Forum Activity for @heather

Oh beautiful girl! I read your post and I wanted to hug you. You know, I do live in California also...I think only a bit of a drive away...You and I have been going through so many of the same things. I am nearing my 8 mo. mark and although I do see a tremendous amount of progress I am envious of many of the good folks here. You know how I have struggled, I have posted a few of my tantrums! LOL Don't feel alone, and for sure don't give up. I presently have what looks kind of like a smile going across the back of my head. No knots on the very bottom or top..and dreads in the middle with more on the right side than the left. I have loops smack dab in the middle of sections. Even on the really knotted ones, it is in the middle. People "in the know" realize that I am dreading..whether it is because I have told them or they have dreads themselves. But, the common stranger probably thinks that I have a tent I go to sleep in somewhere in the forest! LOL That is okay. When I want to feel alittle polished, I sweep it up in a kind of twist with the ends sticking out the top and a big claw clip to hold it and I pin a fake flower on the side. It actually looks pretty cute. The rest of the time, I just put on some lip gloss and think..."I look fierce!" Please know that you are not alone and also know that everything I have ever really treasured in this life, I had to fight hard for...fight that urge to give up! You are a beautiful soul...love you.

Just an idea... if your sections are so small why not put a bead on two dreads? Combine two small ones?

Oh it is happening! They look like they are on their wayto being beautiful dreads, and they will be! I've tried all sorts of stuff to try and accellerate the process like sea salt and wool sweater on my pillow etc., it just takes time...and sometimes a little help and I have to tell you the b/s wash dramatically changed my hair. I bought a residue free shampoo that I used a couple weeks after startingthe b/s wash, it made my scalp feel great, but loosened up a lot of the knotting. I now use that on my scalp, rinse, then pour the b/s wash over my hair and rinse again...either daily or every couple days and my hair seems to be knotting up like crazy. I also flip my hair in the shower and try to let the water run over it from each direction, odd I know, but I think it helps, and helps with rinsing. So anyway, maybe if you alternate your shampoo and the b/s wash? Just a suggestion. Keep the patience and faith. Love your locks, they will love you back

P.S. My boy took me out to dinner Sunday for V-day and I wore my hair down as proudly as I could with all the stares and whispering around me, I would look if I felt a stare and smile when I made eye contact and they would look away quickly. It's gotta be about attitude because they would stop staring. If you are happy with you, don't you worry about anyone else.

My dreads are equally as loopy as that one you are holding up in your pictures!

And, it is only five months. It's killing me that my hair is so messy and it feels like forever in some ways, but you just have to take it a day at a time.

I always wear a wool hat when I go to class, because I hate when people ask "oh dude wtf is up with your hair" but it's getting better day by day. The more I like them, the better they seem to look lol.


and it's not like your dreads aren't doing anything. All that loopy crazy messy stuff is a sign that it's working!

You are soooo going to get there eventually, for sure! It's just taking longer than usual because your hair is so soft and resistant than most people's. But like Brandon said, all those loops are a sign that things ARE starting to happen!

Have you done any more twist & rip or tight backcombing on the completely straight sections to get things moving?

Heather said:

i know. it just hard when i pics like yours or knottysleeves and think i'm never going to have that. i definitely don't have as much hair as you do so i just wonder how it will all work out in the end. i don't want pitiful, scrawny dreads. i was hoping that the dreadlock will give me the fullness i never had.

I just saw your pictures now, and I have to say that your hair is doing it!! Those loops and such are a great sign! Trust that the journey will be so well worth it!

Heather keep your head up your hair is def showing progress! Don't give up now! Not sure if you live by the Ocean but for me when my locks were little babies I hopped in the Ocean a couple times a week and that tightened the shit out of my hair maybe something to think about.

Oh, Heather ... hang in there!! You've come so far, and as KnottySleeves said, you've been so patient!!! Seems like if the ones you backcombed are doing well, it might not hurt to give the rest the same impetus! You are such a beautiful girl, no matter what your hair looks like! I would echo SE's advice about having pride in knowing that you're doing this for you, and that your beauty radiates out from your heart and smile!! Sending you all kinds of good energy, my friend!!!

okay, well here are some really crappy cell phone pics. its a rainy, yucky day so outside pics with the good camera are out of the question. i put little brass beads at the ends of some of the sections to encourage knotting. it shows you how small my hair is sectioning.the crazy zigzag pics are the backcombed natural sections i did last month. there's only 5 of these on my head like this. notice how all the knotting is on the ends and then smooth hair for about 5".

thanks i wash every other day or two. i just got the kiss my face whenever shampoo and its great. i used to have an oily scalp but since i don't wash everyday now my scalp is pretty normal. you might want to try desert essence tea tree lemon shampoo. it's made for oily scalp and hair. its great but a little too drying on my scalp right now. i'm going to try it again in the summer when it's not as dry out. makes your hair squeaky clean.

funny, my hair seems to be knotting/separating better on top. the under part is silky smooth. i'm preparing for a really weird mullet in the future.

Kristina P said:

Oh I'm sorry. I feel like that too, sometimes.
When i need to go someplace special, i put it up in an up-do/claw.

You could get a pretty clip even and pull it back.

I'm only at 2 months and know it's gonna get worse before it gets better.

What's your washing schedule? I have been washing every other day with Kiss My Face and using sea salt in a spray bottle and spraying it on the days i don't wash. [i work out every day and my scalp and hair get really greasy, even sleeping makes it greasy]

I also, prettyvigorouslytowel dry the underneath hair when i wash.

Underneath is where my hair isn't knotting, i could still run a combthroughit, its so smooth.

funny thing, i leave my hair down when i go out and it has a few bunches of tangles and looks very uncombed, but no one says anything. i just wonder what they are thinking.. lol

Hang in there!!

Kristina