Forum Activity for @snick

My dreads. My baby.

General Talk

Something you may not know about me is that I'm infertile and wish I could have more children. It just occurred to me that my dreads are my baby. I nursed them in the beginning to give them the best start. I do a ton of research to get and do the very best for them, and I get to dress them up! The best part? They are developing every day in tiny ways that I don't always see, but one day, I'll look back and wonder how the time passed so quickly!
updated by @snick: 01/13/15 09:34:40PM

Solace of the Solitary

General Talk

When I decided I really did want to embark on the dread journey, I was the only one I knew who was on that path. I convinced some people in my online community to consider it, but I knew of no one in real life.

There are days when that makes this process really lonely.

But most days are like today. No one I know has dreads and no one really understands. But that leads me to more focus inward instead of outward and that's EXACTLY what this journey is all about, right?

I'm an individual. I'm unique. No one NEEDS to truly understand me. My husband and kids love me and accept me and that's all I need. I'm the only one who needs to really understand who I am on the inside. And all this introspection brought on by the dread journey has been amazing. I started out as someone who felt I HAD to please other people with my appearance... to meet certain "norms". But now, I've really and truly adopted the "let it be" attitude with my hair. And that attitude has begun reaching to my inward qualities. Whatever life throws at me, I'm ready. I'm not as anxious as I've been in the past. I'm relaxed and ready.

So, if anyone out there is just perusing these boards, considering dreadlocks, here's an invitation and a warning. The dread journey is probably the most life-changing and amazing thing you can ever do to your outward appearance. But it won't stop at your outward appearance. It changes you.

For the better.

updated by @snick: 03/24/15 12:52:18PM

Are those dreadlocks or did a rat take residence in your hair?

Dreading Methods

I used twist and rip to start them. From the front, I think they "look like dreads", but from the back, I think they look like a hot mess, though I still love them.

The fun part is figuring out new ways to wear them!

Are those dreadlocks or did a rat take residence in your hair?

Dreading Methods

Don't be scared.

Don't panic.

It's normal.

I started dreading a few months ago. While I liked the front of my dreads okay, the back looked HORRIBLE. I couldn't handle it and combed my dreads out. Yep, I just gave up. I thought I must have done something wrong.

But, I was still REALLY wanting dreads, so I decided to try again. This time, I decided I'd do whatever it took to make them look right, so I read up on how to use the hook and how to use wax.

And after reading up on those things, I realized that the best thing I could do for my dreads was to NEVER use a hook or wax. But that left me where I started.

The way my dreads looked the first time couldn't be right. There HAD to be something I was doing wrong. But, I read up on them and found out that I was pretty normal. Dreads don't look like "dreads" from day one (at least, not if you're doing them the best way). They look pretty ratty, nappy and, to be brutally honest, a little gross. Well, at least probably to others. I'm beginning to see the beauty in them.

I think the problem I had was that every time I looked at pictures of dreads, they were all well locked. The dread "owners" had probably had them for years, while I'd only had mine for a few days.

It seems no one wants to post pics of dreads in their "yucky" stage. So, that's where I come in. I'm going to do what few people seem to do and what MANY newbies really need. Here's a pic of "normal" when it comes to young dreads!

First of all, you may be asking why my hair is green. Well, it WAS purple and I tried dying it brown to cover up the purple, but it turned out green and I didn't notice it until I'd dreaded, so now I'm stuck with the green for a bit.

But you can see that they DON'T look like regular dreads. Again, from the front they aren't bad, but this is pretty ratty. So, don't go crazy when your dreads don't look "right" from the start. You're normal. Your hair is normal. And it WILL do what NORMAL hair wants to do (form locks) if you'll let it.

So, for me, I'm happy with them. I'm learning to love the process instead of just looking forward to the goal.

updated by @snick: 01/13/15 09:33:33PM

Starting with dread beads

Dread Products

So, they don't have to be special dread beads... any bead that will go on the dread will work?

Starting with dread beads

Dread Products

Thanks! Where do you get your beads?

Starting with dread beads

Dread Products

I'd like to add a few beads to my dreads, but they're still brand new. Can you used beads with new locks? If so, what kinds of beads are best to use? How do you put them in? Dos and Don'ts?

updated by @snick: 02/14/15 08:20:25AM

If you have short hair...

Dread Maintenance

Okay, so a weird thing happened while I was reading these responses... it suddenly hit me that I can be free of my hair. Free to NOT worry about it. Free to NOT have to fix it every day. Free to NOT worry about what people think of it.

It's like I knew it, but didn't really accept it. I've been so paranoid about what people will think with it looking so scruffy and all the events I have to go to in the near future that I haven't really accepted the fact that it's MY hair and it defines ME. I can be a nervous ocd wreck about this whole thing, or I can let it go and just let my hair do what it wants on its own... in its own time.

It's kind of a scary step, but it's freeing. Thanks for reminding me that it's just hair and it will happen.

If you have short hair...

Dread Maintenance

... how long did it take before your hair started looking like dreads? I'm in this for the long haul, but I have to admit that this stage is not the most fun stage. It doesn't look like dreads at all!

updated by @snick: 01/13/15 09:33:20PM

Knotty Boy Locking Gel?

Dread Products

Okay... bands are out.