Glad I found this site.

Hey all just joined the site. I'm glad I found it. My dreads are about 9years old now (3rd set). I went the semi natural route. Never used wax or any similar product but used the Dreadhead HQ shampoo and was nuts about keeping the roots tight (rubbing) and sticking all of the loose hairs back into the dreads (dread balling). My dreads are fairly neat and clean and are formed real well. But my scalp was always itchy, my hair was always breaking, and the older my dreads got the more gaps I had (scalp showing.) Anyway I have been using the DHHQ shampoo since I started my dreads. Did an ok job at cleaning (atleast I thought) but as my dreads got tighter and longer it took more and more of the stuff to clean them. I ended up having to shampoo and rinse about 4 times to get them completely clean (i.e. no white soapiness left after rinsing). Well last week I was going online to drop another $40 + on more shampoo and then thought I need to do some research to see what else is out there (The dread head stuff was the first and only stuff I had used.) Anyway I came across the BS/ acv deal on this site. I figured "hey it is natural, don't have to order online, and for me (don't got much free cash) it was cheap!" After that kept reading on the forum and read about the different oils and also about the pitfalls of over maintaining your dreads (which every one described is what I have experienced.) So I'm starting off trying to keep my hands off the dreads (which my wife is psyched about cause my playing with my hair drives her nuts). I'm hoping that with the oils to encourage stronger and more hair growth along with letting the fuzz go free I will begin seeing new dreads form to fill in the gaps. Also I just did my first wash with the bs method. WOW. My dreads have never been so clean. I did a mix of BS, tea tree oil, jojoba oil, orange oil, and water. Afterward my hair felt cleaner than ever and it felt like my scalp got air for the first time (kind of felt like I had been wearing a hat for 9years and finally took it off). My wife looked at my scalp and said that it looked the cleanest and healthiest she has ever seen it (this is after the first wash mind you.) I then made a conditioner to rinse with using jojoba, pepermint oil, acv, and rosemary oil. My scalp feels 100% better, hair feels ridiculously clean, and I must say my hair smells pretty good too. So all of this to say after 1 day my dreads feel healthier than they ever did over the past 9years. Plus I just cut about $20 a month out of our budget by using simple things God gave us instead of mindlessly throwing my money toward slick marketing.

updated by @choice1080: 02/14/15 10:19:59AM

Good for you!!! And your dreads look great. Your hair and pocket are gonna be so much happier...Glad you found us...WELCOME! (And your little one is beautiful too!) Much love and blessings

i dont think i ever featured a single discussion in introduce yourself but this made me smile so why not

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Your dreads look awesome! And welcome, glad you found the site. I haven't tried the baking soda wash yet, but everyone has great things to say about it, so I'm looking forward to that. It's cool that this site can still give advice to people who've had dreads for a long time

Welcome, glad to have you here! I can only agree, your dreads are awesome and I'll be happy if mine look even halfway like them one day.

Hi & Welcome, Choice! God Bless your continuing journey']

Thanks for the kind comments. Funny thing is after reading through this all and deciding to go a more natural route it is almost liberating (maybe a strong word when talking about hair) but then again for me personally my hair is not just dealing with style but is a reminder for me in connection to the symbolism it caries from the Jewish and Christian scriptures.

It is funny though cause my wife and I were just saying how there is a whole market of Arm and Hammer products out there cause everyone is finally realizing what our grandparents all knew (you don't need all of that chemical crap). Anyway if anyone is worried about the BS wash, on the box of arm and hammer I got they had suggested uses on the back and one was to add BS to your shampoo for a deeper cleaning of your hair!

itss funny ya would dread because of the jewish/cristtian connection from scriptures then fall for the dreadheadhq crap which is a polar opposite of what the scriptures intended

according to the bible you should neglect the hair

you should also never touch metal to it comb or blade (or i assume harpoon like loose hair tools and shreading lock doctas)

it is liberating to just let go let nature take its course let go of the need to constantly fuss over it and mess with it

and worry thats the funniest part with the dreadheadhq way its constant worry about them falling apart not being good enough not blunting on the tips not getting tight roots worry over every loose hair and oh my god a loop or a bump help i gotta buy more tools and fix these

just the liberatiin from all that is well worth it

when u got loose hair u shrug and say weh well it will get there

sooo much more relaxing and carefree

Choice1080 said:

Thanks for the kind comments. Funny thing is after reading through this all and deciding to go a more natural route it is almost liberating (maybe a strong word when talking about hair) but then again for me personally my hair is not just dealing with style but is a reminder for me in connection to the symbolism it caries from the Jewish and Christian scriptures.

It is funny though cause my wife and I were just saying how there is a whole market of Arm and Hammer products out there cause everyone is finally realizing what our grandparents all knew (you don't need all of that chemical crap). Anyway if anyone is worried about the BS wash, on the box of arm and hammer I got they had suggested uses on the back and one was to add BS to your shampoo for a deeper cleaning of your hair!

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Going on from what SE said, it's sooo easy to take the commercial way and buy stuff. We do it because our culture conditions us: 'You want something? Here's a product that will give it to you.' It's only when we look into hearts and souls and our spiritual traditions that we realise what an utter con it is. So those of us dreads who've been using DHHQ methods or products, we're only doing what we've been conditioned to do since birthbuy stuff. Don't be hard on yourselves. We're just starting to break free and make real choices. It's not always an instant awakening, sometimes it's gradual. When I think of all the crap I once believed I needed....

yea very much so just like ppl cant grasp the concept of doing nothing to get something they are conditioned to believe to get what u want u gotta work at it anfd force it not just allow it

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1