Flat Iron
Dread Maintenance
::a disclaimer that i do not recommend doing this often if you plan on doing it at all. i recommend letting your hair do it's thing and believe on you letting you do your thing::
I had started a friend's dreads with the backcombing method and during begining phases of maintenance of his locks i used a flat iron to realign the kinks not even thinking about it. once hair is heated the protein (keratin) is more maluable and if left to cool in that shape it will stay.
it's not a regular routine but he told me now (after two years now) that he feels that is the main reason his dreads turned out more neat looking and tight/round so early (i do not maintain his dreads anymore. they are good for life!)
on the topic of tightening the dread's actual knots- if you go for a week not washing your dreads like some do those reconstructed knots compact and tighten during the flat ironing and that entire time allowing more knots to come easily in my experience. I used a rinse of aloe and rosemary presented by personal jesus in a youtube video i believe then used this technique to play around and my locks feel a ~month tighter. we'll see how it goes 
Thank you Personal Jesus for the wonderful rinse! used fresh aloe. added fresh lavander and sage to the decoction- i thought it was nice
salam!
