More than a year in and my hair is still a mess lol

I backcombed in june of 2011 had 15 dreads then, though the actual dreads I have now are much different. I just separted another one into two and I now have 17 locks, but my hair is still really messy. Am I ever going to get out of this awkward phase? I've brushed off everyone telling me "yo tighten up those dreads bro!" for more than a year now, I saw a friend the other day who I hadn't seen in a while who asked me why I was letting my dreads unravel lol. They're pretty huge too, I'm thinking maybe that's why they're such a mess still? I don't plan on messing with them or anything, and I don't really mind them being messy, but when do you think I can expect to stop getting stupid comments from people who don't know what they're talking about? 2 years? IDK lol, just looking for some comfort, the shrinking period is over pretty much except for a couple ends of dreads, but I have loose hair EVERYWHERE and it pretty much just covers up all my dreads. Oh, also all I do to my hair is wash it when it gets dirty with residue free shampoo, once or twice a week probably, no gels, no creams, no wax, no crochet hooks, no palm rolling, etc.

updated by @matt-hazlett: 02/14/15 09:25:28AM

when will stupid people stop being stupid?

probly never

lets see your dreads i bet they are just fine although..huge the hugeness might be a factor sure

but stupid people will never stop being stupid so ignore thbem

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

I just washed them, so they are wet and you can't really see the massive amount of frizz that is present when they dry. Also the front ones appear bigger than they are because the ends are all flat and loopy as they are tightening up, the body of the dreads are probably about the size of a hotdog, maybe a little bigger. My hair was also down to my nipple when I started, so if it wasn't dreaded it would probably be more than halfway down my back.

updated by @matt-hazlett: 02/05/15 10:12:49AM

i do think the size is whats making em lokk so messy what shampoo are u washing with?

ad some sea salt to your routine and it will help

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

It's funny because they FEEL so much more like nice, firm locks than they look. The one I just separated into two I had separated a couple inches of it starting at the root months and months ago, but as I tried to finish it the other day, it took forever and was very tedious, I had to take a knife to it for the last centimeter or so, strangely enough it produced a medium sized (big for anybody else probably) dread and a little one (normal size for most people) that look much further along than any of my other locks. Also each dread is probably about 8inches of mature dread lock, with a few inches of loose hair that is working it's way up into the dreaded part.

If any new dread heads are reading this and you have big locks, take my advice and separate them as soon as you realize you're going to need to, because waiting makes it the most time consuming, tedious thing in the world pulling each strand out one at a time from a mature dread take houuuurs.

Oh, and I am washing with Nutregena residue free shampoo SE. I've done BS washes a few times, but it really dries out my scalp.

dont use nutrgena its not residue free its a residue remover its very toxic and only meant to be used a cxouple times a year it also leaves a residue itself

and ..it stinks

its nasty stuff

get a dread shampoo like www.dreadlockshampoo.com

and bs wont dry youyr scakp if u do acv after

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

you can see the size of the locks better here, this is about average size for most of them.

updated by @matt-hazlett: 02/05/15 10:12:49AM

they are pretty fat and thats gonna make em take lom[nfer to tighten up probly

but if u use a real dread soap and add sea salt it will help

throw that nutragena away

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Oh man I had no idea, thanks. Another dread head recomended the nutragena, I actually like the way it smells! Maybe that could be why my dreads feel kind of stiff after washing, though I suspect it has more to do with the size. I just bought that nag champa shampoo from that link though, what's shipping times usually like?