Remove Stuck Dread Beads

I've heard lots of people talking about beads getting permanently stuck in their dreads. It's actually pretty simple if you want them out for good.

1)Get a plastic bag and put the dread inside- you can loop it in there if need be.

2) Hold the bag closed or zip it shut.

3) Take a hammer and whack the lil sucker.

4) Shake broken pieces loose from the dread and hopefully they fall into the bottom of the bag- tweezers will remove any leftover pieces.

Even metal beads will crack and glass beads usually break into shards like a glass pipe dropped on the floor not shatter into a million pieces, but obviously be careful when taking a hammer to your dreads

updated by @jackie: 01/13/15 09:28:53PM

better yet..leave em in they will fall out on their own eventualy

it might take years but eventualy they will come out

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Never crack a glass bead with a hammer. Even if it's in a plastic bag. Like you said... "millions of shards". There's no making sure they are all out and when you sleep you can get pretty cut up and not notice till morning.

And wood bead crack just as easy with a pair of pliers.

Like Eagle said, if you leave them be, the hairs will snap and move around enough that eventually the bead will come out.

Best bet, though... Move the bead up and down periodically. Moving it around will make sure it doesn't get stuck in one spot

Maybe "whack" was too strong a word. I don't like chipped teeth, so I don't go with glass beads personally, but have removed 2 out of my boyfriend's dreads and we never had any cuts in bed!

If it's been on there forever and is now stuck, I'm assuming the dread is matured and then any shards are on the outside of the dread or in the bag. You could brush downwards with a toothbrush if you were really worried about it.

I have an insane fear of broken glass. That's my issue. If I drop a glass in the kitchen I won't walk in there barefoot for like a month, even if I sweep and mop and everything.

You're probably right that you could most likely brush extra shards out with a toothbrush.

I've never hurt myself on my glass beads. And my locks are long enough to swing into my face

if i really had to remove a stuck dread bead id try soaking it in olive oil and slipping it off before id smash it with a hammer

a n=metal beads more likely to crush or 'crimp" and really be stuck on there tight a glass bead your likely to drive glass inti the dread slicing through hairs

clay or wood would bereak off easily but u could also use a dremel or simular to grind deep grooves into it on eather side (but not breaking through) then just snap it off along those weakened grooves u can do that with glass as well but u wikl need safety glsses ofcourse (which u should use regardles) and u np[might get glass dust in the dreads which i wouldnt want

i bri]oke 1 glass bead off by racing a ciop and a skateboarder down mt tabor in portland after a drun=m circle..i had a 4 block lead on both when a cab turned the corner ahead of me and i skidded with fingers smoking into a curb took a dive and smashed the bead into my weyebrow

wouldnt recomend that either tho

had 8 stitches

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

You guy all make sense in theory, but don't knock it til u try it! Metal beads that "crimp" simply need to be turned the opposite way and hit again- metal will break-- jewelry making 101 right there....

Glass is not going to slice up the dread and get driven inside. I'm going to make a video next time we take a glass bead off and show you how it actually breaks cleanly and falls into the bag. Hey, to each his own.

There's always the glass in in a bag of ice then putting the baggy into a bowl of hot water, but I'm sure someone will just say that's a bad idea too

I'd love to see that vid. glass just worries me