I have a few questions, I'm only about a month into neglect journey and...

Sorry if there was already a post about this, but I don't see too much change lately? They started forming a lot in the back of my hair in the beginning, and I'll separate them (my hair is VERY thick and wavy though) and the top layer doesn't seem to be dreading, will that just happen later? Also, before I stumbled across this site about a week ago, I didn't know about baking soda rinse! Silly me.. so I ordered essential oils (tea tree, lavender, andcedar wood)from amazon but it could be another week or two before they even come in the mail... I had been using herbal essences shampoo (no conditioner obviously, except on my bangs because I didn't want those to dread yet.) I know, now, that shampoo conditions your hair to a certain degree. I feel like my hair is not as far along as some other people that I have seen at the one month mark. Do different people just dread at very different rates? Lately I haven't noticed much progress and I'm not sure if I have to start over or not? Or once I start using the baking soda rinse will I notice a difference? Also if I'm not doing something correct, please feel free to correct me. Thanks so much!

updated by @olivia3: 01/13/15 09:39:49PM

all hair dreads at diferent rates even on 1 head

your a month in and doing well the side u sleep on will dread fastest

the rest will catch up

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Hi Olivia

As S.E. said, everyone's hair is different and their journey is different. If you look up Heather's, it took her hair a long time, and with some, it is only a matter of a few months (really curly hair). Don't worry about anything, just enjoy the ride and have patience, the journey is part of the fun.

Just to give some perspective, I have been allowing mine to dread for about 3 months. They are coming in nicely on the sides and back. The front is coming in slower as well as the hair on the top of my head. I would guess that after 3 months I have about 30 dreads, and about 30% of my head is dreaded. That was a lot of 3's in one sentence. Good luck.

I'm four months in, and almost all the locks that separated are just starting to knot. I thought it would be faster too, I have very thick curly hair. My underside immediately dreaded, but the rest is coming gradually.

Thanks for all the feedback guys! I kind of needed some reassurance that I was doing things alright. I got my essential oils in the mail a few days ago and have washed with the baking soda rinse already once, and I feel like it has already made so much of a difference.