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hi im new to dreading and im using the twist and pull/rip method and i was wondering how do i end the dread. i cant get the tips to stay. they just go straight and im not so sure what to do if anybody knows what i should do i would reallyappreciateyour input thanks!

I'm king of using the blog function as a way of journaling my progress in dreads and what's been going on in my life. This isn't necessarily meant to be deep or entertaining, just cathartic for me.

It's been a week and a day since I did tnr. It's been a very enjoyable week. I've crocheted 5 new hats in my zeal to learn more about patterns and have been playing with beads. I've also enjoyed throwing out my comb and multiple hair serums I've tried for so long to tame my hair with. My hair's happy, I think. Still some frizz, but actually the original curls that I tnr'ed seem less frizzy, more defined and longer than I'm used to. I imagine some of that length I'm enjoying is going to lessen with time, but if it doesn't, that'd be awesome. I've always wanted long hair, but the length always just got sucked right back up into the ringlets, especially underneath.

I've stopped using aloe. At first it seemed to help tame the frizz, but it seemed like I was finding white crusty flakes that looked like dandruff the day after. I'm taking Baba Fats advise and taking that off the menu for now. I've shampooed only twice, because I haven't really seemed to need more than that. I'd expected more oiliness, but my scalp has been nice and clean.

Otherwise, I haven't been messing with it. Some of the areas around my scalp (mainly in the back) are really loose (because my arms got so tired), and I've put beads on them so I won't think about those strands so much.

I'm ready for the debates and elections to be over. Boca Raton is lit up with Romney sights and old white people holding nasty signs about Obama on street corners. I'm also ready to be out of Florida, hopefully to a place with cool weather, real trees, mountains and waterfalls. Alas, our time in FL has been extended til Dec. 21st. In construction that means we'll be here through Christmas. At least we can be thankful my husband has work through winter when construction projects are lagging. I've re-taken up the hobby of reading. Mostly sci-fi and fantasy that can take me to a world of magic - and real trees, mountains, and waterfalls. (Just discovered Pier Anthony. Since Xanth is loosely based on FL, it's even more entertaining.)

I took down all pictures of mention of my hair on FB. I only have a few friends and family on there as I'd decided to only keep the people on that I felt were truly friends. (grand total of 10!) No one even said anything, so I'm just keeping this to my and my hubby... and you guys, of course. Since we'll be suck here for the holidays, I don't know when we'll see our families. I suppose it will just be a surprise.

That's about it for now.

I've been thinking about adding in some decorations for my dreads. I've seen some cool beads, and felt strands, wrapping them with stuff, etc. Anyway, I was just curious what you have done, how long you waited before you added stuff, if any of it causes dreads to become moldy and so on. Any info like "I wish I had known this before I did it" type stuff.

Thanks in advance

They like to....

Bask in the sun

Blow in the wind from a rolled down car window

Drip heavy with rain

Swim in a natural spring

Rest on my pillow

Hang upside down during headstands

... among other things.

I joined this site today and have already found it extremely helpful! While I have some major dread revamping to do.. I am interested in dread head accessories. If you know a great place to purchase beads, and types your recommend, along with hats and wraps. I would love to hear from you! I live in a po-dunk town so there isn't hardly anything here locally. I would most likely have to purchase such products online. I currently have hemp rope with seashells in my hair (I receive lots of compliments! ) I would like to add more interesting little things though. Thank you! Happy Dreading!

Peace.Love.Dreadlocks

Whoa have I got myself into a pickle!

I chose to dread my hair in March 2012 and did so by MYSELF, which was my first huge mistake because I was not able to create squares and make my dreads uniform. I have 35 dreads but should probably have more like 45, I think. I used the back-combing method. (I have Caucasian, THICK, curly, hair and it locked up well, so I thought) After about 1 week of not washing, I chose to use some Lock Accelerator and I misread the directions.. I sprayed the product all over my scalp and dreads. I absorbed excess as directed, and let my hair air dry. I slept with nylons over my head for several days and soon realize that 6 dreads and grown together INTENSELY at the scalp. They have been stuck together for 8 months now and I have tried pulling them apart, but I am not succeeding. I never used any other products in my hair, and while I occasionally palm roll, (especially when wet) I pretty much neglect them. The ends are fine, and the middles are tight, I just need MAJOR HELP with my scalp and the roots. I wash every 3-4 days with Nature's Gate Shampoo and always let them air dry. (Should I be using a hair dryer?) At this point I feel that I may have to start over, however, that is my last resort because I fell in love with my hair and have made so much progress that to start over would bring me down.. If anyone has experienced this or knows of any tips to tighten at the root and how to save my matted dread ball.. I would be so so grateful! Thank you!

ok, my dreads are 6 months! ..and honestly, I have too much dandruff in my scalp, it's not itchy but it's annoying, it looks nasty. I have flakes in my roots, which are hard, and I don't know how to get rid of them. I'm starting to get really aggravated because I don't want people thinking my dreads are dirty. I'm trying to keep up with them and I can't. I have Neutrogena T/gel but I don't use it because I heard it's not good for them ...what's a good way for me to get rid of the flakes? specially the one's in the roots ..they're like inside the roots and I don't know how to get them out .... it's getting out of control ..I want clean dreads. tell me what to buy, what to use ....can I get the dandruff out with simple white vinegar?

I've been a member of this community for... I have no idea. It's been a while. I've never contributed though, mostly because when I signed up I was at the very beginning of my journey.

I think it all started one day in Brighton, when I first saw a woman with a head full of brightly coloured dreads. I have no idea whether they were real or fake (memory eludes me, and I didn't have an eye for such things back then), but that was definitely the moment I fell in love with dreads.

I didn't think about them much, until one day it hit me. I was, as usual frustrated with my hair. I'd had several styles throughout the years: long with fringe, pre-puberty. Long, no fringe, entering puberty. Shoulder-length, no fringe, mid puberty. Ear-length, sideways fringe, end puberty. Short, end puberty. And of course, with that short hair of mine, I realised dreads were the answer. They were the answer to my style problems. The answer to the annoyance of my natural curls being flattened and looking crappy after lying down on them.

I had to have them. Now. So I googled and searched and soon figured out that my hair was way too short. That wasn't going to stop me though.

That was the beginning of a year of frustration. Backcombing, rubber bands, friends spending their night doing my hair, it all falling apart... getting a professional to do it, and again, they came undone. It seemed like my hair absolutely point blank was refusing to dread.

It was then that someone suggested I try going 'natural'. This idea appealed to me, and with some amounts of googling I managed to convince myself it wouldn't take that long. It would be a test of patience, yeah, bit it's wouldn't be that bad.

So, I shaved my hair. A clean start. And, I figured I should try this look before I get awesome long lasting dreads, which I'd never want to get rid of.

Thankfully, my hair had regrown a bit by the time I next saw my parents (on a scale of 1 - 10, dreads were -5 desirable, and bald head was - 10).

Anyhow. My hair started growing again, and I resisted several temptations of dying it or otherwise messing with it. I tried the recommended soaps from Lush to wash it, but even though it had, eventually, reached dread-able length, it wasn't showing the slightest desire to knot.

I decided to switch to baking soda. And ta da! Almost instant results. After a week in Romania, wearing a headband nearly every day, a little promising dread had formed at the nape of my neck.

It was like it had set of a chain reaction. On average, one dread per month was forming. It was really weird that they're not all forming at once, but instead seem to wait for one to be something easily recognised as a dread, before starting the next one.

I'm not complaining though. I'm now well on my way to a head full of dreads. There's still plenty of loose hair, but the dread-per-month rate is also up: I've got several forming at the same time now.

I learned to be patient. I learned to accept myself. And most importantly: I learned to let go. Just let go.

It wasn't always easy. I think the worst part was when I was attending a friend's wedding with my boyfriend, and he told me I should wear my hair up, so people can't see the weird mess that's going on at the back of my head.
Needless to say, I wasn't too happy about that comment, and an argument commenced (arguing how we do it: non aggressive, though not unemotional). We both learned from that.

Oddest encounter: a guy ages ago insisting I should use spit to palmroll them, and then, when I refused, using his spit and doing it for me. Talk about yucky. That was the last time I saw him.

I love how every morning is a surprise: what did they do last night?

It's been 10 months since the first dread formed, and there are about 12-14 dreads fully formed, or being formed. It's hard to tell, but I don't usually bother anymore trying to keep track.

Hey everyone, I just want to start off by saying how greatful I am that I found this site. It really is as helpful and amazing as everyone on here says it is.

With that said, I was hoping you guys could help me out. So I just started my dread process and need some help with washing. My dreads were backcombed by a salon a couple weeks ago (long story, but I defiantly went to a salon due to my parents and wasted a bunch of money to have them backcomb my hair.) Trying not to waste any more money, I've been very gentle when washing my hair so I don't completely unravel my locks. However, I constantly have a ton of dandruff flakes at my roots that I can't ever seem to wash out. I've been using about a cap full of Dr. Bronners Tea Tree soap mixed with 3/4 cup of baking soda and dumping that all over my dreads. I then rinse out my hair with cold water after about 15 min. I do about 2 tablespoons of white vinegar rinse after that. Once i get out of the shower i add some jojoba oil to my roots. However, my hair still is extremely flaky at the roots, and I have to wash almost every day now because my hair is starting to smell If someone could tell me what I'm doing wrong, or give me any tips to get rid of the dandruff and bad smell, my locks and I would love and appreciate them forever!