Hello. My name is Clinton. I've been lurking for quite some time and mining this exceptionally useful resource for all the info I can ingest. Now, I feel it proper to finally introduce and share a bit of my story. This is my second attempt at locks and I'm taking the correct approach this time. The first attempt was probably about 10 years ago and the only information on how to do this came from the web, which, at that point, consisted almost solely of companies pushing product and disseminating terrible misinformation. So my first attempt was a batch of back combed, fat, lumps which I then proceeded to drench in wax and spend countless hours palm rolling, root rubbing, dread balling, and obsessively pulling in every loose hair I could find with my hook. 1.5 years later I had no trouble whatsoever combing them out almost as if they hadn't dreaded at all. Still, I thought nothing of it and for the next decade dreamt of the day I could resume pursuit of my true self.
10 years later I have decided I am at a point in my life to take the journey again and luckily, thanks to wonderful collections of information and dread communities such as this, I am heading down the right path. I used the twist 'n' rip method in september to initiate and have left them alone since then. Nearly three months old now and my hair is seeing more advancement towards dreadlocks than my previous attempt after a year and half. I currently am admiring and gushing over all the lumps, zigzags, and loops that are forming. Almost every morning I wake up and find new loops and lumps that I could swear weren't there yesterday. A unique expression of my own personality. No more obsessing and attempting to control that which I cannot.
This is all new to me. I never once saw a single loop or lump in the waxy nightmare that was my first attempt. I wasn't even happy with or proud of my first dreads. They were just "bleh" and not at all as inspiring as I thought dreads should be. This time around I am absolutely in love with my hair. The development and journey is everything I originally thought dreadlocks were supposed to be. I am eternally grateful for places such as this that have shown me the light. Who would have thought the answer would be so logical; so simple? Just let go.
