Thin dreads, Crocheting?

I want to start dreading my hair and I want to do it without wax and without rubberbands but I don't want to go entirely freeform.

I prefer tighter thinner dreads rather than thicker freeform dreads, so I was going to separate into sections and backcomb and then I heard from a couple of people that if you occasionally crochet the loose hairs at the roots and throughout dreads into the dread with a crochet hook that it will give you tighter dreads, is this true or a waste time?

I know, I know, freeform is the best most healthy way but I do not want to go entirely freeform, my mind is already set on guiding my dreads into the form I want them, I dont want to use a dread perm or wax or rubberbands or anything like that and I dont mind waiting the time for them to mature as I am a stay at home mom and have no one but my 3 year old to impress but in the long run I want thin tight dreads and would like to be on the right path to obtaining these, advice?

Also Dr.Bonner tea bar soap a good soap for washing?

updated by @mel-m: 02/14/15 06:23:39AM

Heyy... well mine are pretty small and tight... you can check out the pic on my profile if you want to see how it turned out for the method I did which was twist n rip + neglect... meaning I twisted and ripped to get them in but then I didn't do anything to them after that... no root flipping, no crochet hook, nothing but occasionally palm rolling them (*mostly out of boredom while watching tv) and separating them. I'm glad I didn't flip the roots or crochet now because after only three weeks my roots are tightening on their own!

Someone on the forum put it in a good way, that twist n ripping (or backcombing) is more like setting a blueprint for where your dreads will go, but you still have to let them naturally form either way. So if I were you I'd section them how you want, twist n rip (I preferred that to backcombing) and then leave them be--but accept it's going to be a journey and if you want dreads for the long haul you'll need to be patient while they are forming.

I use Dr. Bronner's baby soap (the scent free kind) but a lot of people say the bar soaps are good too. Good luck on your path.

crocheting creates smaller dreads with bigger sections......it makes them look obviously crocheted. Imagine a 2inch section of your head with a little skinny hard stiff dread sticking out. It is not pretty. If you want skinny dreads...just use small sections. Rule of thumb .....the dread will mature to the section size. (My hair is thin so my dreads will not be as big as my sections)

So as long as I section them and backcomb them I can pretty much determine the size? Thats my only issue is that I dont want thick fat dreads, I have all the time in the world for them to get to where I want them to be, theres no rush there I just want to avoid big fatties, I like the daintier thinner ones...

So sectioning, backcombing, and occasionally palm rolling and I'll be okay? I definitely don't want a stiff crocheted dread thats for sure.

don't palm roll..there is no need. it really does not help plus it can cause too much friction and damage hair. but yes...make small sections and your mature dreads will be thin. For the first year there may be crazy loops and bumps that make them look thicker...but those will blend in. Mine are mostly thicker..but i have thinner ones mixed in.

alright! Thanks!

Crochet would be massive mistake that is extreme damage makes it way too tight so they don't Dread right. It breaks so many hairs they have to be constantly do repair. Just use twist and rip. Will make them nice small and tight but they do take time to tighten. You can't force it. Dreads take time not force. Crochets is extreme force, which breaks a lot of hairs in the process and makes them very weak. I would never recommend crochet not even once

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

you can actually control the size when freeforming, or going natural, by just separating more often separating will keep them from getting big. I separated a lot when when mine were young and most were very small, too small In fact. I had over 240 at one point so I let them all Congo and combine into thicker dreads. 240 dreads were too many when they were to the ground they got tangled in everything and were paying to the keep track of, so 40 to 50 thicker dreads were much easier to care for

Mel M said:

So as long as I section them and backcomb them I can pretty much determine the size? Thats my only issue is that I dont want thick fat dreads, I have all the time in the world for them to get to where I want them to be, theres no rush there I just want to avoid big fatties, I like the daintier thinner ones...

So sectioning, backcombing, and occasionally palm rolling and I'll be okay? I definitely don't want a stiff crocheted dread thats for sure.

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

would I be okay if I just sectioned and backcombed them to start them off and then let them form on their own?

and what about sea salt spray? good or bad?

soaring eagle said:

you can actually control the size when freeforming, or going natural, by just separating more often separating will keep them from getting big. I separated a lot when when mine were young and most were very small, too small In fact. I had over 240 at one point so I let them all Congo and combine into thicker dreads. 240 dreads were too many when they were to the ground they got tangled in everything and were paying to the keep track of, so 40 to 50 thicker dreads were much easier to care for

Mel M said:

So as long as I section them and backcomb them I can pretty much determine the size? Thats my only issue is that I dont want thick fat dreads, I have all the time in the world for them to get to where I want them to be, theres no rush there I just want to avoid big fatties, I like the daintier thinner ones...

So sectioning, backcombing, and occasionally palm rolling and I'll be okay? I definitely don't want a stiff crocheted dread thats for sure.

you can although backcombing tend to make puffy sausage like dreads. I think you would like Twist and Rip a lot better

Mel M said:

would I be okay if I just sectioned and backcombed them to start them off and then let them form on their own?

and what about sea salt spray? good or bad?

soaring eagle said:

you can actually control the size when freeforming, or going natural, by just separating more often separating will keep them from getting big. I separated a lot when when mine were young and most were very small, too small In fact. I had over 240 at one point so I let them all Congo and combine into thicker dreads. 240 dreads were too many when they were to the ground they got tangled in everything and were paying to the keep track of, so 40 to 50 thicker dreads were much easier to care for

Mel M said:

So as long as I section them and backcomb them I can pretty much determine the size? Thats my only issue is that I dont want thick fat dreads, I have all the time in the world for them to get to where I want them to be, theres no rush there I just want to avoid big fatties, I like the daintier thinner ones...

So sectioning, backcombing, and occasionally palm rolling and I'll be okay? I definitely don't want a stiff crocheted dread thats for sure.

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1