Everyone says that if you leave your hair alone it will dread....

... and that things like dreadballing are unnecessary because the short hairs will eventually join a dread or just make a baby dread. Well that just doesn't seem to be true for my hair. Well I guess I should say it hasn't been true so far.

I have had dreads for almost 2 years now, I started them by backcombing and my husband accidentally left a small section of hair out. It didn't really bother me so I just left it, assuming eventually it would take care of it self or that I would get sick of it and do something with it. 2 years later it is still there and still as straight as it was 2 years ago. What's the deal?

I also had a lot of postpartum hair loss after I had a baby in October 09. The hair eventually started growing back and now I have a ton of lose hairs all over my head. They have been there for almost a year now. Just getting longer and longer and longer. Most never knot up, or even get close to it. I wash with BS a couple times a week. I don't know if it's just my hair type or if I'm doing something wrong. Why has my experience been so different from what everyone else seems to talk about??? I really hate the straight hair

updated by @crystal2: 02/14/15 11:24:37AM

hmm is it oily at all? could u be finger combing it in your sleep?

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Nope... neither

The ends still come lose sometimes too. That is another thing I have seen people say you should do nothing about but I tried that the last time I had dreads (years ago) and they literally became 1/2 straight and never did anything. Maybe it's just my hair...

soaringeagle said:

hmm is it oily at all? could u be finger combing it in your sleep?

Maybe you should try some salt water.. Your best bet would be to swim in the ocean but most people don't have that option so just make a solution yourself and spray in, trying to avoid the scalp where possible. Salt water is great for getting hair that is normally straight or soft or oily to knot up. Make sure to rinse it out too so your head doesn't get too itchy but you can leave it on a few hours or overnight or whatever works with you. (I always rinse my hair when I get home after swimming in the ocean as long as it has already had a chance to fully dry which the sun usually does in no time). Also avoid touching your hair except for when you have to (washing)

my loose hair doesn't always knot up. It has to be a thick enough clump and about 10" long before it does. It starts dreading in the middle of the strand. It mainly happens on the back of my head and on the right side. The mini dreads usually get eaten up by the larger ones. Loose hair on the very top of my head and around my face does not do this at all.

Have you tried doing a little t and r on the areas of loose hair that are thick enough?

Tried wearing wool tams?

and like Matt suggested sea salt sprays work well

I will try the sea salt spray, thanks for the suggestion!

I have tried to T&R on the front hair, like I said I have a lot from pp hair loss, I almost have full bangs. It seemed really tight for the first day or so but then it all came right back out. And I know I didn't touch it at all. My husband thinks maybe I do touch my hair more then I think I do so I am being really conscious of it. He also suggested I try a wool pillow case (I've seen it talked about before) so I think I'll do that.

Thanks for the suggestions

some people just slide their pillow inside a wool sweater

Yeah that's what I was going to do!

So maybe a combination of the 3 (wool pillow case, T&R and sea salt) will help. If I keep trying it's got to work eventually, right?

taye said:

some people just slide their pillow inside a wool sweater

Yeah I think I lost quite a bit of hair, I was really afraid I was going to lose entire dreads. I didn't but a few of them got really thin at the root and since the regrowth never reattached they are still thin. I'm actually pregnant again and that is why I am worrying about this now. I'm afraid if I don't take care of this now I might end up losing entire dreads with my pp hair loss this next time.

I have had 3 babies and I did not always have the same amount of pp hair loss. A lot with one, some with another and none with one (not in that orderunfortunately) You may find that this second time around is better. You should also see good re-growth during your pregnancy, as hair always grows best when preggers!