Forum Activity for @chris-marshall

Has anyone else ever had this problem?

Dread Maintenance

So almost all of my dreads are locking just perfectly and I don't have to worry bout them. However there are 3 on my right side and 1 on my left that locked up right at the root and then the rest of the 10 inch dread is loose and wavy. It all stays in the same dread, it doesn't get frizzy and spread out, but it feels like it hasn't dreaded at all in the last 5 months. Will the knotting eventually spread down the dread or should I re- twist and rip the undreaded part of the locks considering its been almost 5 months since the last time I did it?

Thanks,

Chris

updated by @chris-marshall: 01/13/15 09:02:12PM

Salt Wash

Dread Maintenance

So, I've been conducting a bit of an experiment lately. I've been rather broke and literally don't have enough money to go buy a new spray bottle. I was using mine for thyme tea, but with as much as people complain about people smelling when they have dreads, smelling like the worlds most Italian pizza isn't on my to-do list. The sprayer got clogged and eventually the spray mechanism didn't work at all so I threw it out. Anyway. I was going to start doing a salt spray, but i thought one day while in the shower, why not create an artificial wash out of sea salt that resembles what it'd be like to swim in the ocean? So I did.

I put about an 8th cup of sea salt in a large glass (I'm sure this could be converted to pitcher measurements, but I only have one so I use what I have), with a few drops of lemon oil (3 to be exact) and filled it with rather warm water and poured it over my dry hair, waited a few minutes to let it soak in my hair and rinsed it all out with warm water. It's a fairly strong mix, so if the water is more transparent than not, you might have too weak a rinse. Now this might seem a tad redundant, the washing it out just a few (3-5 minutes later) but it actually works! At first I thought that my hair was just dreading fast on its own, but I'm almost certain that this is what is causing the crazy looping and dreading going on towards the middle and ends of my only ONE MONTH OLD tnr/bc dreads. So if you have significantly oily/thick hair that seems to unravel easy, join me in this experiment and see if it works for you. I'd love to see people getting the same results as I have.

NOTE: I only do this wash once a week, so let's consider that the standard for use. I don't want anyone's scalp or hair going through too much hell. It shouldn't be the case because of how nearly immediate it is meant to be washed out, but just being safe.

updated by @chris-marshall: 01/13/15 08:54:05PM

Are beads ruining my dreads?

Dread Accessories

Sand paper might work if you can fit it, but beads tend to be rather semi permanent. Putting in and removing beads with rough inner cores can cause much damage if done frequently to the same dreads. I only have one currently, and ever the process of finding the right bead for my hair color did some damage to the dread it was in because of switching. I would suggest using glass if you'd like to keep removing them. Otherwise, choose something you'd like to stay in.

Should I just use a bead?

Dreading Methods

Oh yes, I definitely try to keep all these things in mind.I l read this forum for months before even posting. But sometimes reading doesn't always transfer into doing. I usually only touch my hair when I'm putting them up or notice something nifty in the mirror or when an interesting one lands on my shoulder or sticks up out of the sleeve I use. I don't finger comb at all, and in the shower, my good old pitcher does the washing for me, i rub my scalp, but don't touch my dreads until I'm squeezing them to help get water out. I LOVE seeing all the crazy stuff that my hair does on its own. Waves, bumps, loops, zigzags. Theres one dread that's developed a giant loop (about two inches wide) a few inches from the root. It's my favorite. It also weirds me out a little, this visible progress, because they are so young but doing things I've seen in pictures of people with dreads months older than mine. Just wish the one or two not doing so (visually) well would catch up. Oh well. Thanks for the quick responses

taye said:

Your hair is in the process of trying to knot up into dreads. You kinda have the shape of dreads...but for the next year your hair is gonna do all kinds of funky things while it is knotting into mature dreads. your sections will loosen then tighten then loosen and tighten again and again. Don't get frustrated.

It sounds like your roots are just trying to knot up...they will move around and separate a little, they also get bumpy and loopy. It is ok...it happens. You actually should enjoy that part because it shows that something is happening!!!!

The big thing to remember at this point is to keep your hands away from your hair. you can undo the knots.

When you wash your hair....concentrate on your scalp. don't scrub the actual dread, just let the shampoo ( or whatever you wash with) run through your hair as you are cleaning your scalp. Just make sure it is rinsed well.

Should I just use a bead?

Dreading Methods

Thanks, guys. I guess I just let impatience get to me after trying to ignore it thus far. I also forgot that sometimes unknotting leads to knotting. It's just so odd to see that rest of my dreads doing so well and then see the stragglers and not want to help them get to where the others are at in some way haha. Oh well. I've also been thinking of adding beads anyway. The dread in mention would look perfect with a bead, too. We will see.

Also, has anyone else but me noticed just how well the dread journey lends itself to Zen philosophy? The Daoist concept of Wu Wei in particular.

Should I just use a bead?

Dreading Methods

So I've been VERY patient with my hair thus far and have gotten out of the
maybe I should just comb them out" phase. Today while in the shower I noticed that one dread had utterly unraveled and had no progress in it whatsoever (I've begun to see looping hairs and visual/physical progress in most all of my dreads, this one looked like a wet chunk of hair). Upon letting my hair dry I noticed that the dread had become about 8 thick strands of hair. I tnr'd it once it was completely dry and it is now back to square one. I consider this dread to be my once and never again "re-do". The only problem with that is that on the other side of my head I'm having issues with a dread. It is normal size, the section isn't large at all. But it hat begun to let loose a lot of hair and also seems to want to split apart (near the middle and towards the root) into many different tiny sections. I don't want to mess it up, because towards the end of the dread it is showing much progress. Should I just use a bead to fix the issue, or is it too early? These dreads are only 3-ish weeks old, maybe a week more, I've forgotten. The claims of progress may seem odd, but there are some crazy things going on in my dreads that weren't put there by me lol. Thanks for reading and I appreciate your responses!


Chris
updated by @chris-marshall: 01/13/15 08:53:36PM

Should be starting soon, still debating the best method for my hair.

Dreading Methods

So I started today! Thanks much to my fellow dread-head who goes by the username Personal Jesus (I don't know if he wants me to use his real name)! This is the only picture I have right now, so I hope you can see how well they turned out on their first day. I (but really him..) used the backcombing method to start these. Some of the larger ones may be pulled into two separate dreads, there's one in particular I'm considering doing this to, but otherwise I can't wait to see them mature!

ALSO! - Got a 4.0 this semester!

updated by @chris-marshall: 07/23/15 05:12:53AM

Should be starting soon, still debating the best method for my hair.

Dreading Methods

Thanks for all the input guys. It's much appreciated. What size sections do you think I should use given the thickness that I want? I know that an Inch is the basic measurement, but how much larger should I do?

Should be starting soon, still debating the best method for my hair.

Dreading Methods

Hey all, thanks for the quick replies. I've been out and about since I started the topic. I work at a Frozen Yogurt Store called Yogurtland. I've worked with the company for about two years, and have pretty close relationships with the owners of our store, but still, they desire that I and the rest of the employees look tidy. I barely squeek by having half-inch gauge plugs in my ears. If I were to go all natural, my hair would be up in a tight pony tail for 24 hours each week at work, where-as if I backcombed it would be easier to keep them up in a sleeve which they will allow. They won't allow a sleeve for loose hair, obviously. I don't think being kept up in a tight pony tail would be good for dreading. I also would like to have a slight uniformity in size. I don't mind character, but the size is the only thing I'd really like to be able to control. Even with my hair now I try to keep it as voluminous as possible. Straight/flat haired me doesn't look right.@SE: How does one go about doing so without making dreads that will easily unravel? If you split a thick chunk of hair into two sections and TNR, won't you be kind of creating a braid like twist instead of creating knots?

Should be starting soon, still debating the best method for my hair.

Dreading Methods

So I've been doing research for the past 6 months and have had the idea of having dreadlocks for at least 6 years. I've started to wash my hair with Dr. Bronner's Lavender Bar Soap just to get my hair used to it and my hair is significantly long. I'd put a picture up, but my camera is packed away. It's coarse, wavy, and goes down well past my shoulders by at least 4 or 5 inches. My question is about the method I should use. I know the best method would be natural, but I don't have a job that would allow me to do so. Personal Jesus (the user here) has volunteered to backcomb my hair for me and has been of MUCH help as well as a great source of information for my persistent inquisitive nature. However, I wonder if backcombing is the right way to go. I know it can cause damage to my hair (I trust him to be careful) but it seems as though if I want to get the thickness I want for my dreads, then twist and rip might not be the best method either. So I feel like I'm kind of left with no option. Has anyone here successfully made thick TNR dreads? (Thick meaning around 5/8ths inch in diameter, not Phat which I'd say is around 3/4 to an Inch) Thanks much for your help in advance!-Chris
updated by @chris-marshall: 02/14/15 03:27:13AM