Forum Activity for @baba-fats

Hi.

Introduce Yourself

That first time you get positive recognition is always memorable. I still remember most strangers comments on mine.

Hi.

Introduce Yourself

Great. It's looking just like mine did. Not quite locks, but really nice distinct curls. Keep it up

Hi.

Introduce Yourself

lol. Yeah, that's the only mirror in my house. It's had to not look at it, cause I have some problems with my wisdom teeth. I need to look into the mirror to make sure I get them. I have more than enough room, so it's not like that. I even have enough room for another set of them. But because they are so far back, I get cavities if I don't pay special attention. That and when I try to put a bead on a baby one are the only times I intentionally look in a mirror

Hi.

Introduce Yourself

When I first started mine, I took down or covered all of my mirrors to help me stop caring about what they looked like. I hope you did get it all out. As you could see, it really is nasty stuff

Hi.

Introduce Yourself

excellent. That's great to hear. You're sure you got it all out? Not questioning you, but sometimes it really does take a while to get everything that's on the inside out too.

They feel nicer when they are messy and random too. There's something beautiful about disorder

updated by @baba-fats: 07/23/15 04:47:09PM

Hi.

Introduce Yourself

Holy crap, it's like looking into a mirror.

So... get the product out, like every one saids before. Next, it will probably loosen what you've got, if not end up taking them completely out. It's probably better and easier to just take them out. Back combing is not the best for your hair, but nor terrible. You could mix it with some TnR. The palm rolling wont help though. I have a few that I palm rolled. Most of them either came out after the first wash, or the palm rolling loosened at least.

It's a 1 step forward 2 steps back process for a while. Burning man's not till August, so even if you went completely neglect, you'd have some nice looking locks by then.

And yes, Wash, wash wash. Nothing helps locks form better and faster and keeping them clean. The only thing you have to do is make sure they dry completely between washes and separate when needed

As for Burning man. I, too, want to go really bad. the only problem is the price. It's so expensive, but there's art there that you could never see anywhere else. I get the draw to it.

I hope you make it, but you should try to get to Gathering one day too. That one's, at least, free

Questions On Ways to Start/Maintain Dreadlocks? Etc.

Dread Maintenance

Other than losing a few locks, are you having problems with them? Why start over if you've already put a year in and are ok. I have done some damage to mine, but they're 5 years old now and haven't had problems with them except 2 babies fell out a year or so ago from root rubbing. (Learned my lesson)

As far as starting again. If you want them to look better right off the bat, TnR is the best way to go. They will come out slightly as you wash them, but they will very quickly tighten up again. There's also a new locking gel from Dreadlockshampoo.com that is supposed to be really nice. From what I've heard it doesn't leave a residue like wax, and can be used as often as desired. Ask Eagle about it. He's using it on his beard right now, I think.

When you are starting, you don't want to wear something as tight as a beanie. They restrict movement and flatten out your hair. You want a tam that is big enough to fit all your locks in with room to move around. The brushing against each other is what helps knots form.

But wearing a hat is really not necessary. They will form on their own. Just a little Tnr and a little TLC and you'll have locks. The hat's mainly for if you need to go somewhere and keep them contained or looking good for a picture.

I formed mine without any knowledge about what people out there do to create locks, and they look fine and have no issues.

I really don't like to say it, but if you want, you could leave them be after TnRing them, but when you shower, put rubber bands on the tips. Once they dry, take the bands off. They'll help keep the shape after washing. You don't want to leave them in for too long, for all the obvious reasons that we're against rubber bands here. But I'll be the one to drop that bit of info on you.

I hope all goes well. Post some pics so we can see what you're working with and if it's really necessary to start over again. In the end it's up to you, but I'd like to see them

african salon caucasian hair wax twists/comb coils disaster

salon and loctician dreads recovery

Nas, We don't promote only 1 way of locking. Sure many of use love the natural method, which is the healthiest. but it's not the only way. There are a few starter methods that we promote as well. TnR and back combing are fine.

But the problem with wax is that if you don't use a detergent, it'll NEVER wash out. Wax is a hydrocarbon. Normal soaps and water don't interact with hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are hydrophobic. They don't react with water. So water, won't break them down. Most soaps are water based. Detergents aren't. Detergents have different chemical properties that react with hydrocarbons, making them able to clean them out. I could go into the chemistry of it, but that's not the point of this.

Since water and normal soap doesn't wash out was, it just builds up over time, weighs your locks down, and causes rot and mold to grow in your hair. Why does it cause mold? Because some water does get trapped in your locks. But because of the wax, it can't get out, and doesn't evaporate. Instead, it sits there, stagnates and decomposes your hair. It's like a swamp forming on your head. As more water accumulates in your locks, more and more hair gets decomposed.

Why doesn't your hair fall out after it decomposes? Because wax is sticky. The wax never gets washed out, and remains sticky in your hair. It glues your hair together and keeps it in place. You'd never know i was rotting until you wash the wax out. If you use oils or other scented products, you wouldn't smell the mold. Once you get a detergent and wash out the wax, depending on how much was used, and how long it was used for, you'd lose a considerable amount of hair.

All of that, not to mention that wax dries and gets hard when it dries. This makes your locks stiff and hard. Locks should never be stiff. The most mature healthy locks are soft and spongy

african salon caucasian hair wax twists/comb coils disaster

salon and loctician dreads recovery

It wont help it. The longer you leave the wax in, the more chances of growing mold. It just give the impression of locks because they are chunked together. But in reality, it's just straight hair that is stuck together still straight. Wax restricts movement that causes locks to tangle and actually knot up.

african salon caucasian hair wax twists/comb coils disaster

salon and loctician dreads recovery

Get the wax out, no doubt about that. Wax, over time, degrades, and starts to rot. If you don't get it out, it will rot in your hair. Then you'll have mold, mildew and wax in your hair. That process is even more uncomfortable to get out. I get it that you paid for it and don't want to loose the money, but in reality, you already lost the money. Chalk it up to experience. I'd personally wash it all out, but if you want to try it, try the removal method. You might be lucky and not loose all of the TnR they did. There's a link at the top of the page that details how to do it.

2: Wash, wash, and more wash. 2-3 time a week till they start to mature in a few months. Then you can taper off. But never wash less than once a week. Mine are 5 years old, and I wash 1-2 times a week. Washing helps the process but creating knots and keeping your scalp clean. When you dry, try to air dry as much as possible. A blow dryer doesn't hurt, though. Don't rub your head with a towel, just squeeze the water out and pat it dry with the towel.

3: If you wan't to wear a hat, get a loose fitting one like a tam. You want to give your hair room to move around and rub against itself.

There's a post I made called "top secret" Search for it. It should pop up right away. It's full of info for new locks.

I understand that you fell discouraged. It sucks. But the wax, even if you don't add more, will create so many problems in the near future, that it's really not worth the chance