I'm at a crossroads. I've been thinking about hacking my dreads ... help!

Hello everyone,

I'm not really sure where to post this, so I hope this section is alright. I've been lurking here for a long time but this is my first post so let me give a little background. I started my dreads in November 2010 when I was in a huge Bob Marley phase using the DreadheadHQ backcombing/wax method. My hair was only around 4 inches long. My babydreads were tiny and falling apart which caused a few headaches, but the wax kept them together. At the time, I didn't know any better and hadn't stumbled across this place. After a few months, I found a few dreadlocks sites claiming natural dreading processes were better and that wax was essentially evil. By this point, my dreads had started to tighten and look pretty good so I stopped using wax and washed/rinsed out as much of it as I could. I switched to using aloe every once in a while to keep things in check. I kept looking around the net and somehow found this place. I didn't create an account until recently, but have since gotten a lot of really great information and tips from all of you guys and for that I'm very appreciative!

Now, let's fast-forward to the present. My younger brother is getting married soon and I'm to be the best man at his wedding. I like my dreads, but they do look very informal and I've been thinking about cutting them and going with a more "corporate drone" look. A very significant part of me doesn't want to cut them, but I'm finding myself at a crossroads. Anyone else ever been in a situation like this? Any advice?

And since I've never posted any photos of my dreads, here are some photos for reference:

Most of the time I wear them pulled back with a (relatively) loose hairband:

updated by @brian-helfrich: 01/13/15 09:02:55PM

ok

they definately look like dreadheadhq s]=dreads and suspect they still have wax in em

i cut mine off nce for a corporate bullshit

biggest mistake of my life

i was miserable

felt like i lost myself

wore a hat for a year

felt trapped in a life i didnt want

luckily i broke my back and ended up ain a whelchair ..yea i know lucky? well actualy it was..saved me from that life i was beuing pressuf=red into that made me sick

soon as i could my dreads were growing again and will for life

and had a magical amazing life that is the oposite of that corporate hell

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

I'm terribly sorry to hear about your accident. I broke my pelvis around the time I started my dreads so I kept "maintaining" them (waxing them up) while I was sitting around bored out of my mind.

Would you suggest I start over, or follow the methods listed here:

http://www.dreadlockssite.com/forum/topics/dread-wax-removal

How can you tell if/when all the wax is gone?

its well actualy maybe impossible to tell if its all gone

but they will soften become more flexxible and u may find even if 1 year old they revert to dreads 1 week old cause they bnever truly dreded u will see more looping more natural progression ..actual drewading at an accelerated rate

when i broke mine 2 weeks after getting out of the hospitol i was taking my 1st glider flight with www.freedomswings.org

then couple months later was at my 3rd rainnbow gathering

We Love You from Jonathan Kalafer on Vimeo .

(not that 1 1 in vermont 18 years earlier)

thats where my dreads began

just playin in the woods

forgetting i had hair

start over or dewax thats your choice u can definately get most out at least using that and they will be happy you did

ifyou start over then im sure youd be gaoppy with that choice too

but u have to decide whats best..at very least get the wax out

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Thanks very kindly for your replies. Definitely got me thinking. I used so much wax I doubt I would ever be able to get it all out. I've tried all of those suggestions time and time again and yet I can always find more wax. It makes me very sad to think about cutting them, but like the saying goes, "if you're going to do something, do it right".

I have seen many a dready in a tux. Your hair is long enough to pull back which makes dreads a little more formal looking. Don't cut them off and start from scratch....unless it it something that you really really want to do. Wax can be removed a whole lot quicker than starting dreads from scratch with short hair. If it makes you sad just to think about it....imagine how sad you will be if you actually do it.

you can remove the dreads without removing the hair if u start over dont cut comb out withlots of conditioners


--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

I wouldn't cut them ill just tie it back and dye it brown so it wouldn't stand out as much as blonde.

No face shot to go along with those sexy dreads?! Waxed or not, they look yummy