Loctician dreads vs natural dreads: my journey and my (strong) opinions

I'm sorry, but I feel the desire to rant! I am no expert on the subject, but I have read some horror stories that make me sad more than anything! Why are people making money ruining other people's hair? Why are people searching for dreadlock tips and getting terrible advice? I know damn well that if my hair I've been growing for years were ruined at the benefit of someone else's wallet, I'd feel extremely hurt and defeated. This just isn't right! People are telling people they need to damage their hair to achieve beautiful locks, salons mostly, from what I've read.

My hair was straight and thick and healthy before beginning my dread journey, by twist and rip. Mind you, I began before discovering this site, had I discovered this site first, I'm sure I would have gone the natural route. Since finding this site and taking all the good advice I have found, my hair is dreadingbeautifully and crazily and wonderfully!Ther is much more to dreading than just an having easier to maintain hairstyle. There is more to people than what is in their wallet for these salons and bad dread sites care about.

How do we make it so that this site comes up first when people are searching for dread help? How do we help those who have already suffered because of bad advice? How can we make this a positive experience for those looking for one? I want to be sure before I continue to spread my methods and advice that it is, in fact good advice. I'd like to become more if an expert on the subject of dreading in a healthy way because it pains me to see and hear that people have such terrible experiences. Everyone dreads for different reasons, but none of them are wrong or deserve any less than the best possible chance at achieving beautiful and healthy locks.

So hereare my methods, feel free to correct me if anything I do could be improved or is setting me back, I have already corrected myself someand I will do my best to spread the word to others. Also, feel free to leave advice for those who have been led down the wrong path. Such as by interlocking, dread perms, etc. If we can help people, let's do it.

-November 21, 2010-Twist and ripped my hair into about 36 baby dreads.

-Used Lavender soap twice a week and was palm rolling with lemon juice or aloe.-I don't recommend palm rolling, it didn't do much but make my arms sore and scalp tender.

-Found this site, stopped palm rolling.

-Received my dreadhead shampoo in the mail in early December and used that 2-3 times a week. (It made my hair soft and shiny and I'm sure only slowed the process-I have since stopped using it.

-Retwisted the ends of my hair sometime in December (please DO NOT DO THIS) it caused damage, many split ends and unhealthy looking hair.

-Went and bought some organic baking soda, learned to make a wash:

1 tsp. baking soda

1 gallon water

3(ish)drops tea tree oil

5(ish)drops rosemary

6(ish)drops lavendar

I now pour that over my hair in the shower, work it around a bit and rinse thoroughly

-Created an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse

2-3 tsps ACV

3-4 drops lavendar

1 gallon water

Pour that over my hair and rinse thoroughly

Let dry, then if I find a real crazy lump of loopy dready hair sticking out before work, I may slide a large bead over it for the day.

I have found that the more natural my maintainence routine, the more my hair seems to be thanking me, it islooking tighter after each wash and every morning when I wake up. If anyone has any more good advice, please let me know, and please share it with others.

In summary, my hair looks, feels and smells better now than it has in the 2 months I've been on my dread journey and all I am doing is letting it be, washing 2-3 times a week with the baking soda wash, I think I'll be using the ACV rinse once a week give or take depending on how dry my hair feels.

So far, I feel it is a success, with no WAX, no PERMING, no INTERLOCKING, no CROCHETING, all natural baby! Let's hope others can find this site before they are mislead, and let's help those who have already been mislead unfortunately.

updated by @crystal-o: 02/14/15 03:49:06AM

I hope you didn't take offense to my saying that the more natural my routine, the better. That may not be the case for everyone.

I mostly want people to share the healthy methods that they use that work, so that people do not feel the need to turn to salons and other sites that give advice that harms the hair, and hopefully people will share methods that have helped save their dreads after they have gone down a path that may have caused damage...

Everyone is different, everyone's hair is different, everyone's dreads will be different, but they don't have to be damaged or unhealthy, I want to get as many healthy maintenaince methods posted as possible so everyone can find something that works for them.

Maxe said:

I agree on how sad it is that some people charge money to ruin other peoples hair =(

However there are more than one level of misguidance.. making people believe that one healthy method stands out compared to other healthy methods and deserves a special 'natural' label, is one of them

I"m glad you responded, because in my rant I didn't take the time to mention that just because I have decided to take a more natural path, which is personal preference for sure, does not mean I thinkthat everyone should. I know that people have gone to salons and locticians and used "un-natural" methods and obtains georgeous dreadlocks. I am upset with the salons, locticians, and sites that knowingly give poor advice, or are not educated well enough to be giving advice at all and still do. I am upset with people being mislead, by people's hair becoming damaged, i amnot upset with the lack of "natural" dreadlocks. I can see that would be creating social inequality on the site to say "why aren't everyone's dreadlocks natural, that is the only healthy way to be?" It would also be untrue. So that is not my goal here, my goal is to hopefully get people to please post your methods and maintenance routines that make you feel proud of your locks. What works for you? What type of hair do you have? What do you think about mine? Do you have damaged hair and can we help?etc.

dreadlockedlady said:

Damn, I had a better response but lost it!!!!!

Anyways, LOL @ Maxe's post. I agree though.

As far as making this site a positive experience for everyone, I don't know if that will truly happen. This site has a definite agenda regarding dreads and unless you conform to that standard, or just decide to take it for what it's worth, you will feel like an outsider. It's interesting how people can come and have nice looking dreads that started with a "non-natural" method or maintain their locs but you never see them again because they get the vibe that this site isn't for them in my opinion.

I'd go on my own rant but the demographic that I would be trying to reach is low so I will just keep it to myself for now, LOL.

Thanks, SE. I've been trying to do this according to the new dreading guidelines post, don't think I quite have it down yet, but I'll try some editing.

soaringeagle said:

umm again 1 method does have a natural label its called the natural methid..geez

but how to get us to the top of searches

create blogs and studff all over especialy on other dread sites

link yo our front page with the words dreads and dreadlocks 2 times each page

the more times thbat happens the better

especialy on popular high ranking sites

thats 1 huge thing ppl can do

another alternative is if i pay to have an seo professional optimize the front page and do a full seo thing..i might look into it were getting closer ive been playing with it but its hard to do

also..when u make posts

like this 1

totles..

8-13 words

with the most important keywotds in the 1st 1/2 of the title

and again near the beginning od the texr

also..tags no tags like this, is/ my, dreads instead put short phrases in quotes and include 5- 8 of em like "twist and rip dreads" "tnr dreadlocks" "my dreads timeline" etc

phiotos need good titles and descriptions and tags too

the more we do this the more discussions come up 1st

we do come up 1st for interlocking i think

high for crocheting

I understand what you are saying. But everything you have said is already here on this website. Soaring Eagle started this site a couple of years ago so that people can get the right information. It is what this whole site is dedicated to do. People already get information and education on this site. I am not trying to be contrary, I am just curious....have you actually read the info and the forums? The information is all here. and it is a collaboration of many people and their experiences. We already encourage the healthiest methods of dreading and we try to help those that have problems.

Yes, I've looked at the site, which is one reason I posted this. I just googled "dreadlocks" and this site was on the first page, but at the very bottom, can we get it up towards the top?

taye said:

I understand what you are saying. But everything you have said is already here on this website. Soaring Eagle started this site a couple of years ago so that people can get the right information. It is what this whole site is dedicated to do. People already get information and education on this site. I am not trying to be contrary, I am just curious....have you actually read the info and the forums? The information is all here. and it is a collaboration of many people and their experiences. We already encourage the healthiest methods of dreading and we try to help those that have problems.

Starting to think my rant that I had hoped would breed positivity has drawn negativity....delete it or keep it?

nah its good keep it

im working on getting it to the top but u see

we are uop against what 29 million sites all trying to get to the top?

being on the front page for a 1 keyword phradse is amazing int itseldf

like google dreadlocks forums were number 1 i think

google natural dreadlocks forums wrre def at the tip

google washing dreads with baking soda were at the top

when u google those notice the number of pages found washing dreads with baking soda might have 20,000 while dreadlocks a 1 word phrase 20 million

to get there takers alotta work and trial and error

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

I don't mean to argue, but I haven't been infected with any bs. I read a discussion this morning in which a girl went to a loctician who permed her already fragile hair and said it needed to be done to dread and now half her dreads are falling off. That poor misguided girl. It upset me and I spoke out and I would like to try and help people side-step that kind of disaster. I am not trying to preach, I'm trying to help, if ths attempt is futile I will find another way.

P.S. I have not been given a set of rules to follow yet on this site, and I haven't encountered any member looking down on another, until your comment about being infected with natural bs. I am sorry if your experience has been different.

Maxe said:

No worries =), you didn't offend me Crystal...just makes me a bit sad everytime I see yet another soul being infected by the natural bs.

The methods are called neglect or freeform. 'Natural' is just an extra unnecessary elitist label with the intention of elevating people who use this method as better or more real than the rest of us... and if I had any doubt beforehand, this perception was cemented by that post where disagreeing replies were deleted...

It's the same seperation-creating mentality that reigned among white people many years ago, thinking they also needed an extra label of human/evolved/civilized compared to other races....when in fact humans are humans and dreads are dreads =)

And sadly I'll have to agree with Dreadlockedlady there... I know several awesome people who, more or less, stopped coming here cause they grew tired of being looked down upon because they didn't follow the exact rules needed to feel like a part of the family.

I didn't realize there were so many! That means this site is pretty high up there. way to go!

I get discouraged easily when my intentions are misinterpreted, but I will keep this post in the hopes that people will comment with helpful tips and stories.

soaringeagle said:

nah its good keep it

im working on getting it to the top but u see

we are uop against what 29 million sites all trying to get to the top?

being on the front page for a 1 keyword phradse is amazing int itseldf

like google dreadlocks forums were number 1 i think

google natural dreadlocks forums wrre def at the tip

google washing dreads with baking soda were at the top

when u google those notice the number of pages found washing dreads with baking soda might have 20,000 while dreadlocks a 1 word phrase 20 million

to get there takers alotta work and trial and error