I have taken my time to read all through this discussion and I am amazed that people would want to do this with their hair!! First of all I wonder myself if Sam and jenny are the same person as the term 'Blanket' is used widely in the UK to press a fact that everyone thinks a certain way.eg. Blanket truth, blanket fact, blanket understanding ..... The term 'blanket' means to cover everything and everyone. If they are not the same person them maybe they are both from the UK?
When I first locked up back in the 1980's we knew that patience was a virtue when striving for dreadlocks.You started out by twisting them each day and after washing, and left the rest to nature. Hair Salons never came into the equation, in fact part of the idea of locks was to shun such establishments. They represented un-natural hair that was permed, relaxed and shaped. We locked our hair as a spiritual statement the same as we gave up meat from animals and fish considered un-clean in Leviticus. Some of became vegetarian & vegan. We wore more modest clothes and conducted ourselves in a more 'Kingly & Queenly manner.
I stopped being a Rasta woman when a lot of men took the Bibles teaching a bit too literally and treated women as second class. Some friends like myself kept our locks as a spiritual and political statement, as we worked for the rights of Black youth in the UK. While our locks were short and messy we covered them up when at work and in public. Any negativity from employers could be nipped in the bud by laws protecting religious rights in the work place.
People who think dreads are dirty or can contain lice or bugs are ignorant uneducated fools. Those like Sam, who do not like the look of proper dreads, should take on another hair style. Get plaited extensions if you want to look neat. Messing with locks in this way cheapens their meaning and spiritual history. Look back on the old reggae singers of Bob Marley's generation and you will not see any of them with false dreads. Wear your false dreads to Jamaica and no one will take you seriously, male of female.
Dreads are not meant as a fashion statement. Many religions where dreads are worn believe they are akin to antenae to pick up knowledge and wisdom from spirit. They are an outwardshow of dedication to your path, whether it be Rasta, Pagan or other.
All SE and others on this site can do is show members the truth and explain the consequesnces of using chemicals, un-naural sprays, lotions, and salon styles on your hair. If someone ignores the factual info, this group is always here to help damage limitation.
Blessings x