Help! Update. Pictures. Advice Please.

Okay guys, so I have had my hair dreaded for a few months now. The other day I noticed that I had a lot of congos all around the back to the point that underneath my dreads was one massive mat. I washed my dreads and had my husband help me rip them all apart and band the roots to try to keep them organized. I want to let them do what they want but I want to try to avoid congos as much as possible because to be honest, as you all would know, it hurt. So this brings me to question number one.

These are pictures of when I first dreaded.

How can I be sure to keep congos out. I have all natural hemp twine (cord?) but is it okay to wrap them this early? Will this affect my dreading negatively or just not make a difference? I had been keeping the roots pulled apart but never actually ripped them until I realized there was a mat.

Also I made my own dread coils and put them on a few dreads. They are not too tight, just tight enough that they will not fall out but i can pull them out no problem. Is this okay?

I have to wear my hair up off of my shoulders for work and some of you had told me that this may slow the dreading process. I am going to upload some photos so that you guys can tell me if the dreading looks like it is going the way it should or if It seems they are not going to hold. When I wear my hair up I try not to make the pony tight so that it will not affect it. I'm sure I am worrying about nothing but I just want to be sure because I REALLY don't want to have to shave my head and start over.

Another question, I herd that pure aloe vera will help with frizzing. is this true and if so what is the process for that? Should I rub it on the roots, tips, all over? How much should I use, how often? Will using it interfere with my baking soda cleanser? Will it come out with my baking soda cleanser? How often should I wash when using aloe?

Okay, last one. I know that crocheting is looked down upon because it causesthe hairs to break and stuff so i have tried avoiding it at all costs. However, I read about the "old school" crocheting, apparently consisting of looping the dread through the root. Is this okay? What happens when this is done. Logically it would cause a hole to be in the dread at a later point but is there a chance of the dread breaking off? Would this help the dread process? Would this help to keep my roots from congoing?

Here are the picture I have taken so that you guys could see the process.

these next few were taken today. It seems they are shrinking but Im not sure. When I ripped the congos I started re dreading my tips because they looked like plain hair.

here you can see the coils I added. I believe I did quite well for a first timer:)

The next one I made a treble clef in the coil:)

This one ^^^ was my first attempt. Not so good but I still love its unique-ness.

So that's that, let me know what you guys think and thanks in advance!

updated by @jackie-turner: 02/05/15 10:12:49AM

Harsh reality is needed here but I promise that it'll be for the long term health of your hair. I love your hair. It's so cute!! Adorable beads and wiring, too.

Do not do any maintainence on your roots. 'Root wrapping' or 'flipping' is just another way of damaging and CHOKING a dreadlock to death. LITERALLY!! See, a dreadlock is like a living thing. It counts on gravity and your every day activity to help it grow into a mature ... creature... for lack of a better word at the moment. Each one has it's own personality. You'll see this with time.

The first year it is vital to getting enough 'down time' with your hair as possible. When you don't have to have it up, have it down.

When you wrap stuff tightly around the roots(even your own stray hairs) it cuts off the circulation of the dread to the rest of the lock and therefore it halts it's maturation process. Hairs need to naturally shed, drop down into the lock and then wind themselves around inside to further make that lock what it should be. If you're choking it off at the top then it'll never mature.

Now hair ornaments are fine. Just don't go overboard with them all the time. Rotate. Leave the dreads that need to mature some more alone and only adorn the ones that are the most mature. And still rotate those from time to time to give them their own time to breathe and do more locking up.

Dreads want to congo. Just a fact of life. You have to do waaaay more tearing apart with them the first year than you ever will again. I have about 60 locks. I shampoo three times a week. At least once a week after my hair is dry from shampooing I must sit down with a pair of scissors(small, snub child sized scissors) and get to work breaking it up. The locks I can't easily pull apart or even kinda roughly untangle, I have to carefully take scissors to those few hairs that got embedded where they're not supposed to be. You don't look like you're at the point yet, though. Give it a few months. You can feel which hairs those are when you wiggle your dreads around in different directions. Just try to put your hair up in a pony tail and if your hair is folding instead of smoothly rolling up into your hands the you automatically know you've got some separating to do.

Don't be scared of scissors. Some people have to do it more often than others after the mess turns into a wild garden o' locks growing on your head.. After 8 months I've tapered off a great deal with having to use scissors. Usually I can untangle and gently pull out the hairs from where they're not supposed to be and just let em hang free. But other times... grrr.. you just gotta cut. And that hair will grow back long! And then it'll form micro locks or eventually go where it's supposed to. But separating and some snipping to get them to behave is the ONLY 'maintenance' which should ever be done on natural dreadlocks. If you do more than that you're going to choke the life out of them. Consider them your babies. You've got to help them grow up strong and there are certain things they need. Freedom is one of them.

Gravity, water, movement, and washing. That's what healthy dreadlocks need. And freedom.

Oh, and no linty pillowcases or towels. Dry your hair with a towel that matches your hair. It'll save you some aggravation picking out lintballs. Drives me nuts. Especially on the tips.

lol. I get that. My husband said while he was ripping the congos that I had all sorts of fuz from my pillow. but luckily we got them all out. And thanks! I tried really hard to keep them organized and cutesy while still keeping them healthy. I only wash every two weeks and spray sea salt mixed with tea tree oil at least once a day to keep them locking. I'm so proud of them. I will be able to stop working in a month or so, so maybe they will take off after not having to be put up anymore. I'm moving to north dakota soon to so its going to be cool to be the unique one with dreads. Thats how it is in alabama to, I love being the weird one. So many people have given me dirty looks and when they say "Oh your hair is nasty looking", I tell them to smell it. Smells like peppermint! HA, Love it.

Need to wash way more than once every two weeks. Washing helps dreadlocks form. When oil forms on your scalp it travels down the shaft, coats the hair, and actually hinders progress. You should be washing every three days or so.

Also, the force of the showerhead gently pushes knots further down into the lock, firming them up. That's part of the maturation process. If you don't wash then they dont' get that benefit on a regular basis.

Sea salt should only be left on two hours max before washing. It can make your hair really brittle if left on longer than that.

You have a lot a great info given to you there. Definitely wash just as much as you did before (except probably not 7days a week tho). I typically wash mine every other day, but on days when I have to wash on days back to back, I really love how they feel.. They really do dread up faster when you keep them clean.

I am constantly separating my dreads. Every day, several times a day. Maybe I obsess too much, but I check them everytime I think about it. Sometimes while driving and stuck in traffic!

Lastly, don't use the aloe vera while your hair is in the early stages. It can cause your newly forming sections to loosen. It will tame frizzies, but it is really only advised for established, mature dreads.

One other piece of advice given often on here, no re-twisting on your loose ends. They just loosen back up and the "process" has to begin again. Trust me. I am kicking myself for doing mine. The sections that I did re-twisting/ripping are the last to start to knot.

Lastly, if you every get to the point when you feel that they aren't working for you, unless you want a shaved head--just know that you don't have to cut them off! They can be combed out, and you are back to your undreaded hair!