New to this site, and dreads !

Hey guys My friend suggested me to join here because everyone has great advice on dreads !! I just put mine in on Christmas, backcomb method but i did them myself so they were not as tight as they should be i think.

Its been a month, almost onto my second month and my dreads are almost nothing anymore ...
The roots are hard, tight, straight, etc. but only for a few inches, than the rest of my hair is loose and curly.

Ive been told it will eventually dread, but what should i do to make it happen faster?
It just doesnt seem to be dreading down ..

updated by @jenapher-grandoni: 01/13/15 09:18:33PM

Welcome here! Glad you found us, it is a great place to get info. The reply that you are bound to get is DON'T DO ANYTHING. Just let them dread on their own. Some folks use a sea salt mixture to help (Soaring Eagle has all the "hair concoction recipes").

Dreading is very much a personal journey. One thing we all need to learn is patience - and dreads demand that. Your hair will dread in its own time, in its own way. It will look weird and funny and loopy and messy. There will be lots of loose hairs, there will be scary-looking mats. Just separate the dreads occasionally and let them do their thing.

I used the twist 'n rip method to start my dreads before I found this site. I didn't realize just not doing anything would lead to dread formation. I am pleased with how they are progressing.

Best wishes on your journey!

awwwweh ! Yes thank you so much, i had a feeling id be told to just leave em alone ! however im always worried that i did them wrong and theyre stuck at this stage or something.. but i guess everyone fears that !!

do you guys suggest any tightening spray? or product?

no prodyucts make your own tightening spray from sea salt

3.5% of the water volume just sea salt and water nothing else

spray on rinse after 2 houreds

backcomb isnt the best method however its actualy better somewhat oose as it will dread faster and be way less damaged

how longs the undreaded parts if your hairs not long this its completely normal

u need 6 inches for natural dreading typicaly

u need 4-5 to backcomb

now if u start backcombing at 5 inches tyhe roots get loose up to 3 inches the tips get loose up to 3 inches thar means u may unravel com=pletely and if u do retain knots its just a lil in the center

then even if it unravels totaly it natura,lky dreds if it retains knots they will then slowly dread towards roots and tips however

1st 3 months u may see more looseninjg tghen tightening and then the r5oots reman loose for many months as they dread the 3 inches on each end will get closer to 1

the roots eventualy at 1/2 inch the tips may stay looser even a couple incghes but 1 is more typical

tyhe sea salt helps it knot

some tips

its not only what u w3ash with but how and how u dry that can matter washing the way you scrubbed straight hair may scrub it straight

to3wl drying can rub out knots

beads are a great way to encourage drading

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

The loose hair is probably 75% of my hair, it used to be much more though .. towards the tips of my dreads the hair is tight and hard and locked up, almost impossible to pull apart !! however after that the hair just falls and is loose and curly... Is that normal?

Also, thank you so much for the info but i dont know what you meant by "spray on rinse after two houreds"

would it be a terrible idea to twist and rip my ends up ?

post pics

if u tnr the ends ..once u may du[isturb some progresw it may help as bit but if they unragvel again doing it again will just set u back to square 1

if yiu do add beads

or just dont and add beads

tho posting pics will help chances are its not as vad as u think

but

how are u washing techniquewise

what are u washing with'

how do u dry

and

how longs it

really tho your in that stage where backcombing falls apart alot if u still have knots ..any knots just stick it out 1 single knot will gather more as time goes by

its round the 3 month mark that they start to tighten more

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

thanks so much ! i wash them with neutrogena anti residue shampoo, and i only wash them once a week very lightly. I wash each dread individually when i do wash them, and i palm roll the shampoo into them, and out of them .. i dont rub the hair, or use a towel to dry it, etc. I let it air dry and dont ever use product.

i attempted dreads a year ago, and got way to impatient and took them out .. but i used the twist and rip method and the ends still did this, only it was way worse back than.

I will take pictures with my good quality camera tonight ! thanks so much guys !!

What portions should i use when making this "homemade salt-water-lemon spray"?