Thinking about taking The Journey... Pros/Cons?

Alright, so my mind is almost made up on going for dreads... I work in the outdoors industry doing wilderness therapy and my very long hair is becoming a pain to maintain. Pretty much I just have to check with the job I am going for and make sure that they will accept dreads and then Im going for it.

I just wanted to hear from this community - pros? cons?

How is sleeping with them? Do they get annoying to lay on?

Im probably going to get them professionally done, anybody from colorado and know of some decently priced options?

My hair is about 22-23 inches long and pretty thick (its just a little longer than in the attached picture), it has some waves on the underside but overall is pretty straight, think dreads will actually work and look good?

Thanks for any and all opinions and information!

updated by @anna-boyd: 01/13/15 09:10:09PM

no dio not even consider gertting them professionaly done!

ok ill give u loads of opros and cons especialy to going to a professional

pros

dreads are easy to care foor feel amazing build confidence and self worth they empower and enlighten and change your outlook on life

cons to professional dreads

1 huge expence and effort

constant need to maintain (with more expenxse)

99% chance they will do a horible job all the worse things u can ever do to dreads were done by so called professiinals

youur hair is its own professional it knows how to dread itself

working in the wilderness is a great way to dread as dreads are natural

pro/con dreads do act as a filter in a way most ppl admire and respect dreads and find them beautiful but theresa percentage thart have the oposite reaction abnd often loudly

its a pro/com cause tho u get some ppl that way they are typicaly the ppl u dont want round ya anyway

pro it will dread itself needing no or almost no maintenance and be beautiful on anyone (theres a minumum recomended idf you dont want huge dreads thats all)

pro sleeping on em u dont really sleep on a pu=ile of dreads but ..they make a great pillow in the wilderness

con mugwort and other stickery tyle weeds bushes etc might be very attracted to you and try to come home with you

pro same happens with guys/gals u find livin in the wilderness (the concrete 1 too)

cons back to the c onds of salons

they use wax (eww) or crochet (ouch) or worse perms interlocking ..rubber..(1 freind hasd her "dreads" coated in liquid latex by a salon)

this craps not goona help u dread at all but will make u need an appointment every 2 weeks to add more an d more harm so u start off paying like 700 then 50X2 ior 4 a month and always need more work done cause your forcing it to look like creads while not letting it be dreads or dread itself

1 guy we heaed about spend 14,000 dollars on his dreads and thety were all falling off

pros (of not going to a salon)

easy easy easy

easy best way lose your comb in the wilderness (better yet leave it home ..recycle it) let it dread done

next best twist and rip art home easy to do gentle effective looks good from tge start

takes several hours but when done u just leave em alone

simple free pain free (natural) or low pain (tnr should be pain free if u do it if u have help u might get a few hard tugs)

pro

yopu will love it and feel more like you tgen u ever have b4

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Well, I found a lady here in town today who has had dreads before, gives them to people all the time, didnt charge me much, and doesnt use crocheting, perms or wax, just twisting and backcombing. so i impulsively decided to go for it... ive got them half done now... getting the second half tomorrow. so far.... 3 hours in! then going on a 2 week backpacking trip after getting them completed tomorrow and then shes going to make them less frizzy and i can forget about having to stress about my hair ever again.

the part im holding out is the undreaded hair left to go. leaving a strand out in the front on either side

SUPER excited so far!!

updated by @anna-boyd: 02/05/15 10:12:49AM

waitr twistinmg wll not work for u unless u mean twost and rip and whats shje going to do to make them less frizzy do not let her they should be dfrizzy

to make em less frozzy meand crochet wax or wordse like burning off frizz

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

no, no, shes not going to use wax or burning, shes just going to tidy them up a bit by twisting in some of the super frizzy parts - they will still be frizzy but wont look like an afro, basically. she just twists and rips then hand grinds the ends. so far, they look great and feel good too. she doesnt use any methods that use any wax or anything but my own hair.

nothing but hands? but u do not what to go back u sdo not wantt the ends "hand fgrinded" or anyth8ing done with loose hairs

just leave em alone and wash em thats all

read the drezducation page

the tips are better off loose

and u dont want to twist in loose hairs u want toleave em alone

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

fun with PhotoBooth - here they are so far! going on a two week backpacking trip on tuesday. should help them along haha.

updated by @anna-boyd: 02/05/15 10:12:49AM

how did they start enm the 2 week camping trip woulda been all u needed thats how mine started

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

no no don't get them done! that defeats the purpose, i think. go natural baby!

I would've told you that it's more interesting if you decide to go natural because you really develope a relationship with your hair. ( I might sound crazy but it's true) . There's not many disadvantages for the dreads. I don't have difficulty to sleep with it, I like them. I think it's less trouble and I LOOOOOOOOVE to make recipes to wash them with BS. I think it's fantastic. There's only one disadvantages for me. I have an industrial piercing on my ear and my dreads always get stuck on it. But it's ok. It's not a big disadvantage.