Erik here

I figured I would start my thread for my questions, progress updates, etc. I've always wanted long hair but could never find a 'do' that worked for my very thick hair. But since I started letting it dread it has become much more manageable, and I think looks decent. I've been doing a fair amount of separating, so as to end up with thinner and more dreads. Been washing mostly every 3 or 4 days, but have been experimenting; tomorrow will be 4 days but if it doesn't itch or look oily I may go another day or two. It seems to me that washing kinda helps the hair tangle and lock, but not washing helps it settle in to that configuration.... so both are probably necessary. As for shampoo, I'm using Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle, out of cost and convenience, but I may switch to that recommended dread shampoo. Anyway, here's a picture I took from the back this morning. There are actually a good amount of baby dreads starting that you can't see, being buried under more hair!

Same for me, EriK! My hair is also very thick and hard to tame the longer it gets. Combing my hair would also add a lot of volume into them, so going natural actually is easier for me to grow my hair long and that is very cool! I also wash my hair every 3 or 4 days, depending how i feel with it. I think, going natuaral is the trick for me to get long hair and long dreads.

Good luck to you!

updated by @dread-stpauli: 04/26/16 03:15:22PM

Frankster: sounds like we are in a similar boat. Yeah, combing has always been a huge disaster for me.... just looks awful! As does conditioning. See you around here as we both progress on the path!

be careful not to over separate before theres dreads to separate

though the few that look like they might be dreading look on the thick side

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Ok will do S.E., thanks!

it's funny, the look in the pic and the way it feels with my hands are two different things. i feel lots of baby little dreads underneath all that hair, but i don't feel what can be seen in the pic... the larger ones starting to form on top. anyway, i'm trying to tear those thick ones

yeah its amazing the difference between real life and picture visuals.. in the mirror and pictures my hair looks normal unsectioned but i actually counted about 23 dead/sections in a small area they are super tiny and somehow stuck together without any visable knots.. mind u they are super tiny the biggest being the size of a pen.

Funny dreads!

I've been wanting to post some update photos, but it's really hard to get good selfie shots of dreads! I'm single and am a bit of a loner in a way, so I don't have a lot of chances to have people take photos for me. Anyway, I hope you can see this but I've got a bunch of baby dreads all along the back that are kind of looping at the end. I guess it's normal, maybe because they are hanging in the perfect spot to hit my shoulders but not be able to fall past, so they are curling back up? 

nah that's 100% normal

they  will change a lot b4 they are mature

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Thanks, I figured it was normal. It'll be fun to see what happens to them as they mature!