Forum Activity for @ryan-c

Need help w my roots

Introduce Yourself

So im almost at 4 months now, and my roots have not even begun tightening at all.

Im using the BS/ACV wash, and still a bit hesitant about switching to a dread shampoo since the BS/ACV is the only thing keeping my dandruff under control right now. (ive had horrible dandruff even before the dreads).

Anyone have any tips on how to get my roots to lock up quicker? Some ppl have told me to spray on some salt water after I get out of the shower, and i tried that after 2 or 3 washes (avoiding contact with my scalp of course) but Soaring Eagle suggested I stop that to help the dandruff and itching.

Anyone else have any ideas?

updated by @ryan-c: 01/13/15 09:32:07PM

What are your opinions towards a white male with dreads?

General Questions

I started when mine was about 8-10 inches. My hair was gettign to the point where I'd have to comb out the tangles with about 1/2 cup of conditioner each time I took a shower, and that took about 30 minutes each time (Ive got REALLY thick and REALLY curly hair). So I figured i'd start dreads like id always wanted to. Had a friend section it off with rubber bands, and I kept it bunched back with a cut off piece of a t-shirt to keep it presentable and intact. About 1-2 weeks later, I cut out the bands, and started washing my hair.

As far as the connotation and reactions to a white guy w dreads, it all depends on your lifestyle and location. I live in Austin, TX, which is generally a super liberal place, so I havent gotten any dirty or condescending looks at all. I had a couple of friends tease me once or twice and call me a 'trustafarian', but it was all in good fun. I try to keep a semi-clean-cut appearance in general, so the dreads dont necessarily make me look like a 'dirty hippy' or a bum. I actually think my dreads look pretty dang good when I'm wearing a suit on stage with the soul/funk cover band I play with. I dont really care much if people assume that I may be a pothead based on me having dreadlocks, cuz its Austin, and its pretty much assumed that 80% of people 18-60 like to get high on occasion, lol.

With a job, it depends on what kind... I work in the video game industry, so absolutely nobody cares how you dress or present yourself at the office. I imagine it would be harder to get a job in the service industry with dreads, especially if ur in a conservative town.

If you want to keep a presentable look, you can try keeping the dreads wrapped up if they are long enough. It makes it a bit less noticeable (which is one reason i did it early on, when they were really poofy, and looked exactly liek Sideshow Bob). There are lots of ways to wear dreads when they are long enough; u can find that info all over the web.

So yeah, it all depends on where u live, what kind of job u work at, and how sensitive u are to how you think other perceive your appearance. Good luck on your potential journey, and I hope I helped.

Switching from BS/ACV to Shampoo.... Dandruff concerns.

General Questions

Thanks for the advice! I'd been given the suggestion t try sea salt to tighten the locks up, but have only done it 2-3 times, and have made sure to avoid contact with the scalp. I'd say my scalp health and comfort come before trying to rush the process of my hair locking up, so ill go ahead and drop the sea salt.

And which oils are the most effective at getting rid of the dandruff, and which ones are good at keeping it away?

Switching from BS/ACV to Shampoo.... Dandruff concerns.

General Questions

and if u woldnt mind, please explain why they are so 'toxic'

Switching from BS/ACV to Shampoo.... Dandruff concerns.

General Questions

Knowing how my scalp has responded to various shampoos and products for the last 25 years, i seriously doubt that my dandruff will suddenly go away, but ill give it a shot

Switching from BS/ACV to Shampoo.... Dandruff concerns.

General Questions

Thats the thing tho... Even with the Tea Tree and Rosemary in my BS wash, I still get dandruff.

And the concern about the pH balance has to do with adding the salicylic acid shampoo for the dandruff. Adding more acid will throw off the balance, so I figured i would need to add a base to balance it.

Switching from BS/ACV to Shampoo.... Dandruff concerns.

General Questions

Hey all,

I'll start with my question, then bore you with all the details and disclaimers, lol.

I'm wondering if switching to a dreadlock shampoo (either bar or liquid) will worsen my dandruff.

My dreads are at about 3 months now, and are all starting to lock up pretty nicely. Granted, about half of the tips are still fairly loose, and all of the roots arereally loose, The majority of the locks have tightened and knotted up pretty dang well within about 4-5 inches around the middle (they are all probably between 8-11 inches each).

Since I started on April 18th, I have been using a BS wash with Rosemary, Tea Tree Oil, Peppermint Oil, and Lavender as well as an ACV rinse. In addition, I have been spraying salt water on them when they are about half-dried for the past 3 washes. I always use cold water for every step of the wash and rinse. I also wash every 3-4 days, as was the case before I had dreads.

Ive learned recently that switching to a dread shampoo, either a bar or a liquid, will help accelerate the remainder of the dreading, but I have one large concern... I have had pretty bad dandruff my entire life (one big reason why I have only washed my hair every 3-4 days for the past 10+ years). When I use the BS/ACV, the dandruff and the majority of the buildup I have comes loose and rinses off, but on the third day after the wash, my scalp starts becoming really itchy and i start discovering new patches of dandruff. I've tried replacing the ACV with T-Gel on occasion (not the tar gel kind, but the salicylic acid)as it is designed to remove the buildup and has the same acidity of the ACV so the pH balance of the wash remains the same.

So it comes back to this: Will my dandruff worsen if i switch to a shampoo? If it does, could i just keep using the salicylic acid shampoo as well? Im concerned in this case that it will dry out my hair since there will be no +pH base to counter-act the -pH acid...

Sorry for the whole autobiographic novel, but I think all of it directly pertains to my question.

Thanks in advance, peeps!

updated by @ryan-c: 01/13/15 09:30:46PM

Opinions - proffesionals?

General Talk

Three important questions: 1, How long are ur dreads? 2, How old are they? And 3, What ind of job do u have?

I don't think your boss really would care about how different methods of dreads would effect the health of your hair. He most likely just wants you to look professional, and doesnt understand that the best-looking dreads take a long, long time, and there is a lengthy awkward period.

He most likely is requesting that you go to a salon and get themcrocheted, not knowing what the difference is.

Ask him if it would be acceptable (if ur dreads are long enough) to use a wrap or a cloth to keep them wrapped up and behind your head. Thats a common solution in a professional workplace for dreadlocks.

Good lock! I mean luck! :-P

Dread Shampoos Vs Baking soda wash

Dread Maintenance

I've been using the BS/ACV since I started about 3 months ago. I've been told that my hair is locking up a lot faster than most, which is what i expected with my hair type, but I definitely think the BS/ACV helped that, as well as the salt-water i have been spraying on afterwards.

I've had pretty bad dandruff my whole life, and the dreads aren't making much of a difference really except that its making it more visible. The BS/ACV does a good job at clearing my scalp, but it is usually still itchy later in the same day and just gets worse throughout the following 2 days before I wash again. In addition, the dandruff always comes back.

Oddly progressing locks.

General Questions

Man, I wish I could tighten my roots up more quickly, lol.

The middle of all mine are doing great. Some dreaded up really fast, and without ever getting any loops at all. Others are still kind of loose all along the entire length, and have some pretty significant loops. The ends of some are a bit loose, but a couple are nicely dreaded all the way to the tip that somehow ended up blunted by itself.

The roots are still pretty unruly on about 90% of my dreads. When I tie my dreads back, the top and sides of my head dont even look like I have dreads... I guess ill probably post my own thread to get help on that, but I figured it wouldnt hurt to share a fellow dread-head's opposing plight.