New to Dreadlocks (Introduction)

Hey everyone my Name is Xavier but everyone calls me Tex . I just started dreading process about 2 wks ago now and im not quite sure if it is going correctly or not. I have a pretty decent pic on my page of how they look and if you all would be so kind to let me know if they seem to be going ok for now i would be very greatful.

I am going for a uniformed look because i work in the corp world (gotta make a living) and i pull my hair back at work. I want to know to fastest (but mostly natural) way of making my dreads happen. I am currently using organic locking and twisting gel but i am told i shouldn't twist them? im confused at this point.

updated by @tex: 01/13/15 08:53:53PM

just leave em alone theyre 2 weeks old ..twisting pulls everything in to tight giving u that im going bald look with tiny dreads comming out of huge bald spots some ppl who braided all theyre livesa think this looks tidy but it just looks weird..

but looks aside braiding too tightly and over twisting can cause issues like traction alopeciawhich can cause alot of ascalp trauma and even permenant hair loss

this also can weaken the roots leading to dreads breaking right off'

it does take alot of over twisting to break a dread off but the twisting they concider normal is eniough tio weaken them severely

its better to just leave em alone

now if your corp job demands it u can do some twisting if not too tight like every 3 months or so if u really feel u must just dont go overboard

with dreads..the less u do and use the bwetter

but u may need to compromise a lil if the job demands (typicaly ppl go overboard thinking omg i got dreads if i dont do ____ i wont get a job, and its not really the job demanding the excessive maintenance but theyre own paranioa over losing a job cause of dreads

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Thank you

Suzanne Beattie said:

Hey Tex, welcome. Judging by the your picture, your dreads look great

Ouch i see that! and i love my hair so i will def. take your advice and use it. You are right its the thought behind the hair but i work in the IT field so it shouldn't be too bad

soaringeagle said:

just leave em alone theyre 2 weeks old ..twisting pulls everything in to tight giving u that im going bald look with tiny dreads comming out of huge bald spots some ppl who braided all theyre livesa think this looks tidy but it just looks weird..

but looks aside braiding too tightly and over twisting can cause issues like traction alopeciawhich can cause alot of ascalp trauma and even permenant hair loss

this also can weaken the roots leading to dreads breaking right off'

it does take alot of over twisting to break a dread off but the twisting they concider normal is eniough tio weaken them severely

its better to just leave em alone

now if your corp job demands it u can do some twisting if not too tight like every 3 months or so if u really feel u must just dont go overboard

with dreads..the less u do and use the bwetter

but u may need to compromise a lil if the job demands (typicaly ppl go overboard thinking omg i got dreads if i dont do ____ i wont get a job, and its not really the job demanding the excessive maintenance but theyre own paranioa over losing a job cause of dreads

@ Soaring Eagle Wow that photo is scary. I have seen women like this because there is so much tension on the scalp the end up losing so much hair. I remember suggesting to a woman to not pull her hair back in a one ponytail so tightly when you really don't have enough hair to form one. Then she went on telling that her hair keeps falling out. I then told her that maybe just stop combing her hair and let her hair dread. I don't think she wanted hear that so I didn't more about it. She had african textured hair and would have locked fast and would have saved her scalp from any further abuse. But I offer advice when it is asked or when I see someone suffering it is up to them to decide whether or not to take the advice.

@Tex You know you don't even have to twist ever again and still be neat. Soaring Eagle has a good point when he said that it may be your own paranoia. Maybe try just seperating them so that they don't congo(meaning when one dread joins the other dread to form really big ones which I actually don't mind. I have tons of congos). And to makeyour dreads look neat you can apply some aloe vera gel from the actual plant to your dreads to help them look neat and all in one place. But to tell you the truth when I got a job at this health food store about 3yrs ago I came in with my hair the way it is. I was dressed very neat and clean. And I got the job. They never complained about my dreads. Sometimes I wore them up in two ponytails and a lot of times I just worethem down.

What type of job are you going for?

trina

thats not a scary pic compared to many salon dreads iceve seen thats a mild case ive seen way way way worse

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

I believe it! I can remember in the 80's I had went to get a relaxer in my hair and the beautician that was doing my hair left me with all these chemicals on my head to go and pick up one of her relatives. I was under the dryer with these chemicals in my head and and when she came back my scalp was all jacked up. I am surprised I still had hair on my head after that.

When you learn to take care of your own hair you don't take the risk of someone messing you over like that. People are becoming wiser about the fact that they can't depend on some stranger to know what's going on with them. They are learning that they have to take control of their health whether it be hair,body,mind and soul.

More and more people are tuning into their bodies and really getting to know what's going on inside and out. It takes a site like yours to bring the truth out there in the open for all to see so that they can have guidelines for taking care of their hair. Nobody knows you better than you.

It is truly empowering!

absolutely i mean we have seen so many loctician dreads come here and tell me that they never even wash theyre own hair! they pay a loctician 50 m=bucks to wash theur hair! and they say "i dont know how" to talke care of theyre dreads..whats so hard about washing your hair that u need a specialist to do it for you?

but thats the mentaliy they get in when the loctu=icians make it spund like if you get wet you melt

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1