Welcome and thanks for the introductions of yourself. You know, it is always better late than never when it comes to removing the wax. I wrote to your other post, but just wanted to say again that it is great you will be making a post on your wax removal to help others on here. That is what this site is all about !!! We help each other.......Peace
Happy Dreadaversary to your journey! The year is the hardest to get through, but you did it. Now your locks will tighten up more and before you know it, you will wake up with mature dreads! Glad you found this site too so that you now have the healthy dreads you always wanted that will last you a lifetime...Dread on Harriet...Peace
Here is a photo of the sponge, this was from You Tube
Saw a video on You Tube that someone on this site recommended. For African American hair, there is this large sponge that looks like a peanut sponge you would wash your car with it. Well this sponge has tiny holes all over it and it gets rubbed and rubbed all over the head and turns the hair into little coils. I thought that when the guys head was done, he looked like one of the Play Dough toys where you squeeze the dough out and it produces hair on this plastic head. Tiny mini sausages all over his head, looked weird to me and left scalp gaps all over his head. It really strange to see how it was done.
Here is a pic on my shrinkage. My finger shows where my hair began...11months 4 day
Well, If you want to grow beautiful, HEALTHY locks, they do take awhile, 1-2 years to reach maturity. You can get creative for when you need to work..tie them up...hats...knit a bun holder and put them in...head band....head wrap.
Please do you hair a favour and do not GET instant dreads made, they are not real dreads and are one of the most damaging thing you can do to your hair, so I don't recommend any salon.
For dreads to form, they shrink up, so that is why there is shrinkage in length. Can't be avoided. but you know what, once they are done, they start to grow very quickly. I see photos of 3 year old natural dreads, and they are long again.....Worth every step of the way.....Peace
christine zientek said:
but when you do it naturally doesn't it take a while to look decent? I can not really get away with super messy looking hair for work.
I did the twist and rip method. Here is my hair at 11 months 4 days. My finger shows how long my hair was when I started. ...Peace
Hi Laura, careful how much ACV you use, it is a conditioner and can cause any knotting to fall out or slow down. The usual ratio is 1-2 capfuls to 5 cups water. Pour on washed hair and rinse out right away or within one minute. I would hate to hear that your were going in reverse after each wash.
Sarah: We all have bad days with our hair, sometimes really really feeling down on our stupid looking hair days.....You know what got me through those days? Imagining my dreads in 3 years time. Growing dreads is very powerful, it teaches us something within. Even though some days I the journey, I truly love the journey....Peace
Laura Earle said:
Yay! Glad your life is full of love and knottiness and all that good stuff. ^_^ Hmm, how much ACV did you use? Apparently, if you use the right amount, you can't even smell it afterward. I use about 1/4-1/3 cup diluted in 3 cups of water and that usually leaves me fragrance-free.
My hardest stage was the messy looking hair, like I was wild and did not give a crap what I looked like. Tams were my best friend then, could not go out without wearing one, that stage lasted me 2-3 months. That is where I swear some people might buckle in and give up. I learned patience and was rewarded with dreads I grew...hang in there.....peace
Guni Rnar Gefnarson said:
This was very informative and reassuring. I've been feeling self conscious about how messy my dreads are. But yeah,patience is something I'll try and improve my self in
You are welcome Kaitlynn, It was my pleasure to make this post. We over question ourselves when first starting out, so just wanted to help ease minds out there.....peace
kaitlynn said:
Thanks so much for the tips! Really helpful!
