I'm on my second round of trying to dread my hair. The first time I twist/ripped, and I really liked them at first but couldn't get them to stick. They totally fell out (and not like they loosened ~ they were completely un-knotted) even after re-doing them more than once. After I took them out, I waited a month or two, and then a friend and I backcombed. The front dreads are ok, though I still have lots of straight, totally un-locked sections. But, the sides and underneath are turning into one giant dreadlock at the root and maybe 3 inches down, and then are totally loose after that point. Some of the underneath is also totally loose root-to-tip.I don't want to take them out, but I also don't want my hair to turn into one giant dreadlock I think it's beyond the point of being able to rip them apart, and I'm worried that cutting them to the scalp will make them fall out since I can't really tell where the hairs lead (it's like a giant sheet of matted hair).Anyone been here and can offer advice?My hair is maybe 2 inches past my shoulders and is straight/wavy naturally.
updated by @sarah4: 01/13/15 08:50:59PM
About to throw in the towel :(
you can always separate! I wish I could help you. You really can rip them apart into little baby dreads, you just have to be tough about it and keep up with it.Don't cut them apart, it will cause way too much loose hair. I usually just pull them apart in opposite directions until they are ripped apart as close to the scalp as possible, and then I poke my finger under the connecting hairs and rip them apart away from my scalp.
@soaring-eagle
14 years ago
29,637 posts
cutting them apart is a last resort id yu really cant seperate try when wet try with olive oilonce you get em seperated they will dread just finebut washing and seperating is all u should be doing
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@jack-roth
14 years ago
298 posts
my friend has shoulder length dread atm but they are are all connected and he has abut 4 dreads now hes just gonna let them them all congo, hes crazy!
@adrienne0004
13 years ago
3 posts
The hair next to my scalp is doing the exact! same! thing! I did some backcombing along with neglect. I backcombed the base near roots bc I have very fine & the straightest of straight hair. The loose hair that I wasn't able to get when I backcombed has now evolved into the "matted helment" I hate to rip my hair for the simple fact that I don't wanna break my healthy hair, & like you, I feel that its beyond that point. So tonight this is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna wet my hair when I'm in the shower (no shampoo yet) & use some conditioner that comes with home perms cause that stuff is slippery! I've got a tender head so we'll just have to deal with it I guess ugh! Ok, so, then I'm gonna saturate my roots and the hairs that are keeping the dreads together which is forming the unidread(s) with the conditioner. Between the 2 dreads forming a unidread I'm gonna take my thumb & index finger with a healthy helping of conditioner and pull up as to coat the hair stuck in either dread. I'm gonna keep pulling up trying to release a few hairs at a time until their freed (& and do as many as I can bc my arms get tired bc no1 will help me! :/). Then I'll get thru as many as I can then when I'm done, I'm gonna wash it twiec with Rosemary & Mint 2 insure conditioner is out, seperate again while wet by taking the dreads, pulling them apart (bc we sure as hell don't want them to get tangled up again). Then I'm gonna palm roll from root to tip, air dry, then palm roll again. Sorry for the long post but I've been pondering this situation for a while. Good luck! Gonna keep my fingers crossed!
@panterra-caraway
13 years ago
667 posts
You shouldn't use the conditioner for post-permed hair...it usually contains additional chemicals to help set the perm and will only add more damage. Use a regular conditioner or some olive oil.
adrienne0004 said:
adrienne0004 said:
The hair next to my scalp is doing the exact! same! thing! I did some backcombing along with neglect. I backcombed the base near roots bc I have very fine & the straightest of straight hair. The loose hair that I wasn't able to get when I backcombed has now evolved into the "matted helment" I hate to rip my hair for the simple fact that I don't wanna break my healthy hair, & like you, I feel that its beyond that point. So tonight this is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna wet my hair when I'm in the shower (no shampoo yet) & use some conditioner that comes with home perms cause that stuff is slippery! I've got a tender head so we'll just have to deal with it I guess ugh! Ok, so, then I'm gonna saturate my roots and the hairs that are keeping the dreads together which is forming the unidread(s) with the conditioner. Between the 2 dreads forming a unidread I'm gonna take my thumb & index finger with a healthy helping of conditioner and pull up as to coat the hair stuck in either dread. I'm gonna keep pulling up trying to release a few hairs at a time until their freed (& and do as many as I can bc my arms get tired bc no1 will help me! :/). Then I'll get thru as many as I can then when I'm done, I'm gonna wash it twiec with Rosemary & Mint 2 insure conditioner is out, seperate again while wet by taking the dreads, pulling them apart (bc we sure as hell don't want them to get tangled up again). Then I'm gonna palm roll from root to tip, air dry, then palm roll again. Sorry for the long post but I've been pondering this situation for a while. Good luck! Gonna keep my fingers crossed!
@adrienne0004
13 years ago
3 posts
Will do! Thx 4 your help
@adrienne0004
13 years ago
3 posts
Asalaamu alaikum, ( I am muslima)I've been working on them for the past couple of hours. Believe it or not, iwhen I was going thru them they weren't as bad as I thought it'd be. I thought they were 2 far gone but their pretty much all out & now I hafta start the palm rolling. But I have 1 question. Since my hair is straight as a board they feel pretty loose at the roots. How can I keep them tight & dreading? I've got them ripped, now I need my babies to keep on dreading! Thx 4 ur help:)
@panterra-caraway
13 years ago
667 posts
Darlin', they will keep dreading on their own...they know what to do. DO NOT PALM ROLL. It will cause breakage and weaken your hair and in the end will not help your progress. Just shampoo a couple of times a week and seperate. If you want to use salt water spray, that is good too...as well as a tam....but NOTHING else. Much love <3
adrienne0004 said:
adrienne0004 said:
Asalaamu alaikum, ( I am muslima)
I've been working on them for the past couple of hours. Believe it or not, iwhen I was going thru them they weren't as bad as I thought it'd be. I thought they were 2 far gone but their pretty much all out & now I hafta start the palm rolling. But I have 1 question. Since my hair is straight as a board they feel pretty loose at the roots. How can I keep them tight & dreading? I've got them ripped, now I need my babies to keep on dreading! Thx 4 ur help:)