So i recently started my journey with dreads exactly a week ago. I have been washing them with baking soda. I just want to ensure that my dreads are healthy and happy. What can i do to help them along?
Hi Ricky and welcome to your journey you have just started. What method have you used? Neglect/Free form (best way), Twist & Rip (2nd best) or Backcombing?
Lets start off with the baking soda (BS) wash. It must always be followed by an apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse or the BS will start to fry out your hair, the ACV restores the PH balance. I did not always use it and it took many months to get my dreads soft again. Do you know the correct rati: 1/2 cup BS to 5 cups water, pour over wet head and leave on 10 minutes without scrubbing. This will exfoliate your scalp all on its own. Rinse out well. Now mix 1 capful of ACV to 5 cups water and pour over rinsed out head and rinse out within 1 minute. Any longer will over condition the hair.
You are located in an area that has soft to moderately soft water, so you can use any dread shampoo or dread bar, they will rinse out beautifully for you and not leave in any residues.
If you did the T&R method, my posting may help you: http://www.dreadlockssite.com/forum/topics/just-starting-out-what-to-expect
So all you need to do is wash your hair every 2-3 times a week, forming dreads love clean hair and it speeds up the journey somewhat. Just pat dry with a towel, no rubbing or wrapping the hair. The ratio for a salt water spray is 3 1/2 tablespoons to 5 cups water. You can spritz you hair or pour this directly onto a wet head. It must be rinsed out within two hours or it will dry out your hair. This is a home made accelerator for dreading.
Other than that, just separate any sections that try and join on to each other. Unless you want fat dreads/congos, than keep the sections 1 inch or smaller. Fat dreads once mature can take up to 36 hours to dry, but then when mature only need to be washed once a week.
So wash, separate and sit back and enjoy the journey. That is all you need to do. Have fun and take it all in, it's a fun ride...Peace
Yes Ricky, some of your t&r will loosen and some may completely fall out, but they must do that in order to become mature dreads. All hair does knot up, it just depends what you wash them with. If you use a regular shampoo, many have built in conditioners which will loosen the knotting process. With patience and time, your hair WILL DREAD AND WILL KNOT UP. Have no worries, just time..I had long straight hair, and I now have dreads...we can all dread....Peace
Ricky Cameron Driggers said:
Thank you all for the advice! I will definitely start using the acv. And I will look into the spray! I used the twist and rip method to dread my hair. My dreads won't like untangle will they? I have very straight hair that never knotted before dreads.
peace and love
