Newbie needs advice!

Hello!

So I am brand spanking new to this site and I am so happy I have found it! I don't know anyone with dreads. Everything I know I have pretty much taught myself or picked up on here or there. So, I have a few questions. I have had my dreads for about 13 months now and I'm really happy to have them. They have matured to a nice place and I'm comfortable with them, but now I need less. I have well over 100 and thats just too many to maintain. I know on this forum, most people prefer completely natural, but unfortunately I have to keep mine up for work (I use the crochet hook). So, whats the best way to go about combining them? Adding hair wraps/felted wool? I would love to add some colorful decorations to my hair. I just don't know how to go about doing it. Next question, my dreads along my front hairline are starting to drive me bonkers!!!!!! They're poky n just kind of pop from the root. How can I get them to lay more flat? It drives me wild when I pull my hair back and I have 1 or 2 dreads just stick straight out the side of my head. Next question, to remain blonde or go back to my natural color...? I just love love LOVE having blonde hair. When it works out. It seems so difficult sometimes to get it just right. I am a licensed cosmetologist, so I know what I am doing, but damn is it difficult to get it right with dreadlocks. Running in and out of the shower to see if I need to tone or if I need more or wondering if I left it on for too long. UGH! And I hate washing my hair too much, because since I have so many little dreads they come apart easily. But I REALLY enjoy the contrast it offers when you add decorations into your hair, the bright blonde up against the bright colors. I just wish I had someone else to do it for me really. And one more question! I promise. Some of my dreads have taken on really strange shapes at the roots. For example, some are triangular, some are long and more narrow, others are good, but as the root grows out it looks a lot flatter n starts getting funky looking. Is this all ok? Should I do something to correct this?

Here are some pics to show you the progression. Maybe you can tell me what you in think in comparison from then until now.

Thanks!!!!!

updated by @nicki-herrick: 01/13/15 09:37:51PM

Hey hey! Good to hear from ya! From what I can see, your dreads look beautiful! But I can only see your profile pic! Haha, my smart phone is actually not smart at all. It's actually more of an idiot phone... ANYWAYYYY...I will address your questions the best I can from what I've gathered lurking through the boards. Also, a bit of my opinion. I'm pretty inexperienced but you'ren a great place to find folks with extensive knowledge on the topic!1.) Combining dreads... I use beads or wraps to combine mine. Slide a bead down close to the two dreads roots, leave it there for a few weeks and VOILA! One dread! Easy peasy. 2.) Getting them to lay flat... I'm not too sure how to go about this one. While they're up, use a headband. To get them to lie flat...I've seen the suggestion that after washing, you could attach a weight(s) to the ends of the problem dreads (nNothing so heavy as to cause damage! Be careful for sure) and keep that in until it/they dry. Otherwise my suggestion would be to try and pin them where you would want them to lie while they dry. Idk though! Hopefully someone with actual experience on this matter will chime in.3.) To stay blonde... Eek, Idk! You look so pretty as a blonde but gosh, you're right! The maintenance is killer!!! I went blonde by myself once and it was too much. Lol, I redid it once then dyed my hair back to it's natural color. It was also too damaging for my hair. Honestly, I bet you would look beautiful as a brunette. And if you still wanted some blonde in your locks, you could always clip in blonde extensions. Just a thought! :D4.) Strange shapes at the roots... I'm not sure what you mean by this. If you're saying the sections shape at the roots is weird, I would say that's normal. If you're saying the new growth is dreading weird or not dreading weird... well, Idk! Sorry about that!Anywho, I hope you find what you're looking for! Best wishes!

Why do you feel that you need to crochet? You are doing major damage to them. what will happen is they will break off. Every time you shove the hook through you break more hairs. these hairs will stick out and make it look like you need to maintain them more, thus causing further damage. If you have been crocheting for a year, they are already very damaged and will need significant recovery time.

To combine dreads, you just let them grow together. It's that simple. If you think that they are too big, separate. Dreads should be easy. The only "maintenance" they need is washing and separating.

As for dying them.. I've no idea. I hear that it can be risky, but I have no real knowledge about it.

The roots, they usually grow out in the shape of the section. As they grow longer, they round up. If you're talking about the shape of the section itself, not much you can do about that. To get two to grow together, Kyra has it right. Just remember that it will most likely take a long time for the two dreads to fuse completely together, if they do at all. The roots may be the only part that blends to create one new dread as it grows. If having a snake tongue dread is a problem for you, put a wrap down the whole thing. Ixchel posted a great tutorial on hair wraps if you don't know how.Adam is very right about crocheting. It's so incredibly damaging. Every time you push the hook thru, you're dealing hundreds of hairs. When you pull the hook back thru you're breaking double or triple that amount. If/when you decide to toss the hook, you could wear a tam or pull your dreads back loosely while you're at work.

Breaking, not dealing.

I already addressed the issue with crocheting the on your page. If you feel like you need to maintain them for work, then find a different job. lol. I know that isn't preferable sometimes. If you have them for fashion, then any employer can ask you to maintain them, and even fire you for having them at all. If you have them for spiritual reasons, you don't have to maintain them aside from washing. You live in the US, spiritual dreadlocks are protected under the first amendment.

So onto the questions:

1) to get them to lay flat, stop crocheting them crocheting your roots not only destroys them, but it also makes your locks too stiff which makes them stick out in all directions. If you are bent on keeping that up, then wear a bandanna or tam for a little while. That will help keep them flat. But if you keep crocheting they will ALWAYS stick up until they are finally long enough and heavy enough to lay down from their own weight.

2) Like said before me, get a bead and put it on 2 locks near the root. Then, don't crochet those for a while and let them tangle into 1 lock. If they are mature, they may not turn into 1 solid lock, but rather 1 lock with a fork at the end.

3) Talk to Steele about dying locks. http://www.dreadlockssite.com/profile/Steele

4) Your roots should be different shapes. I know you want to crochet, bu at least do something that isn't hurtful to your hair. Healthy locks should not have symmetric sections. You should have a combination of fatter and thinner ones with different shaped roots. This allows them to lay flatter and not hurt your head when they get heavier. If you can see scalp between your locks, anyway, you are promoting baldness.

Who says you have to crochet them for your job? Your boss can be sued for saying that. They cannot make you maintain that is illegal. Your dread are sticking up in the front because they are stiff from crochet. The roots shapes are perfectly normal, why should they be square, round or any other shape? They should be whatever shape they want to be. If you want to combine dread don't separate them. It's that simple. Dreads will combine themselves if you let them

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