Forum Activity for @sarah13

Dreads completely matted at roots?!

Help! Save My Dreads

I feel your pain. I am around 5 months in as well and have the same exact issue as you! I have been more aggressive ripping them apart for about a month now and they are so interwoven it's impossible. My main issue is the side of my head, the dreads that have formed there is pulling hair from the front all the way to the back so I don't know how I would fix this without cutting it away from the root, which will then leave me with short loose hairs.

Because these dreads are connected to hairs over a large area of my scalp, they are being pulled in every direction and my head feels tight. I even resorted today to trying to cut some apart and see how that goes. The problem is when cutting two apart near the root, I now have otherwise cut hairs that are only hanging on because they are worked into a dread. This is a disaster. I am considering attempting to brush my hair out or cut it all off and start the long process over again

I'm nervous too.. keep us updated on how it goes and if you find a solution for this problem!

Question about roots

Dreading Methods

Thanks! That video helped a lot. I'm glad it's somewhat normal and I'm not the only one with this issue. It was kind of freaking me out for a bit, but now that I know, I will try to be more vigilant at making sure they don't get too connected.

Baba Fats said:

It's pretty much normal. I have a video on separating locks, if you need to take a look. But there should always be a web of hairs interconnecting your locks around the scalp.

Dreadlocks still grow like normal hair. Don't forget this. Even the most mature locks don't grow directly out of your head in a long thick snake. That straight hair that grow out gets snagged and knotted with the straight hair that grows out of the locks next to it. And those locks with the ones next the them. In the end, you get a web of hairs the attach all of your locks together.

Just rip them apart as needed. But don't try to rip them apart all the way to the scalp. Once you can't rip them anymore by hand, you're done. You shouldn't eve rip them apart until the body of the locks start to tangle together.

http://www.dreadlockssite.com/video/separating-tutorial-part-2

Question about roots

Dreading Methods

I have been ripping them apart as best I can, but not too aggressively. This seems to have only developed within the past couple weeks but I will try next time I wash them as I'd rather not have to use scissors.

soaring eagle said:

both the beanies and tyoing them up will cause it but you should have been ripping them apart all along

try it when wet

if you cant ru[ip them when wet try a lil olive oil on the connecting hairs

only cut if theres no other way and do so with surgical precision onlu snipping a few hairs at a ti,e till u release enough to allow you to rip them apart

Question about roots

Dreading Methods

So I am a little over 3 months into the natural/neglect method and my hair has pretty much sectioned itself out, but lately I have noticed that about 1-2 inches of the roots are all connected together. It's almost like a net across my whole head, if I pull one dread in the back, the whole front of my hair moves.

I was just wondering if this is normal and will work itself out or do I need to do something to fix this?

I have tried to tear them apart but they are too thickly connected that to separate them, I would probably have to cut them apart.

If this is not normal, what could have caused this? I have been wearing loose beanies and sometimes tying my hair up.

updated by @sarah13: 01/13/15 09:39:35PM

Quick Questions

Dreading Methods

ok, thanks! I will change the amounts to the ones you said until they mature

soaring eagle said:

thats fine with typing em up the acv is nesacary or your hair will get dry and brittle your scalp itch and flake and your hair get weaker slowly

and thatswayyyy to strong but u do want to rinse it imediately untill marure

ok to recap agfain baking soda 1/2 cup per 5 cups water soak 10 min then rinse

new dreads aq spoonfull or 2 axcv per 5 or more cuops water (probly 1/2 oz per 64 oz?) rince imedietly

marure dreass use about the same 1/2 cup per 5 cups soak 3 min then rinse

Quick Questions

Dreading Methods

I started my natural dreadlock journey about a week ago and have a couple questions..

It has been very hot and humid here in southern California and I have been wearing a loose tam as a way to keep my hair out of my face and covered until my hair looks more sectioned and less like I just got out of bed, haha. Since it is so hot here, wearing even the lightest tam can be brutal so I was wondering if gathering my hair into a loose ponytail just to get it off my neck would be ok, or would that hinder the dreading process?

Also, I have been washing with the baking soda/acv rinse and was wondering if the acv rinse is necessary? I read somewhere that it was to balance the ph levels in your hair, and another site said that it was a conditioner.

Would it be damaging if I just washed with the baking soda mixture? I only ask because the acv rinse is almost unbearable.. the instant I pour it on, I wanna rinse it off. I have been doing about 1 ounce of acv to 8 ounces of water, is that too much?

Thanks

updated by @sarah13: 01/13/15 09:33:24PM

Need help deciding what method to use

Dreading Methods

ok, thanks for the help!

soaring eagle said:

well tight fitted hats can prevent progress so as loose wool tams a better optiom however they shoulfd hang loose as much as possible and well towel rubbing can go both ways u can rub in knots or rub em out its really better to just shake it out and sun or air dry

Sarah said:

Thank you for explaining. That does make sense. I think I will take your advice and let it do it's own thing and just make sure to separate any that start to get too big. I have been waiting a long time for my hair to grow and luckily I came across this site before beginning the process. I want to do it right the first time so that I will not have to "fix" anything major later on and it seems that neglect is thepreferredmethod for that.

As for the neglect method, is there anything that should be avoided? Right now, I wear hats every day, both normal and knit.. I would think the normal ones would flatten my hair out which may not be good? but I do have some loose lightweight knit ones I could use.

Also, when I do get my hair wet is there a certain way that I should towel dry it so as not to undo any of them, or does that just push the process along? I usually just give it a good rub with the towel and then wrap it around my head to soak as much water out as I can. then just let it air dry after that.

soaring eagle said:

just trying to save u the trouble of splitting dreads combining dreaads and redoing sections

the best way to go is to let it section itself it will section perfectly for your head

then theres way less chance that sections will try to split when u force sections often they reject your sectioning and try to revert to 2 or 3 dreads at the roots but they are still fused together further dowwn

your natural sectioning will blend perfectly and look best

updated by @sarah13: 07/19/15 05:25:57AM

Need help deciding what method to use

Dreading Methods

Thank you for explaining. That does make sense. I think I will take your advice and let it do it's own thing and just make sure to separate any that start to get too big. I have been waiting a long time for my hair to grow and luckily I came across this site before beginning the process. I want to do it right the first time so that I will not have to "fix" anything major later on and it seems that neglect is thepreferredmethod for that.

As for the neglect method, is there anything that should be avoided? Right now, I wear hats every day, both normal and knit.. I would think the normal ones would flatten my hair out which may not be good? but I do have some loose lightweight knit ones I could use.

Also, when I do get my hair wet is there a certain way that I should towel dry it so as not to undo any of them, or does that just push the process along? I usually just give it a good rub with the towel and then wrap it around my head to soak as much water out as I can. then just let it air dry after that.

soaring eagle said:

just trying to save u the trouble of splitting dreads combining dreaads and redoing sections

the best way to go is to let it section itself it will section perfectly for your head

then theres way less chance that sections will try to split when u force sections often they reject your sectioning and try to revert to 2 or 3 dreads at the roots but they are still fused together further dowwn

your natural sectioning will blend perfectly and look best

Need help deciding what method to use

Dreading Methods

I thought you would be more helpful than just telling me that the dreads I want are boring. I never said I wanted them perfect, I just want them to have some consistency throughout and not have one huge dread here and a really skinny one there.

soaring eagle said:

why do u want them uniform in sizes? how boring u can keep them semi uniform just by seperating them if they get too big

Need help deciding what method to use

Dreading Methods

Thanks Valerie and Naddy for your helpful responses! I think I will start by sectioning them out and braiding them, and then work one at a time with the twist n rip and then leave them to do what they may and see how that goes.

Thanks for the info about the dye Valerie. I will go to my local beauty supply and see if someone there can help me pick out the best bleach with a blue base and developer for my hair.