Beach Dreads

Hi all! I'm new to this forum and to dreadlocks I'm 32 years old and a first time dreader. I have only been "managing" this 'do for about a week. I have actually always thought it would be amazing to do, but my husband tried to steer me away from the idea and my kids thought it was too drastic.For me, whenever I see women with dreadlocks, I find them not only to be sexy and alluring, but they come across as being very confident to me. That is just a mental association that I have made, maybe from the women that I have known.In any case, at 32 the inspiration hit me again and this time when I asked my hubby his thoughts he said "go for it". So I went to it immediately because I no longer felt like I had any reason to hold back. And thankfully, he has enjoyed this look tremendously. But there is so much information and so many differing opinions out there that I decided to just try things my own way.I spent the last two weeks back in CA (my original homestate, I now live in CO) at our favorite Northern CA beach, Bodega Bay. That has always been my place of quietude and my place of inspiration. So I thought it would be a great place to start my new journey. I played in the ocean water and refrained from brushing my hair throughout our trip. Between the saltwater and the wind blowing, I felt so beautiful having "beach hair". I have decided to let my hair cluster naturally and just pull apart individual sections that try to cling together. I have been twisting and ripping the front sections partly to ensure that they stay skinny and partly out of anxiousness to see the fruits of this process. I know it is a lengthy commitment but I am willing to take the time to allow the process to happen *mostly* naturally. Thankfully my hair tends to group into somewhat small sections which is what I had hoped for. But I will pull them apart if they get too thick. Everyone has preferences, but I personally think that skinny dreads are sexy and feminine.I don't care to use wax or to create any sections with rubber bands or do any backcombing. I'd rather they seperate and dread naturally. But I am curious if anyone has any advice for a first timer that will affect the long term results? Also, any women that have suggestions for what to do with my hair while it is in the new stages?Thanks
updated by @crazydaizy99: 02/14/15 11:37:24AM

u dont NEED advice you can GIVE adviceyour doing things just right by instinctas far as looking good during the awkward stage scarves wraps hats tie em up or back oor just go with the wild woman vibeits all beautiful


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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Thank you both so much! This is such an empowering experience because it feels like something that is all mine that belongs to me and that I get to have fun with and not care about how anyone else views it

Welcome to the site! You sound like you already know what you're doing! =)I am not a women but there are tons of things that you can do with dreads while they're forming. There are tons of accessories. Beads, sleeves, wraps, bandanas, hats ect...

Hi and welcome As for what to do with hair in the process, I can tell you what I've been doing.... if I'm going out to the store, I pull the top separated "dreadlings" into a loose ponytail so it looks sort of messy, yet like a style. Or, just pull them all back loosely. If it's not too hot, I can put on my slouchy llama (or wool) beret which rubs against my hair and likes to make my hair tangle up a little more it seems on my crown. I do have some 'do rags, but I try not to use them too much since I've learned they can get in the way of the progress since they're tighter. If it's for a little while, it's not too bad really and I can find any fabric I like and whip up a new one in a few minutes on the machine.the other thing I like to do for a short while out is to pull my hair back loosely in a high-ish pony and loosely wrap colorful printed scarves around my head.When at home, I just leave it be, and tend to feel and separate anything that seems to need it at the end of the day as I unwind, absentmindedly. You were mentioning how your husband and kids feel about it; My oldest boys think the whole dreading thing is a little odd, but whatever, they're fine with whatever I'm doing. My daughter loves it. My husband seems to love my fluffy, wild, wavy, matted hair so that's a plus. Everyone else's reactions to it are less pleasant, but it doesn't seem to phase me any because I think it looks really cool. It definitely grows on me more and more each day. I'm into my second month of letting it dread.I believe there's some tips for styling dreads on here, but don't know if it covers what to do while you're in the baby stages. Peace

welllllllllll i was hoping this thread would inspire some of u to make a styling guide for how to style baby bneglect dreads during the dreading and predread messy stages


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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Thanks for all the styling tips! That was one of those things that I hadn't really thought about. But I do have tons of fabric and I love to sew. Also, funny with the kids because they objected at first and now it is growing on them pretty quickly.I saw a beautiful scarf in the store last week and I was thinking it was beautiful but too hot to wear at this time of year. However now I am thinking it would make a wonderful headband

Do you want it in a discussion? I'd be interested in helping with that. soaringeagle said:

welllllllllll i was hoping this thread would inspire some of u to make a styling guide for how to style baby bneglect dreads during the dreading and predread messy stages

Wow u women have open my eyes i never how hard it was for a woman to decide to get dreadlocks i didnt even think about it was something that i had always wanted to do so i just did it haha, and ure right women with dreadlocks do seem more confident but anyone with dreads feels more confident i think i know i do :D

Hey! I am Rayne. It is good to see you have found the site.