Manicured Locks

Thanks SE =]I feel as if I want the Johnny Clean dreads.... but I know it's not going to happen, I know everyone is saying that you want crazy, wild, unique dreads but I'm not to sure I do, I don't like having alot of attentive stares, the other day I trialled dreads, using wax & backcombing to see people's reactions & what I would look like with dreads & you get alot & alot of stares that I usually wouldn't get with my current hair..... I really want dreads, dont get me wrong & I'm starting them today, but here in Australia, especially in my area, SO much onus is put on the way you look & presentation is big.... I would be the only person at school & work with dreads & idk.... SE? How do you deal with all the extra attention put on oneself when you have a dreaded hairstyle?Thanks London <3 soaringeagle said:

ive always avoided jobs but when i had yo i never ytied to look presentable
well the office job i put on a tam tucked my beard dreads inside my shity. day 1 on the job i let down my dreads and the president of the companty walks by stops dead in his tracks and just said "wow" ..only time my dreads were ever mentioned
i then founded 2 non prpffits after that was on the board of both and often met with wealthy patrons leaders in the arts community heads of every non profit in the city including the huge multibilion multinational ones as well as poloticians and u name it
i never tried to tidy the dreads i think the most i troed to be tresentable was when meeting a congressman or maypr i put on a sirt that didnt have the sleeves tore off
i only tied my dreads back if i was hot

u realy dont gotta worry bouit it as much as u think

updated by @london-3: 07/23/15 06:18:29PM

Yea, I have a tam & 3 knitted bands =]I love the way they look with dreads, so cute =]I cant wait to start =] Paula said:

You could always wear tams when they are allowed. You can get some headbands. You can tie them back, if you do, do it loosely and it's usually better when it's a low ponytail and don't have it tied for too long.

there's great stuff in the shop, the link at the top right

I have the same sort of situation Izzy! =]I'm glad, I can relate to your story, & my boss is fine too but he said they must be manicured if I am to turn up to any shifts... although I work in a K-mart sooo, I guess presentation is a key aspect as I am on the door checkouts & layby, people need to feel as though they can come up to me & I am friendly, a little hard if I am tied to a dreadlock stereotype =/But I guess I will learn to live with it & challenges make you stronger right?=] London <3 Izzy-licious said:

I agree with SE you don't need to worry about it as much as you think. I asked my boss if I could get them and she likes them so so she was fine with them but I understand the concern. My parents both think that they need to be more tame and boring or I will not be taken seriously. I told them about SE's story of the non-profits and such and slowly my mom is coming around to the fact that my hair does not effect my ability to do a job. My dad is more old school and keeps making subtle comments about them and jobs. SO... relax on them a little. I work in a Doctors office and my dreads are out all the time and my nose piercing is in all the time. Ask your boss if you are worried or just dont be worried and relax.

Hahahahaha Gary gary gary =]Blame it on the wind? Or the heater if you are inside..... =]Yea, I guess that my perception of my own dreads will change as the dreading journey starts & eventually I will lose my will to do them & fight them & just accept them for, well, them I guess =]thanks everyone for you help =] GreyGargoyle said:

You're on the right track then. I got all the info before starting as well. I'm six months in and I started from a shaved head. It's been a blast. But there are some ups and downs. I found that I liked my hair wild, crazy and messy more than I liked it looking tame. I've gotten used to it being so wild that it just looks plain goofy when it's not being wild. :P And like SE said, you really don't have to worry as much as you think you should. Most people don't really care too much if your hair is a bit messy. Especially if you live in a windy area. :P You can always just blame it on the wind. =)

I use a mixture of bicarb, salt, water, and a few drops of tea tree and peppermint essential oils.

cool, thankswhat amounts of each do you use?& is this altogether, like as the shampoo? GoldenEagle said:

I use a mixture of bicarb, salt, water, and a few drops of tea tree and peppermint essential oils.

bicarb: 15 milwater: 240 milSalt: about 5 milEssential oils: 10-15 drops eachEverything is mixed together and put into a bottle and half of the mixture is used when I wash my hair. After I get out of the shower I separate my dreadlocks and let them dry.The only thing you really need to do to keep dreadlocks manicured is just keep them clean and pull them away from each other. London <3 said:

cool, thanks
what amounts of each do you use?
& is this altogether, like as the shampoo?

>

ok then thanks =] GoldenEagle said:

bicarb: 15 mil
water: 240 mil

Salt: about 5 mil
Essential oils: 10-15 drops each

Everything is mixed together and put into a bottle and half of the mixture is used when I wash my hair. After I get out of the shower I separate my dreadlocks and let them dry.

The only thing you really need to do to keep dreadlocks manicured is just keep them clean and pull them away from each other.

London <3 said:

cool, thanks
what amounts of each do you use?
& is this altogether, like as the shampoo?

>

Oi. Yes when I got my dreads I was living in Humboldt County- Eureka to be exact. So like 2 out of 5 people had dreadlocks, and even if people didnt have them they sure did see them on a daily basis.When I moved to Colorado I started to notice the stares more.. And to be honest its a lil funky at first but a month or two later its really like you dont even notice it.Although there were a couple people that would stare and than i would look at them and than look away and than look back.. And there they were.. Still Staring. Thats usually when IM just like can I help you?That might sound a wee bit rude.. but I really dont like when people stare for too long.. lol..

In this day and age of pierced everything, stretched out lobes, dyed every which colour hair, tattoos, contact lenses, funky make-up (shall I go on?) dreads will get more and more accepted as a personal choice. Never mainstream, but acceptance seems to come and go from trend to trend. Eventually people with dreads will be pointed at for being late in on the trend rather than different. Anyway, that's a tangent.My advice would be to follow the advice handed out here by the caring generous community members. Wax will gunk you up and I'm positive it's one of the main reasons dreads have a reputation for being dirty and smelly!It's completely possible to keep your new dreads neat by tying them up. I run a warehouse so mine are always out but when I have meetings with the white collar crew even I tie em up loosely in a quasi bun type thing. No one says anything detrimental with a serious tone. As they mature they'll only get neater as well.Just go for it!