Comb out dreadlocks or keep them, that is the question

My baby dreads are 3 weeks old and are doing very well, however, I am tempted to comb them out. I think this is a request for a pep talk! I am doubting myself. My husband doesn't like them and neither do most of my friends. Am I just too old for dreads? (I'm 51) I get really strange looks when I go out, you'd think living in Florida dreads would be more acceptable! Speaking of Florida, I'm at the beach almost every day and I'm always afraid I'm damaging my hair, too much salt, not enough BS, too much BS, not enough ACV, rinse after the beach, wash after the beach, mold? too much water?? I'm a mess.

updated by @amy-jo: 02/14/15 05:51:23AM

Nooooo don't comb them ouuuuut!!! I live in Florida too and have seen people waaaay older than 51 with dreadlocks. They just aren't the "norm", you know? I think you look great with them and I am honestly soooo excited to watch them mature!! Who cares about the looks you get?! I get horrible looks because I am a young mom with super messy hair (Doing the natural dreads journey) but I just smile. You are beautiful and so is your hair <3

I won't be much help with the "am I damaging my hair" advice though ):

Thank you

You're very welcome (:

Amy Jo said:

Thank you

You should definitely keep them, give them a chance to impress you! You don't get three weeks in without actually wanting them, and who are you out to please? Your husband? Your friends? Or yourself?Salt water should be fine for them, and it will simply rinse out, no need to wash. Use the baking soda/apple cider vinegar wash once or twice a week, and if your hair still feels too dry use some aloe Vera or cocoa/Shea butter on it in small amounts.Stick with it!

Thanks Claire. They are quite dry from all of the sea salt. I guess that means more ACV and less BS?? Not sure.I have aloe plant out front. I could try that.

you got through cancer and you can get through the first few months of the "holy hell what have i done to my hair" phase. its all a part of the journey and your going to love the end results. your husband will get over it. your friends will too. if they love you then they will support you. who cares what strangers think. i live in a very snobby area and get rude comments from people all the time. age has nothing to do with it. if you ask most of the younger people on the forum if they get weird looks from stranger i'm pretty sure 100% of them would say yes.

when it comes to damage i bet your hair would be a lot more damaged if you were brushing,straightening,blow drying, curling and using tons of products like people that don't have dreadlocks. bs is a lot better than those sulfate shampoos that most people use. getting your hair wet daily isn't an issue as long as it has a chance to fully dry before it gets wet again. rinse your hair really well after a day at the beach. no need to wash. wash your hair a couple times a week. and most of all relax:)

Thank you Heather! I was hoping this was a normal stage in the journey!

Give the dreadies a chance! A bunch of my friends hated mine when I first started. They all got over it, (or at least stopped trying to change my mind,) and some of them even like them now! And I don't even notice the looks from strangers anymore. You'll get through this, and feel so much better once you do! We're all here for support :]

stick with it! i know how you feel trust me. im on week 2 and my friends keep saying "your dreads are falling out" "you have lose hairs" "when are they gonna dread" what you need to tell your friends family and yourself is to havepatience. they will look good! just stick with it. some days i get so fed up with my hair and my wanna be dreads i just tie them up, i put them on top of my head with a cute hair scarf and then suddenly im gettingcomplementedon my dreads or i put them into a side poney tail. play with your dreads you'll love it! and about being too old for dreads, thatridiculous! your not too old for dreads. people give me weird looks too its just something you need to look past. wear your dreads withconfidence.

everyone looks good inconfidence