Unsure whether to carry on with neglect dreading

I used to have really long hair, but a year and a half a go i chopped it all off in a crazy pregnancy hormone rage (it wouldn't do what i wanted, so i got rid of it!). Ever since then i have missed my long hair so much. I am happy that its growing out in better condition, but i miss it.

Straightened, it is about an inch below my collarbone, so its getting long again, but since i have started neglecting my hair (washing, not combing) its sitting wellabove my collarbones/on top of my shoulders. Its very curly and its tangling really well. Its only been just over two and a half weeks, but i am starting to doubt going ahead and allowing my hair to dread.


I fear it shrinking again, and i fear going through that same stage of feeling really sad about my hair. Every dread picture i have saved on my computer for inspiration is ladies with long hair. Last year when i first started thinking about dreading, it was because i had seen a women with waist-length dreads and they looked wonderul.

I know that in years my dreads will grow longer anyway, hair grows, its inevitable, but i know it will take longer to gain some real length because of it being all locked and tangled.


I guess i'm just typing this down because i feel i have a dilemma. I don't want to give up as i love the new found appreciation for my hair, but i don't want to find myself giving up in a few months time when it shrinks back up to my ears and i feel even further from my long hair.


I feel like my long hair was always a part of me, its nothing to do with vanity really. I chopped it all off and i lost a part of me, i know that sounds silly - slowly but surely its been growing back and i wonder if i am making a mistake by dreading

updated by @gemma: 01/13/15 09:35:23PM

When I first started my hair was about 5 inches long. I had one lock, that when fully mature it was only 1 inch long. I was really depressed about it. I know how you feel. Because my hair grows VERY slow.

Not to mention that I was one of those rare individuals that saw just about no progress for a full year. So after a year I would have thought my locks would be much longer. Instead they were half the length or even less.

6 years later, that 1inch lock is 18 inches long. And the others that were 3-4 inches long when mature are now 16-18 inches long.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that everyone goes through that shrinking phase, and that it can be very stressful. But when they lock up, your hair will grow unreasonably fast. You'll have your long hair back sooner than you think. I have never had hair this long before. And I can't wait till it's even longer.

You could try and take biotin. It doesn't do anything for about 3 months. But once it starts, it really makes your hair grow. I mean, my hair used to grow about 2 inches a year. After 2 months of using it, I am already seeing a bit of a growth spurt. So it does help a lot

This is only my opinion, but I think you should keep going. You have curly hair so not only will it dread really easily, but it will take longer than average to show length, in any case. The curls take a significant amount of the length away, due to the way they curl around themselves. I only have 4 inch curly hair, but I think that the speed of the progress great. Your hair will likely dread even faster than mine, depending on how curly it is. There are hair growth supplements (that are made of justvitamins, and not chemicals or anything bad for health) that make your hair grow x2 faster. Maybe that is worth looking into.

A word of advise though.. Stop straightening your hair. It is pretty bad for hair, as it does not like heat. It makes it weak and more brittle.

All this said, the choice is yours. You know what is best for yourself. However, dreads are not only easier and cheaper tomaintain, but they look great, too! Coupled with the fact that curly hair takes longer to show length, I think the choice is clear. I love dreads though, so I'm pretty biased.

it will shrink..but even short it will be dsreads and u will love em once it shrinks it grows at a n=ormal rate..even faseter without trims so it will be long again in no time

but since it will be drwaded yuwil love it even when hort and if u comb em out that "dont feel kike myself" thing will be 10 times worse

stick to it

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1