OUCH! (help!)

thanks for the support i've tried just giving it some time and it has seemed to work out a bit on its own...just sleeping on it in a different direction has seemed to help

Tim said:

Good luck with it. I don't think it should be hurting, I just want to say that. I would release the hair that is under tension, very carefully, just a few hairs at a time. You should feel when it is released. That's what I would do anyway. Maybe inbox Baba or Soaring Eagle, they have more general experience than me, I only know my head. I just don't want to give you bad advice is all.

yeah, it was more of a dull ache than a sharp pain from a few hairs...nothing i could really single out. i've tried just sleeping on it at a different angle, that's seemed to help. i've separated a few fatter dreads into smaller ones and always ended up missing them...gonna try and wait this one out...hopefully it can find its groove too!

Noodle-Doo said:

I had one dread in about the same position as yours that was uncomfy for a while. I'd felt all around it, and there weren't any tight, snaggy hairs. It wasn't the sharp, pricking feeling you get when individual hairs are pulling, more of a dull ache in the scalp. I thought about separating it, or cutting off the hairs that were furthest away from centre of the dread and stretched tight. But never did anything with it. After a few weeks, it just sort of flipped round on a different angle and completely stopped hurting after that! Just some weird thing about the hair tightening on one side more than the other, then it found its groove and was ok.

After all that waffling, I agree with Tim. If it's tight individual hairs, you might just have to break them (if they're too well locked in to pull free), and hope when they grow back they join in better - like separating. Or it might just fix itself with time. Like both of you guys, the fatties are my favourites and it's a shame to lose one!

thank you! glad to say it has been better lately

Teddyjo said:

I hope that pain goes away cause i love the size of your dreads

i found some oil and that has helped relieve a lot of discomfort on my scalp

i have yet try the warm towel... mainly because i've been so darn busy lately. soon enough, though, i'll try it. sounds like a treat! thanks for the advice

Medusaa said:

My hair type really loves to dread...so much so that once in awhile my roots get too tight. I know the feeling you describe, and agree with the others - if you love your fatty then keep it

I have a possible solution for you: get your hands on some dread-friendly oil (jojoba is best but in a pinch you can use coconut or even olive). Massage it into the scalp around the root of the offending dread, and into the first inch or so of the hair. If possible try to get the oil under the dread too. Wrap your head in a warm wet towel (not super hot or the oil will burn your skin!), and keep it on for at least 15 minutes. You can reheat the towel if you feel it needs more time. Now wash your hair like you normally do. If you used a lot of oil you may need to wash twice, but your roots should be looser and WAY more comfy after this. You will obviously end up with more loose hairs, but personally I don't mind and it's way better than being in pain.

Hope this helps! <3