definitely. I expect a lot of questions that will deserve answers.
soaring eagle said:
we have dozens of dreaded teachers here you will be surprised at how accepting most are
but you may end up having to teach some of the teachers the truth about dreads
I have wanted to grow dreads my entire life (well, as long as I can remember), however i've never done so because I have always cared so much about others' opinions. My hair was finally long enough this summer to start growing dreads, but I didn't have the patience - or the understanding - of how to do it naturally. Here in lies my mistake - I went to a salon and they gave me dreads. 5 hours of pain = I have crocheted dreads, which tbh looked amazing.......... for about 2 days. After 2 days, I'm looking to buy my own crochet hook to maintain them because well - I can't spend X dollars at a salon every saturday having them re-crochet my dreads. Then I do some research and finally find myself here hoping for support and guidance on a journey that will result in the beautiful dreads i've always wanted.
Next - I'm a teacher. I teach high school science which provides its own unique hurdles in growing and maintaing dreads. The students' and parents perceptions' that I'm just a pot head hippie(never smoked weed in my life), the administrations' perceptions of what 'image' i'm sending to the students, and finally my self confidence of what I look like in front of 150+ high schoolers everyday (yes, teachers are subject to the same judgmental bullshit that happens in high school that students are).
So here I am, hair full of frizz (recovering from the crochet visit to the salon), heading back to teach in 2 weeks, trying to embrace the journey of growing dreads rather than just the end product, and waiting for the expected judgement of my colleagues, administration, and students (least worried about the students - they mostly will just think it's really cool). How difficult could this be really, I ask myself?? well, we'll see.
I leave this rant with this. I'm hoping to continue on this journey of growing and loving my dreads. However, Im not expecting an easy one, which is why I'm sure that (if I continue) I'll be here often looking for encouragement and support as i go through the changes of my babies until they mature into something magical. I plan on taking the good, taking the bad, and taking all that comes with it as they grow, but a community that is supportive will be very important!
peace all. thanks for reading and any words of support/encouragement.
Should I use the jojoba when it's wet or dry?
soaring eagle said:
t gel? for dreads>/
nooo unless u want to be fired for smelling like tar and t gel is the single most toxic shampoo there is!
www.dreadlockshampoo.com teatree rosemary bar
thats it
but jobs are required by law to alow natural unmaintained dreads they cannot legaly make you tidy them tie em back or cover them
however by going to a salon you waived that right stating they are nothing more then a fashion thing so therefore not protected by law
a s far as products and care
wash 1-3 times a week with a dread shampoo
no palm rolling!
use aloe or jojoba to loosen
once looose enough use sea salt to tighten
never use t gel or any store boutgyt shampoos or conditioners
never use gels or waxes (the gel from dreadlockshampoo is the exception since it leaves no residues)
mostly all u want to do from here i=on is wash em thats it and seperate as needed
Joshua Mangler said:So it sounds like this is a hangover for dreads - the only solution is time (tbh I was hoping for some magic fix that I instinctively knew didn't exist even before I asked). Should I avoid things like tightening gels, aloe, palm rolling, ACV rinsing, sea salt spray, etc?
My career requires that I maintain a certain amount of presentability which is why I went the salon route in the first place - it was fast (no dreads one day, dreads the next). Now before anyone gets on their 'maybe dreads aren't for you' soap boxes, let me be the first to say that is entirely possible. And if it gets to that point, I may just have to cut them off - but I REALLY don't want to. I'm very hopeful that with patience and time I'll find what I'm after.
Also, while I'm here and if anyone is still willing to give some input, I have terrible itchy scalp with terrible dandruff. I've seem a lot of remedies all over the interwebs one of them being t/gel shampoo. A lot of dreadies have said really great things about it, anyone want to weigh in?
So it sounds like this is a hangover for dreads - the only solution is time (tbh I was hoping for some magic fix that I instinctively knew didn't exist even before I asked). Should I avoid things like tightening gels, aloe, palm rolling, ACV rinsing, sea salt spray, etc?
My career requires that I maintain a certain amount of presentability which is why I went the salon route in the first place - it was fast (no dreads one day, dreads the next). Now before anyone gets on their 'maybe dreads aren't for you' soap boxes, let me be the first to say that is entirely possible. And if it gets to that point, I may just have to cut them off - but I REALLY don't want to. I'm very hopeful that with patience and time I'll find what I'm after.
Also, while I'm here and if anyone is still willing to give some input, I have terrible itchy scalp with terrible dandruff. I've seem a lot of remedies all over the interwebs one of them being t/gel shampoo. A lot of dreadies have said really great things about it, anyone want to weigh in?
Before I get thrown under a bus here, let me weave you a story (pun intended). I've wanted dreads for a very long time but have never actually jumped in and tried it.... til now. My hair is around 10 in long and extremely curly - like 1cm diameter spring curls. If I pick it, it grows into a massive afro. Amazingly unique hair, but I wanted dreads! I'm usually a very cautious person doing an insane amount of research before jumping into anything serious (I just spent 8 hours researching hotels for a wedding I'll be going to.... I'll need the room for 2 nights and will pretty much just be sleeping there). So, for one of the very first times in my life I just jumped right in and went to a salon, got a quote, and let the dread my hair.
It was advertised as an all natural, chemical free process. I didn't realize they were using a crochet hook. I didn't know it was a bad thing, until I started doing a bunch of research all over the dread forums.
So - here's my question. Is there any turning back? Are my dreads going to be in a constant state of frizz for 3 months, at which time I'll go in for a repair appointment, they'll look nice for a week, and then back to the frizz?
Or, is there something I can do to help the along? I've done a lot of searching on the forum and while there is an immense amount of information on how bad crocheting is, no one has offered any real *help on the subject. Or - are my new baby crocheted locks doomed?
Thanks for your help, and thanks for not making me feel like more of an idiot than I already do.
*I did see some people mention aloe or gently conditioning the to loosen them up so they can start dreading naturally.
