Soaring Eagle is right - don't backcomb. Do a youtube search for "twist and rip dreadlocks" and you'll see a bunch of tutorial videos if you don't know how to do it. It's super easy and painless. I re-did one of my dread-bangs that was coming undone a lot using this method and now it's super tight only a month or so later.
I've been there with the combed out dreads and it's not fun. My hair is naturally thin and straight too. I've also got polish in my family so maybe that's it. I didn't know that was a common polish thing but now that I think about it, that makes sense. I have about 23 dreads with two smaller ones forming. The good thing is that your dreads will thicken up over time.
You can have nice looking dreads again but it will involve some patience. Don't mess with your hair too much. Just keep using the baking soda to wash. Make a paste out of it and massage it all over your hair and scalp and then rinse. The cleaner your hair is, the faster it will dread. Definitely don't add any chemicals or products as they will cause buildup and prevent your hair from locking up.
Best of luck.
updated by @erin2: 07/03/15 06:10:36AM
