From Interlocking to Natural: My Dreadlock Journey

I am wondering which type of soak would be better for my roots, I am a little torn between if I should do a sea salt spray (or maybe soak) or do a soak with a conditioning oil like argan or jojoba...I know both of the soaks do different things, I just wish there was a way to get both of their effects (the tightened roots and soft dreads - cause my dreads are often a rough, even to me - without canceling each other out. But I am unsure if I'll end up doing the soak today (As I did wash my dreads earlier this week). I may end up doing the conditioning soak over the sea salt one, but I'm still up in the air on that. I am wondering if instead of soaking the roots when I do a conditioning soak would it be better just to soak the actual dreads and not the roots...although it does feel a little weird to me to ignore the roots, LOL

completely pointless to do both do whichever you have the more desired effect for at the time 95% of the time i would condition to softenthen one day i'll think omg these loose hairs are outta control and i use the lockin up liquid..once, maybe twice and   get a dozen new locks form..if you want softer dreads soften them knowing the roots might loosen..thats fine for months ..if then the roots are way too loose  do sea salt to tighten recognizing he dreads won't be as soft for awhile

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Ok, so really just alternate between the two. I am wondering if it'll be smarter to wait to condition my dreads until my gap seals more permanently, as it seems to not always stay sealed. Although, as these photos indicate I think it may be finally close to that point. I'm just a little unsure of when I could condition without them loosening, thinking I should give the sea salt sprays a couple more weeks to work, as I had started to do them weekly again a while back.  

Additionally, is it better for conditioning my dreads, to use a soak ie put the 6 drops of oil in a large amount of water and soak for like 5 minutes - would 5 minutes be too much? Or is it better to just mix the oil into a spray bottle full of water and spray it on my head and leave it there and maybe partially wash it off the stop of the scalp so the oil gets into the dreads?

updated by @ravens-light: 01/02/17 08:49:27PM

id say wait a lil let the roots dread up more also consult with panterra caraway on fb or i'll tell her to check with u here about the thinness

i usualy put some in a pitcher pour  it on wait like 30 sec to 3 min depending how deep a condition i desire, then 1/2 rinse..like give it a quick light spray  to make it feel less oily more spread throughourt it   so theres likely some left in  but any excess been sprayed a lil to rinse through and out if needed..(hope that makes sense  no sleep for 4 days . practicing soaring for spring stdying for gliders  cert b4 spring  trying world record extreme flights in condor competition soaring simulator (very realistic) (broke the world redord but trying to shatter it by 100 miles) anyway braindeadtired  flying 14 hour days (been out f my thyroid meds fr a week maybe that's why i cant sleep too) yea im babbking srry

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Ok, by thinness do you mean the state of my part that goes down the center of my sectioning? 

yes

do you always wear them parted that way or do you toss them left right up down all over, if you did  toss the part somewhere else does it look as thin

do u think just the weight of them always parted the same  never flipped to 1 side or the other

don't part em that way for 3 months and see

instead shake or flip randomly toss them side to side throughout the day

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

I tend to wear them parted in the middle yes if I have them parted to the right it feels ok, but parting them to the left side is uncomfortable as it seems to twist my roots, I mean so does wearing it to the right. I do also wear them with the front dreads going back, from time to time but usually, I wear them how they want to fall most comfortably, which is in the middle the attached pictures are of the current gap just after a wash today. the three photos how the part parted down the middle, left and right. a photo of them with the front going back sort of down the middle.

I realized in trying to keep my hair to one side today that it is hard to keep my hair flipped over to one side (in this case the left since it is more comfortable then flipping them to the left is currently) because my dreads always want to fall down the respective side the dread is on.

Edit: I have always sort of assumed it's the weight of them, but I also wonder if the pattern in which my hair was sectioned has something to do with it. I seem to recall being told that my sectioning was done in a brick layering type of pattern. 

Edit: I had correct this post, as I had written that flipping my dreads to the left was uncomfortable, when it was in fact, flipping them to the right side that was uncomfortable, is there a way to fix that?

updated by @ravens-light: 01/05/17 11:39:20AM

toss them all, over to 1 side hanging over 1 shoulder then the next day the other way its likely both the pattern and weght and just how they are always parted because i  toss mine any old wich way theres nowhere it wants to part anymore  they just fall whatever way they want

 

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

I have a question that relates to dr. bronners, which is better the liquid or the bar? I mean I found a place to buy both the bar and the liquid. (My work sells them), the liquid size they sell is the 32 oz size one (would , and the bar is 5 oz, (I think  I'll  put it in a soap saver bag I have (whenever that bag is empty from the current bar soap I have), but I'm not sure if I should just figure out if I to dilute the soap I would use)?I know the liquid might last longer, but I'm wondering if the bars may actually end up being a more worthwhile buy, the liquid or the bar? I know some of you have used both the bars and the liquid so I would love some input as to which one is better in terms of residue and rinsing out and any other impressions you have about it. I still have most of my current bottle of dr. bronners left (I have the 32oz bottle still), I'm just looking to get the information so I'll know for my next time I need to buy.

I also have an additional question: would it be better to go with a shampoo like dr bronners or to use something like the tea tree shampoo from Trader Joe's? Cause I have access to both shampoos, but I'm just wondering would it be better to dilute that one too or just use it straight? (I am wondering if it would actually end up being cheaper to go with drbronners over this shampoo, since in either form you of have  to stretch dr bronners to even work with it). 

Thanks in advance!

updated by @ravens-light: 01/09/17 09:34:24PM

bronners liquid goes a long long way since you dilute it somuch but apparently  many say the bars work better in hard water areas

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1