i never had the best of starts with my dreadlock journey.

my hair was very short when i decided that dreads were right for me.

i looked into many methods of how to start my dreading process, but they all had scare stories, and i didn't know anyone who i could turn to for advice.

i finally decided to go to a salon - which were incredibly expensive!!

whilst flicking through the phonebook for the telephone number of the 1 only place inmy region that does it, i phoned a different number - that took me through to a lady trading under a very similar company name.
we spoke on the phone, she was a mobile hairdresser, i also looked at some of her work on the internet. she seemed to know what she was talking about and seemed very convincing and genuine. and was half the price to what the salon was charging! result!!

i booked an appointment for a few weeks later - as she was very busy. i went round to her house. where i started my 4 hours of dreading.
once she had finished they looked fab!!!!! although they were very hard to the touch?? she advised me to wax them a couple times a week.....

within a few days they started to discolour. under closer inspection,- black bits stuck to them this was incredibly noticable as i had bleached my hair beforehand. little did i know is that she used a hair glue to hold my dreads together.

i stuck with it though, knowing that eventually it would all be worth while. and any visable glue and dirt within time vanished. when i felt like my nicely forming dreads needed tidying up, i visited the salon i wished to go to in the first place. i was not going to go back to the mobile woman after the glue incident.

they tightened my roots with a hook, and then smothered in a knotty boys dreading gel? once dry, coated in bee wax. the woman had observed whilst tidying up that glue had been previously used and how bad that was. we discussed the woman who i saw previously, whom they were familiar with and how she had a bad reputation. i left the salon feeling rather happy about my experience. i still was still applying wax on the odd occasion but not very often as i didnt like the way it made them feel.

2 years have passed now, since i have let anyone touch my dreads. they seem much healthier and i am much happier with them now after starting roughly 5 inches long, they are now shoulder lengthish. i tidy them up occasionly with a hook. and seperate them after washing but dont tend to mess with them much anymore. all the advice i seemed o have had re: palm rolling, waxing etc seemed to have done me no good.

only small problem is now is that i am slightly paranoid about what is going on in my dreads, with remaining glue, wax and dandruff build -up etc. i dont wanna have to cut my dreads off!!!!

if anyone has any advise i would love to hear from you! I am in the U.K and there seems to be very limited products, advise or tips here!!!!!!!