Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jennahfly Soulflower on May 21, 2012 at 12:05am

I usually just pull mine apart. I think I expect some may weaken to the point where they fall out, but I feel it is a part of the natural way of it. I wanted to let mine free-form from the start, but I was starting with really long hair so I backcombed to get them formed a bit. I think this may cause them to be less structurally sound.(Fat at the end and smaller toward the root.) Which may contribute to dread loss. In the end, time and patients are the great equalizer.

• ▶ Reply

bands and musiciansPermalink Reply by ashley walker on May 21, 2012 at 1:04am

that is true, but from now on ill probably separate more and handle them delicately. have you used olive oil? and if so is there a way to make it come out of your hair faster because i have a lot of loose hair still and it just looks and feels greasy, i already washed and dried. 

• ▶ Reply

dread gurusPermalink Reply by ☮ soaring eagle ॐ on May 21, 2012 at 1:04am

well you should have been seperating more often so only a couple to few hairs break at any time and theres no need to cut  when u cut u got to be surgicaly precise about it and only snip a few hairs at a time to be sure u just snip the right ones

can u take a closeup of any weak feeling roots?

• ▶ Reply

dread gurusPermalink Reply by ☮ soaring eagle ॐ on May 21, 2012 at 1:09am

if you use olive oil  it  should be applied just to the root6s your trying to disconnect and to get it out  try  real hot water (lowers the viscocity so its easier to remove) and dawn dish soap  or a clarifying shampoo

ashley walker said:

that is true, but from now on ill probably separate more and handle them delicately. have you used olive oil? and if so is there a way to make it come out of your hair faster because i have a lot of loose hair still and it just looks and feels greasy, i already washed and dried. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jennahfly Soulflower on May 21, 2012 at 1:15am

I have used a tad bit of olive oil in my wash. I didn't really like it. Too oily. Just wash some more, is what I say about getting the oil out. How are you drying them?

ashley walker said:

that is true, but from now on ill probably separate more and handle them delicately. have you used olive oil? and if so is there a way to make it come out of your hair faster because i have a lot of loose hair still and it just looks and feels greasy, i already washed and dried. 

• ▶ Reply

dread gurusPermalink Reply by ☮ soaring eagle ॐ on May 21, 2012 at 1:23am

ive used it too its great as a conditioner when u have no other option but its so easy to over use and  get too oily  and can take a lil effort to get it out  a degreasing type wash with dawn will do the trick or a clarifying (anti residue) shampoo will do too  but extra washing should work as well but might take a couple washes to get it if its heavy saturation

Jennahfly Soulflower said:

I have used a tad bit of olive oil in my wash. I didn't really like it. Too oily. Just wash some more, is what I say about getting the oil out. How are you drying them?

ashley walker said:

that is true, but from now on ill probably separate more and handle them delicately. have you used olive oil? and if so is there a way to make it come out of your hair faster because i have a lot of loose hair still and it just looks and feels greasy, i already washed and dried. 

• ▶ Reply

dread gurusPermalink Reply by Tara C on May 21, 2012 at 11:22am

You'll be fine, but just separate them more often before they get so joined that it requires so much effort to pull them apart. If you separate them more often then you'll only be breaking some connecting hairs as opposed to entire dreads, if you get what I'm saying.

• ▶ Reply

bands and musiciansPermalink Reply by ashley walker on May 21, 2012 at 10:21pm

I towel dry, then blow dry. and yeah i only used oil on the roots but i over used and when i went to rinse i guess it got in the rest of my hair so it's pretty oily right now.

what happens if you're not surgically precise with cutting? I think i was okay with it, not too much cutting.

I don't know if the picture really helps with trying to describe what my roots are like, you can't really tell that anything is wrong with them but my dreads just feel heavy on my scalp and it's worrying me a bit. My scalp is also sore from the pulling and stuff.

Attachments:

• Photo on 5-21-12 at 10.14 PM.jpg, 217 KB

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jennahfly Soulflower on May 22, 2012 at 12:16pm

How do you towel dry(do you rub or squeeze)? Blow drying may be, a bit rough on them. SE probably knows more about that. I squeeze(without ringing it out), and shake it out a bit until it stops dripping. Then I use a towel to wrap it up for a bit. Then air dry, making sure to try not to put them up or wrap them in a way they won't get enough air to dry properly. IDK about cutting, sorry...hope I was helpful :) <3

• ▶ Reply

bands and musiciansPermalink Reply by ashley walker on May 22, 2012 at 10:12pm

I ring my hair out after I'm out of the shower then i squeeze with a towel just its damp, then ill just blow dry the rest and yeah  thanks :)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by amanda on May 22, 2012 at 10:17pm

you should really be doing that once a week, and break not cut, broken hairs have rougher edges and will pull back into your dreads easier than cut ones with smooth edges. leave your dreads be they will strengthen up again, but try to separate once a week i find first thing out of the shower is easiest :)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Blessed Earth Mama on May 23, 2012 at 12:10am

I don't see anything wrong in the picture you shared but it is hard to tell. I agree with everyone else and make sure you are seperating them all the time. So they don't ever get bad and then for the most part you should never need scissors. Whenever I feel like it I just search around my head with my hands and rip apart hairs that are getting sucked into dreads they shouldn't be in. If that makes sense...

And I am not sure what is considered the proper stuff here but I would never put olive oil in my hair... It is just so heavy and stinky. Unless someone else here says otherwise I would go for coconut oil. But any oil is the same with trying to be careful not to overdo it. They will all make you feel greasy. And me personally I never put in in my first set of dreads (which I had for 4 years). I just never thought I would want that in them. And with this second set I kinda feel the same way, although you never know.

Hopefully everything will be ok for you, scissors are just a scary way to go IMO though. You have to becareful that you are only cutting the parts of the seperate dreads that are stuck together. Not any area that is actually coming out of your scalp because I think that could potentially cause problems..

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion