Forum Activity for @elpea

washing only with water

Dread Maintenance

I often just rinse ("wash without soap") a few times a week out of convenience. It takes a bit of time to mix together the baking soda and oils that I use, and then again to dilute the ACV for a rinse, and then make sure all of that is rinsed out at the end. Sometimes, I just want to get my hair wet, squeeze it out, and give the scalp a nice rub with some water to displace any built up oils or dirt.

While I wouldn't say ditching the cleansers all together is the best idea, in my personal experience using only water is a decent way to refresh your scalp and dreads.

Twisting to combine loose hairs, keep sections organized

Dread Maintenance



soaringeagle said:

1 of my best freinds dreads was started by taking a section of hair twisting it uo just like that while holding the tip then..pulling the tip out si the coil boinged out straight and stayed in the tight twist and dreaded fromj there it worked well but was done oncvce
i do agree as a style its super cute but to do it to encourage roots to dread i dont think makes sense

can you explain this better? I don't understand the holding the tip/pulling the end/coil boinging bit, but i'm curious.

Twisting to combine loose hairs, keep sections organized

Dread Maintenance

Thanks buddy. I don't feel dumb at all for doing it, but thanks for the reassurance

Like I said before, I really liked the way it sucked up a lot of my loose hair. I think it's easy to tell if you're twisting so hard you're breaking hairs. Even the 'rubbing' strategy of locking roots can weaken your locks if you're too rough with it.

I wish people weren't so scared to play with their locks! Sure, they'll lock up great if you only neglect, but playing with your locks and actively maintaining them makes them yours. Just do it in moderation. Don't fight the knots, embrace the knots!

Twisting to combine loose hairs, keep sections organized

Dread Maintenance



soaringeagle said:

it cabn severely wweaken the roots over use can actualy twist dreads right off..it is never recomended for non african hair and for africans they typicaly over do it
i would never do it to mine

why would u want to cause pain?

As youre twisting, it is very clear when you reach the point of pulling on the scalp. It's obvious that if you over-twist, you'll damage the roots.You've had your dreads for 20 years. The last thing you need to do is promote loose hairs to knot up. Your dreads are well-established. Mine are 7 months old, and need a bit of encouragement on the locking process.I do not want to cause pain. I do not know why you would ask that question.

Twisting to combine loose hairs, keep sections organized

Dread Maintenance

Also! I think this style would be a useful way to tie up all your dreads and keep them out of the way during a sporting event, or under a helmet or something.

Twisting to combine loose hairs, keep sections organized

Dread Maintenance

ch-ch-check this out: http://www.dreadlockssite.com/photo/photo-on-20101113-at-1958?context=latest#axzz15OeKGXEG i've never had luck just twisting loose-hanging dreads, but when I SUPER-twisted them all up this past weekend, I loved the results.It took me about 2 hours to twist them all up. I did it on rather dirty dreads (about 5 days since the last wash). I did them a bit tight and took them out after 4 hours or so. I like how it allowed me to wrap loose hairs up and choose the section they'd be incorporated into. After unwrapping, the roots stayed nicely twisted and incorporated a lot of the loose root hair. Note that it obviously doesn't instantly add your loose root hairs into the dread, but twists them around the outside.Next time I do this, I'll do it on cleaner hair (maybe a day or two post-wash) and I won't twist as tightly at the root. I'd also like to leave them twisted overnight - I think it might leave me with some nice waves in my locks!The locks that were wrapped tighter both made my head hurt more and didn't incorporate the new/loose hairs as well. The twists that were looser at the root and relied on tightly twisting the end to keep it together got more knotty and, I think, allowed the loose hairs to knot in more thoroughly rather than wrapping around.Has anyone else ever done something like this?Please note: the final result leaves you with a funny 20's curly-bob look. Perfect for dressing up as an old lady in her bathrobe or something haha.
updated by @elpea: 02/14/15 10:23:30AM

Drying your Dreads...

Dread Maintenance

Hair dryers can be harsh on thick dreads - the outside will get dry while the inside is wet, and as you keep blowing hot dry air on the already dry hairs it can lead to damage.If you use a hair dryer, aim for a medium-low setting, both on heat & power. Do it gently, and towel dry them as much as you can first.