Hi, there!

Hi, everyone! My name is Jaime. I'm 20 years old and from the US. I am a huge animal lover. I don't eat meat, trying to go vegan as well. I have three dogs, a parrot, and a rabbit. All rescues except one dog from awhile ago. I'm studying at university to become a veterinarian or possibly a biologist.

Anyway, I've wanted dreadlocks for over a year now, but haven't had the cajones to do it. This past Friday, my friends talked me into it and my friend backcombed my whole head for me. I just counted and I have a total of 52 dreads.

I also had a couple questions...

1. Should I use wax? I've heard so many different opinions on this. Right now I haven't used any product except for natural organic vegetable glycerin (before we started) and sea salt/water.

2. How do I get the ends to lock up with the rest of the dreads? My ends are just not having it... On each dread, it looks pretty good until the end and then there's just strands of hair hanging down. Any tips?

3. I've been using the clockwise rubbing method on my scalp, but the roots aren't very tight... Any tips for this?

4. I washed my hair with Dr. Bronner's liquid lavender soap before we started them and I haven't washed since. Good product or should I use something else?

Thanks, everyone!!! Nice to meet you!

updated by @jaime-morris: 02/14/15 04:46:32AM

1. Absolutely not! Sea Salt is about the only thing you want. Keep it natural all the way any product you use will just slow the process down.
2. Again natural! Let your hair do what it wants to do. You want to leave the ends lose because that will help your hair dry quicker and help prevent mildew and stinkiness.
3. Stop rubbing! Leaving it alone. It'll lock up over time. Rubbing is time consuming and uncomfortable. You'll enjoy your dreads a lot more if you just let them do their thing.
4. I use Dr. Bronner's Tea Tree and Hemp Shampoo. It's good stuff. Keep up with that or use the Baking Soda Vinegar rinse if you have hard water. And WASH YOUR HAIR! Clean hair is happy hair!

Also, welcome to the site and enjoy your journey!

Edit: this thread has some great tips. http://www.dreadlockssite.com/forum/topics/dreaducation-comprehensive#.UFdfo41lQ4Q

1: Never Never use wax. Wax destroys locks. Completely and utterly unless it is removed. It only glues hair together to make it look like you have locks. But they will never progress past the day you put the wax on them until you get it out. And wax doesn't wash out in normal soap and water. It needs a detergent to wash it out.

2-3: I answered on you page

4: Dr. Bronners is great if you have soft water. If you have hard water, it leaves a residue that you don't want. The best soaps for any water type are from dreadlockshampoo.com. You could use the Baking Soda/Apple Cider Vinegar wash, but again, you need soft water for it. Wash 1-3 times a week, and you're good to go

1 nnnnnoooooooo wax

would u put glue in your hair?

2leave em alobe they are better off loose and they will deread on their ow=n if they want to but if the tips blunt they tajke wayyyyy longer to dry

3 do not rub the roots ! that will weaken the roots and might even make u go bald

leave the roots alone they are suposed to be loose for many many momths then tighten up on their own

4 bronners is ok in soft water ..if u dilute it 12 times more water them soap

in hard water it cant be used

www.dreadlockshampoo.com makes an awesome soap for hard water

or use baking soda

5

stop trying to "make it dread" and just "let it dread" hands off stop working on them let them do what they do

6 i want a parot can i have yoirs?

7 nice to meet ya

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Thanks so much everyone! I love how none of you contradicted each other. You have a very nice community here!

I don't know if I have hard water or soft water... Eeeek! I'll look into that.

I went to the mall today and even my girlfriend told me that I was carrying myself different... I feel so much more confident! It's great.

Soaring eagle - NO you cannot have my parrot! I love him! He's my baby. But he hates everyone else lol. He bites people like crazy! He's a Goffin's Cockatoo. Also, I would advise against getting a parrot unless you seriously know what you're getting into... He is SO LOUD and he only weighs 210 grams! He screams his head off if I'm not in the same room as him... Hahaha

lol. I have parakeets and they only scream when I am in the room with them. They LOVE the sound of my and my wife's voices. The can't talk at all, but the chirp along to whatever we're saying.

You can google image search "Hard water in the US" there are a few maps with keys to tell you just how hard your water is. Just look for your state and what area of the state you're in. Check the geological survey maps if you feel comfortable reading them. Otherwise the basic 4-5 colour ones work fine too.

Okay, thank you!

You have parakeets? As in, Budgies? Aw. Ricco (my bird) talks. He says Ricco, Hey Ricco, Pretty Ricco, Pretty bird, What are you doing?, I love you, Thank you, and makes a kiss noise. My mom says when I'm gone he says my name too but I haven't heard it. Lol.

lol. He misses you.

Yeah I have Budgies. I tried for a long time to teach them to talk. No such luck. They are adorable, though. We have 2. And didn't know one was a girl when we got them (from 2 different places). So they lay eggs once in a while. But none hatch.

We don't own a TV, so we watch them for entertainment. They're better than TV. One is kind of slow. That's putting it nicely. He's pretty supid. So the other teaches him how to play with the toys we bring home by playing with them first and then bobbing up and down like she's excited to share

Aw! Lol. Yeah, usually if you get more than one they don't talk or interact much. But did you know that, contrary to popular belief, Budgies are the number one talking species of parrot? A Budgie actually holds the world record for largest vocabulary with like 300 words or something. Pretty cool!

i thought african greys were known for the biggest vocabulary

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1