hello all!

i'm yeshua, and i'm new here.haha, obviously.i have long thought about about dreading, but was discouraged after seeing the lackluster experiences close friends had experienced with the commercial wax system.i came across soaringeagle's youtube video and was immediately captivated.as close to natural as i can get, in all things, is always the route i like to choose.so for his willingness to share wisdom and create this place, i am beyond grateful.this site has reignited my fire!!i am so excited to begin my journey, and that's where my first question comes in....most of my hair is only currently a few inches long, with the exception of a mohawk-esque tuft on the back of my head that i have been growing for almost a year now. that is probably closer to 7 or 8 inches. ok, so is there anything i can start doing right now to prepare?should i start letting the back dread while the rest grows to a more desirable length?Thanks so much, i look forward to forming relationships with you all!!-yeshua
updated by @yeshua: 01/13/15 08:47:31PM

Start washing with baking soda instead of shampoo... and quit brushing! That is how you start natural dreads! Sea salt water will help it knot as well, but use sparingly! Good luck with your journey!

Glad you found the site and weren't taken in by the waxlox croud! Same as Lacie says, wash with Baking Soda and it will knot naturally, pull apart where necessary. I would hold off on using sea salt unless it seems to be going nowhere, and I would hold off on ACV unless your hair starts to feel dry. It will dread up superfast.Just let it go, the back will probably start first and the sides and front will catch up, but 3 inches is enough for babies, but remember dreads will shrink up at first.

Natural dreads are the way to go for sure. That is how I started mine. As for whether to start dreading the longer part and waiting for the rest to grow to a longer length that is all personal preference. if your hair is a couple of inches it will dread too! Baking soda works lovely, but I use Dr. Bronners. Just remember to keep them pulled apart because natural baby dreads really like eating each other. in my first month and a half I had to pull mine apart every day (but my hair was also much longer). If you are going to use a sea salt spray I would make sure to dissolve the salt very well, and spray it on freshly washed hair and let it dry. That always seemed to work best for me. = ] Good luck on your journey and if you ever have any questions never hesitate to ask. = ]