Walking-Iris Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 This is probably a random question, but I assume all kinds come to these forums... If you have or ever have had dreadlocks, would you care to share your experience with me? Washing routine, maintenance, getting them started, etc. I've decided to attempt them, and I'm one week into working on them. I've been backcombing and using a small crochet needle to interlock. After much research I think I'm going to use the baking soda/apple cider vinegar soak to wash. And I've got some lavender and tea tree oil for frizzy control. I think I'm going to pass on using any kind of wax. Anyway-- anyone have any experience with them they would like to share? Also I don't want this to turn into another "tattoo" thread---so...yeah. I'm seeking replies from those who have personal experience with them, not necessarily looking for people's "opinions" about them---just a thought. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 ha ha ha..... I read this just as I'm taking a break from getting some serious dreads OUT of my spayed b*tch who has the most ENORMOUS feathering on her trousers! I've had her on the grooming table for an hour working on one spot and was just yelling at dd that it's like untangling a dreadlock-- bring me the scissors!! :D So based on my experience, here's my advice: Get spayed. This causes older b*tches to grow HUGE coat. Supplement diet with wild Alaskan salman oil-- again, the coat. Have teenage dd too busy to groom Swim daily, and use dog blower to dry hair to semi-dry Develop a food sensitivity and then chew on your hair endlessly, in the middle of the night. THAT is our sure-fire method for developing ridiculously strong dredlocks! Oh--- sorry--- was that not the advice you were looking for? Just kidding--I thought it was funny that right now I'm working on getting them OUT (of a dog) and you're looking for advice on how to get them IN! astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kidlets4me Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I've had dreadlocks for almost 6 months now. I had a professional put them in for me. I was not confident enough to try them myself. She used the rip/twist and crochet method. I have never used wax and don't think it's necessary at all. At first I washed my hair once a week now I wash more like once every 2 weeks. I started using Knotty Boy shampoo but heard it can leave residue so I switched to this. I really like her soap and the bars last a long time. At 3 months I went in and had her crochet in the loose hairs and tighten them up a bit but I don't think I'll be doing regular maintenance on them. They look really good and I'm just going to let them do their own thing for awhile. This is what they looked like right after they were done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 i put tiny braids in my daughter's hair when she wanted dreads - but she only shampood them and they were not very neat. my other friend who had dreads, he just had wild hair and didnt brush it ever. his were big and lumpy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 So based on my experience, here's my advice: Get spayed. This causes older b*tches to grow HUGE coat. Supplement diet with wild Alaskan salman oil-- again, the coat. astrid Oh my! ASTRID! :D:D:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 Funny--although I guess knots in animals fur and a human hairstyle are totally different. ;) I would love to have them put in professionally but there's not anyone around here who does that. I've thought about using the Knotty Boy leave in conditioners. But IDK yet. That VitalGoods product lines looks promising. Rip and twist did nothing to my hair---it just went right back to it's normal style. I think I've finally got the rhythm of the crochet hook down. Do you think you could wash your hair with Dr Bronner's? I've heard that some people do, but would the glycerin be a problem or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnsinkableKristen Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I've had dreadlocks for almost 6 months now. I had a professional put them in for me. I was not confident enough to try them myself. She used the rip/twist and crochet method. I have never used wax and don't think it's necessary at all. At first I washed my hair once a week now I wash more like once every 2 weeks. I started using Knotty Boy shampoo but heard it can leave residue so I switched to this. I really like her soap and the bars last a long time. At 3 months I went in and had her crochet in the loose hairs and tighten them up a bit but I don't think I'll be doing regular maintenance on them. They look really good and I'm just going to let them do their own thing for awhile. This is what they looked like right after they were done. Beautiful!! They look great! I have wanted dreads for a few years, and when my hair was super long I looked around into having them professionally done, but I couldn't find ANYONE around here that did them on "white girl" hair :lol:. Eventually I just chopped my hair off because I got tired of waiting. Anyway - LOVE yours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 LOL @ Astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Funny--although I guess knots in animals fur and a human hairstyle are totally different. ;) Well yes, obviously so. I do know that there are breeds whose coat naturally does this-- Puli, Bergamasco, Komondor-- I have a friend who breeds Puli and she never goes to any show without lots of time spent with a crochet hook. And that's all I know about dreds! :D astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendybird Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 My dreads are a year and a month old.I backcombed them in and palmroll and seperate for maintenance. I shampoo them with a tea tree oil shampoo from Whole foods and do not condition them at this time. I never Never NEVER use wax lol. I used wax with my first set a few years ago(I combed them out for my sisters wedding :glare: it took months, but my hair was so healthy I couldn't bear cutting it.) and when I combed them out the amount of old wax was horrendous. I love the Knotty Boy and Dreadhead sites, have used shampoo from both sites and it worked well, but was cheaper to buy the tea tree oil for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I've had dreadlocks for almost 6 months now. I had a professional put them in for me. I was not confident enough to try them myself. She used the rip/twist and crochet method. I have never used wax and don't think it's necessary at all. At first I washed my hair once a week now I wash more like once every 2 weeks. I started using Knotty Boy shampoo but heard it can leave residue so I switched to this. I really like her soap and the bars last a long time. At 3 months I went in and had her crochet in the loose hairs and tighten them up a bit but I don't think I'll be doing regular maintenance on them. They look really good and I'm just going to let them do their own thing for awhile. This is what they looked like right after they were done. Your hair is so cool! dd wants dreads and all I could picture was really thick ones. I'll need to show her this thread! My dreads are a year and a month old.I backcombed them in and palmroll and seperate for maintenance. I shampoo them with a tea tree oil shampoo from Whole foods and do not condition them at this time. I never Never NEVER use wax lol. I used wax with my first set a few years ago(I combed them out for my sisters wedding :glare: it took months, but my hair was so healthy I couldn't bear cutting it.) and when I combed them out the amount of old wax was horrendous. I love the Knotty Boy and Dreadhead sites, have used shampoo from both sites and it worked well, but was cheaper to buy the tea tree oil for me. So combing out is possible, just time consuming? dd has such beautiful hair I hate the thought of cutting it being the only option if she doesn't stick with dreadlocks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 My dreads are a year and a month old.I backcombed them in and palmroll and seperate for maintenance. I shampoo them with a tea tree oil shampoo from Whole foods and do not condition them at this time. I never Never NEVER use wax lol. I used wax with my first set a few years ago(I combed them out for my sisters wedding :glare: it took months, but my hair was so healthy I couldn't bear cutting it.) and when I combed them out the amount of old wax was horrendous. I love the Knotty Boy and Dreadhead sites, have used shampoo from both sites and it worked well, but was cheaper to buy the tea tree oil for me. Is the tea tree shampoo from Whole Foods something I could find online? I've heard some horror stories about wax so I plan on staying clear of it. Can I wash them in Dr Bronner's? I have lavender Bronner's and it would be convenient to use when I wash. I also get really dry hair so I got some pure aloe and I think I'm going to play around with making my own spray. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udVVqabkzSA&feature=relmfu This girl's videos are really helpful for those who are considering it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendybird Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I know others who have used Dr.Bronners and love it. I really think you could use any shampoo as long as it isn't some ultra conditioning stuff.:D I brushed my first set out by putting handfulls of conditioner on and leaving it for an hour, then combing one dread out per day or two. It took me about 3 months to get them all out, but my hair looked healthier than ever before! They had been locked for about 14 months at that point. I am one year in right now and think if I wanted to I could comb them out in a couple weeks. I left some bangs this time, and made smaller dreads and am very happy with my hair now. Mothering.com has a great dread group under natural family living. Good luck with your journey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 About twelve years ago I put dreadlocks into my oldest daughter's hair. She was determined to have them done, and I'd rather do them myself than have someone mess up her hair. She wore the dreadlocks for a couple of years. When she was tired of them, I took them out for her. It is very time-consuming, and it had to be done in stages. A lot of patience is involved. When combing out a lot of hair will be lossed, no matter how careful one is. The weight of the dreads alone will pull hair out over time. It is also horribly messy. Frequent washing is never thorough enough. My hands were filthy, and she had to wash with a bit of Dawn to remove the build-up in stages. In the end, the dreads were out and her hair looked fine (thinner but nothing too obvious). I know she loved being able to wash all that filth out of her hair and to give her scalp a break from the weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kidlets4me Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 This site has a lot of helpful information on washing and what not to use on dreads. She doesn't recommend Dr. Bronners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 :bigear: I've considered having DD dread her hair. It already ties itself in knots so bad. This way, we wouldn't have to deal with combing it every day. Last summer I put it in tiny braids for the summer. It was sooo nice to just wash and go! This year, we chopped it to short bob and it still gets so knotty. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kidlets4me Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Beautiful!! They look great! I have wanted dreads for a few years, and when my hair was super long I looked around into having them professionally done, but I couldn't find ANYONE around here that did them on "white girl" hair :lol:. Eventually I just chopped my hair off because I got tired of waiting. Anyway - LOVE yours! Thanks. Unfortunately I don't get any compliments on them in real life, lots of funny looks though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 About twelve years ago I put dreadlocks into my oldest daughter's hair. She was determined to have them done, and I'd rather do them myself than have someone mess up her hair. She wore the dreadlocks for a couple of years. When she was tired of them, I took them out for her. It is very time-consuming, and it had to be done in stages. A lot of patience is involved. When combing out a lot of hair will be lossed, no matter how careful one is. The weight of the dreads alone will pull hair out over time. It is also horribly messy. Frequent washing is never thorough enough. My hands were filthy, and she had to wash with a bit of Dawn to remove the build-up in stages. In the end, the dreads were out and her hair looked fine (thinner but nothing too obvious). I know she loved being able to wash all that filth out of her hair and to give her scalp a break from the weight. From my understanding hair won't be "filthy" if the right measures are taken to care for them---non-residue shampoos and essential oils and occasional baking soda/vinegar soaks and no wax or other unnecessary products. If hair is left to it's own devices and rarely washed or even washed with a regular shampoo often-- then yeah---dreads will be a problem. From my research use of any wax or regular hair care products is usually recipe for problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 For Pete's sake Astrid. Consider yourself smacked on the back of your head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I love the look of dreads, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't suit me. I've been trying for about a year to persuade my 9yo to have them, but he won't agree even though it would so suit him :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 So based on my experience, here's my advice: Get spayed. This causes older b*tches to grow HUGE coat. Supplement diet with wild Alaskan salman oil-- again, the coat. Have teenage dd too busy to groom Swim daily, and use dog blower to dry hair to semi-dry Develop a food sensitivity and then chew on your hair endlessly, in the middle of the night. THAT is our sure-fire method for developing ridiculously strong dredlocks! :smilielol5: best laugh I've had all day. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 :D astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cammie Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 So my brother has dreads - long ones all the way down past his butt. Had them for years. He has the messy kind - sort of like what you see on Hindu mystics. Anyway, my children think he is the coolest uncle on the planet! So now my ds7 is growing his hair out because he wants dreads!! No idea how this will go over here! One interesting side effect I have noticed when being with my brother is that people are usually put off by the dreads or totally interested in them. When he is in India visiting me people are fascinated and he has been stopped many, many times by people asking why he has "god hair!" The cultural implications of dreads are so different over here than in the US where he is usually treated not so well when people don't like his look. Go dreads! (And thanks for a thread I could mention this in...and not get slammed by anti-dread heads!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanna Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 From my understanding hair won't be "filthy" if the right measures are taken to care for them---non-residue shampoos and essential oils and occasional baking soda/vinegar soaks and no wax or other unnecessary products. If hair is left to it's own devices and rarely washed or even washed with a regular shampoo often-- then yeah---dreads will be a problem. From my research use of any wax or regular hair care products is usually recipe for problems. That's what I was going to say, Walking-Iris. :) I put dreads in ds10's hair 2 months ago. A fellow homeschooler dreaded 2 of her sons' hair and that was my inspiration. She gave me my "getting them started" advice and I'm also on a natural haircare forum to get advice and support about doing dreads. I asked about using wax because ds10's hair is not as textured as mine. Forum members said I'd curse the day I used wax if I ever did. So, I just wanted to say I'm rooting for you to get dreads! :party: I love the new image they're getting! Have you searched youtube for any videos on installing dreads on straight hair? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Thanks. Unfortunately I don't get any compliments on them in real life, lots of funny looks though! That's surprising...they look great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakblossoms Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I wanted them for a long time. I kept putting it off. Then I thought one day I will be 40 and wish I had did that. Then one day I realized 40 is closer than I thought. I had a fellow member's teen daughter put them in. My dh did a bit of work in the beginning. It is definitely a journey. I have really hated them at certain points. I love them now. I get compliments from such a interesting variety if people. I live in a pretty stuffy area. But, I think they are more common now. I wash with diluted Dr Bronners and rinse with diluted Apple Cider Vinegar. I do some palm rolling while they are wet. My husband likes to play with them when they are dry. is my most recent pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 Thanks for all the replies. I'm about a week into this process. I did wash my hair with Bronner's yesterday and my hair felt great but this morning they feel sort of icky. I think I'm going to stick with a baking soda rinse from now on usually. I am a bit frustrated that every morning it seems more hair is loose, but I don't want to over-do the crochet hook. I think I'll feel better when i get my bangs cut--i plan on keeping the front undreaded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakblossoms Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Just leave the loose stuff be. My entire underside came undone. I have baby fine silky hair. Like the kind people really want and then I know they cannot believe I did this to it:tongue_smilie: it all came undone. Then slowly it rubbed and turned into 1 dread at a time. I had to keep an eye on it and sepearate them a few times a week. But, it is quite the process. And, I spent quite a bit of time this last few years all wrapped up or with my hair in strange buns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted August 5, 2012 Author Share Posted August 5, 2012 So far so good. Although my dh read about sea salt water helping them lock faster and sprayed my hair down for me and it seriously started DEtangling my hair. So more backcombing.The thing that I really like is the homemade solution of aloe, tea tree, and lavender that I made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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