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Happy Saturday, dreadies! I hope that you all have an awesome day today. The weather here cooled off overnight (thankfully!) and I am looking forward to spending a whole free day in paradise with my hubster. No work, no BS! 
I used up all of my salt spray mix yesterday doing a pretty massive salt water soak, so I was able to do a new fragrance oil blend yesterday. The first mix I had was lavender/spearmint, and now I mixed up a batch that hopefully will repel mosquitoes as well as smelling good: cedarwood, citronella and lavender.
The salt water soak seemed to really exaggerate the separation, and it made me notice that so far, it looks like my natural dreads are wanting to be little spaghetti thin dreads. Which is okay by me, even though I do love the look of fatties. :P
Anyhow, my scalp has been doing awesome and has really settled down after that rough first week and a half. Still finding the odd comb stashed here and there, and I am seriously contemplating recycling a lot of them, if that is possible. Anyone know what # of plastic (i.e., 1, 2, 5....?) combs are usually made of and if they are recyclable? My hubster doesn't even use them even though he doesn't have dreads, because he always keeps super short hair.
Love and peace.
Although there are a couple of things I would have done differently when I started my dreads almost 5 years ago...
I'll have to say...I'm really thankful I went the neglect method.
That was the loudest voice that I heard way back then.
To be honest...I wanted to backcomb.
I couldn't figure out how to...I do have like one or two dreads that were started this way. They are some of my ugliest and...hardest dreads. Cause I also palm rolled them.
I got lazy....every time I asked that "loudest voice" how to get them...
he said NOTHING
Do nothing!?!!!????!
I think I ranted and raved about it once or twice. I was SOOOO frustrated!
I kept seeing all these beautiful dreads...and...they all said they did nothing too!
Dumb founded...how do you get dreads by doing nothing?
well...obviously you do something.
You wash your hair.
It'll start to mat up.
Like...bunches of hair will start clumping together.
Make sure those clumps aren't pulling in too much...especially other clumps
by separating.
You might not need to separate your hair for a long time! Like...a month or more!
Remember...everyone's hair is different.
It'll each dread in it's own individual way. Each set of dreads you have will dread differently.
I was told...most people don't keep their first set of dreads.
Like...in 5-6 years....you'll just want to do it again. Because of all the things you know now...that you didn't then.
YOU WILL get frustrated!
You will HATE your hair sometimes.
I'd look at all the mature and long dreads and be sooooo jealous. Impatient that my hair wasn't that cool already.
But....I calmed myself down.
The dreadies in my community told me...you're doing great.
One time after a Sar Shalom show (It's a reggae band), the vocalist Santino was chatting with my best friend drinking a beer...and when I sat down, he patted my head and says, "Awwww...Babies!"
They took their time...and did their thing.
I wore them up for work...
but when I was out at shows and at home...I let them fly free
People would be confused..."They aren't done yet?"
"I have a friend who can help dread up the rest"
"I can help you dread your hair"
"Wow you have a lot of loose hairs."
I honestly didn't let anyone touch my hair. I didn't trust anyone. Plus....I'm lazy.
I was told by I don't know how many different dreadies that I just needed to be patient
so patient I was. I'd look at my hair and be frustrated...
I think I screamed about it a couple of times.
I washed it about weekly...
I separated it...and guided it into what I could
Sometimes it guided me...
Some of the things that people had been telling me finally dawned on me. Like...I finally believe what you are saying!
If I could go back....I'd totally do it again!
You really don't need to twist and rip or back comb your hair to get it started
like REALLY
i love congos. i think they are too cool. i stopped separating two months ago but i haven't had much progress. i'm just wondering if i need to just give them time and be patient or is there something i can do to help them lock together. any advice is much appreciated. Jah bless
Haha look at all the fly away loose hair! It's hard to tell that it's thinning, but I can feel it and see it.
I've been meaning to make a post for a while, to let out all the things I've been thinking about lately. I could never get around to it though lol. But now I've got a cold, and nothing to do but sit on the couch and watch tv. This is gonna be long, but here it goes...
Only one of my friends knows I'm dreading. He's been supportive since I first told him I wanted dreads. I did have to explain the natural method to him, but he was supportive of it once I did. A few weeks ago he touched my hair and I moved away. because I'm always afraid people are going to finger comb it. He was all like "oh yeah I forgot you were getting dreads", then he started jumping up and down and going "when are you gonna have dreads?".
Then like, two weekends ago he told me "if I had magic powers I would zap dreads onto your head" lol. I told him I wouldn't let him. It's weird because even though he is supportive, I feel like he doesn't really understand why I'm dreading. It makes me feel lonely because I don't know if anyone really understands. My dad does, but that's not the same as having a friend that understands.
I'm nervous for when my hair really starts to get crazy. So far everything is good, but I'm only a little less than two months. People at school are noticing, and that's actually exciting. I'm happy that people can tell because it means my hair must be progressing, but it's still scary to think what will happen when everyone notices.
The majority of the students at my school are black, with Hispanic coming in second, then white, Asian, etc. The only kids I know with dreads have African-textured hair, and they just twist their hair. The culture around dreads at my school is very different then what I associate them with. Girls at my school also spend a lot of time cutting, dying, flat-ironing, doing all sorts of things to their hair. I'm nervous that when they start to notice my hair they'll think I'm nasty. I already don't fit in all that well, and I like to avoid trying to explain the things I do because it never works out for me.
Also everyone at my school seems to create a big riff between races. Everyone brings so much attention to race. They other day my friend said to my other friend "black people don't wear headbands". For clarification they are both black, and he was teasing her for wearing a headband. I asked him what he meant by that, and I started to get agitated. He told me not to take him seriously, but it's hard not to get annoyed because I hear so many ignorant statements every day. I get asked things like "do I listen to white people music", or if I listen to "that rock music stuff". I mean complete strangers ask me those things! One time this girl kept calling me Sarah before she asked me what my name was, and I was so offended, she also called a Hispanic kid Pablo. I wish someone could say something to her, but people are so aggressive at my school that no one speaks up to them.
I'm nervous that people will figure out I'm dreading (I'm not telling anyone, even after my hair gets knotty) that they'll think I'm crazy cause "white people can't have dreads". Or because no one at my school knows you can get dreads by not brushing, no one I have talked to anyway. I can't believe it! I'm just scared to become "that girl who doesn't brush her hair". I don't want people to make school hell for me, I already hate it.
My friends are generally nice and smart, but don't seem to understand me. It's hard because there are tons of people at my school who hate me, and then I have these friends who are there for me and everything... but I still don't relate with them.
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On a more positive note, I'm so happy with my hair. It's doing great so far. Sections with little fuzzy knots in them it looks fuller too, feels thicker. I love to look at it in the mirror, and to find all the sections I can consider baby dreads. Woohoo!
so.... what would be the best products to use to maintain locs? is there a specific way of washing your hair once it starts locking? is conditioner something to use?
I need a profile pic. Anywho, that's besides the point...I am about 7 months into my dreadlocks, started with the back combing method, and have continued to roll daily, work with my roots, and play with the tips ect ect. I use gels to hold (which seem to work) and using natural cleansing methods (which I cleanse every 2 weeks or so or if needed). But the problem is, my tips are still not locking, and some seem to be getting worse. The top of my dreads are turning out fabulous, locking beautifully. Is it my naturally wavy soft hair that wants to curl and flow, perhaps...but is there any suggestions from my fellow dreadies for advice? Some have told me to put some bands in the ends for a couple weeks. I'm a little opposed, but would if that's what I gotta do to lock my tips. please comment back, it would be greatly appreciated my friends namaste