exactly! as they mature they round. don't root rub either, that just breaks hairs
Stephanie said:
Or is it okay that my dreads are flattening, and once they're more mature they might start to round out? I also root rub occasionally.
don't palm roll, as you noticed it's time consuming & doesn't last. it only does damage anyways. just leave them be & as you sleep on them they will round themselves out & it will be fine. just wash & separate & live your life, dreads should be easy & they are if you let them! no maintenance required 
it shouldn't slow the process because washing helps knot but as they form up it will take longer to dry & you don't want to be going to bed with a wet head or putting wet dreads in a tam because the risk of mold so once they start forming up i'd space it out more
wash more often & wait longer. the hair around the face is soft & takes longer than the rest anyways. 5 months isn't very long at all, i didn't even have my first knot by then! give it time, love & time!
I follow several dreadie instagrams but a dreadlockssite one would be awesome!!! I only have a dumb phone so I have to borrow my hubs phone to instagram but i like checkin it out mine is ixchel183
leave the beads on for a while or wrap them for a bit, but the lumps & bumps are a necessary part of dreading, they have to be able to shrink up (creating the bumps) to knot. i wouldn't suggest palm rolling because that is only a temporary fix & works best with wax (which is really bad), & it can do more harm than good to your dreadies. the bumps will pull in & smooth out (mostly) on their own when the dreads come to maturity. it's just a stage to wait out
mine at my nape look just like that! & i forget her name but her dreads all looked like that at first & then as they grew they came together a bit more, it's just fine doing great!
i love some of the options in this video 11 Dreads Hairstyles! No Hairbands Needed!
& i recently made this video for this updo 
dread crown/bun
it will get better & you will not HAVE to do anything like that to them. sounds like the group you are in is very biased towards maintenance & locticians. i could add you to a couple fb groups that are more like this site, mostly natural & do what makes you happy type dreadies. lets see a photo of your "homeless person" dreadies, i bet they aren't bad at all! maybe someone was just trying to get you to use their dread "fixing" business or something, but you don't need it! forget about your dreadies & just live, & soon they will be absolutely amazing without you having to put a ton of time & effort into screwing them up lol. it sounds like you have the right attitude yourself, just got some negative feedback from the wrong people 
