be dreaded easier.

Loomed Dreads/ Extensions = Palm rolling/ crocheting sections of wool until it clumps into a dreadlock.  Can be dreaded into the natural hair as well as be clipped/ rubber banned into non dreaded hair.

Congo = When dreadlocks start making friends with its neighbor dreadlocks and decide to stick together.

Blunt ends = When the end of the dreadlock has been folded over at the tip and dreaded into itself.  Makes the ends of dreadlocks round.

Long ends = When the tip of the dreadlock has been left alone to dread by itself.

Tam = Type of hat often worn by dreadheads.  Usually knitted/ crocheted and can fit dreadlocks inside.

Dread Wax = Product that can be used on dreadlocks.  Many are made with bees wax.  It keeps little fly away hairs in line and (if used properly) can help speed up the dread process.

Dread Beads = Beads with large holes that can be worn on dreadlocks.

Preparing for Dreadlocks

Many people forget (I myself have) that before dreads are made, there is some preparation involved.

WASHING.  Before I had my dreadlocks, I washed and conditioned my hair almost every day.  Without slowly weaning your head off of washing, your scalp will be horribly itchy.  Dreadlocks in their early stage will probably be itchy, and (in my case anyway) may be itchy in the middle of the night.  Start preparing 2 months in advance if you wash your hair on a daily basis.  Skip a day or two, and continue to do so until you can go over a week and a half without washing.  Do this, and you can prevent some very agonizing hours of itching.

MENTALLY: Are you ready to be "that guy/girl with dreads"?  Just as you may identify someone by their tattoos, piercings or brightly dyed hair, people will identify you by your dreadlocks.  You will probably notice during your premiere public outing that almost everyone will notice you.  Suddenly your presence in any public place is noticed.  After a while, you'll probably stop noticing how much attention you really get.  It's not so bad if you really love your dreadlocks, and are confident that people are looking for positive reasons.  Not to sounds snobby or overly confident, but if my dreads spoke, they would probably say something like "yea everyones looking at me. No big deal. They LOVE me." :) Generally speaking, I'd say people get a confidence boost after getting dreads.

FAMILY: Not so much an issue for me.  My parents are very supportive of my dreadlocks (surprisingly!).    Everyone is entitled to their own style, but family can become an issue.  If your not ready to hear what your family may tell you, then maybe hold of of the dreads.

NEGATIVE COMMENTS: People generally won't say that they flat out don't like your hair, but its always obvious how they really feel.  You will get negative comments, but you will also get many positive ones as well.  Sometimes you just have to suck it up and accept that not everyone is going to like it, and that the important thing is that YOU love them.

Making Dreadlocks

When making dreadlocks for the first time, it is important to understand that the technique you will use will depend on the type of dreadlock you want.

Fat Dreadlocks: Thick dreadlocks should be backcombed.  This way you can chunk them up before crocheting.

I am a huge advocate of crocheting dreadlocks.  I would say that unless you are going for the natural look, a crochet needle is a must.  You can get them at any craft store for about $3.  We have about 8 crochet needles that we share in the house.  They get lost easily, so it might be a good idea to invest in a few.  I prefer the smaller sizes, but anything under 1.5mm will work just fine.

Long thin dreadlocks: Crochet only!  If you don't want to lose hair length in the dreading process, don't backcomb.  Your hair may loose a few centimeters, but will generally be as long as your original hair. This can be done by twisting the dreadlock.  Pinch the dread between your thumb and pointer finger.  Push the tip of the crochet needle between your fingers, the hook facing your thumb.  Push the needle in and out, between your fingers, through the dread.  Everyone has their own way of doing it, so after some practice, you'll probably start figuring how what works for you.

My dreadlocks were made using a combination of these two techniques.  My hair originally was wavy and thick.  Any hair type can be dreaded.  I have tried twist and rip, but discovered that it doesn't work all too well with my hair.  Dreadlocks take time, be patient.

Beautiful Dreads

 Some pics of amazing dreadlocks.

 

Clean Dreads are Happy dreads

The one question I am asked most frequently is "How do you wash your hair?"  More than often a third party will step in and reply "You don't!"  For the record, I do wash my dreadlocks.  I wash them when they are dirty.  Simple as that.  When I feel like it's time to wash, I wash.  Shampoo wise, dreadheads are quite limited.  I have been using the dread head shampoo.  It soaps up nicely (something not so common in non residue shampoos) and lacks smell (finally a product that doesn't smell!).  Any non residue shampoo will do.  Neutrogena makes some that is found in most stores for about $7.  If I do feel like smelling good, (which is quite periodic because I'm a CLEAN person) I use Filthy Farm Girl soap that I buy at my local farmers market.  Right now I have been using the eucalyptus smelling bar (also great for acne!).  I would say that any natural soap would work, as long as they have "no yucky stuff".  I wash my scalp with the dread head shampoo, rinse, and wash my dreads with the bar soap.  When I first got dreadlocks, I washed about twice a week.  As I got used to not washing as much, my head became less itchy and dandruff (ick!) started to go away.  I now wash my hair every 8 to 10 days, depending on my activity.

Now we mustn't get too ahead of ourselves and forget about the drying process.  The longer the dreads, the longer it takes to dry.  Living in the third wettest city in the United States doesn't help speed drying time either.  Wet dreads are stinky dreads.  I purchased a blow dryer from Target for about $12 when I first got dreads.  I use it every couple of months, so I haven't found it to be exceedingly necessary.  I find that washing dreadlocks in the morning is better than washing at night.  They dry faster (and who wants to sleep with cold, wet dreadlocks?!).  If your dreadlocks are really really long, I heard that by wearing a laundry bag like a beanie and shooting a blow dryer in there like a parade balloon cuts down on drying time.  Usually giving them a good rub down with a towel will suffice. :)

If you would like to order some of that Filthy Farmgirl soap, please visit: http://shop.filthyfarmgirl.com/

And if you are interested in buying some Dread Head shampoo, or other good dreadlock products, please visit: http://dreadheadhq.com/

Birth of the Roots

March 5, 2012

First Dreadlocks

I thought I'd start by explaining how I came to have my dreadlocks.  I've wanted dreadlocks since I was in middle school.  I went to a catholic school, so waiting until I graduated from high school was my only option.  In 2010 I got my first dreadlocks.  I separated, backcombed and crocheted all of them myself.  It took 2 weeks to put them in.  I felt I wasn't fully prepared mentally and physically.  My head would itch constantly because I didn't have a good shampoo.  I also missed my long hair.  So I combed them out a few months later.  About a year later, on September 25, 2011, they made a comeback.  I had bet a good friend of mine that if he finally got his dreadlocks, I would get mine too.  So after eight hours of backcombing and crocheting, I began again with 112 dreadlocks.  Now, 5 months later, I have 102, all of which I cherish to the root.