For those who backcombed they're dreads

How long did you wait to wash your hair after backcombing? How often do you wash your dreads and do you get them wet when you don't wash them? Also, what shampoo/soap/concoction did you use to wash them? Were you gentle with the washing or did you run your fingers through your as usual?
updated by @knotty-john: 02/14/15 06:10:47AM

I waited... i think was 4 or 5 days? Used knotty boy shampoo. And was super gentle! Just gettin' that stuff around the scalp and lettin' it run through the hair on its own

Hey glad you are starting or thinking of starting your journey.

I started 8/23/10 and my goal was to wait as long as i could before washing.

well as long as i could, turned out to be 3 days. LOL

i did a baking soda and apple cider vinegar wash by filling up a small bucket with water while in the shower and adding the bs and the acv

definitely don't run your hand through your hair because u will detangle it and dreads=tangles.

at first i would tie a plastic bag around my head so that i wouldn't get my locks wet when i showered but wasnt going to wash them.

now it doesn't really matter to me. & i wash them whenever it feels necessary. every other day or every three days.

Goodluck. Peace & Love,

Mia

I did not wash my dreads for the first two months. It was great. I had mud in some spots that turned to dirt. My hair was conceived at home but born in the desert. When the mud dried i shook it out.

Now I wash every third day, maybe forth, either with a bar of soap or some non residue wash.

I used to be real gentle, I used to palm roll, now I get in them when I clean and let them hang out. I used to blow dry and now I air dry them. It almost seems like I switched rolls. I get all over them in the wash and I touch them way less out of it. It took me a while to learn how I wanted them, and how they would be. I did not know what our relationship would be. I wanted them to be round chords at first. Really what took me the longest was to break all conceptions and opinions of other people. After I did that my hair finally became mine.

How tight would you say you backcombed? Did they loosen up after the first wash?

Knottysleeves said:

I waited about a week after backcombing. I used a natural bar soap, but the baking soda & ACV wash is good too. Do it gently, your objective is to clean your scalp rather than your dreads. Just let the soap & water drain through your dreads instead of running your fingers through like you did with brushable hair.

And they didn't fall apart or anything afterwards?

TheSilentRebellion said:

I waited... i think was 4 or 5 days? Used knotty boy shampoo. And was super gentle! Just gettin' that stuff around the scalp and lettin' it run through the hair on its own

So would it be better to massage the soap into the scalp to keep from detangling the hair?

Mia Elizabeth said:

Hey glad you are starting or thinking of starting your journey.

I started 8/23/10 and my goal was to wait as long as i could before washing.

well as long as i could, turned out to be 3 days. LOL

i did a baking soda and apple cider vinegar wash by filling up a small bucket with water while in the shower and adding the bs and the acv

definitely don't run your hand through your hair because u will detangle it and dreads=tangles.

at first i would tie a plastic bag around my head so that i wouldn't get my locks wet when i showered but wasnt going to wash them.

now it doesn't really matter to me. & i wash them whenever it feels necessary. every other day or every three days.

Goodluck. Peace & Love,

Mia

Wow that's a long time lol. Kudos, looks like they are coming along nicely. So did all palm rolling work?

Steaze McGee said:

I did not wash my dreads for the first two months. It was great. I had mud in some spots that turned to dirt. My hair was conceived at home but born in the desert. When the mud dried i shook it out.

Now I wash every third day, maybe forth, either with a bar of soap or some non residue wash.

I used to be real gentle, I used to palm roll, now I get in them when I clean and let them hang out. I used to blow dry and now I air dry them. It almost seems like I switched rolls. I get all over them in the wash and I touch them way less out of it. It took me a while to learn how I wanted them, and how they would be. I did not know what our relationship would be. I wanted them to be round chords at first. Really what took me the longest was to break all conceptions and opinions of other people. After I did that my hair finally became mine.

Wow that's a long time lol. Kudos, looks like they are coming along nicely. So did all the palm rolling work?

Steaze McGee said:

I did not wash my dreads for the first two months. It was great. I had mud in some spots that turned to dirt. My hair was conceived at home but born in the desert. When the mud dried i shook it out.

Now I wash every third day, maybe forth, either with a bar of soap or some non residue wash.

I used to be real gentle, I used to palm roll, now I get in them when I clean and let them hang out. I used to blow dry and now I air dry them. It almost seems like I switched rolls. I get all over them in the wash and I touch them way less out of it. It took me a while to learn how I wanted them, and how they would be. I did not know what our relationship would be. I wanted them to be round chords at first. Really what took me the longest was to break all conceptions and opinions of other people. After I did that my hair finally became mine.

I think it helped keep the early dreads from breaking, but every wash and they would knot. I didn't know this was good at first. They did best when I stopped palm rolling. The question I have now is rooting. How do I get the dreads to root? I have been chilling to see if they would but a few are straightening at the root. Mainly the top of my head, but one back one is part dreads part straight. It used to be all dread.

Knotty John said:

Wow that's a long time lol. Kudos, looks like they are coming along nicely. So did all the palm rolling work?

Steaze McGee said:

I did not wash my dreads for the first two months. It was great. I had mud in some spots that turned to dirt. My hair was conceived at home but born in the desert. When the mud dried i shook it out.

Now I wash every third day, maybe forth, either with a bar of soap or some non residue wash.

I used to be real gentle, I used to palm roll, now I get in them when I clean and let them hang out. I used to blow dry and now I air dry them. It almost seems like I switched rolls. I get all over them in the wash and I touch them way less out of it. It took me a while to learn how I wanted them, and how they would be. I did not know what our relationship would be. I wanted them to be round chords at first. Really what took me the longest was to break all conceptions and opinions of other people. After I did that my hair finally became mine.