discouraged.

Feeling a wee bit discouraged today... I've been so absolutely patient (especially because i am normally the most impatient person ever) thus far.

I twisted/ripped my "dreads" into shape about three weeks or a month ago. I know they are infants, i do not expect them to be adults, or even teenagers. However, the sides of my head hair have 100 percent unravelled (they did this very soon after i put them in), and i haven't been all that worried, but they are not doing a damn thing. perfectly untangled, smooth non-baby dreads. The back is where the action is kinda going on.

My washing regimen has been the baking soda/sea salt/oils every 4-5 days and acv rinses. Been spraying with sea salt in between washes.
I just ordered some hand made dread soap off of etsy that i am going to try (as the baking soda has been leaving build up. probably going to just do it once a month now). http://www.etsy.com/shop/MayleesGarden?section_id=6485217


Anyways, all of this rambling-sorry- is leading me to want to ask whether or not it would be horrible to re twist/rip the completely unknoted hair? I think they came out immediately because i put them in when my hair had been unwashed and oily.

I also have quite thin hair, and so my dreads are pretty small... kinda bummed about it cause i want some fatties and i want them in numbers. Guess ya can't always get whatcha want though...

Any advise/encouragement would help.

updated by @bird: 02/14/15 05:37:14AM

Thought i might add some pics to clarify. first two you can kind of tell, the last one just looks like my normal, non tangly hair.

its actualy doing more then u think just not as fast as tyoud wantu cam t&r again if u want or add veads..or bothbeads will help u alotor u can keep doin as your doin another 3-4 weeks and see..i do see progrssumm buildup shouldnt happen ..unless your recipies way offhow much of each ingredient are u using and how are u doing it exactly


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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

1/2-3/4 cup of baking soda, little shake of sea salt, 15 drops of rosemary and lavendar/tea tree. in a gallonish pot, fill with water.I dip the tips of my hair in and the pour the rest over my head to get it all soaked, let it sit in a towel for 10-20 minutes then i rinse it in the shower followed by some acv.pretty much follow all the directions perfectly... maybe i'm just doing it too often. soaringeagle said:

its actualy doing more then u think just not as fast as tyoud want
u cam t&r again if u want or add veads..or both
beads will help u alot
or u can keep doin as your doin another 3-4 weeks and see..i do see progrss

umm buildup shouldnt happen ..unless your recipies way off

how much of each ingredient are u using and how are u doing it exactly

ive been doing it every mon and thurs lately and only time i noticed buildup was when i aded a good bit oo much olive and neem oils(but it completely solved all my scalp issues)what kinsda buildup are u getting?i do tend to be a rinseaholic and will rinse rinse rinse alot


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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Thanks!I was slowly coming to these conclusions myself haha.Well as i said, i just purchased some groovy hand made, cold process soaps on etsy made with dreads in mind... so i am excited to try that out. Def going to reserve the baking soda for once or twice a month as my baby dreads are very fragile/nonexistant haha.ah well, good lessons learned and i look forward to some new tangles! Knottysleeves said:

Have you tried washing with dish soap or regular bar soap? I find the ACV makes my hair a little slippery. I use goats milk soap or handmade cold-process soaps for most washes, and it really gets the tangles going -- I always have to separate my roots the next day! I only do the baking soda & ACV wash two or three times a month, to get rid of any possible residues from the soap.

Also, leaving the baking soda mix on for 10 - 20 mins is more of a "deep clean" thing for when your dreads are fully formed... it's overkill if your hair has barely knotted yet.

aside from what they said, thinness won't matter a whole lot in the long run when you've had your locks for a long time, plus you don't have to worry about going bald so you will have lots of time to grow yours, just pointing out a bright side oiliness might have had a hand in yours coming apart pretty easily as well.

sounds like you are over stimulatiing your hair. You are using ALOT of oil from your description. Your scalp will feel overwhelemed and pruduce oils to resist it. Much in the same way as stimulating foods force the body to create mucus to defend the soft tissues. I would relax on all the washing and sinsing, spraying etc. Your hair looks like mine did only oily. Just do a baking soda only rinse once or twice a week at the most and relax for a while. If it is causing to much anxiety just backcomb them already. Going natural is not just a choice of hairstyle. It is accepting a way of being. Its not natural to continually attack your head with substances to manipulate it into doing what you want when you want it."Mighty Oaks from tiny acorns grow" ...just not overnight

dont give up hope!! they are looking very natty so far beautiful curls too.

not anxious about it at all, just asking for advice. I never mentioned wanting to backcomb either... cause i don't. I enjoy the process of my hair naturally doing its thing, i was only curious if its at a normal stage for 3 weeks to a month. Didjeridurian said:

sounds like you are over stimulatiing your hair. You are using ALOT of oil from your description. Your scalp will feel overwhelemed and pruduce oils to resist it. Much in the same way as stimulating foods force the body to create mucus to defend the soft tissues. I would relax on all the washing and sinsing, spraying etc. Your hair looks like mine did only oily. Just do a baking soda only rinse once or twice a week at the most and relax for a while. If it is causing to much anxiety just backcomb them already. Going natural is not just a choice of hairstyle. It is accepting a way of being. Its not natural to continually attack your head with substances to manipulate it into doing what you want when you want it.
"Mighty Oaks from tiny acorns grow" ...just not overnight