Maintenance and care for Starter Locs?

Hello.
Yesterday i got comb/gel twists in my hair and I'd like some tips and advice for daily maintanence.

P.S They're already starting to come loose in the back of my neck. What can i do about this? Should i just leave them alone.

Also the only thing i have to cover my hair is a wig/nylon cap i found in my house but i think it's to small for my hair ( parts of my twists stick out because they're too long) so i have to bunch my hair.into the cap. Is this a bad idea?

Thanks for any advice

updated by @r-f: 02/14/15 12:13:59PM

Hi there. Is it gel or wax in your hair? Wax is really, really bad, it holds in water which causes mold, it allows lint & dirt to stick into your dreads. If it is wax, I would read the dreaducation page on how to remove it

Why would you want to cover your hair? It needs to move in order to dread. The twist method is only a starter for the sections, to have a true dread it needs to loosen, loop, shrink up to form that mature dread we all want. When you sleep, knots form from all the moving and this is an important part of dreads to form, if it is in a cap this will not happen.

Your dreads need to be washed every 2-3 days in the beginning. A wonderful scrub free way to wash is with baking soda. Mix 1/2 cup BS to 5 cups water, pour on head & let it set for 20 minutes, then rinse well, rinse again. Then for conditioning mix 1 capful of apple cider vinegar to 5 cups water, pour on head and let set for 1 minute only, then rinse well. At no time do you scrub the scalp, you just let everything set. To help with oily issues or dry scalp issues, it is recommended that at the end of your shower you hold your head under as cold water as you can take, this will close the pores on your scalp.

Don't play with your dreads, don't palm roll them, just leave 'em be and they will dread, but ya gotta remove the stuff in them. All you will need to do is wash them and separate any that are trying to join together. I hope this helps you. Cheers

Thank so much

They are twisted with gel. I thought i should keep them covered when i sleep seeing as they are new, and the twists would come undone. I have afro hair if that makes any difference.

Is there anything you can recommend i do to keep my twists from coming undone and looking neat for the time being?

and also when i do my first wash in about 2-3 weeks should retwist? and if yes, do i gel only the roots or the whole 'loc'?

You should wash every 2-3 days, not 2-3 weeks. I do not have afro hair, I will leave the guidance to someone else to help you, but do not retwist, do not re gel.

Thanks .

the Barrellady said:

You should wash every 2-3 days, not 2-3 weeks. I do not have afro hair, I will leave the guidance to someone else to help you, but do not retwist, do not re gel.

I've got thick coarse curls so I kindof can relate, however dreads or twists whatever you wanna call them MUST LOOSEN UP TO MATURE. Leave em be. They will be frizzy and messy for many months, but products and retwisting will only hurt your baby locs and cause hair thinning and lots of damage. Good luck and welcome

Thank you. Soo covering them up when i sleep or for my first wash is a no no?

i've read on other places that ishould wash with a nylon cap until they begin to dread.

melanie rose said:

I've got thick coarse curls so I kindof can relate, however dreads or twists whatever you wanna call them MUST LOOSEN UP TO MATURE. Leave em be. They will be frizzy and messy for many months, but products and retwisting will only hurt your baby locs and cause hair thinning and lots of damage. Good luck and welcome

I sometimes sleep in a loose wool Beanie. Its said to promote knotting. Anything that's tight shouldn't be slept in. The frizz and loose hairs will drive you mad, but be patient and wait it out. Your dreads will be healthier and beautiful with little to no maintenance. Just wash and seperate

Awesome

I have a beanie (idk if it's wool) but i'll use it for the time being. Thanks again you guys for the advice .
melanie rose said:

I sometimes sleep in a loose wool Beanie. Its said to promote knotting. Anything that's tight shouldn't be slept in. The frizz and loose hairs will drive you mad, but be patient and wait it out. Your dreads will be healthier and beautiful with little to no maintenance. Just wash and seperate

Your Beanie should work just fine. Don't hesitate to write on my page if you have any more questions!