Not Locking Well?

I have had my dreads for about eight months now. I did them with the backcombing method. For the first month or so I used wax two times. I probably overtaxed (almost definitely actually) and then decided after all the reading I was doing that it was a terrible idea. For the first two months I used a residue free all natural shampoo but I didn't feel like it was strong enough. Then I switched to Dr. Brommers. Now I am using baking soda and an apple cider vinegar rinse. I took a shower last night and did a really thorough deep clean before it did. Now I feel REALLY spongy, sticky sections close to the root that I am assuming are wax. I spent the morning palm rolling and squishing the wax out. Tonight I plan on soaking them again in baking soda and really, really hot water. My concern is that my dreads aren't locking up very well (I think). There are some spots that is barely dreaded (I can pull it apart and see through it). I know the flat spots and loops are normal, and they shift every so often so I know they are getting better. I'm just wondering if the wax is making it so they aren't maturing as fast. They all seem like they were just done a month ago and aren't locking up tight. Also, at the roots, there are some MAJOR loops that I think are from wearing a bandana at work all day long and training them to go back. I used to wear the bandana all the time but now I usually let them hang down so they aren't trained to lay back. Anyone who has any thoughts, I'd greatly appreciate them

updated by @kyle-van-zandbergen: 01/13/15 10:03:57PM

yea that wax has got to go but bs/acv isnty the way to get it out u neewd the wax b gone

dawn and very hot watewr can taqke some out but then youir looking at months of scrubbin g to do what 1-3 uses of wax b gone will do

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Sorry to hear you got sucked into the wax trap. Unfortunately, any wax at all is too much. At it's best, was prevents all locking. But most likely, it will cause mold and mildew to build up over time. This is because wax is a hydrocarbon, and doesn't break down when it's wet. Instead, it hold water in your locks and never dries.

The best thing to do is get the wax-b-gone. Like Eagle said, Dawn dish soap would work, but it takes a lot of sessions, over months.

If it's been 8 months, I'd get the wax-b-gone as well as the mold remover, just to be safe. I'm not saying there is mold, but it's better be be on the safe side, there.

They definitely don't seem to be moldy. They dry pretty fast and the ends seems pretty unwary. I think that the roots probably had more in them because thats where it all converged. The ends seem like most of the wax is out. After I get the wax b gone and I get all the wax out, just keep on doing the normal care for them and hope that they lock up? Did the wax essentially just make the locking process stagnate and this will be like they are newly done?

So I worked really hard at getting the wax out of one of the dreads and it just kinda fell apart. It was tangled but not really knotted, certainly not where it should be after eight months. I carefully combed out all of the knots and redid the dread with the rip and twist method. I hope when I get the wax be gonoe the rest don't just fall out, but I have a feeling they might. If it does, I will just rip and twist them back in I guess!

Yeah, the wax delayed all progress. What it did was just stick your hair together. When your hair is stuck in place, it can't get tangled, which is what forms the knots. So taking out the wax will pretty much start you over from where they were the first day you put it in. They will most likely unravel for a while before the real knotting starts.

The problem with them feeling dry is that they'll feel dry on the outside, but still be wet inside. You may not even be able to notice. Hot water, alone, only helps melt the wax and move it deeper into your locks. Even with a normal soap, it won't get that wax out. Normal dreadlock soaps don't have detergents in them, so the wax is not broken down and removed.