Just got dreads today --- Possible damage prevention --- Help!

yea doood i live here now but im from marylandim going to try and get her to undo some of the root flips and make the sections smallerill continue to wear my beanie and separate what i can before i go to bed, but im a lazy mofo and wanna do minimal workthe only reason i wanted her to kinda initiate the dreading process was that my hair only knotting up in the back and nothing else. ... i'd shower and then my hair is so curly it would just condense to little j curlsby sectioning them and backcoming just once, i feel like it set the process in motion, but maybe im wrong =/so many different opinions from people ive talked to... it can be a confusing venture !nice to meet a fellow ashevillianyou goin to moogfest? Emily Smith said:

You are from asheville? That is where I live! You don't have to spend a whole bunch of money on some non-residue organic stuff at greenlife (that place is expensive, at least to someone on a budget like me!). Try Bronners (its like 10 dollars for a 16 oz bottle, but you dilute it so it lasts a LONG time) or a baking soda wash or something. You really should have tried natural dude. Thats how I am doing mine. They all look crazy and twisted and loopy and ridiculous right now (I am 2 months in.) but that is just part of the process because you hair is pulling up and in to knots. Just let your dreads go, maybe try to separate some of those huge sections into smaller sections, then just keep those sections pulled apart and you should be fine! Just remember to be patient with it. = ]

updated by @darkstar: 07/09/15 03:45:26PM

I don't have to money for moogfest, as much as I would love to go! I went to Ralak a couple weekends ago and that was my splurge for the month. The dreads in the back of my head are forming MUCH more quickly then the sides and front of my head. I have some in the back after two months that are pretty damn close to mature. Once they start to really pull into each other you don't have to separate them as much. I had to every day for about the first 2 months, but in the past few week I have started only doing it every 3 days or so when I wet or wash my hair. I wear a wool beanie to bed a few times a week too. With all the tossing and turning I do I figure it has to help some! Try a sea salt spray on your hair also. I mix really warm water with a few pinches of sea salt and put it in a spray bottle and shake it to get the salt dissolved, then spray it on my hair after I wash it while it is still damp. I like to go outside in the sunshine and let it dry that way, but not every day will be as warm and beautiful as the days we have been having recently here in asheville! I also do a little palm rolling on each of mine when I am separating them just to keep each section defined and maybe rub in a few loose hairs. = ]

Also, your other friend is right when she said "to make sure the dreads dont cross section and separate any awkwardly combined roots"Her sectioning is just crap. Hopefully, this helps with the confusion and doesn't add to it. Basically, backcombing, tnr, whatever other methods are just ways to section hair. Whatever you do, some work will undo, but will eventually lock.Since you have issues with your curls and the natural method, I highly recommend just twist and ripping rather than re-backcombing. You hair has had enough damage.Maybe take Emily to moogfest in exchange for dread help? She seems to know what she's doing. darkstar said:

yea doood i live here now but im from maryland

im going to try and get her to undo some of the root flips and make the sections smaller

ill continue to wear my beanie and separate what i can before i go to bed, but im a lazy mofo and wanna do minimal work

the only reason i wanted her to kinda initiate the dreading process was that my hair only knotting up in the back and nothing else. ... i'd shower and then my hair is so curly it would just condense to little j curls

by sectioning them and backcoming just once, i feel like it set the process in motion, but maybe im wrong =/

so many different opinions from people ive talked to... it can be a confusing venture !

nice to meet a fellow ashevillian

you goin to moogfest?

Emily Smith said:

You are from asheville? That is where I live! You don't have to spend a whole bunch of money on some non-residue organic stuff at greenlife (that place is expensive, at least to someone on a budget like me!). Try Bronners (its like 10 dollars for a 16 oz bottle, but you dilute it so it lasts a LONG time) or a baking soda wash or something. You really should have tried natural dude. Thats how I am doing mine. They all look crazy and twisted and loopy and ridiculous right now (I am 2 months in.) but that is just part of the process because you hair is pulling up and in to knots. Just let your dreads go, maybe try to separate some of those huge sections into smaller sections, then just keep those sections pulled apart and you should be fine! Just remember to be patient with it. = ]

I like this idea of Moogfest in exchange for dread help! hahaha MzElaineous said:

Also, your other friend is right when she said "to make sure the dreads dont cross section and separate any awkwardly combined roots"

Her sectioning is just crap. Hopefully, this helps with the confusion and doesn't add to it. Basically, backcombing, tnr, whatever other methods are just ways to section hair. Whatever you do, some work will undo, but will eventually lock.

Since you have issues with your curls and the natural method, I highly recommend just twist and ripping rather than re-backcombing. You hair has had enough damage.

Maybe take Emily to moogfest in exchange for dread help? She seems to know what she's doing.


darkstar said:

yea doood i live here now but im from maryland

im going to try and get her to undo some of the root flips and make the sections smaller

ill continue to wear my beanie and separate what i can before i go to bed, but im a lazy mofo and wanna do minimal work

the only reason i wanted her to kinda initiate the dreading process was that my hair only knotting up in the back and nothing else. ... i'd shower and then my hair is so curly it would just condense to little j curls

by sectioning them and backcoming just once, i feel like it set the process in motion, but maybe im wrong =/

so many different opinions from people ive talked to... it can be a confusing venture !

nice to meet a fellow ashevillian

you goin to moogfest?

Emily Smith said:

You are from asheville? That is where I live! You don't have to spend a whole bunch of money on some non-residue organic stuff at greenlife (that place is expensive, at least to someone on a budget like me!). Try Bronners (its like 10 dollars for a 16 oz bottle, but you dilute it so it lasts a LONG time) or a baking soda wash or something. You really should have tried natural dude. Thats how I am doing mine. They all look crazy and twisted and loopy and ridiculous right now (I am 2 months in.) but that is just part of the process because you hair is pulling up and in to knots. Just let your dreads go, maybe try to separate some of those huge sections into smaller sections, then just keep those sections pulled apart and you should be fine! Just remember to be patient with it. = ]

s Tom's of Maine a recommended brand for dread shampoo?It is the natural clear body bar that i bought, unscentedbeen using my buddies dreadhead hq bar when i needed to wash, but just got this so i had my own.just makin sure its alright to use...also, my dreads are coming undone. i realize they gotta do their own thing, but i feel theyre going back to their curly state every time they get wet and dry.should i have a friend put some beads in some sectioned off hairs?btw, decided to sell my moogfest tickets and go to a cheaper psychedelic electronic music festy with local and national artists called ROGUEFEST in the river arts district. its a campout, opposed to moogfestcheck it!

hey, you should try Aubreys organics Calaguala Fern Shampoo or the green tea one. they last a long time, rinse out very quickly and there vegan not tested on animals also i have notice they make my dreads tighten up better.

I am totally going to be at roguefest as well!

darkstar said:

s Tom's of Maine a recommended brand for dread shampoo?

It is the natural clear body bar that i bought, unscented

been using my buddies dreadhead hq bar when i needed to wash, but just got this so i had my own.

just makin sure its alright to use...

also, my dreads are coming undone. i realize they gotta do their own thing, but i feel theyre going back to their curly state every time they get wet and dry.

should i have a friend put some beads in some sectioned off hairs?

btw, decided to sell my moogfest tickets and go to a cheaper psychedelic electronic music festy with local and national artists called ROGUEFEST in the river arts district. its a campout, opposed to moogfest

check it!

darkstar said:

so i just uploaded some pics (sorry for the quality --- they were taken from my computer)

and i was wondering what you guys have to say, if anything

i've been trying to make the sections smaller as you guys have said they are pretty big

i also have unflipped some of the sections that i could easily feel / see and do WELL (at least my best attempt)

im having my friend come back on thursday to help me out a little

ive been wearing a beanie all day everyday for the past 3 days and then taking it off to sleep

any other advice????

a lot of wut ur friend said is misinformation. for one u dont wanna wash as normal for at least a few months. baby dreads r fragile especially backcombed ones (unravel easily) if i were u id was like once a week for a few months n then gradually lead up to ur regular wash regimen. also crocheting, root flipping, n wax/gel or whatever r never worth it. they always cause more harm than help. honestly u might wanna consider combing it out n starting over ...either way u should definitly start ignoreing that friends "advice". all the info and advice u need can b found on this site.