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So... Unfortunately this was the only picture I could find... my school photo haha! This was probably a couple weeks or month before.

...And nine months later

So saltwater is good for locking up?

I'm about a month in and I've got baby locs..will the saltwater help them lock up more?

How do I go about washing then?

So I'm a little under a month into dreading my hair...

My hair is about half way down my back (I'm 5'3") and I'm letting my dreads develop naturally. I use Dr. Bronner's (diluted 12:1) to wash my hair about every other day.

I sleep with my hair down and when I'm driving I have all my windows down to try and knot up my hair

My hair looks great, I love it. I have one pretty good dread starting to develop and I have one T&R dread that I made just to compare the maturation rate.

So my questions are...

1. I live near the PA/DE line and summer is starting to roll in. My hair is making me very hot so I've been just doing a simple braid down my back, does this retard the dreading process?

2. I touch my hair a lot, I just love how it feels - does this do anything to the process?

3. I'm worried about the one big dread that is developing, I know I will be able to split it but should I split it now or later?

4. For the dreads that are starting to form, I was thinking of putting some string/wrapping them just so they have a little containment and can start to form into a cleaner dread...does this sound like a bad idea?

*I'm loving this process. I think my hair looks so great when it's a big 'ole mess :D

I appreciate any help!!

AW

well, I'd like to begin my dread timeline on day 1. My babies are freshly twisted, counted at 42. They look silly but I can tell I'm going to love them already. I used tnr. pictures aren't the best, but hey.

Are you part of an outgoing and fun couple or family who have dreadlocks?

Does it drive you crazy when people assume that just because you or your family member has dreads you should act a certain way?

Do you want them to know that you defy the stereotype?

If so, we want to hear from you!

Eastern (Love and Hip Hop) is looking for THE NEXT TV FAMILY!

Do you think your family is more fascinating thanThe Kardashians?

Is your family authentic, hilarious, complicated, fun, loudand most importantly easy to love?

Does your family of DREAD HEADS deserve their OWN SERIES?

If so, we want to hear from you!

Please email a brief description of your family along with everyones names, ages, location, contact info and photos tocasting@eastern.tv

We look forward to hearing from you!

What a great way to kick off summer! Spent the solstice camping in the outdoors and playing in a creek! We took our kids camping for the first time of their little lives, overnight at a friend's family's farm! It was so wonderful. The best part was getting to share that experience with my children. They had such a blast, makes me excited to be able to do it again. Hopefully, very soon!

Hope everyone had a great solstice and is enjoying summer in their own special ways!

On a side note I have completed week 3 of not brushing! Off into week 4 now. Posted some new pics, but haven't been able to get pics of some of my hair that is underneath that has begun to knot up nicely. Will most definitely try to get some today or tomorrow!

My dreads turned 3 weeks today! They're starting to lock up more, especially the dreads at the bottom of my hair. the thinner ones towards the front are taking a while, but i'm being patient. the ones at the bottom are starting to fee like rope i love it. there's still just some loose hairs around them but they're getting there!! I finally bought Dr. Bronner's castile soap, the peppermint kind. since my scalp is so sensitive and just not in a good state..the peppermint feels SO good on my scalp. I have a lot of dandruff, but I do have apple cider vinegar so I'll do a treatment on my scalp with that in a couple days and see how that goes.

In my personal life: got my nose pierced (yay!) hit my two week mark of NO RED MEAT in my vegan journey (also yay!) and I'm looking into the rastafari movement to see what that's all about and if it's something I'd like to be a part of. so we'll see!

I love looking at other people's timelines. They help to give me hope, patience and inspiration so I thought I would share my experience so far.

This is my hair before starting dreadlocks. It is naturally straight/wavy in front and naturally curly in the back.

This is my hair about 2 weeks in. It took me about 1 week to put the twist and rips in. I think I had about 150!

~I am not sure why most of the pics inserted sideways. Sorry.

Many of the twist and rips were falling out so I put some beads in.

At about one month most of beads had fallen out or I had taken them out because my hair was eating them. Sections in the back have started to lock up.

I decided the front sections were too small so I took out the rest of the beads and removed the twist and rips in the front. About 1/2 of my hair (the hair in the front and back) is freeform and the top/middle section is twist and rip. I have stopped expecting to have control or even predict what might happen with my hair. I am trying to be okay with that.

My hair is locking up quickly in the back. Especially on the right side. I think its the shape of my head, how I sleep or something, or possibly my hair is just curlier on that side.

I left the windows down on my car while driving around town to try and give the left side some extra movement. I have also made an effort to sleep on my left side. My hair in front still looks completely normal and unlocked. My guess is it might stay this way from looking at other peoples timelines. However, I have super thick hair which I purposely thinned on top where it was thickest, to keep the weight of my hair down, before putting in dreadlocks. Perhaps the hair in front is too short or too straight.

Dreadlocks show strength, and as mine grow, my psyche becomes less penetrable by negativity. Only strong winds can break an old tree, as it's roots mature. When I see someone with dreadlocks, I see a part of myself. Someone who is either transitioning into a new life, or a strong spirit. Not trying to get all preachy here, but a lot has changed in me since starting my dreads 8 months ago. I've opened up doors that were never opened. I can't imagine I'm the only one.