Congoing?!

Congos are my biggest problem.  They're painful to rip apart, and involve more maintenance (even after cutting).  New, small dreadlocks are usually the ones with this problem.  I find that this is a big problem for people with lots of dreads (more dreads =  more maintenance).  I have heard of people sleeping on silk pillows.  Silk prevents friction between dreadlocks.  I sewed myself a scarf for sleeping.  With my dreads wrapped in silk, they stay tight after maintaining and reduced congoing BIG TIME.

I will be selling these scarfs for $20 soon.  I know $20 seems high, but silk can run up to $10 a yard at the fabric store.  I will be posting a picture soon.  If anyone is interested in buying a sleep scarf, please let me know.  Im not sure how it will sell, and I don't want to invest money in silk if they wont sell.  Much Mahalos.

Dready Misconceptions

If you have dreads, you WILL get bugs.
Nope. No bugs in my hair, or any other dreadhead that I know of anyway.  If you wash your hair a few times a month, avoid sleeping with flea infested animals, refrain from rubbing heads with someone with head lice, abstain from using lice infested hats/headbands and withhold from placing them in your hair yourself, you should be OK in terms of getting bugs.

Her dreads look pretty clean to me!

Dreadlocks are made by not washing or combing your hair.
This is true, but not all dreadlocks are made this way.  Most of the dreadheads I know put them in after hours of crocheting/backcombing/twist and rip.  I suppose it is true to an extent that you don't wash your hair, because you don't, at least not every day.


Asians can't have dreadlocks.
As long as theres hair, it can dread.  Though "Asian hair" tends to be a thicker strand, it will dread.  I've given asians dreadlocks myself, and they look great!


You have to shave your head when you want to get rid of them.
I combed out my first set of dreadlocks with a comb and a bottle of conditioner.  With time and patience, it can most definitely be done (NOTE: if you looped your roots, its a lot harder to remove by combing).  You can also cut your dreadlocks short and comb the rest of the hair out.  


Dreadlocks damage your scalp.
It may seem like that when you first get them, because they probably will itch due to pulling and lack of washing.  Over time this goes away.  My head hardly itches anymore, no more than it did when I had straight hair.  You scalp does not get damaged.  In fact its healthier for your scalp to not wash it so much.  The oils your scalp produces is there for a reason.  When you wash your hair every day, you strip your scalp of these oils, forcing your glands to produce new and more oil every day.  When you don't wash your hair every day, you let the natural oils condition your scalp.  As time goes on, you'll produce less oil on a daily basis.  This is because your scalp doesn't have to replenish every single day.

Why do I have dreads?

I've wanted dreadlocks since I was probably about 11 or 12.  I went to a catholic school so I had to wait until I was in college.  I love them.  I think that dreadlocks are a reflection of the wearers personality.  Messy dreads show the persons ease in physical appearance.  Tight, perfect dreads show that the wearer is probably a perfectionist.  Dreads with string and beads show the persons fun side.  The colors they choose and the type of bead will tell you further.  After having met so many dreadheads, as well as being responsible for a handful of dreadlocks, I can almost tell what kinds of dreadlocks the person will end up having by their personality.  This is probably my favorite thing about dreadlocks.  Every head is different and reflects each individual.

I also love dreadlocks for the journey involved.  I truly believe that having dreadlocks changes your life.  Simply by having people constantly look at you and judge you makes you stronger and confident.  I feel like a rock star with dreads.  Some people like them, some people don't.  Its an opinion, but I am absolutely in love with my dreads no matter what any one else says.

The longer you have your dreads, the more you get to know them.  You'll have your favorites, and you'll also meet your rascals.  Only YOU know your dreads.  I can tell you where my fattest dread is, where my shortest dread is, which ones are my favorites, which one has a fish tail and which one is the most rascal.  Ask me, and I can pull it out of my head without even thinking.  You gain a relationship between your dreads, and no one knows them better than you.

Starting with a trial Dread

I have more people ask me to give them one or two dreads, rather than a whole head.  I personally think that a dreadlock journey is done with at least half a head.  Part of the journey is showing them off to the public, and not hiding them under your hair.  But here is some info on having a few trial dreadlocks.

1. I highly suggest wrapping the roots (at least half an inch) with thread.  This will help keep the dreadlock from growing bigger and bigger (this WILL happen if you dont keep up with them).  I wont do single dreadlocks unless the person allows me to wrap the root.

2. Crochet every day.  You only have a few, and if you find you can't keep up with your trial dreads, maybe you wont be able to keep up a whole head.  Dreadlocks are probably the most highly maintained hairstyle (unless your doing the natural thang).  It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes a day to tighten a few dreadlocks.

3. Avoid washing your dreadlock.  Its alright to wash the rest of your hair with regular shampoo.  If you plan on getting your whole head eventually, you should probably start cutting back on washing now.  Skip as many days as you can until you can go over a week without washing.  Because you will probably be using your regular shampoo, you will need to tighten them more than usual.  They will loosen with each wash, and should be tightened up with a crochet hook.