Forum Activity for @stingrey

crocheting

Dreading Methods

Sometimes the burnt hand teaches best. However good our intentions are in preventing damaging "dread techniques" some people will have to experience it for themselves to see our reasoning. I only had interlocks done on my hair, while not as damaging as a sharp needle being run though it ripping the strands, I can tell you that when I went to undo them I could tell and feel how much the strands were weakened. Live and learn.

Possible hair cut / free products

General Talk

I have a quite a bit of experience with different fabrics. I have used a lot diffrent tams & headbands for work, exercise & just going out. I used both synthetics & natural fibers, they both have their place & use. For headbands hands down the best I've used are from Buffusa.com headwraps, try them you'll see & feel why the are best. They are long and very confortable plus they come in a ton of diffrent designs. Synthetics work best at the extreme ends of the temperature range. In the summer I like to use the synthetic moisture wicking headbands when working out, running or anything that involves sweat. Dreadlocks are HOT, they hold heat and with it sweat & scalp oil as well. Synthetics are best for pulling that moisture away from my hair and keeping the post work out funk to a minimum.Synthetics I have found are also good at the other end of the spectrum as well, when it really cold. I snowboard in the winter and when you start to go really fast you can fell the cold air just sucking the heat away from your scalp & head. At times it can get so cold it physically hurts. All your sensors start to fire off in pain so it almost feels like it burns as well. Incidentally this was my original reason for growing out my hair in the first place, for insulation. But at the extreme cold we ride synthetic polar fleece really helps with both insulation and wind chill. Also synthetics can be dyed to much brighter colors then natural fabrics. The only problems I have with acrylic fibers is the static electricity and cling they produce as well how the yarn is produced in the first place. It is a plastic and it is made from Polyacrylonitrile which itself is formed from the free radical polymerization of Acrylonitrile. Do the research and you'll find out how really toxic the production is.Natural fibers feel best to me, especially wool, Marino wool is my favorite. It's warm very soft very comfy but with lots of texture. I don't see ANY lint from my wool headbands, but I think that has more to do with the quality of the warn and the product itself. I really dislike lint, it looks dirty and unkept. I do get is from towels mostly. Cotton tams and bands I like in the summer for non-exercise activities. You can make your own bands from tee shirts and other fabric. I have a hemp tam as well, but I don't like the way it feels and I find it pulls on the hair too much. It'll literally pull strands out every time I've worn it. Hope this helps.

Possible hair cut / free products

General Talk

If you truly want dreads be patient. Use the locking shampoo and wash it twice a week. Your scalp produces oil that naturally conditions your hair, mine produces quite a lot. That oil is working against your dreads, just like normal conditioners would. The people that dread the fastest are the ones with naturally dry frizzy thick bushy hair. One of my coworkers actually complains that if she doesn't brush her every day by the 2nd day her starts to knot up that are pain for her to brush out. Her hair is naturally really dry frizzy big thick & bushy. So dry out your hair completely after each wash with towel AND a blow dryer. Low heat setting you don't want to burn it.Also in the summer I surf quite a bit and the ocean salt just drys & frizzes up my hair like nothing else. I love the way it looks though I loose a lot of length, but shrinkage equals progress. It's winter now so I'll substitute the ocean with home made sea salt water rises. It's nowhere near as good as ocean water, probably because ocean water has more then just sodium & chloride. It also has something to do that I'm not just rinsing it, but spending a couple of hours in it early each morning for dawn patrol. When I read about people burning thier scalp it is obvious they are using way too much salt in thier mixture. Ocean water is only 3.5% salinity. Just wash it like normal and before you get out of the shower just rise it with a small sport bottle size of sea salt water avoid getting it on your scalp by bending over when you soak your hair with it. Don't rinse it out with fresh water, just dry your hair as normal with a towel followed up by a hair dryer on low heat. Good luck and keep us posted.

Bit worried about my progress - some advice or reassurance required :/

Dreadlocks Journey Emotional Support

Don't loose hope. I'm in the same boat as I'm 7 months along. I have some very funky loops and balls at the ends of mine as well, but I also have a select few that are starting to look quite mature so they give me hope for the rest. I've lost a lot of length to shrinkage as well (well over 1/2), more so in the last 7th month then at any other time. But that's a good thing as shrinkage means progress; my most mature looking dreads are also some of the shortest.As for helping the progress along in the summer I hit the waves, the salt water really helps frizz them up and I can see progress daily. When I can't make it to the coast I use a salt water rinse after my bi-weekly wash. I use sea salt (no iodine). But it's nowhere near as good as real ocean water and So. Cal sun to frizz them up and lock'em up tighter.The dreadlock shampoo site has a sea salt spray that I'll be trying here soon, it seems to have a few extras that my home made stuff lacks like kelp & protein. Here's the link: http://shop.dreadlockshampoo.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=20&zenid=eab90d4ce0703d34b252f4e95ed55fa8 One thing that has also helped is switching to a dreadlock shampoo as regular shampoo has detanglers. I also have a very oily scalp which was great before as my hair was always very soft & shiny but for dreadlocks it was keeping it from tangling & knotting up properly. I currently use Dr. Bonner's with a mixture of Eucalyptus & Peppermint diluted with water. I can finally strip the oil from my scalp & hair and have that really clean feeling again. I'll be trying out the dreadlockshampoo.com stuff here soon so I'll be able to test them out back to back.Also ditch the hats and look for wool headwraps & dreadbands. This site says rubbing against wool helps them lock up quicker so if you're going to cover them up might as well use something made of wool. I work in healthcare so I have to cover them up for work all the time. I know they lock up faster if they are let loose but that just isn't option for work. They have tams and stuff here on the website: http://shops.dreadlockssite.com/dreadtamshats.php Personally I use Buff headbands as they are extra long. Here's the link to the UK Wool Buff Site: http://www.buffwear.co.uk/buff-headwear/wool-buff Hope this helps and keep us posted.

Sard Wonder Soap????

General Questions

I would stay away from any industrial, household or laundry soaps with all those harsh chemicals for any type of hair and even more so for dreadlocks. I just starting using Dr. Bonner's as recommended on this site, and it is in my humble opinion the best shampoo and bar soaps hands down. Before that I had used Knotty Boy's Dread shampoo bar which was good and also all natural and residue free, but Knotty Boy's is nowhere near as good as the Dr.'s. You should dilute Dr. Bonner's as it is way too strong straight out of the bottle & so it'll last for quite some time.Before that I used a homemade cleaner of Baking Soda followed by a Apple Cider Vinegar rinse. That was okay, and way better then what I started with which was my normal hair shampoo.When I first started, in my ignorance, I kept using the same Aveda Men's Shampoo from before my Dready days. Bad Idea. You'll soon find out that dreadlocks, more so then any other hair type, will "hold in" any type of residue and chemicals due to all the tangles and knots. Those chemicals will slowly build up in your hair and you'll have to deal with that.Normal hair shampoos in addition to lather producing chemicals & residues also contain "conditioning" and "detangling" agents that will work against your dreads locking up. On a side note I still follow up my shampoo with a salt water rinse made with sea salt (no iodine) when I can't make it to ocean to go surf. Use it only on your dreads and avoid getting it on your scalp as it'll dry it out & cause it to itch. I do find that the salt water helps dry out and frizz my hair so it'll lock up faster.Hope this helps and keep us posted.
updated by @stingrey: 07/22/15 07:28:25AM

Dreads in the workplace

General Talk

I work in healthcare and it is also a very appearance based workplace. I was afraid they would come up with some "unsanitary" excuse. Being a proven asset to the team goes a LONG way.Keep them clean and very well ordered as well as smelling great. Use an essential oil spray before work as long as it is not overpowering. If they smell great enough that people complement their clean smell no one will question their cleanliness. As for appearance from experience I would recommend long dreadbands and head covers as well especially during the "messy" period as I'm in now. You can make them yourself as well from the same material as the rest of your uniform so that it coordinates and actually looks like a part of it. I also use Buff head wraps as well. They are long and work well for working out too.Try to avoid the stereotypical tams while on duty. That brings a whole other ganja related stereotype as well. And lastly be prepared to work harder for the same level respect and tips your received before.One last thing one talks about is understanding that having dreads makes you a minority, a hair minority. Just like other types minorities you will have to deal with ignorance and even prejudice from time to time from both staff as well as patrons. Just take hope that there is a way to have dreads still advance through your professional career. A rule of thumb that minorities usually understand is that at first they will have to work twice as hard to get half the recognition of their peers. Just expect it, deal with it and get on with doing the absolute best job you possibly can and nothing will stop you from achieving your dreams and working a place you deem worthy of your talent and skill.

What do you wash with?

Dread Maintenance

Be very careful in drying your hair if your going to be washing that frequently. The thicker the dread the longer it will take to dry out all the hair strands within it, especially those in the center. The danger is that if you don't dry the centers out completely before the next wash you'll be setting up the perfect conditions for mildew to set in. Once that fungal infection sets in it is very hard to treat. This is the problem that some people have with dreads and leads to that awfully strong "wet dog" smell. This has given rise to some very unfavorable opinions that dreads are dirty, even to the completely false idea in the general population that dreadheads use dog feces in thier hair. Ridiculous I know, but I've heard it.

What do you wash with?

Dread Maintenance

I started out using the same Aveda Men's shampoo that I used before, big mistake as I would later find out that it was actually working against my Dreads to be. I then switched to Baking Soda/Apple Cider Vinegar rinse. That was better but I didn't get the truly "clean" feeling I was looking for. In my frustration I looked around the net & started using Knottyboy Shampoo bars, which worked better then the baking soda. Unfortunately I also used their wax at the time as well. I do a lot of trail running & surfing in the summer so you can imagine what that sticky wax did for me. I quickly stopped that nonsense and continued my search.That is how I ended up on this site. I am currently using Dr. Bonner's as I can easily procure it locally. I dilute both the Eucalyptus & Peppermint together with water. It is easily the best shampoo I've tried so far and my hair is finally feeling as clean as I can hope for. I have noticed quite a bit of shrinkage and they do feel like they are maturing exponentially faster now. I do plan on trying the Dread shampoo supported here as soon as I start to run out of my Dr. Bonner's so I can compare them back to back.I also use a salt water rinse when I can't make it to the coast. I really like that they make a salt water spray with kelp & protein. It shows they really listen & care about our unique Dready needs with thoughtful & healthy solutions.
updated by @stingrey: 07/23/15 07:48:22AM

help please chop or not

dread wax and dread kits recovery

I used wax at first as well, I feel your pain bro. The dirt is being held onto by the sticky wax, not just the infrequent washings. I learned this hard way before I wised up too & stopped the wax. Do not get discouraged it will come out. Just keep washing it every 3 days with an acidic degreaser and not a day sooner. The reason why is that you need your dreads to fully dry on the inside or else you'll get mold and that awful smell. This is even more important for wax recovery as the wax holds onto moisture as well. If you feel like you really need to cut to make a clean break and start over naturally then do it for that reason. I just might do that myself to get rid of my salon dreads as well. But understand that it is not necessary.Good luck & keep us posted.

Dreads and the healthcare profession...

Life Issues Facing Dreads

LOL, the level of dreadlock ignorance can be so staggering to the point of being comical. The thing about dreadlocks most do not understand is that you are placing yourself squarely in a obvious externally visible and easily identifiable minority. A hair minority. Most don't recognize it because they have never been a minority before. Just like all other minorities you are going to have to deal with ignorance and sometimes downright prejudice. It WILL make you stronger and a better more empathic open minded person if you let it. Just like all other minorities you will have to work a lot harder just to receive the same level of recognition as before. A general rule of thumb is twice the work for half the recognition. After you have proven yourself with a strong work ethic your team and patients will not even notice your hair, just your stellar performance. I also work in healthcare, so yeah I get it. Keep then clean by washing them often of course, in between washes use an essential oil spray to keep them smelling great. If they smell very good no one will question their cleanliness. I also pull them back and away from my face using a tam or a long wool headband from Buff headwraps. http://www.buffusa.com/sports/collections/wool-buff-reg/styles/filter/original It's winter so their wool stock is depleted because of winter snow sports. I use the regular sport wraps when I run so they are a good choice too. It's just that wool helps the dreading process and the Marino wool is so soft, warm and comfy.And Yeah, I've heard the dog feces line once as well. The level of ignorance is just staggering sometimes.