Forum Activity for @alicia-s

Giant Nest'o'Hair

Dread Maintenance

Well, my husband helped me, and spent 4+ hours so far working on the nest. It could have gone better if he was more willing to cut, and if he kept spraying with water, but he did his best. By morning the nest isn't as bad, but the hair is quickly just becoming a massive tangle. I remember reading someone used some kind of gel to gently hold the dreads together, just to guide them to their "home." Should I attempt that? Would aloe vera gel work?

updated by @alicia-s: 07/13/15 05:37:31AM

Giant Nest'o'Hair

Dread Maintenance

Well, i think i understand how to prevent it from happening again, any tips of separating the nest i have already? My husband is going to help, but he's insecure in his ability, so any tips of how to do it are helpful.

soaring eagle said:

om u think i understand now

basicly the loose hairs from seoerating are forming dreads between dreads but with no definition they arscongoing together into a nest so aftyer u seperate the dreads u gotta seperate the dread babies in the nest

your starting a family i=u just want to keep em from getting tangled together feel aroungfd the nest for anty=hing feeling like a firmer clump seperate it d=fronm the other firnmer clumps

wether u seperate dauily weekly whatevr u gotta remember new babies form they need seperation too

Giant Nest'o'Hair

Dread Maintenance

The nest was so awful today and uncomfortable that I honestly considering just giving up, and combing it out. Then starting over differently. But I dont want to! I've decided I love the journey and starting over would suck, even if I am only a month in. So, my husband is going to help me separate tonight and try to redeem this. Any more tips on how to separate it? And keep it separated? I honestly am not sure that I can separate less often, just trying it today and most of hair is trying to Congo. I think I need to do something to help keep them separate, or separate at least once a day.

Giant Nest'o'Hair

Dread Maintenance

Thanks SE! I appreciate the help, and you giving it when you are so tired!! So you think I just need to separate less often and more carefully? And that the nest should slowly go away and won't be a problem?Usually to separate I hold one section starting at the tips then pull it apart from the others as needed, I use my finger to gentle break any sections from each other and gently work my way up. When I reach as close to the scalp as I can I also pull it in different directions to separate it on all sides, while trying to kinda hold other hairs out of the way. I've been doing it myself, because the only person i could enlist is my husband, and he's afraid to try. I've told him he is going to have to start helping, and he's willing to try if it will help the nest go away.And to answer one question, it isn't the whole mass of hair into one lump, it is almost like large sections of hair of separating, and those are separating into other smaller sections about 2-4 inches from the scalp. That 2-4 inches is either untangled, or a nest, depending on the exact section. Some are untangled for and inch, then a nest for 2-3 inches. Some are a nest from the scalp to about and inch or two from the scalp. Those large sections still break apart, and the small sections that make up the large section separate well. I'd say maybe 5-6 large sections over my whole head, which separate into, gosh I'd be afraid to count them, it's alot, of nice small sections the rest of the way down to the tips.I don't want to risk those large sections congoing into just 5-6 dreads on my whole head. I know some people like mega dreads, but I'm not into it.

Giant Nest'o'Hair

Dread Maintenance

the weird part is that the lower portion, below the nest IS knotting, and knotting in such a way that the knots look like established dreads. some do just kink and curl and look strange, but almost ever second has at least one spot that has a knot that resembles a dread. they seem like that knot then works up and down the length. so it isnt just the nest, i have knotting, good knotting, lower down in the sections.

i did a few sections on the side, where i can see well and they are less dreaded anyway, from a comboe of tip to root and root to tip. by first distingusing the section by the the tips and knots, them dividing near the scalp in what should be the same hairs. it seems to help, but at the same time im getting a LOT of unattached hairs coming out. im wondering if due to a prescription im on, i perhaps lost some hair and its tamgled into the nest?

forgive my horrible typos pleas I'm on my tablet and it hates this site.

updated by @alicia-s: 07/18/15 12:43:31PM

Giant Nest'o'Hair

Dread Maintenance

Thanks everyone for the ideas so far!

Giant Nest'o'Hair

Dread Maintenance

I started out washing 2-3 times a week, but before dreads I washed much less, and I'm getting back to that. I wash about once or twice a week. I wash when it needs it and it really doesn't need it that much. As you can see it's progressing pretty rapidly, so I'm not worried about it slowing down the dreading, in fact I'm beginning to think this would be easier if i did slow down the dreading! Lol There have been days when I separated less, but it seemed to make it worse instead of better, but if some people chime in that I could be separating to much I'll try cutting back. In the beginning I had to separate a LOT just to keep hairs from getting's really mixed together, due to the length but as the sections form more I'm doing it less and less. Thanks for the input!
updated by @alicia-s: 07/03/15 05:24:59AM

Giant Nest'o'Hair

Dread Maintenance

Sorry it took so long, but I finally edited it and added pictures

Giant Nest'o'Hair

Dread Maintenance

I'm about to head out for some meetings, I'll try to get pictures posted when I get home this afternoon.

Giant Nest'o'Hair

Dread Maintenance

So I'm a little over a month into natural dreads, Sunday will be 5 weeks. At first my hair was all nice and neat, and developing this cute little dread-like knots everywhere. In fact in my last timeline update I was asking if that was normal, but I would NOT be asking that question now! Not long after I asked my hair decided to goo all crazy. The entire back of my head, around my ears, nape of the neck, is like a giant nest! I separate it a minimum of twice a day, doing my best to separate as close to my scalp as I can without actually creating any discomfort. It just seems like my hair is all stuck together there, even though below that is tidy-ish sections. I'm really NOT into mega dreads, and I'm sure if would just become a beaver tail if I didn't stop it somehow. From my scalp to anywhere from 3-6 inches away from my scalp is all nested, mostly together, though I can seem to break it into a few large sections of smaller sections. I watched Baba Fatts video about separating dreads, and saw how he says moving one will move others near the scalp, so I'm guessing it is normal?

Is the giant nest normal? Is there anything I can do to help it be less nestlike? I separate often, and put in beads and wraps to try to keep as many stray hairs tamed as I can. I'm not that concerned about stray hairs, or that every hair has a "home" but the giant nest is becoming a bit untameable and overly wild.

editing to add pictures:

This is the whole head of hair. Just so you can see it all, progress, etc.

Close up of a group of sections on the left side.

This is the top half of my hair pulled up, and a close up of the nest between the layers. You can see some wraps and beads I've used to try to keep sections together and prevent hairs being sucked into the nest.

This a close up of a group on the back right side. You can notice the webbing of sorts happening when I pull it apart, but before you reach the scalp.

Some sections separate easily right up to the scalp, some not so close. The whole nest thing is starting from right at the scalp, and going to about 4 inches from the scalp. From there down is sectioning just fine. So it is normal? do I need to do anything? Not do anything now but start doing something differently??

updated by @alicia-s: 02/14/15 05:51:36AM