Some questions on getting started

Ok, so both my husband and I are going to be starting dreads. Thank God I found this site before we did or we probably would have done it all wrong....(wax and the like).I think for us, the best way to go is going to be twist and rip. We both have baby fine, straight hair though so I'm just not sure how to go about it. With my hair in it's normal washed and brushed state right now, should I go ahead and start washing with baking soda? Also, do you think sea salt water will help? Will the twist and rip stay pretty well in our hair? Do we need to do anything besides wash and let it do it's magic after the initial TNR? Lot's of questions, but I want them to do well and last for as long as I decide to keep them. Which hopefully will be many years.
updated by @natasha-boss: 01/13/15 08:49:00PM

Thanks. I already only wash my hair every other day or so. I will have to stop using conditioner. My husband has really oily hair. I keep telling him that he needs to stop washing every day and it will get better, but he hates dealing with the oil so he keeps washing it. This process will be good for him because he can't wash every day. We weren't planning to do the TNR for another week and a half so that should work well to get our hair "prepped". I'm not sure if my shampoo is non-residue so maybe I'll just do the BS wash.

I have baby fine hair as well, and my advice to you is BE PATIENT, The T&R is a great way to get things going and decide your section size from the start, but whats going to happen is they will start to come out and untangle, Re-T&R if you need to I didnt though. Your ahir will start resembling a giant poof ball but alls is good, This is how I would explain the timeline, 1.T&R 2. T&R comes undone 3. Big mess hair going every which way OMG my dreads are connecting to each other 4. Calm down, seperate the dreads it'll be tuff at first but gets eaiser as more hairs start to lock into their section, 5. wow cool I got some tight sections, 6. This is cakewalk all sections are getting tight I still have to seperate every week or so but much much eaiser.... there ya go, thats my expierence anyways, with the baby fine hair the only way its going to lock is if it gets MESSY!!!! wearing a hat or some sort will make it eaier to deal with, I also had my tips lock up first then I wold take my hand on the top of my head where they were not locking and I would rub in a circle just making everything a super mess, after a few days I'd seperate and do it again, now my tops is locking up good. I am 4 months into this June 11 was the day I threw my comb/brush in the trash. Just give it time, its all you need! Happy trails...

I recommended t&r completely! It's how I started my hair about 15 months ago, and while I might advise that you should have someone section your hair (depends on what you want your dreads to look like in the end) before you t&r, it's great for getting a fair bit of definition early on. Remember though, you're only laying the groundwork for dreads; It was really hard to tell exactly what was going on with my hair until 6-7 months in! I say that if you have some t&r that comes mostly undone, just leave it! I have a few dreads at the nape of my neck that I really worried about in the first few months... the t&r was hastily done, and I was afraid it would completely fall out! Today though, they are some of the nicest locks on my entire head!

Just t&r, wash, and separate, that's really all there is to it! For the first few months, experiment on what works well for you... shampoo, baking soda, shampoo bars, your options are endless! Just remember, that if you're going to use a store bought liquid shampoo, dilute it in water... as in, pour a bit into a cup, then fill the cup with water and stir the shampoo around until dissolved. It makes it much easier to distribute, as well as easier to rinse out. I've gone through a ton of different washes and for now I'm finding that a good shampoo used for a few weeks with a baking soda rinse once a month does WONDERS. Like I said, just experiment with a few things, and see what works for you!

As far as separation is concerned, try to separate right out of the shower! The hair is still very elastic and breaks easily. If you try to separate after your hair has dried, I suggest using a small, one blade razor (like ones that you would use to trim your eyebrows) to cut some of the more stubborn hairs. Just be very very careful! It's easy to get a bit razor happy and end up thinning out a dread too much!

I wish you and yours the absolute BEST in your journey... buckle up, it's one hell of a wild ride!

i would not use the razor unless its a desperation move if u cannot seperate the dreads any other way and cant allow them to remain togethertheres better things to try 1st ifit ever got that bad


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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Awesome, thanks for all the advice. I'm excited to get started.

I only use it because my scalp has become incredibly sensitive, and often by the time I notice a congo forming, it's deeply tangled... enough that one would need a number of pain killers to fix it. I never recommend anything like that without a warning though, and for good reason!

soaringeagle said:

i would not use the razor unless its a desperation move if u cannot seperate the dreads any other way and cant allow them to remain together
theres better things to try 1st ifit ever got that bad

I know that feeling! Happened like, yesterday lol. Didn't realize I skipped seperating it the other day, and man was it tough. Just some tough pulls in different directions did it for me though. no cutting :P

Faelwynn said:

I only use it because my scalp has become incredibly sensitive, and often by the time I notice a congo forming, it's deeply tangled... enough that one would need a number of pain killers to fix it. I never recommend anything like that without a warning though, and for good reason!

soaringeagle said:

i would not use the razor unless its a desperation move if u cannot seperate the dreads any other way and cant allow them to remain together
theres better things to try 1st ifit ever got that bad

You have black hair which is good, black hair always looks the sickest for dreads