the truth about crocheting dreadlocks

I dont know homie about that homie....breaking hair=bad, so i would still say it is bad Matthew said:

I wouldn't say,"BAD"...but, I WOULD say, not suggested.


Brad said:

i know you posted this a while back but i have to comment on it. Im about at month 7 of my journey and i crocheted the first 3 months and yea crocheting is a bad mistake!!! i promise you this!! i am finding, from freeforming for the past four months that all the broken hair caused by the crochet hook is starting to be forced out of dreads by the new growth...which sux...you don't want that to happen....so because i crocheted i have massive loose hair (which i don't have a problem with loose hair) but this is loose hair thats is broken and not even connected to my head...why would you want something like that to happen...when done naturally hair is never broken and detached from your scalp...i mean maybe its alright to crochet once but never continue to maintain them....and another thing..it has taken 4 months since a crochet hook touched my head for my locks to actually start to look "matted" and not "woven"....i used a .7 mm crochet hook so it was small..but it still broken thousands of strainds of hair which im a regretedly now having to deal with....im not speaking out my ass im speaking from experience...i have uploaded videos on my page since my week 16 as well as a vid from week one so you know im not lying....CROCHETING IS BAD!!

Mustarov Bulzokin said:

very not true. small diameter crochet hook slide past hair not break them. easier for to go next to hair and not break law of newton. crochet used to pull loose hair for into bottom of lock so hair start to grow for dreadlock. crochet not use to pull hair into dreadlock part already dreadlock because not hair for to do this. I do not understand logic of this soaringeagle. People also I know with dreadlock use crochet to make loose hair into dreadlock not have problem. No respect but have you use crochet?

soaringeagle said:

ok u were smart enough to barely do it

the problem is most ppl do it every week or every 2 weeks
everytime u push any metal object through a dread u break hairs
the strength of a dread (or rope) comes from the length of the in tact fibers thats why hemp is so much stronger then cotton
so every broken hair that shortens fibers (hairs) weakens them somewhat
dreaking a few now and then wont be too bad
but
if u break hundreds a week every week year after year the average length of in tact hairs can be pretty short making the dread very weak


your use was smart..youd be better off never using it but at least you did minumal harm
not like those who for 14 hours a week every week crocheting

updated by @brad: 07/23/15 03:37:02PM

I haven't been crocheting my locks for about 2 and a half months now and I would say the new matted growth does feel stronger than the crocheted stuff.You have to put it in perspective though...some people like the crochet look and they like to have control over their hair. If you want super neat locks and have the time and skill, then the crochet method is actually a good way of going.What is NOT good however, is if you use a hook over .7mm and don't know what you're doing. Many people don't realise how to properly curve the hook when they're pulling out and how to correctly pull the hair in without damage. If you listen carefully, you can hear the snapping when hair is damaged by the crochet process. Now that I'm experienced at the technique, there is no snapping when I do it. I also know HOW many hairs to pull in rather than just attacking the lock and making it a thin rock. Crochet hooks are there to ENCOURAGE the maturing process, not replace it. People that tighten their locks using the hook are daft.As for damage...I don't care. I initially crocheted a whole lot to the extent where I could see little bits of hair falling out (I'm the initial poster of that thread that soaringeagle showed). If I have to deal with that later its ok, its all part of the learning process. I'd rather make the mistakes early and know how to use the technique properly in future. It's my hair, and I'm having fun seeing what natural growth does and what crochet hooking does :p

I used the crochet method on mine to start 4 months or so ago and about once a month just to get the loose hair and frizz on top maintained. My hair locked up pretty quick, and there's no need now but it's a good way to keep em neat. Much better than wax. I used wax a few years ago and that shit melted out and my face broke out. Dont use nasty wax but I can also see how crocheting too much can damage your hair. But to all their own!

I agree with SE. I've done a great deal of damage crocheting my dreads. If you just leave them alone and be completely patient with your hair it will all get sucked in. You can also put wraps in your dreads and that helps a lot with loose hair. You can leave them in for a few months if you want. Just be careful with how often you wash because you're more prone to mold and mildew since it's wrapped up. It's also a lot easier and less time consuming. Crocheting my dreads just made me really frustrated. The only thing I really do with a crochet needle is blunt the tips. That's all I think they should be used for. I've seen a lot of people that tend to care too much for their dreads and overly maintain them end up cutting them out or combing them out. Dreading your hair is a slow and beautiful process. Embrace it and let your hair do it's thing naturally.

SO then what can you do to put hairs back in the dread?

if you need to crochet roots, get a thin hair clip, clip the hair andpull it through, the clip wont catch any hairs because there's no hooks on it.

crochetting is for yarn, not hair. Dreadlocks are supposed to be a very natural thing, why put hours of work into something that happens on it's own? and why crochet the roots? they will also dread on their own.crocheting dreadlocks I think is something DreadHeadHQ created to sell more stuff.And loose hair is not a bad thing. Nobody notices it but you. All these companies have ppl paranoid of not having perfect dreads. Dreads arent meant to be perfect. If they were, they would form that way on their own Benjamin said:

Why work hard at it?

ummm.. So they will look like dreads and not unorganized clumps of matted hair people think are dreads!

It's not that bad of a way to start off. If you know what your doing you can have your roots lock with out any help of a needle and use it then to keep the little loose hairs in the dread.

i only did it once about a year ago.i woudnt do it agian! i dont recomend it.. it DID make them look "neat" but i dont like that...and makes them feel tight... i dont like that eaither!..lol i like the messy ununiformed look,yes ive heard the dangors of crochet hooking dreads. i just maintan my dreads myself. my locticain says i have the best looking dreads!..(: says most people who maintain dreads themselvs they tend to look all messy and not very good

gotta say, me too! all the sudden when i used wax in the beggining..my back and neck TOTALLY broke out in pimples!..i STILL have them.. after 3 yrs!its not even pimples really...its like..enzema or something.blackheads maybe?but before my dreads and waxing ive NEVER had a problem with blackheads on my back..lol it could have been the oilyness from my dreads and stuff tho. maybe it leaks on the back of my neck, but anyways...the blackheads are still here..ohh i also get pimples on my scalp too and around the baseline of my hair and around my temple from time to time...but zits and crap..it DEFFINITLY helps when u go waxless.. Chuck R said:

I used the crochet method on mine to start 4 months or so ago and about once a month just to get the loose hair and frizz on top maintained. My hair locked up pretty quick, and there's no need now but it's a good way to keep em neat. Much better than wax. I used wax a few years ago and that shit melted out and my face broke out. Dont use nasty wax but I can also see how crocheting too much can damage your hair. But to all their own!

you made your own? that's pretty cool,