So I haven't combed my hair for almost five weeks now and see no progress at all. I wash 3 times a week with lockin up liquid and use a salt spray also. How long before I should do twist and rip. I really don't want to because well I don't really want to be bothered and was hoping they would form naturally where they meant to be. My hair is thin and prob about 6 inches.
updated by @vwpimpin: 01/13/15 09:52:15PM
No progress
Well hi there. The first stage is that your hair will separate into sections. The sections usually don't start to knot until they are 6 inches long, and yours are that right now. You should see knots happening any time from now on. I did the T&R, but I gotta tell you, they set you back on your journey. The T&R is only a roadmap to your dreads, they will loosen, many will fall out, then the dreads will start to form...so it is one step forward and two steps back...better to leave them to freeform. For drying your hair, give your head a good shake a let the water drip off. Only pat gently with a towel, no rubbing or wrapping the head with it. I use a shamwow to suck the water out of mine, again, just gently holding it there, no rubbing. Are you using a blowdryer, if so, don't use one.
If you have not done any of the above, then it is only your length that is making it taking a little longer to knot. Please be patient and let them grow naturally, it is truly the best way. Once the knotting starts, it will be a quicker journey for you because your hair won't have a lot of shrinking to do. Mine was almost waist length and it took a long time to thicken and shrink. All hair will dread, any day now you will wake up with knots. Oh yeah, what type of pillow case do you have, satin ones are too smooth and silky. If you have a wool blanket or wool sweater, put it over your pillow so that when you toss and turn in the night while sleeping, it might cause friction and knotting.
Hope this helps you out, keep us posted when you get your first knots.....Peace
5 weeks is only just over 1 month. That is still in the embryonic stage of locks. Your hair is still in the random collection and production of new cells. Each individual hair is like a new cell that needs to accumulate in order to form a mature individual.
With humans, this takes about 9 months before the child is ready to enter the world. With locks, the full formation takes about a year to reach maturity. To compare 5 weeks of locking to embryonic development, you'd still be in the first week. Your cells have only started to do anything.
There's no reason, ever to TnR your hair. You could, in order to try and map out where you want each lock to be. But if you just let it happen naturally, they'd do just fine. Once they start to really take some shape and texture, you can separate them so they don't congo together into any massive sections. But like Barrellady said, it's a 1 step forward 2 step back process. Neglect locks are always a forward progress
Everyone's dread journey is on a different time schedule, many factors including hair type, water, products, makes our journeys different. Check out lxhel's timeline. Her free form journey also took a long time, but it did happen...Peace
I know I am only a month in and I don't expect dreads yet or even knots but when I say no progress I mean no separation, nothing at all. When I look at most timelines after a few days you see something. Like I said I have no urge to twist n rip I will just keep going on, thanks for the responses. If you saw my hair you wouldn't know I haven't combed it.
some journeys are longer than others. keep on going & they will do what they need to in time <3 even to family they didn't realize i hadn't combed it when i was months in, it stayed smooth & silky & looking brushed for a while. they do catch on tho! i promise 
give them love & time!
Vwpimpin said:
I know I am only a month in and I don't expect dreads yet or even knots but when I say no progress I mean no separation, nothing at all. When I look at most timelines after a few days you see something. Like I said I have no urge to twist n rip I will just keep going on, thanks for the responses. If you saw my hair you wouldn't know I haven't combed it.
