Crazy mat on back of head

Hi again all. I feel like such a newb with all my questions but here goes!

I'm about two and a half weeks in now. I didn't brush for a bit to let my hair section and then did twist and rip to get them started. Everything seems to be going fine except the back of my head, especially near the roots, wants to make a gigantic mat, all the way across the back of my head. I'm separating every day but it still wants to clump up and is really hard to separate -- there are loose hairs that seem to make a net over the baby dreads, if that makes sense.

My questions are: how hard do I pull when I'm separating? I don't want to damage the hair. And is there anything else I need to do about them wanting to join together like that? It really seems like the separation isn't working even if I pull as hard as I can. There are still those loose hairs making a mat. I really can't let them hang out together because I only have 35 or so and they'd be too thick if I let them.

Thanks everyone!

updated by @elizabeth-miller: 01/13/15 10:00:55PM

You can use wraps and beads to keep them separated but there are down sides to that. Wraps will get tangeled in the dread when you have loose hair and it will prevent dreading to a point. If you wrap every other dread the un wrapped ones can mature a little then you can switch the wraps and let the other ones out. Beads can cause weak (undreaded/ matured) spot if you dont move it around often. When you separated you pull those loose hairs out and they just get tangled again. I hope I helped a little

I think it's normal for the 'net' thing you mention. My roots are pretty matted very close to the roots, so no matter how hard you pull, you can't separate them. I saw a video that said that's normal and OK, it's only a problem when the dreads themselves start to join together, and that's why you need to separate. You're keeping the dreads separate, but the roots can mat up a bit.

Anyway, separate as often as you need to; whether it's once a month or five times a day, whatever works for you, however often you need to. As your dreads mature, the amount of time you separate will become less frequent.

yea only worry bout connected hairrs between the bodies of the dreads not t the scalp

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Hubby had a beaver tail visible in our first or second progress photo. Ended up cutting it apart over a few days in sections that wouldn't be obvious. Cutting sooner rather than later was a good choice since there is no Congo pain for him now and they look normal though they were cut apart. Hopefully you have someone to help you in case it needs to be done.

consider separating form the roots upwards with your fingers.

Popping does a good job, but does leave that small net of hair around the roots and that will never go away. However if you get under that netting and section from the root upward toward the tip you will have nice clean sections.

you have to be very careful not to break hairs, be gentle. But it does work. I just did it recently and im loving not having to separate my locks and that my sections are clean. That matted root thing just doesn't appeal to me. Im 6.5 months in and mine was the same way, even after religiously popping them every single day. I could pull one dread and half of my head of hair would move with it. :/ since if separated from the root up life is good. I wouldn't recommend it more than once every 3 months or so...