Forum Activity for @renee-stewart

Rasul (soap dirt)

General Questions

If they're forming and you're not having any problems, that's great. I'm not qualified to give advice (obviously, haha), but I will see if I can ask his friends what they did. Honestly knowing them I'm pretty sure they probably used actual dirt! Lol, but I'm serious. They traveled a lot, camping out, going to one music festival after another, and I tell you did NOT give one hoot how they looked or cleaned themselves, and were not ordering dread shampoos off the internet! One year, I saw them during the school year, not again til end of summer - DREADED!!! It was too funny (one of them is so big & tall, w/ his bushy head of dreads and size he looked like a real Mountain Man! I did not even recognize him, haha). I'll let you know if I find anything out - I know exactly how you feel, it's a bit rough. But I guess that's why they call it a Journey! Good luck to you!

Rasul (soap dirt)

General Questions

One more thing: if you want more info, you might try the website of the makers of the shampoo. I'm interested too! Or look for reviews online.

Rasul (soap dirt)

General Questions

Wow, I am so glad somebody finally said something about this! I have wondered, since I happen to have had a LOT of problems with shampoos; tried many, many things, and have a nasty goo-buildup problem and am re-doing my dreads But to the point, that is the way animals keep their hair clean, is rub themselves all over dirt or sand, which soaks up the oils from their skin and hair, and the dirt kinda falls off. I have seriously wanted to try that! (I knew it would get laughed at, but hey, I've been at the end of my rope, washing new-ish dreads is a pain in the a__!) So, I have not heard of this product, but I will remind all who swear by dreadlocks shampoos, the bars all CONTAIN CLAY! That could be a good thing, could have been what got stuck in my hair, I don't know. My son had a lot of dreadie friends and said lots of them use dirt to wash their hair. He thought that's how you "have" to do it!

need advice

Introduce Yourself

That bead is a good clue for you! Having a bead or two, or a loose wrap around it, anything like that DOES cause the hair to start sticking together! I heard it wouldn't help, but I put a couple of rubber bands (the covered kind, not tiny elastics) around a few of my dreadlets cause they were too thin and I was going to join them (I was doing TNR) and I didn't want them to get 'lost' or forget which ones I wanted to join. (I did undo them the rest of the way, they were already coming apart, so it was completely loose hair). Anyway, I didn't get around to it right away (like so many things . . .) and lo and behold, they began to join themselves!

A few more questions / problems!!

Dreads Hair and Scalp Health

soaring eagle said:

stop fixing them thats not helping things at all let them get loose your never going to progress if you keep that up

sytop using sea salt sounds like your over drying even frying

sprinkle on bs? nooo

ok im guessing your doing bs no acv with only teateree and teareee preobably waty too strong your frying the hair and scalp

do not use t gel!

tgel is the number 1 most toxic shampoo in existence

it also builds up

what you want is

best option teatree rosemary bar fropm dreadlockshampoo (bar has no sea salt)

best option while still keeping it dreading fast tyhe teatree rosemary liquid

next i]option

1 part baking soda 10 parts water 5 drops teatree 20 drops rosemary

soak 10 min then rinse

then acv 1 part cv top 40 parts water its a lil stronger then usualy recomem=nded for young dreads but u need it since you fried it

and it very well may loosen them up

undeer no circumstances should you even think about sdoing anything to "fix' them

leave them alone! if the tips come loose..let the tips come loose

if a dread falls apart let the dread fall apart

this is what you should have done all along

the pink sea salts and gel are awesome stuff but not what you need you need to stop worrying swtop trying to fi]=orce things to go fast and sit back and relax

do nothing at all but keep them clean and healthy

dont worry biout loosenesas or how they look

just keep the scalp and hair happy and they will make you happy on their own without all he effort

A few more questions / problems!!

Dreads Hair and Scalp Health

I am at about 3 1/2 months along my dreading process, using twist and rip method. (Yes, I re-tnr, ends only unless practically the whole dread has fallen out trying to leave it alone, then I tnr as much as necessary - and yes, I know most all of you are against this but it is a matter for another day. They have dreaded up pretty nicely for three months I think, and I have even been getting compliments)!

So, the big problems are: some of the dreads, mainly the ones at the top back of my head, seem to have this crusty stuff on them. I have no idea what it is, I scrape it with my fingernail and nothing comes off, it just feels really hard and crusty. I can't see anything on them in a magnifying mirror either. What could it be? I haven't used any products on it. I can only guess it could be un-dissolved salt water spray or baking soda. But wouldn't those wash out? This does not wash out. Is it just the way tightly knotted dreads feel? I don't really think that is the way they are supposed to feel.

I also have a terrible dandruff problem! I can feel scaly stuff on parts of scalp, tried tea tree oil (diluted) on it, and finally got some T-Gel, which I have used twice, and has not improved it. I am now ready for a third wash with it. Is there something else I can do? Oh, the last wash (after two T-Gel washes), I used the liquid dread shampoo with baking soda and tea tree oil added to it, and diluted with water so I wouldn't have to scrub so much (just on the dandruffy places).

I also wondered if there is any way to clean my scalp without disturbing the dreads at all, like a 'dry shampoo' of some sort. Sprinkle BS on my scalp only, then rinse later? Maybe leave it on overnight? I don't know, but I don't like 'fixing' them after every wash. Any way to be easier on the dreads would be great.

I was also wondering one more thing - can anyone personally vouch for the Locking Gel or the Himalayan pink sea salt spray from the shampoo shop connected to this site? I was thinking of buying them but don't want to do it unless people have had real success with them!

But, the dandruff and weird stuff along the dread are the big problems! I really appreciate any and all input! Is there any help out there, PLEASE??!!!

updated by @renee-stewart: 01/13/15 09:58:58PM

Dreads too thin

Help! Save My Dreads

Thank you so much guys! I appreciate the responses. I guess I'll just wait and see what happens. My fear is they will just keep falling apart . . .they already look much more 'undefined.' Combined with their thinness, I look like a weirdo who just didn't comb her hair lately! I did like a comment you made somewhere, soaring eagle, to just "forget you have hair." Easier said than done, unfortunately! Thanks again.

Dreads too thin

Help! Save My Dreads

One other question I meant to ask. I like the look of thinner dreadlocks, and went with dreading them in the sections they naturally separated into. In all, some of my dreads have ended up way too thin! I want to combine some of them. What would be the best way to do this? They are so loose right now, I think I could just twist and rip them together from this point if I wanted to. Or, should I comb them out completely and start them over? (just the ones I want to combine).

Also, what is wrong with using other all-natural bar soaps as a shampoo for dreads? It seems that only baking soda with ACV or the dreadlock shampoo bars are ever recommended. Just curious! Thank you!

updated by @renee-stewart: 01/13/15 09:58:12PM

Getting a bit frustrated and needing help!

Help! Save My Dreads

All right, I will try to just leave them alone! I suppose this many people can't be wrong. Thanks for responding, everyone.

Ixchel said:

i don't have dandruff advice but if you search through the forums there are a lot of posts with suggestions there.

as far as loose in between hairs & loose ends. leave them be. they will take care of themselves given time. the more you tnr the ends the more hair you are breaking & the longer they will take because any knotting they may have done you are messing with. just let them go & relax.

Getting a bit frustrated and needing help!

Help! Save My Dreads

Renee Stewart said:

Thank you so much for the support and advice. It is nice to hear someone else has re-done their ends and not suffered for it. I will try not to do it so much! They actually do fall out, though! I am really not doing this just to look the same in a year. I also did it so that I would NOT have to mess with my hair all the time! I was sick to death of curling, blowing dry, fluffing, spraying, etc. and still not being happy with the way my hair looked. It is so fine it would fall flat in an hour anyway! I have loved dreads for a few years and finally decided to go for it. I already tried your advice of putting some beads in - I hope that helps. Seems like a good idea. I also need to look up how to wrap dreads, because I've been wanting to do that, too, and it might help, or at least keep me from messing with the wrapped ones, ha ha! If you don't mind, please do let me know how the locking spray works; I was thinking of buying some too. Thanks again for taking the time to listen, understand, and help out!

Vanessa Ashley said:

apart from the dandruff, I have almost all the same things going on. I do re tnr the ends as well... I had let them be for a week or so, but they were almost completely undoing. I found that if I redid them they did lock up. for me personally. I only leave the ACV for like second then wash it out. I found that this way my hair doesn't get too silky. I use tea tree in the BS wash, and lavander in the ACV. I have been lucky not to have dandruff or too much itching. But I have very oily hair... Sometimes I even BS twice if needed. Second one leave on less time and use less water.I am waiting to get my locking shampoo (liquid) and the locking spray... I'll let you know if it seems to help, once I get them! all the best!

I too have been obsessing, but do try to remember to just let them be! I have noticed that the majority of the ones that are loosening at the roots have been re-locking, slowly but surely. But re-tnring the ends hasn't seemed to keep them from locking better or worse. I about a month and 1/2 in.... Also I have found the ones that have beads in them don't seem to loosen up. try putting some beads in them.