Hi all,
Long time reader, first (or so) time poster.
This forum and website have been invaluable in my dreadlocks journey. I have wanted dreads since I was about 8 years old, and finally did it about 18 months ago (it'll be 2 years on Christmas eve).
My hair is naturally quite curly and very thick, and I had no problem using a no-wax, all natural method. I had given up commercial shampoos years before and had been washing with baking soda and apple cider vinegar for quite some time, so there really was no real change in behaviour for washing, etc.! My hair has always been oily at the scalp and dry as it grows out, even though I didn't use 'product' before dreads, and I certainly don't now.
So things have been going well - the locks locked up fairly well and I've had some of the common problems (sore spots, roots tightening too quickly, bumps and 'ekscaping hairs', etc.. I haven't had too much of an issue with frizzies, but when things get frizzy, I wear my hair back.
ANYWAY. This summer, after a couple of rounds of home renovations (lots of drywall and wood dust), many of my locks have become stiff and quite dry; there's even some breakage at the tips. A friend of mine who had locks for many years recommended wax, but I'm really loathe to go down that road. Another friend who sports killer locks recommends rubbing in and heating (for penetration) coconut oil. I've read that aloe vera, jojoba, vitamin e or even olive oil are all usable, but here are my questions/concerns:
1) rancidity - do these oils go rancid? Will they wash out with my regular washing regimen? I would think the baking soda and vinegar would cut through much of the oil, but I don't want to put a bunch of stuff in my hair if I don't have to.
2) how, exactly, does one apply conditioning oils? I assume I'd just rub coconut oil in and then use a hair dryer to work it in, but olive oil? jojoba? argan? Just rub it in to each dread? Add it to my rinse water?
3) which is the best oil to use for stiff, dry sections?
4) How often should I condition/oil?
5) I'm not concerned about the locks loosening up, but what are some early warning signs that Things may be Going Wrong?
Thanks.
updated by @cenobyte: 01/13/15 09:56:33PM
