Now...dont get me wrong...I love my dreads, i love the fuzz and the loops and all the new growth...But i wonder will my dreads every feel like natural dreads or should i be prepared to cut off to where the natural growth is and start again. My dreads were made by crochet but never maintained...that was 6 months agoMy friend (who totally doesnt want dreads) occasionally just gets dreads in her hair and has to brush them out...there is one that is pretty far gone and i was feeling it today and it was SO soft. When i look at the pictures on here the natural dreads look so lovely and soft like clouds of loveliness...and mine, well...they are getting softer but they are hard :-/I have considered brushing them out and starting again...that would probably take about a month...Is it possible, will they ever get sorted or will i have to cut off / brush out?Karen
updated by @karen: 01/13/15 08:49:35PM
having a "will my dreads ever recover from crochet" day...
im afraid i cant say i estimated that crochet recovery would take a good 6 months but perhaps i was wrong?well i guess my guess was at least 6 months so maybe i wasnt too wrong u say they are getting softer slowlyhave u been using any oils as a conditioner to soften and loosen them?jojoba is amazing africas best is awesome too or u can even use the body splashall will soften and loosen umu can even use a small amount of olive oil (real small as it will leave u feelin oily if u use much but soap will remove it)when trying to explain why crochet was so bad to that 1 dude i glanced in the crochet recovery group and sawu or someone recomended rubbing to loosen em upmaybe use some masage oil and give em a sensual massage to relieve some of the hardness(by massage oil i mean like some almond oil or something)i really think they should mostly recover the scratchiness might take timei think combing out at this point will only do more harmid keep trying to treat the crochetted parts like youir trying to undread them conditioning oiling trying to soften and loosen without combingtry to avoid the roots if u can so it can naturally dread there stillif in a year theyre still al]annoying u u should have a good bit of soft natural dread if u do decide to cut the crochetted parts offbut lets hope we can avoid that
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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
the wonderful thing about dreads is the changes over time.They tighten and loosen on their own.( I had never heard of the crochet method til i joined this site, but i did do some back combing). If you love your dreads be patient with them. don't comb them out because of their texture. Some people's hair is just softer than others, whether they have dreads or not.
that too istrueu should find some natural dreads that are a year or so old to compare to but even theen a dread can vary in softeness/hardeness even inch by inch withinthe same dreadso althoigh crochet dreads are generaly harder and stiffer and way too tight when started judging yoir recovery by feel isnt going to be accurateif u say they are fuzzy and loopy that is a great sign of partial recovery at leastu can soften them more to an extent but too much will slow actual dreading so maybe soften em till they feel comfy to iu and just wait it oithow bout updated pics?
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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
hopefully ill get into the ocean tomorrow and that will help 
i crocheted and backcombed in jan 2010 maintained for two weeks and have neglected ever since so that's about 11 months and i've still got some really hard spots but they are loosening.Un blunting my ends helped loosen them up(gave the hair moving room)i only wash with hand made vegan soap alternating between one with minerals and sea salt and two with cocoa butter or shea butter.
ok so the estimate for recovery time from crochet is a lil over a year?wow
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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
