Hello :)

Hi, brand new at this, it's been over 24hrs since I last brushed my hair so I've got a long journey ahead. I'm not really a patient person - hence the tag to keep reminding me - but I am pretty stubborn when something's important to me. I've been reading this forum a lot over the last few days and I see how lucky I am to have found your information first. My hair is long and straight and I have a friend that thinks it won't dread at all just by leaving it but it looks as if lots of people on here have done that so maybe I can prove her wrong. I've done a version of no-poo before with bicarb paste and vinegar so I'm trying the bicarb rinse/vinegar rinse version I saw on here now.

There's a couple of things I'm not certain of yet, mostly whether to let my whole head do its own thing or just to let it dread at the back and keep it more as it is now at the front because I kind of like my fringe. And my parting hasn't moved in 30 years so I'm not sure what will happen with that either.

Also my very old computer is having a problem loading the forum. I've disabled plug-ins but it hasn't helped much so if anyone can suggest something else I can try that would be helpful. I use Chrome which is usually compatible with Firefox-friendly sites.

updated by @patience: 01/13/15 09:44:23PM

welcome u can try ff try clearing cache and cookies make use its all updated etc

anyway u odviosly brushed your hair b4 right? why? i supose it would tangle and get lil knotty and messy if u didnt?

well gues what thats proof itds going to dread

every knot u brushed out would have formed a dread if left in..

give it a chance

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Welcome to the site! Good luck with your dreads! Its a liberating process to let your hair do what it wants to naturally.

Yes, I said to my friend that when I'd been wearing a woollen scarf or shawl the back of my hair would be a bundle of knots afterwards. I reckon I'll just have to encourage more of that - I bet the back will dread faster than the front lol

Thanks for the computer suggestions - hope I can get one of them to work for my sad old 'puter!

soaring eagle said:

welcome u can try ff try clearing cache and cookies make use its all updated etc

anyway u odviosly brushed your hair b4 right? why? i supose it would tangle and get lil knotty and messy if u didnt?

well gues what thats proof itds going to dread

every knot u brushed out would have formed a dread if left in..

give it a chance

Thank you

Joshua said:

Welcome to the site! Good luck with your dreads! Its a liberating process to let your hair do what it wants to naturally.

Hi Patience. Your moniker is what you will need for sure. Natural dreads go through a long and messy process the first year. You will love the beginning when all the crazy loops form, very interesting to see it happen. I too started with long hair, almost to my waist, and now at my 10th month, 3/4 of them are to my shoulders, some shorter. Expect SHRINKAGE. I don't know how I did not realize this much would happen, but now you know what to expect. My hair never had the same part, so now I have none. but yours has been there for 30 years or more, so chances are you will always have it. A few hairs may join the party on the other side and if so, let them party together.

MAYBE you can prove your friend wrong?--just look at all the photos on this site, you CAN prove her wrong, all these beautiful people have. And you know what?, with patience you will have healthy, gorgeous and sexy dreads in two years time. Welcome and enjoy the journey.

Thanks for the encouragement and advice. My hair is about waist length too so that's interesting to hear how much shorter yours got - I'll be fun seeing what mine does!

BTW I think I may have slightly misread what my friend said. Looking at it again and from things she's said about her own (carefully managed) dreads she may have meant she just doesn't think it looks good while natural dreads are forming. I must say from what I've seen on here I love the random mixture of baby dreads, loose hair and odd crazy bits in people's early photos. It looks so organic and - yeah - natural

So far I am being very amused by how excited I am to have hair full of tangles. I might even try to take a photo and it's been years since there were any photos of me - it's always me taking photos of everyone else lol

the Barrellady said:

Hi Patience. Your moniker is what you will need for sure. Natural dreads go through a long and messy process the first year. You will love the beginning when all the crazy loops form, very interesting to see it happen. I too started with long hair, almost to my waist, and now at my 10th month, 3/4 of them are to my shoulders, some shorter. Expect SHRINKAGE. I don't know how I did not realize this much would happen, but now you know what to expect. My hair never had the same part, so now I have none. but yours has been there for 30 years or more, so chances are you will always have it. A few hairs may join the party on the other side and if so, let them party together.

MAYBE you can prove your friend wrong?--just look at all the photos on this site, you CAN prove her wrong, all these beautiful people have. And you know what?, with patience you will have healthy, gorgeous and sexy dreads in two years time. Welcome and enjoy the journey.