Ugh. My dreads look like poop. POOP!

Guys. Help Amy! Stat!My dreads are looking like crap. I got them 'jump started' with t&r a few weeks ago (a month? ionno). In the back, they look completely maniac-ish. I have loose hairs GALORE and I just look crazy. I have superfine hair and it's pretty healthy, so it totally slips out of my "dreads" pretty much wheneverish... as in when I move, sleep, think, breathe, fire off neurons, etc...I'm really vain. I mean, really. This journey is sort of a shit sandwich so far. What do you guys do about these maddening knots that don't stay knotted?Really, what I'm saying is: Reassure me!Don't lie - tell me if you put something in them to hold them in, because I'm desperate here. In fact, did you totally put something in those babies and don't want to fess up on forum? Fine!!! email me off site amymcdonald91@gmail.comIF you've had your dreads for a good bit of time, find them sustainable and healthy, and what the hell I can do to ensure mine will be healthy, lasting, And Cute.Please don't tell me to be all natural if you yourself aren't doing that. I mean, I'm not using anything other than worried glances at the mirror.xx,A
updated by @amy-mcdonald: 02/14/15 08:41:33AM

Truth is for the first year and sometimes longer dreads form. They go through periods of looking kinda crazy. I do not use anything in my dreads. I shampoo or use bs and acv every other time. I don't use any other product on mine. I did back combing on some t and r on some....braided a few and a couple on the nape of my neck were neglect. The first few months were messy. at about 6 months i could feel a difference that made me happy. I have had mine 2 years...and they are just now looking like mature dreads. Dreads are a journey...not a walk out to the mail box. They take time and patience. My advice...lol ....don't look in a mirror for a year

sea salt spraysandstop looking in the mirorseriusly use a shadow not mirror in yoiur shadow u see dreads not loose hairs but staring in a mirror every loose hair looks bigger then thr dreasdsyour doing finethey will look amazingthey need time not judgmentforget all bout your hair and another 2 months will make alotta differeence


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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

My dreads are 5 mos. old. I have been going the neglect route but...about 6 weeks ago I got really discouraged. My hair is very thick, curly, and course...and obviously stubborn. I tried alittle light backcombing, hoping that would do something...it didn't help. I felt like giving up, but a few days after I threw a fit here on the site I discovered my first real loop. Since then, my hair is progressing at a nice pace...but I constantly get people who know me saying..."That is it..for 5 mos. of effort!?" I feel like I have come so far!!! No only with my dread progress, but in my emergence as a better, more patient, less influenced human being. I put sooo much into the value of my hair! I spent hours on it every day. I guess because I have been a hairstylist for over 30 years I didn't think that was odd or sad. It took alot of determination and letting go of my ego to continue on...but I have. I am truly thankful that I valued myself enough to take this chance and dare to think that I was still me...even with a head full of crazy tangles! Lol You can do this. Stop looking in the mirror and look into your heart...you won't regret it. Blessings.

good pointwhile dreads are teaching you to be patient others around you do not understand patiencewhile at 5 months your extatic over your 1st knot others look and thing 5 months and thats all u got?just realize the lessons you learn are nit for everyoneyour stepping outside the common boundaries that most find confort inwhen ppl say all that effort and thats all u got u can have great satisfaction in responding..what effort? i didnt do a thingnatures taking its course and u gotta trust in thata hairstylist can make u apear to have very unatural looking dreads but only letting nature do its thing will u truly dreadforget the mirrorgo dance in the woods and forget all about the judgments of others


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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Well said SE...as usual!
soaringeagle said:

good point
while dreads are teaching you to be patient others around you do not understand patience
while at 5 months your extatic over your 1st knot others look and thing 5 months and thats all u got?


just realize the lessons you learn are nit for everyone
your stepping outside the common boundaries that most find confort in

when ppl say all that effort and thats all u got u can have great satisfaction in responding..what effort? i didnt do a thing

natures taking its course and u gotta trust in that
a hairstylist can make u apear to have very unatural looking dreads but only letting nature do its thing will u truly dread

forget the mirror

go dance in the woods and forget all about the judgments of others

there's no magical ingredient other than time, patience and acceptance. If your T & R is falling out your hair might be telling you to go completely natural. Just leave it alone. You have a month or less w/o combing and honestly that's barely a drop in the bucket. At 8 months mine are still complete babies. Once you've had them for 3 years then you can decide weather they look good or not. Until then be prepared to have crazy lookin hair.So try to get over it & enjoy it! Many Blessings

don't worry I made about half of my dreads by tnr and at the beggining it was the same as u described it looked shit u could hardly recognize they were dreads and they were just a mess.u don't need much time: already after 2 or 3 months they looked waaaaaaaay better. although I did use crochet- not much though, maybe 3 times.don't worry! it"s really just matter of patience

hey girl this is Indy, what up? i'm havin a hellova' time with my dreads. i'm an instant gratification kinda person and natural dreads take a lot of time and patients, so i am struggling with it a bit. hope i can hold out and have awesome dreddies in the end.

'
taye said:

Truth is for the first year and sometimes longer dreads form. They go through periods of looking kinda crazy. I do not use anything in my dreads. I shampoo or use bs and acv every other time. I don't use any other product on mine. I did back combing on some t and r on some....braided a few and a couple on the nape of my neck were neglect. The first few months were messy. at about 6 months i could feel a difference that made me happy. I have had mine 2 years...and they are just now looking like mature dreads. Dreads are a journey...not a walk out to the mail box. They take time and patience. My advice...lol ....don't look in a mirror for a year

they rarely take as long as u think more l]often then nit they surprise u with how fast they dread

indygiggy said:

hey girl this is Indy, what up? i'm havin a hellova' time with my dreads. i'm an instant gratification kinda person and natural dreads take a lot of time and patients, so i am struggling with it a bit. hope i can hold out and have awesome dreddies in the end.

'
taye said:

Truth is for the first year and sometimes longer dreads form. They go through periods of looking kinda crazy. I do not use anything in my dreads. I shampoo or use bs and acv every other time. I don't use any other product on mine. I did back combing on some t and r on some....braided a few and a couple on the nape of my neck were neglect. The first few months were messy. at about 6 months i could feel a difference that made me happy. I have had mine 2 years...and they are just now looking like mature dreads. Dreads are a journey...not a walk out to the mail box. They take time and patience. My advice...lol ....don't look in a mirror for a year

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1