I'm about three weeks into my natural dreads journey. I can't believe how quickly things are coming along! My hair has always clumped together really quickly, and I've spent the last god knows how long having to brush my hair several times a day to keep it looking decent. I'm not curly, but I do have a definite wave and my hair is SUPER thick and dense. I've had dreadies start in my hair many times - every time we've gone camping up the river or I've spent a few lazy days on the beach they just spring right up. In recent years I've been embracing my natural self, and dreads are the next step. I kept finding baby dreads in my hair in the morning, and would have to spend ages brushing them out every day. I finally just decided that if that's what my hair is telling me it wants, then that's what I'm going to do.
So here goes! Sorry about the dodgy picture quality in most of the photos, I'll try to get some decent ones when I can.
So here's a few from the brushing days, so you get a feel for what I started with:
First few days:
You can see how much it had clumped already. I stuck a bead in just for fun - pulled apart an old necklace to get it 
Just over a week in:
Start of week 2:
End of week three - seriously knotted. I have to keep ripping my hair apart, it seems to be intent on becoming just one giant knot. I've got a few more beads from an Etsy store, hoping that will help to keep them separated a bit.
The bad quality of the photos make my hair seem a little further along than it really is I think. I've got a lot of loopy madness at the back, but the front is quite loose - it's clumped as you can see but doesn't actually have many knots, most of it is still fairly smooth hair.
I have a LOT of hair that seems to be determined to stay loose and free, so there's a bit of a halo of frizz around my head. I know it'll settle down in it's own time.
So far my maintenance has been sipping on endless cups of chai each morning and evening while my lovely Nombe separates the knots out into their new "homes". I've been washing every few days (just sort of squeezing my hair under the faucet, no rubbing) with an all natural rosemary shampoo bar. I also lazed about in a big bath of chamomile tea - not sure if it did anything, but goddamn it felt gooooood. I've used BS/ACV in the past, but have found that if I do it to regularly it dries out my scalp too much. Now I just drink the ACV and reap the benefits internally.
I am SO in love my hair right now! Like never before
updated by @sif-zangbo: 02/05/15 10:12:49AM
