Let's Get Personal

absolutely amazing! congrats on your clean scans & starting your dread journey! glad to have you here with us

Amy Jo said:

I've always had very long, thick hair. Over the years many people told me I should dread it. Two years ago I was diagnosed with colon and liver cancer and went through several major surgeries & chemo. I lost a lot of my hair. It's been a hard two years and I decided that if I had two clean scans (cancer free) that I would dread my hair in a celebration of life . Well, last month I got my second clean scan, so here I am with my 6 day old baby dreads!!

I am also very blessed to have family and friends who support me - it really helps me be able to be myself. At 51 years old society expects a certain look.... and it's not dreads. ha ha ha

updated by @ixchel: 07/23/15 04:12:17AM

Thank you lxchel!!! I am very happy I found this site!!! Great people and wonderful information!

Ixchel said:

absolutely amazing! congrats on your clean scans & starting your dread journey! glad to have you here with us

Amy Jo said:

I've always had very long, thick hair. Over the years many people told me I should dread it. Two years ago I was diagnosed with colon and liver cancer and went through several major surgeries & chemo. I lost a lot of my hair. It's been a hard two years and I decided that if I had two clean scans (cancer free) that I would dread my hair in a celebration of life . Well, last month I got my second clean scan, so here I am with my 6 day old baby dreads!!

I am also very blessed to have family and friends who support me - it really helps me be able to be myself. At 51 years old society expects a certain look.... and it's not dreads. ha ha ha

Well... I hadcontemplateddreads for 4 years, up until 3 months ago when istartedmy own

Growing up in a very large family,eachone of us rely on individuality through music,vocabularyand self-image to set us apart from each other (yeah, I know). Unlike other siblings (I assume), I never felt I had to try to be different, because that was who I was. I sometimes feel my sibling are slightlyembarrassedaboutme,consideringhow they try to coax me to do things differently in a way they find right.

Even though myparentswill support any reasonable decision i make; I've always been nervous about getting dread. I guess i've been nervous about change in general and I usually dwell too long on things that ishouldactupon without being scared or nervous of the outcome, or ofsomeone'scriticism.

My dreads are a sign of freedom andareintwined to my very soul. reflecting who i am through my hair is ablessingin itself and allows me to be comfortable with myself.

I'm happy to say I have no intentions of ever ridding myself of my dreads, only ever to see them flourish more.

This is the BEST thread on this site.

I decided to dread because i find that when you cut your hair you change your mental stability. You change yourself. After a haircut you look in the mirror and see a change. For me I like where my mindstate is at and I wouldnt want to look at it another way. My dreads are a part of who i am now. They grow like my mind grows. I am forever seeking knowledge these days and i feel that knowledge is power and the key to understanding. Cutting my dreads would alter that for me i guess. It also represents freedom to me. I was in the military years ago and it was like clockwork to cut my hair. I hated it. Well, for me i'd say that i definatly dread to be free of mind and body.

Noble, I disagree a bit about dwelling too long. I see growing locks the same as getting tattooed or pierced. Maybe not piercings as much because you can take them out the same day, if you don't like it, and they close up, but rather that they take commitment. If you plan of growing locks, you are making a long term commitment. You can comb them out, but if you have them for a long time, you have grown attached to them.

Like tattoos, you should think long and hard about whether it is for you. I know that many people get tats that they think are cool one day and then years down the line regret them. I have always thought about what I got etched onto my skin for more than 5 years before getting it done. If I haven't had the plan for more than 5 years, I don't get it yet. Same with locks. if you jump into it without thinking, you will not yet be ready for the emotional changes that come with them

Hello!!! This is my second time getting dreads actually. The first time I did the TNR method with neglect later on. Due to me doing generic dreads at the start my hair wa greatly distressed due to my hair being too heavy and my scalp was literally bleeding in agony. I took them out (knowing I'd revert back) and allowed my hair to heal and grow back. I went through a stage of cuts and crazy colors in between but I've missed and longed for my dreads. TT.TT I really find messing with my hair annoying and I could care less about all that. My hair is always a mess so I may as well let it be. =^.^= I have decided to go the neglect route and I'm already happier. I love dreads because of the freedom and the closeness it brings you to yourself by just allowing your self robe who you are. Not to mention they are beautiful.

@Amanda: Thank you so much for sharing. Yes, long hair can be quite a fuss, understandable why you chose dreads as the simple solution; can't get much more simple than that! I'm honestly looking forward to the fact that I never have to brush again! Your dreads are so long and so gorgeous.

@Amy Jo: What a beautiful story; I am SO glad you've gotten a clean bill of health! Congratulations! I'm sure it's been a struggle but I am so lucky to be talking with a survivor, and one with amazing dreads at that. And who gives a flip about age? I know I don't. Screw society, lol! You're an amazing person.

@Nixxi: Thanks for the thread love! I am LOVING hearing everyone's story. I am so proud of you for taking that huge undertaking to become clean and stay that way; what an awesome symbol your dreads stand for... and if I may say so, they are lovely dreads at that. Beautiful reasoning.

@MamaKittyLove: I think your story is plenty interesting because you're the one telling it and sharing it with us. Life long love affair with dreads? You're doing it right. :D You're completely right about the description of feeling like your head is smiling; what a perfect description. I'm finding out that dreadheads are some of THE coolest people on the planet. I admire you for being one of them. Your dreads really complement the shape of your face.

@Ixchel: Thank you so much for sharing your story, it's a beautiful and amazing story of recovery and raw, pure emotion; it really moved me to tears. I am so glad that you are here to share your story and doing better; you've proved that by writing your post. I think it's awe inspiring that your dreads gave you a new lease on life; who knew that dreads save lives? I think your hair is beautiful just like you.

@Noble: What a great way to express your true nature of walking to the beat of a different drum! I'm finding now more than ever that dreads really have a unique and specific meaning to every single person, thank you for sharing. Your dreads are awesome by the way. Loving the texture.

@Jackie: Thanks! I'm so glad that people are digging this thread. I know I've learned so much about each person that's posted and it's made this site feel even MORE like a family, if that's possible.

@Ghosst36: What an insightful point to make; I completely agree that changing one's hair tends to change one's nature, even if it's just a tweak. In some cultures, new widows will cut or shave their hair as a sign of mourning; some cultures as a sign of rebirth. What you're describing reminds me of Samson and his hair. Knowledge is power and seeking knowledge is broadening one's mind, congrats on your journey and I LOVE the unique style you're rocking with the dreads.

@Baba Fats: I completely respect your opinion. I'd like to interject about dwelling too long; some people simply cannot dwell to long or they'll second guess themselves and potentially wind up unhappy. Speaking as a self-acknowledged 'Chicken Little' I know that even thought I dwelt on the subject of dreads for a LONG time, the day I actually put them in I never stopped to dwell, I just said, "let's do this," because I knew I might chicken out of actually doing it. For me, it was a release of all the worry I usually acquire and a chance to embrace spontaneity, my heart knew what was best - and I am SO glad that I did it too because post-dreads I am much happier. Chicken little or not. I do agree, however, with actually thinking about the BIG picture; they are a commitment and not to be taken lightly, however, in my opinion, people are slightly less attached to their hair than they are to their skin. Yes, tattoos are permanent but dreads are semi permanent - they can always be combed out or chopped off (not that I would ever do it) if a person changes their mind. I say, let people make a rash decision and get dreads; heck, just be reading the stories here they might wind up becoming a better, stronger person for that rash decision. Lol. But everyone is different and so I respect that you put a lot of thought into what you decide is permanent and ever-lasting. That's a quality hard to find these days.

@Jasmine: Round 2! Ding ding ding! Thank you for sharing your happiness with us! Being one's self is possibly the greatest reward in life. Post up some pics so we can see!

I guess i had loved locs for a long time, i had always loved the connection to my inner self that reggae music gave oneself and loved the look of Bob Marley's locs,As a youngin i always had short hair shaved it as soon as it got more than an inch or 2 long(allthough i hated brushing my hair and never did hence why i kept it short), when i hit between 10-12 my hair started becoming extremely curly instead of the dead straight it was originally, and it was something i did not like, not until i left school at the age of 15 and started teaching myself about life and the world, i started to love my curls because i knew they were unique and how so many people would kill/pay alot of money to get a perm, whereas for me it came naturally .I first grew it to nearly shoulder length at about 17-18 years old, but then i ended up shaving it back again because my boss told me it was getting too long and messy(working as a butcher and around meat all day it was understandable being at an inbetween stage where i could not tie it),After i chopped it off that last time i ended up just letting it grow and have never cut my hair since, in my final year of my butchery apprenticeship i had started researching into spirituality and alternate thinking and became such a happy and more fulfilled person during this journey, and learnt to embrace nature and all things natural, We were all born natural beings and we will all die natural beings.After 2 years of growing my hair i decided to finally take the plunge and let my hair just grow completely natural like our great ancestors and let it neglect dreadlock, Also i learnt about how natural hair with length brings out natural intuition in humans and becoming a more spiritual/mystical being in general,(the native-american trackers grew their hair long so they could intuitively track animals and prey on land and find their way through dense bush(it was their guiding force as i heard it)So basically the growing of my dreadlocks is a kind of spiritual initiation for myself, and the becoming of a more natural person connected with the earth goddess and all of life in general.Their is alot more of a story behind it but its always hard to explain the whole story over the internet :D.Peace and Love everyone.

In a nutshell, I've been growing a bit in confidence, and my whole life plan of passing my a-levels, going to university and becoming a doctor with a stable, normal life has been chucked out the window. Because I've seen so many new exciting things this year (in the realms of spirituality and arts mostly) that I wouldn't be able to turn back to an orthodox lifestyle.

My baby dreads are reflecting that to the extent of I do what I want, for me, because I am not as afraid to be myself anymore, despite what people think I should do (including to get a job etc). My friend talked about getting natural dreadlocks (and this friend has been a penniless wanderer around england for many months now) and I've looked it up and been hooked ever since. I've also felt so liberated not using chemical shampoos and conditioners now (in fact I spent about a month before dreading my hair adjusting it to water washing only; it went through a period of greasiness and now it's like before but so much better and healthier!).

I've also always had problems with the way my hair looks ever since I became a teen and now I just love my hair. I honestly love it so much. My dreads are my babies.

And finally the spiritual aspect...I follow a somewhat pagan path - at least that would be the general classification - and it fits so well because I feel like I'm becoming, to put frankly and cheesily, more at one with nature. Not to mention the fact that when left to its own devices, hair becomes as tree roots! Wow! I still can't get over how amazing just that is, really. I actually didn't know dreadlocks were the natural state of things until this year. And I've seen myself with dreadlocks in meditation now, too, which I must admit made me so ridiculously happy.

I'm just totally enjoying the journey really.