Renee L Mullenax

hi so ill explain how to look at all my photos and all photos on all pages ok so first is the leftside panel on page says all the info about the profiles k under there a ways in words will say photos and a number click that or says albums and number then can veiw all them by clicking the album. k so on some peoples pages theyll have a timeline posted separate on same left side panel or on bottom of their page a moving photo album or a bunch pics layered out u can click the pics to view those as well and in general click any pic u see will link u too rest k now should be all set hum peace

oo right link timeline hahaha almost forgot haa http://www.dreadlockssite.com/forum/topics/timeline-3

goodluck peace and an love

Thanks so much to everybody that posted advice--you were all very helpful & I really appreciate it!! I will not be going to a salon or using the crochet method, after all! I'm still on the fence, though...its funny how I'll decide to get a very permanent tattoo faster than I'll decide to do what could very easily be a temporary hair style LOL

Welcome and Happy Dreading.

Always, Hippie Love

You can do a few at a time. Even over a few days. You don't have to do your whole head in 1 sitting. That's intense. I've heard people say it took them upwards of 17 straight hours. So that's out of the question. Once you get your rhythm, you can do each lock in less than a minute each. And if you get 1 other person to help, they'll be done much quicker. They shouldn't be too tight. TnR is just a blueprint for where the sections will probably form.
If you let them go natural for just a few weeks, they will begin to section themselves. You can work with those natural sections. Most likely they will not be that big. How big do you want your locks to be, on average? You just grab a section of hair that is that size at the scalp and start from there. As they grow thy will start to eat each other and congo. All you need to do is rip those 2+ apart. I posted a few videos on my page that show how to safely separate locks. It's not hard. You just pull them in separate directions. You don't need to separate all the way to the scalp. Just enough that the body of each lock is alone.
As for how long they'll look messy... That's a huge area. Some people see their locks start to mature in weeks. Others like myself and Ixchel too almost a year to see progress. Most of the time they will look goofy for a while. Check out the timelines forums to see what other members locks look like at various stages. You may be able to find someone with similar hair type as yours. That'll give you a better idea of how yours will progress.

Hi Renee. Welcome, you are at a good place to get all the facts you need if you want dreads to last you a lifetime. I also was going to get dreads done at a salon, even made an appointment with one who said she will be using wax to make them. That night I used the internet to find out all I could about the cons of wax, and hooks used at salons. Did you know that the wax will hold in smells, water beads and any fluff that sticks to it. Eventually the center of the dread will have mildew and mould, that is why some peoples dreads smell funky. On hot days the wax can melt and leave stains on your clothes. There is is photo on this site of a gals boyfriends pillowcase....YUCK...it was all stained from the wax in his hair. Think of dipping your finger into candle wax and then into cold water, your finger stays dry, so how would dreads get clean if there is wax throughout? Salons will want the look to be amazing right away, so they will use a crochet hook to get all the loose hairs into the formed dread. This causes the hairs to break which will cause the dread to be weak, if hook is used often...the dread will break off at the weakest point. One dread breaks off, chances are more will. If you only want dreads for a year or two, then go to a salon. If you want dreads to last you a lifetime, then read the dreaducation pages at the top of the site, use the search tab to find out just about anything, including how to videos. What ever your choice, educate yourself first on the pros and cons of salon vs natural. Enjoy your future dreads.

welcome dreading is so easy theres really no reason to let a pro screw u butthe very last thing u ever want to do is use crochet its extreme destruction

No problem.
You don't have to do it all yourself. There are a few link in the dreaducation page that show videos of people TnRing their hair. You could have someone help you. They usually start out a bit funny looking, but once you get the rhythm, they look better. It's better to start on the underside of your hair so that the funny ones are hidden.
Really, they healthiest method is natural. I'm not as big of a proponent of this method as some people here (I only grew a few of mine that way), but I do agree that it is the best.
Because locks take time, not effort, they will come untangled before that lock up for good. That's normal. There's no reason to redo them when this happens. Redoing it only resets the progress back to day 1. The process of growing locks is kind of a 1 step forward 2 steps back system for a few months. The 4th months is usually the messiest. Then they start to really come together nicely.

Opposite of the popular myth, you don't have to cut your hair to get rid of locks. Even the most mature locks can be gently brushed out given enough conditioner and patience. We've had a few members the recent months who have combed theirs out to start over. It's labor intensive, but not impossible.

Welcome. Professionally "done" locks may look nice and neat, but they are extremely unhealthy and will never last a lifetime. Salons that claim to be loctitians, know absolutely nothing about how to grow healthy locks. It's not their fault. Beauty schools just don't teach it. If you get them done professionally, they will most likely use wax, creams, or gels. All of which completely prevent locks from maturing, at best. At worst, if left in your hair, wax will cause mold and mildew to grow. It's a hydrocarbon, so no matter how much you wash with normal soap and water, it will NEVER wash out. You need a detergent and TONS of scrubbing to get rid of wax.

Salons also employ other terrible methods like crocheting, interlocking, and palm rolling. Crocheting is the most damaging thing that can be done to locks. It rips your hair into smaller and smaller pieces, which makes your locks weak and brittle. Interlocking creates weak spots that never lock up. And palm rolling destroys your roots.

Not to mention that salons cost too much to destroy your hair. They want you to come back for regular "maintenance" that only promotes damage.

I know you may not want the organic look. That's fine. But remember that you can't "get" locks. They have to grow. If you have locks done that look like they are mature right away, they will never mature. There is too much goo in them to promote locking