I'm approaching my 4 week mark and I just wanted to make sure everything looks okay!I started my dreads with backcombing and then added wax a week later. Then found this page and did my best to remove the wax - and to not touch a comb. Now I'm just letting them do their thing! I've noticed that they are starting to look "curly" (or wavy). Now, I have curly, THICK hair, so I was wondering if they're just not knotted tight enough yet or if that's a normal sign that they're "dreading". Some of them are flattening too. Is that normal?I also have really loose ends, about a half inch on most and some have an inch or more. I know that everyone says to just let them be, but I fear that they'll never dread. I've tried doing some tnr on the ends, but it always falls out as soon as I wash them. I'm not looking for them to be blunt, but I feel like the ends don't look that nice when I have them pulled up. It tends to look like a big poofy ball of hair...?I'll attach two pictures so you can see what I'm talking about (I'm probably just being crazy, but I just need to make sure everything is doing what it's supposed to!). The first one is of 3 random ones I pulled out that have really long ends and the second is the waviest one on my head.
updated by @stephanie-kleinsmith-carroll: 01/22/20 09:33:16AM
Loose ends and flat, curly dreads??
Well, as long as there is any wax in there, they actually never will lock. How did you try to get it out? Hot water and soap won't do anything. All it'll do is melt the wax deeper into your locks, making them all the harder to clean it out. Wax is a hydrocarbon, and NEEDS a detergent to wash it out.
So as long as the wax stays in, you won't progress past the first few days.
All that said you're only 4 weeks in. That's nothing. On average, it takes about a year for locks to mature. Baby locks should have about 3 inches of straight hair at the roots, and about the same at the tips. This will get smaller and smaller over time. But healthy locks have wispy ends. As they tighten, you won't have that poof ball look, though. Just wait it out. Re TnRing the tips only resets the progress back to day 1. They will take ages longer to mature. But from your pics, they look fine. Just like they should look.
Flat locks happen. Usually they round themselves out, over time. But some may stay flatter. It's ok. That give your locks some character. Those may end up being your favorite ones.
lookin at those pics i think ur looks are absolutely fine.. just make sure all the wax is out so that they can knot up naturally. good luck sistah 
Hey Step! :D Baba Fats have answered all your questions perfectly. I would also just to like to share to you of my experience about flat dreads. Flat dreads and loose ends are really really normal Everyone goes through it. Eventhough majority of my dreads were formed natural, I also have few backcombed dreads (about 10 - 15 of them) Even after having them for 4 months, I still have loosey ends. I also have few flat dreads, but some of them have already rounded out by themselves. So do not worry about loose ends and flat dreads. They will eventually round up their selves if you give them time. I also hope that you will successfully get all of your wax out. Well then, much love and happy dreading sister! xoxox
Thank you all so, so much! I feel much better about my progress! Patience has never been one of my strengths (hence the backcombing haha), but if nothing else, this "dread journey" will surely teach it to me!
As far as the wax removal, I never actually heated the wax with a blow dryer (like I had been told to). I lightly coated them and then once I found this site, I scrubbed them like hell with Dawn. I don't actually know if I got all of it out. I was hoping since the wax stayed on the outside and I tried to remove it within a couple days, that I'm wax free. I'm ordering soap from www.dreadlockshampoo.com today, would it be in my best interest to order the wax-b-gone too? They feel very similar to how they were after I had just backcombed.
Love your locs, dont worry about the loose ends and the waveyness, itll all loc up eventually. just try your best to make sure you get all that wax out!! Peace and blessings too you friend
Hey, my hair is a lot shorter than yours but I am having the same issue. They are flattening and there is about an inch of loose hair at the ends that doesn't want to dread. I wish I had advice for you!
i'm four weeks in my journey and mine don't look near as good as yours and my ends are a lot longer. They look good
Yes, definitely order the Wax B Gone! The best choice you can make. Wax does not just coat the outside, it does work its way inside.You will see instant changes once it is all out, so work on that for sure.
During the first year, you will have so many changes happen and by the end of it you will have the Patience you don't have now, you will have earned it!
I am over a year into my journey and I have loose ends, blunted ends, flat ends and ends with many whisps in all different directions. Don't worry about what happens to any of yours it is just part of the process to become fully mature. Some peoples take one year, some two years, we are all different. Enjoy your journey and your path to patience.....Peace
Stephanie Kleinsmith Carroll said:
Thank you all so, so much! I feel much better about my progress! Patience has never been one of my strengths (hence the backcombing haha), but if nothing else, this "dread journey" will surely teach it to me!
As far as the wax removal, I never actually heated the wax with a blow dryer (like I had been told to). I lightly coated them and then once I found this site, I scrubbed them like hell with Dawn. I don't actually know if I got all of it out. I was hoping since the wax stayed on the outside and I tried to remove it within a couple days, that I'm wax free. I'm ordering soap from www.dreadlockshampoo.com today, would it be in my best interest to order the wax-b-gone too? They feel very similar to how they were after I had just backcombed.
