Hey all! So it's been a whole 2 weeks with my hair in baby dreads. I love them so far, even though they don't resemble much yet. There are definitely knots in them though. A friend of mine has dreads, and she did backcombing. (I did TnR). She's had hers for about a year. Anyway, she's telling me I need to redo all of mine by backcombing them, to wrap them up at night to keep them tight, and pretty much baby them til they mature. I'm a total newbie, but to me that advice seems counterintuitive. I'm good with leaving them alone to let them do what they do, and not be so gentle on them. It seeks like when I sleep on them as is, they get more bed heady and knotty, and are still staying sectioned. What do you experts think?
updated by @kelsey-cliche: 01/13/15 09:17:22PM
Instinct vs tried and true?
ask her why ppl have dreads thast nevrr backcombed never wrapped em up at night never did a thing
you dont gottas redo em u never had to do em at all
im betting she used wax too?
--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
Ps, I tried to put this in maintenance but my phone won't let me. :P
She didn't use wax, so that's good. Her dreads do look really nice, and her method obviously worked for her. I just don't feel like I have to be that delicate with them. I am careful when I wash em but otherwise they just hang out. Is that wrong?
soaring eagle said:
soaring eagle said:
ask her why ppl have dreads thast nevrr backcombed never wrapped em up at night never did a thing
you dont gottas redo em u never had to do em at all
im betting she used wax too?
nope its fine actualy backcomb tends ti=o unravel more then tnr so u may need to be lil more delicate with backcombed dreads the way u did it is better so less likely to fall out
--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
back combing works, but it's just one way to start sectioning hair. The problem with back combing verse tnr is that with combing you then have to palm roll them to get them to be flatter, cause they are just giant puff balls at the end. You will probably have t keep rolling them as they puff up again. Why waist time with that.
With tnr, they are sectioned, and you can just leave them be. They don't really puff out that much and all you have to do is separate them when you shower. Easy as that.
Plus with back combing you end up pulling out tons of hairs. Tnr leaves them be. It just tangles them up.
I'd leave your alone. People feel strongly about the way they grew their locks. When your are a year old and look great, you can look back and say you made the right choice. And when they look good in a month or 2, your friend wont be able to argue with you.
As for wrapping them up at night. Bad idea. What helps them lock is how they get to rub around and move freely at night. Some people put them up in a tam, but everyone agrees that it just falls off sometime at night. So why even bother.
also backcomb permenantly damages the cuticles tnr is much more gentle to the hair
your doing fine and on the right track so just stick it out
--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
Yeah, all that high maintenance just doesn't seem right for me and my personality. 
Baba Fats said:
Baba Fats said:
back combing works, but it's just one way to start sectioning hair. The problem with back combing verse tnr is that with combing you then have to palm roll them to get them to be flatter, cause they are just giant puff balls at the end. You will probably have t keep rolling them as they puff up again. Why waist time with that.
With tnr, they are sectioned, and you can just leave them be. They don't really puff out that much and all you have to do is separate them when you shower. Easy as that.
Plus with back combing you end up pulling out tons of hairs. Tnr leaves them be. It just tangles them up.
I'd leave your alone. People feel strongly about the way they grew their locks. When your are a year old and look great, you can look back and say you made the right choice. And when they look good in a month or 2, your friend wont be able to argue with you.
As for wrapping them up at night. Bad idea. What helps them lock is how they get to rub around and move freely at night. Some people put them up in a tam, but everyone agrees that it just falls off sometime at night. So why even bother.
