Need some input on TnR & Neglect

Hi all, I just joined here and could use some input. I started with TnR, but since I am lazy (and lack a lot of free time due to having a toddler) I am considering just doing partial TnR to kinda jump start things, and leave the rest to neglect (I'd say the ratio of TnR to Neglect would be 70:30 or so). Has anyone ever done this before? How did it work out? Any tips as to keeping everything from turning into one giant matted mess?

Also, some of the dreads that I started were kinda loose (not too bad, but they probably would have fallen out easily.) I wrapped them in thread, thinking that it would help keep them from coming apart. Now I am afraid that it will greatly slow down their locking. What do you guys think?

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my newbie questions.

updated by @marsha-white: 02/14/15 06:17:12AM

They will most likely all come apart, its normal. They will reform and fall apart a couple times. Tnr too loose is much better than too tight. I started mine with some tnr some freeform, too. You don't have to worry about seperating for at least a couple weeks. When they start clinging to eachother then you gently pull them apart. Beads help to keep them seperated and in my experience helps them knot up quicker. Make sure to wash with a dread friendly shampoo and don't condition. Dry hair locks up quicker! Good luck and don't hesitate to ask if you have questionsWelcome

Thanks! I have been trying to go shampoo-free for a while, then decided it was time to dread. When I did shampoo it was with Dr. Bronner's, which is what I will use with my dreads (well, alternating between it and baking soda/ACV.)

None of the dreads are super tight, but the ones that I did wrap up were REALLY loose. Like, I could stick my fingers through them. :S

I don't have beads, but could the thread do the same thing?

Hi Marsha. The perfect way to dread hair is to let it section naturally and make those sections smaller if they are larger than a quarter sized coin/ 1 inch. I did the twist & rip method, but you may be misinformed on the dreading process with this method. It only gives you a dreaded look to begin with, not dreads per say. The twist & rip method must not be done too tight because it needs to loosen up in order to dread. So after you twist & rip, it will take two steps back and loosen to start forming dreads. They will frizz, loosen, zig zag and loop like crazy, look like a birds nest for a bit and then shrink up to form the dread. I only did the T&R after my hair naturally sectioned, but now I wish I kept it completely free form to do it's own thing. Your twist & rip dreads are not dreads, nor will they look like that for long. They must fall out, keeping them wrapped will only slow down the process of them shrinking to dread. If you do wrap, use the criss cross method only, it will not be too tight and will let them dread. (there is a how to video on this site) Expect shrinkage if you have Caucasian hair, the longer it is, the more it will shrink. I have lost about 11 inches in 11 months, did not expect that. Hmm....how to keep them from looking like a matted mess....well, at a point it kind of will look like that...don't dis-pare, just wear a hat when going out...the dreaded outcome in 1 to 2 years is worth it. Remember to separate your hair so they don't join together, Baba Fats made a video to show how to do this properly. Natural/ free form dreads will last you a lifetime and is worth the first year turbulent journey they will put your through. Please do not put any products or wax in your hair to create the instant dread look, they are bad for the hair, will cause smells/ mould and years down the road you will have to eventually cut them off due to funk. Natural dreads are healthy, clean and free. What ever your path, enjoy the journey and get good use out of this site. The tabs at the top of the site will answer all your questions, plenty of reading to help you along the way.

Thanks for the input! I already have over half of my hair done with TnR, so its too late to just let it do its thing. I don't plan on using any products in my hair, or really messing with the dreads once I am done forming them. If they fall out, they are on their own. lol.

I did do the zig-zag wrap with a few just to see if it helps them out at all (I plan on removing the thread after about a month: if it didn't help, oh well. :P )

I pretty much did the TnR to kinda jump start them a bit. Other than going in and separating them on occasion, I really don't plan on doing anything else. That's kinda what I meant by mixing techniques (TnR to start, then leaving it to neglect/natural from there on.)

Thanks for taking the time to respond!




the Barrellady said:

Hi Marsha. The perfect way to dread hair is to let it section naturally and make those sections smaller if they are larger than a quarter sized coin/ 1 inch. I did the twist & rip method, but you may be misinformed on the dreading process with this method. It only gives you a dreaded look to begin with, not dreads per say. The twist & rip method must not be done too tight because it needs to loosen up in order to dread. So after you twist & rip, it will take two steps back and loosen to start forming dreads. They will frizz, loosen, zig zag and loop like crazy, look like a birds nest for a bit and then shrink up to form the dread. I only did the T&R after my hair naturally sectioned, but now I wish I kept it completely free form to do it's own thing. Your twist & rip dreads are not dreads, nor will they look like that for long. They must fall out, keeping them wrapped will only slow down the process of them shrinking to dread. If you do wrap, use the criss cross method only, it will not be too tight and will let them dread. (there is a how to video on this site) Expect shrinkage if you have Caucasian hair, the longer it is, the more it will shrink. I have lost about 11 inches in 11 months, did not expect that. Hmm....how to keep them from looking like a matted mess....well, at a point it kind of will look like that...don't dis-pare, just wear a hat when going out...the dreaded outcome in 1 to 2 years is worth it. Remember to separate your hair so they don't join together, Baba Fats made a video to show how to do this properly. Natural/ free form dreads will last you a lifetime and is worth the first year turbulent journey they will put your through. Please do not put any products or wax in your hair to create the instant dread look, they are bad for the hair, will cause smells/ mould and years down the road you will have to eventually cut them off due to funk. Natural dreads are healthy, clean and free. What ever your path, enjoy the journey and get good use out of this site. The tabs at the top of the site will answer all your questions, plenty of reading to help you along the way.

I backcombed mine then left them to their own devices. If you use a starter method that's the way it should be. That's why they're called starter methods instead of keep doing until all your hair falls out methods. Mine didn't fall out, they did loosen then went batshit crazy. Now, at 16 or so months I have happy, mature, residue/gunk free dreadies. Welcome to your journey!! (Btw, we're in the dread group together on FB, Monica Whipple)

My head is a combination of several methods. Iput a few backcombed dreads in then went on the road. Someone showed me TnR so I put a few of those in. I left the rest of my head to go neglect. I have also accumulated over 30 more baby neglect dreads over the last few years. Oh and I had a couple of braids that turned into dreads. The braids took longer to knot up but they eventually turned into dreads. I can't tell the difference between my mature dreads now. Just keep the sections separated.

Dreaded braids? that sounds like it looks pretty neat.

taye said:

My head is a combination of several methods. I put a few backcombed dreads in then went on the road. Someone showed me TnR so I put a few of those in. I left the rest of my head to go neglect. I have also accumulated over 30 more baby neglect dreads over the last few years. Oh and I had a couple of braids that turned into dreads. The braids took longer to knot up but they eventually turned into dreads. I can't tell the difference between my mature dreads now. Just keep the sections separated.

They (the braids) looked different at first but now they just look like dreads

i am currently on that road. i decided to do TnR but once i was towards the back of my head i couldn't be bothered finishing. its been around 2 months now. i have some neglect dreads forming and a lot of the TnR have fallen out completely, some just to the roots. some of them are grabbing lots of the loose hair. i mostly just use beads so i know what sections i haveseparatedand want to keep separate.going to try out wrapping today. well good luck