So, as the title suggest, I am just shy of my 6 month mark. I haven't been doing well with keeping any sort of timeline updates but I figured 6 months is a good point to throw one in. (along with a need for some sage wisdom)
So there's the general overview. I'm overall super pleased with the progress these little guys are making. I swear I still see changes occur on a daily basis. The scalp spots from my sections are almost gone. Hooray! I seperate just about every day. Sometimes a couple times a day. These kids are HUNGRY. So there lands my first question. I have scoured this site and good ol google for answers and didn't find much but I'm wondering, is there such a thing as separating too much? I assume not since my dreads haven't fallen out yet or anything but I can't help but wonder.
Moving on:
I recently watched some videos of some individuals with some extremely light, fluffy, and soft dreads. It got me to thinking "well shit... some of mine are getting extremely stiff and dense... some unbendable..." so I started another data mining adventure here on this site. I found some folks talking about the same issue oh so many years ago. They were talking about how some loops don't get sucked back into the dread but fold over and get tangled into the outside "not really dreading" but causing some really hard spots. Now, I question this because I have yet to have a loop get sucked back in. As you can see all my loops just get bigger and bigger until they fold over. I personally feel like that is technically dreading and I don't sweat it. However, I'd still like to hear an official ruling.
Also, through these forum topics, it lead me to a nice write up on why dreads get hard/stiff. The only category I fit into on that write up was the "dreads are overly dry" category. So I decided to utilize the advice provided. I condition the trouble dreads with some natural oils and it really has seemed to relax them. It even unleashed some of the loops that had folded over.
Here is my most troubled dread. I call him the War Club:
I wish I had taken some photos of him previously but that really dense spot between the first two inches of dread and the little tail was a huge pile of about 10 different loops shooting out in all directions. They all folded over and wadded up then began to suck the little tail in like spaghetti. As you may be able to see in the picture, the dread has been sucking in the tail, getting shorter and shorter all the while getting fatter and fatter at the loop site. In between my last washing I've been dumping the pure coconut oil and jojoba oil to it. I've been bending it and flexing it and also tugging at the tail. It seems to be relaxing a tad and letting go a little bit. I'm not super troubled by it but I would like some advice on the direction to head with this big clubber. On the same note, a lot of the dreads on the back of my head are in a similar situation. Not only are the loops turning to super hard spots but the flat dreads are starting to curl at the edges and fold back into themselves as they round off. I mixed up a nice spray bottle of some essential oils and jojoba. They also seem to be softening. Should I even worry/bother?
Just for some reference, I have been completely neglecting them. No rubbing, no palm rolling, nothing besides washing and separating. I recently got a bottle of vicki's dreadlock shampoo (which I absolutely love) and alternate washings with that and my other bottle of trader joe's tea tree tingle shampoo. I've been doing significantly less baking soda washes since I first suspected over drying. I also have halted my sea salt spray. However I did go to the Bahamas last week and was so stoked to dip my hair in the salty blue water. It was amazing!
Anyway, thanks for checking this out and any advice is appreciated. Like I said, I'm not really stressing too much, just curious. It's been an amazing journey thus far just letting things happen as they may and not worrying in the slightest. My hair seems to be absolutely soaking in the oils and seems happier already so I think that was a good call. Thanks!
updated by @clintonc27: 03/01/19 11:08:35AM
