Forum Activity for @baba-fats

unblunted tips

Dread Maintenance

lol. Nah. I'm just avoiding vigorous studying for my calc placement exams. So I'm on a bit more often. I do have to get back to that, though.

unblunted tips

Dread Maintenance

Ha. I get what you mean. So get yourself some jojoba oil. Or another moisturizing oil. But Jojoba is best. Don't use essential oils. They will make your hair too dry and brittle. Then get a soft bristled brush. A tooth brush might even work better. They very slowly and gently brush out the tips. Try not to rip as much as possible.

Add a little jojoba at a time. Brush gently. Stop when about 1/2 inch is free. When you wash your hair it might loosen up some more.

loc newbie

Dread Maintenance

You just have to close your eyes, relax, and wake up the next morning. Nothing more to it. Locks don't have to be babied. They just have to be allowed to form. All this includes is washing with a non residue soap, and not brushing.

There's no secret that people with locks have about how they form. Some sleep with wool pillow cases. Some don't. Some wear tams constantly. Others leave them hanging free 100% of the time. In either case, locks form just about the same. Using wool or wearing tams doesn't make enough of a difference in the process to be that noticeable.

loc newbie

Dread Maintenance

A durag is too tight. For any stage of the locking process, you want something loose on your head, if anything at all. It's best to just leave your locks hanging free. That said. You never want to wear something on your head when your hair still wet. That causes mold. covering your head or tying them up (if they were long enough), restricts air flow. They wont dry out as quickly as they need to. Wet locks end up getting that wet dog smell which is a first sign of mold or mildew.

The towel method, I assume, is rubbing your head with a towel? That, unfortunately is a myth. It just creates a general knottyness. You will then have to spend a long time separating the sections and untangling them. It also only works once. The next time you do it, you end up rubbing out the tangles you made the first time. Locks happen all on their own. There's no need to rub your head with a towel, or sleep with a wool pillow case. Or wear a tam. People brush their hair to get rid of knots. If you just didn't brush, those same knots would form dreadlocks.

itching scalp

Dreads Hair and Scalp Health

Them coming loose is expected. Don't worry about them. They'll get pulled back together soon enough. While you're out, get the Teartree. But also pick up peppermint if you don't have it. peppermint has an amazing cooling and soothing effect. Don't over use it, though. Peppermint is strong and is more caustic to your skin that other essential oils. But diluted in water or jojoba oil, it s your best friend for fighting the itchies

itching scalp

Dreads Hair and Scalp Health

Have your washed them yet? If not, wash them. As your head gets used to locks, it does itch. You need to get used to a new type of washing regiment. You'd know if you had lice. It's wouldn't just be itching. It would be kind of painful. Lice bite. Try washing with the BS/ACV wash. If you had lice, the ACV would burn a little bit. If not, it'll feel so soothing. Washing in general is soothing.

Why do you think you might have lice? Have you done anything or been anywhere that you may have caught them from?

what does shrinkage in dreads look like

General Questions

(Thanks Heather for letting me use your pic)

This is Heather. She's on this site. Her lock have done some amazing things as they changed and shrunk. This is a good example of what locks look like as they get loopy and tangle in on themselves

updated by @baba-fats: 02/05/15 10:12:49AM

Is BS rinse for me?

Dread Maintenance

How often do you wash? Before your hair becomes accustomed to your regiment, it seems to get oily. After a month or so of a pretty normal routine, that oiliness goes away. Ask Eagle, but I feel lik eyou should still use a tiny about of the ACV just because the BS raises your scalp and hair's pH. If left at that level, you are drying out your skin and hair. Which can causeitchiness. The ACV will reset your pH level

Is BS rinse for me?

Dread Maintenance

Definitely sounds like you used too much ACV and/or left it in too long

Will my dreads get any thicker?

Help! Save My Dreads

Certain kinds of maintenance, like reback combing, or crocheting will keep them thin. Back combing over and over rips out more and more hairs. So it thins out the lock. Crocheting over tightens your locks. This keeps them thin and unnaturally tight.

If all you do is wash, then they will thicken up in time