so i just got my dreads all of three weeks ago. i'm not sure if my dreads were backcombed or just twisted but there was lots of beeswax involved. i have thick curly bushy multitextured blonde hair and my locks are about 4 inches. because i have different textures in different parts of my hair i have different kinds of locks; some of them are becoming loose at the ends and/or roots. now that i've seen the story on wax i'm not gonna be effin with it anymore, so here's my first question: should i use aloe vera gel instead? i'm a big aloe proponent so i've got plenty of that already. also, i see people talking about sea-water. i don't necessarily live near the ocean so can i just make my own salt water? and once i do, what's the best way to apply it. another thing i should mention is that i haven't gotten my head wet or washed my hair/scalp since i got dreaded, because i'm afraid the locks would unravel. i'm thinking that i'm just going to wait until they lock to wash them. in the meantime, how should i go about washing my dry scalp? i've got lots of flakes so i know i need to apply something until i can wash my hair. o and also one of my boys who has dreads told me that Knotty Boy wax is cool to use because it doesn't contain wax, just all-natural ingredients like aloe & hemp. that's all the questions i can think of for now...please enlighten me!
updated by @astral-mihdi: 02/14/15 07:36:40AM
*rookie dread-boy* got some questions
hey mate, i'm new to the site and to deads as well, but i just finished ready an excellent post that answers every one of those questions i believe Dreaducation
congrats on your new dreads! If you like how my dreads look i suggest you try not to wax(if you have to only do it the first month), wash them once a week then if you'd like spray some salt water made from 1 part sea salt and 10 parts water and use the aloe at first it'll really helps. don't worry about them unravelling it happens to everyone that backcombs. mine pretty much came out! as far as loose hair goes you can crochet them in with the smallest crochet hook you can find or leave them. the loose hair will lock up in a few months. flakes happen because your scalp is dry and it happens to me too. remember not to get frustrated because locks take time. if you have any questions this site as a ton of info or ask me and i might have the answer..
thanks for responding! what is crocheting? and can i use regular salt instead of sea salt or does it have to be sea salt? and, how would you suggest i wash my hair? probably not under a shower head i'm assuming...nice dreads by the way dude! Jake said:
congrats on your new dreads! If you like how my dreads look i suggest you try not to wax(if you have to only do it the first month), wash them once a week then if you'd like spray some salt water made from 1 part sea salt and 10 parts water and use the aloe at first it'll really helps. don't worry about them unravelling it happens to everyone that backcombs. mine pretty much came out! as far as loose hair goes you can crochet them in with the smallest crochet hook you can find or leave them. the loose hair will lock up in a few months. flakes happen because your scalp is dry and it happens to me too. remember not to get frustrated because locks take time. if you have any questions this site as a ton of info or ask me and i might have the answer..
I have never used anything but my hands at times... I never needed any products. The only thing i used and have always used was shampoo and mine are growin strong. Everyone's hair is different though but in my experience it will dread on its own without anything. There was this one time i tried honey someone told me to haha BAD IDEA. I never tried anything since.
thanks dude i always like to hear that! crocheting is when you take a crochet hook and stick it through the dread, wrap the hair around it and pulling through. it takes the loose hair into the dread but if you don't do it right it can hurt your dreads. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdYxAVo_0A8 thats a good example. for the salt water i'm not sure about regular table salt i have only tried sea salt and it works really well sorry i'm not too sure about that. I wash my hair once a week under a shower head and really massage the scalp and work the residue shampoo into your dreads then squeeze it out. make sure there is no shampoo left in them too. and your dreads will look great no matter what you do it just takes time. good luck
Damn dawg, no wash at all. If you don't like the wax applied you need to be taking the hottest showers possible so that it'll melt out. It may look like it's becoming undreaded but relax it takes time to get dreads. Just wash your hair with some baking soda (You can find that recipe somewhere on this forum) every 3-5 days and rinse well. Maybe even do a couple of different washes cause the wax collects dirt and shit like no other. BUt mos def you should wash your hair like, now. Haha, peace.
ok, first thing you want to do, is get that wax outta your hair. Here's how http://www.dreadlockssite.com/forum/topics/dread-wax-why-ya-dont-want-it and here's why, wax keeps your hair filthy. Your hair cant be washed properly because the wax repels water. It also attracts all kinds of stuff that will stick to your dreads. Lint, Dirt, Pet Hair etc. And wax will trap water in your dreads. Resulting in some mold and mildew. And that dear friend is some smelly stuff. Also after some time has passed and you keep waxing. Your dreads are going to get really heavy. Get the wax out of there. you will have much happier dreads. Waxed dreads do not last long. Couple of years max. If you want to have healthy dreads for more than a couple of years stay away from products. Knottyboy included. The only thing I would use from them is maybe the shampoo. But it is horribly expensive. You could use the baking soda wash. Which makes your hair feel amazing and it only costs pennies. Take a gallon of water. Add 1/3 to 3/4 of a cup of baking soda add 10 drops of teatree oil, 20 of rosemary and 20 of lavender. Put it on your hair, let it sit for about 20 mins, then rinse really good. And to condition take a gallon of water add a splash of Apple cider vinegar put in on your hair, let it sit for 5 mins and rinse. These companies are simply trying to make a buck. Dreads are a natural thing and you dont need products for them, if the frizz is driving you nuts, put some aloe vera gel on them. The real stuff. It is refridgerated and the only ingredient on it should be aloe vera. And you can get it at a health food store. Good luck with your dread journey
HAHA! one time i put a couple dreads in underneath so that when i put my hair up in a pony tail you could see them.. and i used toothpaste for a couple haha... they came out in a few days.. most definitely lmao.. i forgot about that until you said you put honey in your hair.. Jessica said:
I have never used anything but my hands at times... I never needed any products. The only thing i used and have always used was shampoo and mine are growin strong. Everyone's hair is different though but in my experience it will dread on its own without anything. There was this one time i tried honey someone told me to haha BAD IDEA. I never tried anything since.
