Forum Activity for @the-barrellady

Shampoo? For starting dreadlocks?

Dread Maintenance

Sea Salt is an accelerator to help lock up the dreads. Totally optional, but if you do use it, you can do it in spray form or head soaks. http://www.dreadlockssite.com/forum/topics/ratios-baking-soda-wash-...

The more you wash, the faster you get to mature dreads

Back2Dreading. said:

How often should i do the ACV + BS rinse? Ive heard people say once every few months and ive heard some say once every couple weeks and i dont know really how often to do it.

Help!

Help! Save My Dreads

With my dreads, the bottoms do what they want to do. I tried combing out a couple of ends that did what yours did, but it just balled up again. That happens sometimes if the T&R was done too tight and does not loosen up to dread. That is why you will find neglect dreads usually don't have those balls on the ends. By the time your dreads are mature, the ends will tighten up, not looking like they do now. So many stages happen during the journey, so don't worry too much. ...peace

HELP MY ^ YEAR OLD HAS LICE

Dread Maintenance

School age children can bring lice home from school. Here is a good way to help prevent it. Mix about 20 drops of tea tree oil with water in a small spray bottle. Every day before your child goes to school, mist the hair. Lice don't like the smell of the TT and will stay away. My grandchildren have never brought home lice again since I passed this tip to them......

Make sure to wash all the bedding and stuffies in his room......good luck....peace

It's been 2 months? :( Please help me!!!

Introduce Yourself

As you just found out, many shampoos, even organic, are not good for dreads. Yep, yours had a built in conditioner in it. Many of them do now a days. The best advice I have, if you can't buy the locking up shampoo from www.dreadlockshampoo.com is to find one you might want to use, write down the ingredients and then post them here. We will tell you if that is one to use or not. Save your money and find out first before purchasing.

So as Soaring Eagle said, just wash the scalp, when you rinse out the shampoos, it runs through the rest of your hair washing it as it goes. Yep, we can't use a towel the same way either. When I am done my washing, I let my hair drip for a few minutes in the tub and sway it back and forth to help the water come off. Then I use a micro fiber towel, like a shamwow and gently just pat the hair to suck excess water out of it. Then I put a towel on my shoulders to let the rest of the water drip off onto. Here is a good tip for you: dreads love towel lint, they suck it right into the hair, so purchase a good towel the same colour as your hair, that way you will never notice the lint. Expensive towels barely give off any.....peace

It's been 2 months? :( Please help me!!!

Introduce Yourself

We all start to get knots at different times. Check out a members page http://www.dreadlockssite.com/profile/Ixchel?xg_source=activity She took a long time to get knots, but she did, so have patience. Chris above suggested using wax to help you out.....WELL....there are so many problems to that which Chris will learn down the road and regret using it. It does not allow your hair to dread and knot, it glues the hair together. It holds in lint and smells and water pockets which will cause mold eventually. Patience is what you need.

Now, what are you washing with. If you are using a regular shampoo. many of those have a built in conditioner of some type to leave the hair silky. This will prevent knots from forming. The more you wash, the faster you dread. Knots like clean hair. That is why it is recommended to wash 2-3 days in the first few months. The scalp produces oil which causes any forming knots to slip out, so you want to keep it clean. Oh, did I say don't use wax???of course I did.

Dreading takes 1-2 years, and in two months it is nothing to worry about to have no knots. But yeah, let us know what you are using and list the ingredients, it could be as simple as your shampoo. Are you tying up your hair often, that will slow it down also. What is your water type, that makes a difference also with what you use. So, answer these and we can help you more.....don't worry, we will get you dreading...ALL HAIR WILL DREAD.....peace

I don't know where you live, but here is a map of the States to show the water type. If you live somewhere else, let me know and I will find a map for your country.... I have read so may posts about wax use and what the members have gone through. Even from using it once, five years later they still have in the wax and have grown mold. They ALL regret it.

updated by @the-barrellady: 02/05/15 10:12:49AM

What do I do with long strays?

Dread Maintenance

you can also give those long stays names while they are still hanging around

What do I do with long strays?

Dread Maintenance

Ha, so many changes will happen, so many lengths will happen...changes changes changes. Don't worry about a thing. Dreading can take 1-2 years. There is so much that goes on with the hair and sections during the maturing stages. It will all be fine once it finishes. Here is a pic of mine at 1 year & 1 week, check out the different lengths. It has all dreaded up since then.....Sorry the pic is so big....

updated by @the-barrellady: 02/05/15 10:12:49AM

Separating a fat dread

Dread Maintenance

I too started by T&R. You will go through many changes over the next few months. They will not look as neat as they do now, the changes have to happen in order for them to dread. How are you styling them for work? Just make sure that you don't have them tight, that slows down the journey. Go to a thrift store and purchase some head scarves to use as wraps, in all different colours. Using a shoe string to ties around the sections loosely works great, the texture of the lace keeps it in place, then just use one of your scarves to match your clothing of the day and wrap it around the lace. Looks great and helps hide the mess....peace

Separating a fat dread

Dread Maintenance

Hey there Emily. Here we recommend 1 inch or smaller dreads. Why,...once they are mature that size takes 24 hours to dry and must dry out in between washes or mold can set in. A fat one about 3 inches can take literally days to dry out in the inner core, and this is when mold sets in. Some people do grow fat congos, but they take the extra special care that is involved, which includes only getting them wet when washing them. That would include no daily swimming, staying out of the rain etc.. So if this is not for you, then do what Soaring Eagle suggested, take em out and start over...or at the least take out all of the fat ones.

How thin they look now is not what they will look like once mature. They will shrink and fatten up to that scalp size. So, being only a few weeks in bite the bullet and start over....Good luck...peace

Just getting started....

Introduce Yourself

I bet for the first time you will love your hair when it is all dreaded up. Your original hair is wild and crazy all on its own, it'll dread real quick I bet. Then no more frizz or anything, just the hair you were always meant to have. Have a wild ride getting there...and beat that drum on the way......peace