Forum Activity for @michelle-d-ransdell

Neglect vs. Back-Combing... Help Me Decide!

Dreading Methods

As some of you might know from reading my previous discussion post, I will soon be dreading my hair. What I need help with is making a decision regarding which method to use: Back-combing or neglect?

My hair type: Long, thick, Caucasian, not fine or thin by stretch of the imagination. It seems to have a natural tendency to 'cling' to itself to form small sections throughout the day. Brushing it is a nightmare--it hurts! And that's one the main reasons I'm choosing to dread because I hate brushing!

I was hoping anyone who reads this can tell me what method they used and how well it worked or didn't work. Also, if you use the neglect method, how do you keep your hair from forming into one great big mat or big amorphous globs? I mean, how do you keep you little sections separated?

Please share you experiences to help me!

updated by @michelle-d-ransdell: 01/13/15 10:01:31PM

Just Introducing Myself!

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Okay... I see. I'm starting to think natural/neglect/leaving the f*ck alone will work. You might be proud to know that I just showered and didn't condition or comb out my hair. It's locking up already on it's own it seems like. It's clinging to itself in little (and some not so little) stringy sections. I'm gonna try this for a week or two and see how it goes!

My biggest worry that I'llget huge mats and big lumpy log-like dreads. I guess if I start to get those and can't control them, I can still have my hair sectioned and back-combed. But we'll see! Natural might work for me after all. But I'm gonna continue to wash every other day, but discontinue brushing, combing and conditioning and see what happens.
soaring eagle said:

thats mine (almost 6 years ago) allnatural the thinnist is barely 2 milimeters the thickest an inch most then were under pencil size (let em congo at wilkl suince then now as many as 6 or 8 joined as 1)

but point is u see how well thick and thin all totaly random blend well together

updated by @michelle-d-ransdell: 07/22/15 05:58:54AM

Just Introducing Myself!

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Yeah I don't want all my dreads to be the same size... It seems to make sense for the ones closer to my face to be a bit smaller and the ones more towards the back to a little thicker.

Sarah Robinson said:

Hello and SE is very right. Sectioning works best when it happens naturally and is also more comfortable as it doesn't pull as much. Also some variation in size is good as hair doesn't tend to have a uniform pattern.

Just Introducing Myself!

Introduce Yourself

I'm anal-retentive and prefer that it be even. I have nothing against lopsy locks, it's just that I'm a perfectionist when it comes to certain things. Although I am taking lots of people's advice into consideration and I have a couple months to change my mind about what method I will use. But I know that since my hair wants to knot on its own, it won't have any trouble locking up, which makes me very happy! :D

soaring eagle said:

if it knots so easy then just let it dread naturally

also the longer it is the more it shrinks

theres nothing wrtong with lopsided and having someone else section and backcomb is almost always a very bad idea

it sections itself perfectly if u let it happen naturally

Just Introducing Myself!

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Spirituality is the other reason I'm choosing to dread too. I'm a practicing Pagan. What's a witch without long knotty hair? LoL But, no, I haven't started the dread process yet. I won't be doing that until April, or sooner if I can get the money saved up. I need someone else to do the sectioning and back-combing... I started dreads 1.5 years ago, but took them out after a few weeks because I had done the sectioning and back-combing myself and it was lopsided in the back. I also decided I wanted my hair to get longer. I'm not planning on using any wax or other sh*t in my hair. I'm going to have them sectioned and back-combed and then I'll just keep them separated and let nature do the rest. Luckily, I have summers off and can be raggedy-looking at home for the first few months instead of at work. LOL
Jamison Johnston said:

Welcome! I chose to dread my hair so i could get more in ruins with my spirituality, and be more natural in my life. Have you started the started the dreadlock process yet?

Just Introducing Myself!

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Hey everyone! I'm new on here and would like to say hi. I live in Louisville, KY. I'm an artist and a musician. I play piano and tribal drums. I love to cook healthy food and grow vegetables in my backyard. I have a husband and 3 cats. I just turned 30 back in September. I've been driving a school bus for 3 years now and love it.

Also I'd like to share about why I want to dread my hair. I know there's a plethora of reasons we choose to dread and different folks will say different things. Here's why I'm dreading...

First, I hate brushing my hair! It's long, which I like, but it naturally wants to grab onto itself and I get a lot of knots and clingy bits throughout the day. Also, I'm artsy and I like beads, wraps and other decorations. I feel like dreads are for me because I also like all things that are natural. Also, they look pretty damn cool!

So what made you decide to dread your hair? How long have you had your dreads? Tell me about your dread journey.

updated by @michelle-d-ransdell: 02/14/15 01:26:17PM

who wants in on the debate

General Talk

Since using a crochet hook is very common in the UK, I'm assuming the maintenance method in question is just that. Here, on this site, the use of a crochet hook is discouraged on the grounds that it causes damage.

Well, here's my 2 cents: Do what you want---it's your hair. I've seen plenty of dreads that have been crocheted and most of them look just fine. I will not use one myself, however. One of the focal points of dreads culture is being accepting of others, right? I say live and let live.

Also, if crocheting truly is damaging and bad, then won't that be proven by leaving people alone and letting crochet their dreads and then seeing any negative outcome?

I could be totally off in my assessment of the proposed debate, but I just wanted to lay my point of view on the table.

updated by @michelle-d-ransdell: 07/26/15 12:19:26AM

What method do you think this lovely lady used???

Dreadlock Picture Gallery

She's obviously a model and her 'dreads' look too contrived to be real. It looks to me like a hair-stylist did twists and gelled or waxed the ever-loving Hell out of them to get them to stay. I'm crying shinanigans on them! LOL