I started my dreads on November 11, 2011 using the T&R method.
This is just minutes before I started my journey. I washed my hair with dishwashing soap and left it alone to dry. I sectioned and used mostly twist and rip. I did try a few backcombed dreads but didn't really like them. 
After a week this is what my dreads looked like. They've been washed twice and fell out almost completely.
Two weeks in I used string to wrap a few of the dreads and I also t&r the tips again, I didn't know not to... 
Ok, so now the dreads are three weeks old and I did more t&r and put bands in them to keep them from falling apart. These bands are "slippery" (not rubber) and I didn't have any issues with them being eaten by my dreads. It still was sort of a relief to take them out after a few weeks. 
Four weeks, I did keep on moving the strings around to different dreads to help them along. 
Five weeks, at this point I started noticing a more dreaded feel to the dreads and I had to seperate the dreads at the back like crazy. They really tried their very best to form one giant dread on my head. 
So for acouple ofweeks I didn't get any photos, this is at the three-month mark. Now the dreads started to feel like dreads and I divided some of them 'cause I got scared that they were going to be too fat. I really loved this stage! 
At the four-month mark I tried sleeping on wool for two nights. I hated it! Hair was pulled out of dreads and the frizz, the frizz.... 
Four months and 3 weeks and yes, I love my hair! 
Five months, just out of the shower so the hair is still wet. 
Five months and 3 weeks and my hair shrunk over night, or that's what it felt like. Oh, how I hated it at first, I thought I looked really stupid. At the middle layer of my hair the loops and knots were going crazy! After a few days and a post on here I got over the hate and loved my hair again. 
Six months and my hair is still sort of funny looking but at least now the dreads that I have felt with my fingersfor so long are finally becoming more defined. I am longing for some more length though. 
6 1/2 months, in this light it is really visible howshort the locks areand how much loose hair there is. I don't mind the loose hair, I kinda like it. 
UPDATE (June 13,2012)
I can't believe it's already been 7 months! I got some embroidery thread to make bracelets and I used the thread to wrap some of my dreads as well. I'm not sure how long I will keep the wraps, but it's fun to add colour to them plus they look a bit more defined when they are wraped. The knots in the middle layer are crazier then ever. Here are some photos: 
UPDATE (August 11, 2012)
I see that I forgot to update my timeline with the 8 months picture so here are both the 8 and the 9 months photos. The last month I have separeted my dreads alot. I've run my fingers between the dreads and any hairs that were tangled into the wrong dread got pulled out ortorn.I've also noted a few neglect dreads and that is really exciting! Still quite a lot of loose hair but I think my dreads are starting to look like dreads now.
8 months 
8,5 months 
9 months 
UPDATE (September 1, 2012)
My ends tendto havehair sticking out in every direction and will often foldover to create blunted ends and that's all good, except for the fact that I love unblunted and loose ends. Many would say leave 'em to do their thing, but I reeeeally want loose ends... I'm not recommending rubber bands, but I do use them myself. Please don't hate on me for this, it works for me and I keep my eyes on them. I put bands on this dread today, I'll show you the same dread again when I remove the rubber bands. 
UPDATE (September 11, 2012)
Today my dreads are 10 months old. I'm not really having a good hair day, but I got my husband to take some photos anyway. My hair is gaining length, finally! The dreads are also gettingthicker the last few weeks, butthis may be my imagination and wishful thinking. 
I actually think I'm entering into a new messy stage, a lot of knotting going on in the ends and Ikeep findingnew knots and babies all over my head. 
UPDATE (December 18, 2012)
I've now had my dreads 13 months and I still love them and can't imagine not having them.They have started to shrink again but I find that I don't pay that much attention to my hair and it doesn't bother me at all even though I still would like some more length. It will happen when it happens. My ends will probably blunt up and I've accepted that as well. I always wanted lose ends, but now that doesn't seem all that important any more. Some photos for you:
10 months and a week I think. 
12 months! 
UPDATE (January 12, 2013)
Remember that one dread back in September? I put a band on the end since I really wanted loose ends and my hair seems to want blunted ends. I've kept a wrap at the root of this dread to be able to keep track of it and now I've decided to remove the wrap but I want to show you what it look like before I do. I havn't had a band on the end since end of november I think. 
Yesterday my dreads turned 14 months. I removed all my wraps except onea week or two ago to let my hair "rest" a bit. I really miss the wraps and will be putting them back in in another 2 weeks or so. The one that I keptI put in10.5 months ago when my reading glasses got stuck ina dread. Now I use it to see how much my hair has grown.Even though myhair keeps getting shorter and shorter it has actually grown a lot. This is what it looks like today. 
UPDATE (March 12, 2013)
Yesterdaymy dreads turned 16 month. I feel that nothing much has happened during the last two months, but now when I look at the photos I think my hair may be a bit longer... finally... or is it just wishful thinking on my part? Some photos from yesterday: 
UPDATE (April 5, 2013)
It's friday evening and I've been watching a movie on tv. My fingers were disconnected from my brain and next thing I know my bangs are dreaded... I never made a conscious decision to t&r but maybe my hair was sending me signals that it wants to be all dreads. Now I'm looking forward to seeing what these new dreads will do. 
UPDATE (April 11, 2013)
17 months today! I'm not so sure about dreadingthe fringe, I miss it. Of course I know it will take time forthe new dreadsto grow and mature and I'll give it some more time before I comb them out. I just can't decide what to think about it. Some new photos: 
UPDATE (May 12, 2013)
A year and a half since I started my dreads!!! Not much has happened during the last month. I'll share a photo of how I sometimeswear my hair for work. I pull thedreads back in a ponytail and tuck the ends in, at least the ends that are long enough. Since the bangs are too short to be pulled back I hold them in place with a hair band. 
UPDATE (May 29, 2013)
So I made a video of my dreads today, they are approx 18,5 months old. Music by Melissa Horn, song is called"Jag vet vem jag r nr jag r hos dig" (I know who I am when I'm with you).
Find more videos like this on dreadlocks forums
UPDATE (July 11, 2013)
20 months of dreadlocks today!!! There's not a whole lot going on, feels like my dreads have been the same length forever. Love them just the same and have not regreted this journey for even a second. 
UPDATE (November 11, 2013)
2 years of dreads today. Happy birthday dreadies!
UPDATE (April 26, 2014)
2 years and 5 months
UPDATE (June 15, 2014)
2 years and 7 months
UPDATE (August 30, 2014)
2 years and almost 10 months. The back it's getting longer. The side dreads have been the same length since I started them, at least that's what it feels like.
UPDATE (November 17, 2014)
My dreads have now turned 3 years. When I started them I imagined that they would be a lot longer by this time. I love my hair, but I don't think about it as much as I used to. Two photos:
To be continued...
updated by @sussi: 03/12/22 05:05:25PM
