Newbie

Warning I do not know how to use forum's at all but really wanted a bit of support on this new journey of mine. And also a place to ask questions since I'm also fairly clueless about dreads! Thankfully I found this site right off the bat and even though if already read the "use crochet hooks or twist and rip' but my whole purpose in starting this is sort of in support for the other major changes i've been making in my life the past few years, which has been to embrace a more natural lifestyle.

I got sick a few years ago and literally believed I was dying but medically speaking I was a mess! Too many modern interventions and treatments advertised as The way to deal with my many health issues. Needless to say I suffered the consequences of an arrogant medical community that absolutely has the tech to save lives but has no respect for foundational/root causes nor natural alternatives and are terribly NOT open minded. I'm embarrassed to admit it took me til I was almost 50 yrs old and dead before I woke up. 

I don't blame the doctors (our educational system spits them out with a very unblanaced knowledge base!) But a system that's set up to be a business with money at the root, well you can draw your own conclusions but hopefully you enter any interactions with the medical community with a healthy ability to questions and research and confirm before f following along blindly!!

Sorry off that soapbox. 

My hair has suffered over the years as well, not just from my lack of ignorance but also from my body breaking down and being malnurished. I've relearned how to best fuel my body and while I'm not a vegetarian I definitely follow a whole foods, plant based diet. And it's been incredible to watch my body respond once it had good fuel!! My hair was still falling out in huge amounts (literally enough to make a small furry creature out of my daily trail!) I stopped dyeing it (but had used all types of colors for years) and had a fair amount of damage from that. I learned to use less toxic products but that's been evolving too. I started shampooing maybe once a week which seemed good enough for my poor hair. Deciding to do dreads was also a process but some of it was practical. I prefer the natural neglect (as I went to not using makeup and allowing my body to grow hair wherever and however it wanted to!) I didn't like to spend much time trying to make it look presentable when most often it seemed to have a mind of its own. And then I thought if I did dreads maybe that would be a good use of all this hair I keep loosing (like let them create some volume by bring used as knots! Maybe that doesn't really work or make sense but it was a thought along the way!! 

Sorry too much info im sure. I am an artist so I do need my hair to stay out of my face and way, plus it's fairly hot these days so I do put it up more then I've read is best. That was one of my questions was best ways to not hide it, but to keep it out of the way. I burned the tip of my braid cooking over an open fire so I've learned the hard way to keep it back. It was almost always in a braid and so I'm struggling finding ways to manage it.

I have ordered some dread shampoo but have been using Dr Bonner's diluted while waiting for that. In my past life I definitely struggled with impatience so I knew this might be hard to be ok during the beginning phase but I did one twist and rip' just to have some reference and see what that was like but it felt more violent then I wanted so it was easy to come back to just doing it the natural way! 

My hair is rather long (almost to waist) so I'm also wondering if maybe it would be easier to start off with it shorter in length?? I probably would mind getting rid of the last inches of what's left from the day days but only if it actually would help my hair dread up. 

So that's enough for now. The hippie inside me who has been begging to come out for most my life is happily content with this new process one week in and not missing the brush or conditioner (ok maybe a lil bit cuz my hair is rather rough feeling and I like soft hair! But it was fuzzy and acting like it was dry and angry before so it's no worse!!)

Good luck to the rest of you brave and beautiful commrades on a similar path!

If I can figure out how to post I have taken a few pix cuz I wanted to record this process but I also am no fan of photos and don't want to get good at taking selfies!! Lol guess I could just focus on just the hair, noone needs or wants to see any of the rest....haha and see maybe there are still leftovers from a life that found conformity a good thing!  

Could someone help me change the background to plain so that when I'm typing I can actually see the words?? I'm sure it's "easy" and I do like the profile pic!! Just can't see and hard to edit....

K thnx looking forward to getting to know some of you!

well you should have gone to the rainbow gathering then!

it will dread way faster longer, and shrink more.. i wouldnt cut an inch..you can add photos in the post in your gallery or as attachments.

i'm not sure what you mean.. where you type the background is white.. if you mean te green part  with the background image behind it (reading area) you can use a lil trickery to make it go away ..let me brainstorm.. there just maybe a way to give you a option to disable it globaly.

i'm guessing that you have some vision impairment that affects reading the site? does ctrl + to increase size help?

can't wait to see your dreads/hair

and you would have loved the gathering if only u joined in time to go

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Welcome! Glad to have you with us! Separating will help with the fuzzies a little. I often use a long thin scarf and tie it around my head effectively holding my hair off my face.

I can't see either on certain spots, autocorrect often gets me so once i post i can see my mistake... fixing it is a whole other thing though. I'd prefer a background I can see my text through as well

well what would you like then..name it

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

It's not on these parts to reply but when we edit or write a post the guy with his dreads are in the background, the dark from that image blends with the text. Maybe while we're composing a thread or editing the background could show blank?

Thanks for the welcome. And yes vision is terrible. The background isn't white completely, there is a black siloutte (sp) that is black so I cannot see any words over that guy. Not a huge deal, I just assumed with technology (that I don't understand) it would be fairly easy to fix??

I tried to post but from my phone it keeps saying a problem with memory so I'll have to play around some and see if maybe from the tablet it might be easier. But glad to know I can leave the length. Took long enough to grow it out!!

And funny you mention the rainbow gathering because that was one of my first post I read and thought to myself maybe I can go next year! I really loved how births and generations continue the tradition (I was adopted and don't know my own history so others with ones they can track fascinate me!!) Back in my former life I wanted to be a midwife and even went so far as to go to school for nursing but then I got too sick. I mentioned to my older conservative sister I was looking into communes that were specifically NOT religious based but she freaked out! I find the irony amusing....it would be acceptable to go to her church but joining anything else is "wrong"....sorry too much again. I'm definitely not great at knowing what to share and what not. The brain injury has made things hard to gauge. It's why I'm a hermit. I'm a bit too "wierd" for most polite society. Doesn't make me loose any sleep tho. My brain being damaged wasnt my fault and it's really been crazy to see how much can be relearned or find other areas of the brain to take over!
But people are just a bit out of my league of comfort. Animals are cool tho. They don't care if I'm slow or too honest. They only care if I'm nice. I'm glad our world has animals....

Thanks peaceful passer I read about the scarf and will make one with some material I have. The band and works ok but is alot of material so that feels like more warmth.
My head is misshaped from the broken skull bones (not really noticeable but I cannot wear a regular hat or cap cuz they don't fit and cause terrible headaches.) I just thought I read that it was better to not tie up the hair so I'll find a way to tie it back I can live with!

Thanks soaring eagle for all the help yesterday with getting me straighted out! And for having a forum for such a random but cool topic! Especially when so many encourage such damage for a natural state!!

can you post a screenshot cause this is how it looks on pc (try a different browser on phone maybe?) to fix that, i need a screenshot, and if possible (i only have a pc no mobile devices at all) need to find the element id/class you see on pc it looks like this.. with an editor

you should come to the gathering for sure! no issues you have will matter there (unless its anger/agression) but then still very understanding

i think you'd like lovin ovens as a home base.. a kitchen to plug into

so anyways.. i need to find a way to target the element the editor resides inside and give that a solid white background gimme 5 min to see what i can do

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

imperfect..now its a lil messy on pc but did that help

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

ok that might do it...is that better?

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

It's here that I see it. Hope this helps