Forum Activity for @fiddlesticks268

How soon can I use accessories!! :D

Dread Accessories

Heya! I'm almost done putting dreads in (tnr)--my oldest ones are almost a week old now... Now I realize I am probably jumping the gun by a long shot, but when is it okay to start using accessories? :D I heard that dreads need to be worn loose for them to form, so as for tams and headwrap/bands I'm assuming use sparingly till my dreads are more mature? (Mostly I'll be wearing them for work till my dreads look a bit more presentable.) And wait completely until they're mature for beads and the little wraps? (And if you have a timeframe or "this is what your dreads will look like at this point in the progression" for when then that would be awesome :D) Thanks!

updated by @fiddlesticks268: 01/13/15 09:41:52PM

Is this an okay way to separate dreads in the beginning?

Dread Maintenance

So I tnr'd the bottom half of my head a few days ago, but I ended up taking about 4 out just because they made a giant knotted mass at the back that wouldn't separate nice. I think it's because I didn't section them right and some of the sides had overlapping hairs (like when you cross your fingers and stick them straight out--like that). So I'm going to buy a mirror and try not to do this blindly. When I section them (I'll do blocks) can I run a comb end along the lines in the beginning just till they start to dread up at the root? Then start ripping them so they grow together just enough to cover the lines? Or should I just rip from the beginning since en even sectioning line should do the trick? I'm afraid if I do that they will dread together from the beginning (or maybe I'm just scared because whatever was going on on the back of my head was not a good thing!)

updated by @fiddlesticks268: 01/13/15 09:41:48PM

Started my dreads!!

General Questions

So I started my dreads this weekend! I have to do them by myself so between yesterday and today I've gotten 18 done and just under half my head. They seem **REALLY** tiny but hopefully they will thicken up. I did twist and rip with little rubber bands on the top and bottom since they seem like they're going to fall apart. There's this little voice in my head saying I totally did this wrong and there's no way it's going to work but we'll see xD I'm going to have to wait till I get home next week to actually wash my hair with a clarifying shampoo. Mine right now supposedly doesn't leave a residue but just to be safe... Also I really hope none of my dreads overlap because I couldn't use a mirror for the back... xD Like I said, this might fail... but otherwise I'm totally stoked!!!!!!!!!

So, uh, now what do I do?? Haha... just wash every 3ish days and palm roll every day? What happens if they seriously fall apart?

updated by @fiddlesticks268: 01/13/15 09:41:39PM

I'm considering dreads--questions from my research?

General Questions

I have done quite a bit of research on dreads and I'm really excited to try them!! I love how they're different and share my personality, they give you a ton of volume, and you can decorate them with *ANYTHING*!!!!!!! Plus I love how you can just tie your hair in knots to "do" it in the morning

The questions I have though from what I've seen so far--when do dreads turn soft? I tried a practice one the other day (I'm doing twist and rip to keep my length, and I like the slightly braided look), and it was stiff and hard. I have really healthy hair so I think it's probably just because my hair is currently so thick and strong that the dread turned out stiff. Will they go soft when they mature? In 6 months?

Once they are soft does that mean I can start conditioning them again? (Oil and vinegar, it seems like, is what people use?)

My second question is: I want dreads that are bigger than a pencil but not as big as a marker (those seem to be the two most common sizes) Does that mean I should start with pencil-sized dreads so that they will be thicker and just slightly bigger when they're mature?

My final worry is: I might get an internship this summer that might involve daily swimming in the ocean. The chance that I actually get the internship is small, and I might not even be required to swim. Is this going to be a problem with dreads? If I can dry the out with a hairdryer or towel or something every day will it be okay... I feel like the salt would make it so that mildew can't grow in the first place??

Thanks so much!!!

updated by @fiddlesticks268: 01/13/15 09:41:29PM