help! fresh meat

hiii all im Lo

Soooo i finally figured out my profile pic, figured thats where i should start before i ask questions

...i started the dread journey 3.11.13.. after about 8 months of saying i was going to do it... could be more stoked about it

this is my first time and im trying to go as naturally as possible.. please tell me ifwhat is right and good for my dreads or any suggestions

-all i have been doing is keeping my hair separated

-washingabout every 5 days with baking soda and conditioning with apple cider vinegar and a little coconut oil

-minimal palm rolling, which i have already been told this not needed

???questions????

can i get my hair wet outside of my 5 day wash cycle? if i do, its it more likely my dreadsthat have started will fall outor not knot, or may it in fact help with the journey?

i also feel like i have lost quite a bit of length and have naturally thin hair..any oils or natural remides that will halp thicken hair or help it grow faster that i can add to my rinse or just leave in

any advice would be extremely rad!

updated by @lo-butler: 01/13/15 09:50:12PM

Wash every 3 days 5 might be a little to long, there are many different oils you can use to help your hairs health it all just depends which suit your hair and scalp most and what type of smells you like. I suggest you go to dreadlockshampoo.com and try their shampoos and whole foods or some place like that for your oils,, Don't crochet, back comb, (tear&rip but that's just me) or palm roll, all those little loops zig zags and bumps add character although they might not be the most suiting for the time being it'll feel and look a lot better sooner then later. To me dreads catch vibes on a lot stronger level than combed hair would and in a sense it's like it stores your memories and emotions even colors if you have the imagination. If you live near a beach, starting to go every couple days really helps lock up and it's healthy for your hair in general, keep separating when you feel is necessary, patience is probably the most important of all,, take time to grow your hair with peace and love ~~ hope this helpped doe

Hey. Good luck with your dreadlock journey. Coconut oil is very conditioning, so will not help the process. Oils in the early stages are not very helpful, unless you have scalp issues to address.

If you can, get the 'lockin up' liquid shampoo from Vicki, at dreadlockshampoo.com. That is all you will need. She also has an excellent sea salt accelerator.

All you need to do is keep your hair clean, and keep the natural sections separate. keep the hair clean with either Vicki's shampoo, baking soda and apple cider vinigar, or another residure free dread shampoo.

peace and blessings

tim

Also, wash at least two to three times a week, the actual process of cleaning creates alot of tangling, so speeds up the process also.

you could possibly start taking a Biotin supplement to help your hair grow faster. dreadlocks will definable take a good amount of length off your hair, because of all the compressing, looping, and zig zagging the knots create.

Its good to keep your hair dry outside of your wash cycle (except for the ocean, which might actually help your hair because of the sea salt). Its not that big a deal if you get them wet occasionally, but you just want to keep it dry and avoid submerging your head as much as possible. Water will loosen the dreading and delay progress. The only reason you wash is to get the oils out, which themselves delay progress. I go swimming when I work out, and I just bought a waterproof dreadlock swim cap that I use to swim outside of my wash cycle. It you are going to be regularly getting in water outside of your wash cycle, I would recommend this.

skip the comconut oil wsshin or wtting helps just try to make si[ure they are totaly dry betweeen washes

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Hello, Lo.

Welcome to the site and enjoy being yourself while you have dreadlocks. While you are still in the early development stages, spend a lot of time outside enjoying the wind.

Ignore the ignorant comments you may hear from people around you they'll change their tune as your dreadlocks keep developing. If you happen to have a job at the moment tell your boss. "Dreadlocks are the ultimate end of wind blown hair."

Just noticed all the other posts here, but since I already wrote all this I will still post, but I think the other members kinda got you covered:

Welcome to Your journey Lo Butler. I will try to solve all your worries for your. First off, don't worry about a thing, just enjoy the dreadie ride.....for Caucasian hair you do not need coconut oil, the ACV rinse is perfect for you, just make sure you use it after every BS wash, unless you usually have very oily hair or scalp. Clean hair makes happy faster dreads, so for the first few months, if you can, try washing 2-3 times a week, it will speed up your journey.

You can get your hair wet anytime, just don't go to bed with wet hair or mold may set in, and make sure it dries completely before it gets the next wash.

As for hair length. Ha Ha, did this one get me by surprise. Hair shrinks in order to turn into mature dreads, there is no getting around it. I am past my one year mark now and started my journey with hair almost to my waist, it is now at my shoulders, and that also includes one year of hair growth. The longer the hair, the more the shrinkage.

There is a product sold at your local drug store in the vitamin section, it is called Biotin and it promotes hair and nail growth. Take it for 3 months to speed up the growing, it costs under 10 bucks. I don't know anything myself for thickening the hair.

Yeah, you found out palm rolling is not really needed, but it can damage your thin hair and root system, so try not to do it anymore for that reason.