Want dreads, but have no money? Heres what to do:

Go to the grocery store. Or even the dollar store for some items. To prepare your hair to lock, start with a white vinegar wash. Smells HORRID, but it frizzes your hair right up, and makes the initial locking process easier. This is great for fine straight hair. For curly hair, try a salt water rinse. For maintenance, washing with baking soda is HEAVEN!! It cleans your scalp up, make your dreads soft, and just feels awesome in general. I like to add a bit of sea salt to help lock up a bit while washing. Air dry, possibly in the sun. Then go buy some essential oils, or make a tea. I made a rosemary mint tea, and I spray that every few days to freshen em up. As for aloe, make sure its aloe VERA. I live in FL, so its on every corner, (yay me!!) but it can easily be bought at grocery stores in the produce.

So, in my bathroom I have a spray bottle for my hair tea, and a spray bottle for my salt water. I also have a gallon pitcher, and some baking soda. I am locking up, my dreads are soft and smell good, and I am proud to step out of my house. Most of these items only cost a few bucks, so even if something didnt work for me, I dont feel like I wasted the money.

Also, for those starting out, every hair type is different. Just because it works for me, doesn't mean it'll work for you. I wish I had been told this at the beginning, because I was told so many things, it was just confusing. Try things. experiment. As long as its a natural product, it shouldn't do anything wrong but slow the process a bit.

SO... good luck to all, and have fun. Be proud. And if you have any questions on recipes for the rinses, just let me know!

updated by @jessa: 02/14/15 05:39:52AM

great post

in nearly all cases the key to dreading lies in the right mix for your hair

if oily skip acv use bs

if dry acv is a plus african hairs pretty muchil free naturaly so needs some moisture

the right wash makes all the difference

i alter mine by result i want more that wash

if i want em super soft and cuddly add jojoba aloe anything like that

but arfter awhile of that get alotta loose hairs so increase the salt decrease the oils

and find dozens of new babies every wash

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

So what are ur ratios for the mixes? Also how long is ur hair?

soaringeagle said:

great post

in nearly all cases the key to dreading lies in the right mix for your hair

if oily skip acv use bs

if dry acv is a plus african hairs pretty muchil free naturaly so needs some moisture

the right wash makes all the difference

i alter mine by result i want more that wash

if i want em super soft and cuddly add jojoba aloe anything like that

but arfter awhile of that get alotta loose hairs so increase the salt decrease the oils

and find dozens of new babies every wash

for the bc wash, i use i cp per gallon, along with 2 tbsp fine sea salt. The tea i made a satchel from a coffee filter with fresh rosemary and mint, and brewed that for about and hour on low simmer, makes about 2 cups worth. And the sea salt spray, I use about 1/2 cp per 1 cp water. I like mine strong!!

James said:

So what are ur ratios for the mixes? Also how long is ur hair?

soaringeagle said:

great post

in nearly all cases the key to dreading lies in the right mix for your hair

if oily skip acv use bs

if dry acv is a plus african hairs pretty muchil free naturaly so needs some moisture

the right wash makes all the difference

i alter mine by result i want more that wash

if i want em super soft and cuddly add jojoba aloe anything like that

but arfter awhile of that get alotta loose hairs so increase the salt decrease the oils

and find dozens of new babies every wash

want dreads, but have no money? GO BUY A BUNCH OF THIS! lol

good thread though, just thought it was funny.

Haha Yes!!

There are so many great treasures to be found at the dollar store!

I have a question about using the white vinegar, I have fairly oily hair, been trying to extend out the wash time to get my hair at least decent looking after 2 days of not washing before I start dreading naturally, should I use the white vinegar ( and what dilution ratio ) to start my dreading process or should I skip that and just try the BS wash and not use vinegar at all ?

hey there, great thread! just wondering about the salt water spray, do you leave it in or rinse it out??

rinse it after a bit like wouldnt leave it on longer then a couple hiours max

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Hey Cindy, if you have straighitst hair I recommened you use the vinegar. I blow dried my hair after soaking, and I had baby dreads after 5 hours of backcoming