Research
Dreading Methods
I know right.
Heather Barbee said:
Yay for knowledge!
Forum Activity for @hippie-love
Research
Dreading Methods
You have no clue. I was like umm wax don't dread your hair. What an idiot to whom ever made the site in the first place and I can believe my friend even listened to what was on it as well. Thank god I told her about this one though maybe she will listen to me for now on. She is doing here first set of dreads and this is my third set.
Heather Barbee said:
Gosh It made me cringe when it said to put wax in completely. The tam part is true.
Research
Dreading Methods
Exactly, I told my friend to come here and I hope she did.
soaring eagle said:
that sites notoriously bad thr worse info but comes up 1st however it has a 100% bounce rate meaning nobody is dumb enough to read a second page
every single visit to that site except maybe under 1% leave after reading the 1st page
Research
Dreading Methods
This is what else I found: Wow
Dread Wax
A good dread wax with a nice strong hold is key to great dreadlocks. When you use wax use a small amount at a time and work it in completely. Wax holds the hair together and facilitates the locking process. Stay away from waxes that contain petroleum as they generally do more harm than good. Some waxes are enriched with vitamins and nutrients that help the hair grow strong and prevent breakage. Dread Head HQ makes an excellent all natural dread wax that we recommend for starting and maintaining dreads.
Dread Cream
Wax is great for starting dreadlocks in straight hair textures that need lots of hold, but it is often thicker than necessary and hard to apply to highly textured hair types. Creams are usually better suited to textured hair which needs less hold. Specialized loc creams focus on keeping the hair properly moisturized and giving the hair the nutrients it needs to form strong, healthy locs. Avoid creams that contain petroleum. They tend to lubricate the hair and slow the dreading process. Knatty Dread makes a nutrient rich loc product that provides nutrients while helping locs look their best.
Dread Shampoo
There are very few shampoos and soaps on the market that work well for dreadlocks. Nearly every natural shampoo available leaves some type of fragrance residue or herbal remedy behind in the hair. Ironically many of these additives can inhibit hair growth by suffocating follicles and cause problems such as itching and dry scalp. Residue build up is more of a problem for those with dreads because hair can be very thick at the scalp and hold much more residue than straight hair. This is why we recommend washing dreads only in residue free soaps and shampoos. These shampoos will also help dreads get tighter than they otherwise could by removing residue from the strand themselves. Clean strands can lock tighter and faster than those that carry residue. Dread Head's Dread Soap is the best we have seen. It leaves hair truly clean allowing dreads to tighten completely looking full and healthy.
Dread Combs
Dread combs are used for starting dreads using the backcombing method. They need to be strong so the bristles to not bend or snap off while you are using it. Plastic combs generally don't work very well. The bristles should be close together and they need be be able to slide in and out of the hair easily.
Beads
Beads are great for decorating dreads. You can get wood beads with the right size hole and just slip them on. Some people use hot glue to get them to stay if they are a little too big. You can also get hand blown Pyrex beads that slip on the dreads. They look great but they are usually about $35 a piece.
Peyote Stitches
Peyote satiates are little sleeves made of lots of tiny beads that make up a design. They are usually about 1/2" long and big enough to fit snugly around a dread. They look great and add a lot of color to your dreads.
Tams
Tams are crocheted hats made for holding dreadlocks. They look cool and keep dreads out of the way and out of site. Nice for at work or out to dinner with the family.
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Research
Dreading Methods
Heather I think the site I put at the bottom of what I copy and pasted is from another site I am not done reseaching this site though.
Research
Dreading Methods
Wow, I was researching this site because one of my friends on Facebook had told me about it. Well, this is what it says about methods...
There are several methods that can be used to start dreadlocks. We will attempt to give you as much information as possible about using each method to start dreads as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each one so you can decide which method is right for you.
Backcombing
Advantages: Hair looks like dreads the same day and reaches maturity faster than other methods. You can control the size and shape of the dreads, anywhere from thick and smooth to thin and sexy. It is an all natural method. Backcombing will work on all hair lengths 3" and longer.
Disadvantages: The initial dreading takes a few hours and is pretty labor intensive, nothing a good friend or two can't handle. The best way to back comb is to take your time and make the dreads as smooth and tight as possible.
Instructions:
First section the hair into squares. Square sections make round dreads. Between 1" and 2" squares works well for most people. Smaller sections make thinner dreads. The sections can be secured temporarily with rubberbands. After the hair is sectioned use a dread comb to comb the hair backwards. Start close to the scalp, not more than an inch away. Comb repeatedly towards the scalp. Eventually hair will start to pack up at the roots. It is not necessary to twist the hair. It is helpful however to roll the hair you are holding between your fingers a little while you are backcombing. Continue backcombing, slowly working towards the ends of the hair, making the dread as tight as possible as you go. When you reach the ends you can secure the dread with a rubberband. Another rubberband on the roots will help the dread stay tight at its base. The rubberbands can be removed after the dread has a chance to mature. After the rubberbands are applied to each dread the dreads should be waxed with a dread wax that does not contain petroleum. A good dread wax will tame loose hairs and help the hair dread much faster.
Dreads formed by backcombing look very much like dreads right after you do them, however they will tighten and smooth out a great deal as they mature. Using a good soap and wax is key to the development of the dreads. Well maintained dreads can reach maturity in as little as 3 to 4 months! The hair continues to dread as it grows in some cases by itself but in most cases it will need a little help. You can wear a rubberband on the root of stubborn dreads to help them lock up. Rubbing the root of the dread clockwise against the scalp also helps.
Tips: Starting with clean, residue free hair makes the process go much faster. Any residue in the hair tends to help the hair slip out of knots as you backcomb. Also be sure that the hair is completely dry when you back comb it.
If you do not have any friends that feel comfortable doing this for you most salons have at least one adventurous stylist who will be willing to help you for about $20-$30 per hour, which isn't that bad considering you won't ever have to pay for another hair cut! It is a very good idea to bring with you the products you want to use and the instructions for backcombing. Many unfortunate white children have had dreads started with the twist method and were more than a little disappointed. We have several all natural dread products that we recommend for starting dreads listed in our Products and Accessories section.
Wool Sweater or Wool Hat rubbing
Advantages: The main advantage to the rubbing method is that if you happen to own something wool you can get started right away. It is an all natural method. You can do it yourself.
Disadvantages: It hurts like hell and the dreads that it makes vary greatly in size and do not look very good. Hair will usually need to be cut after trying this method so you will have to grow out your hair again before trying another method.
Instructions: Take a wool sweater or hat and rub it in circles on your head. After about 15 min, if your hair is long enough, knots will start to form. As the hair knots together you rip it apart and try to separate it into dreads. After you rip it apart you resume rubbing for another 15 min. or so. Repeat this process over and over and over until all your hair is knotted. Lots of loose hair is common with this method and the neglect method, just try to stick them into the nearest dread.
Neglect
Advantages: You can do it without assistance. It is the easiest method. No special tools or products are needed, just time.
Disadvantages: It takes at least 3 years to start looking like dreads in most hair types. You need to have about 10" of hair for the knots to start forming. The dreads form unevenly, some dreads will be huge and flat, others skinny. People usually get sick of having nasty hair and cut it off long before they get dreads.
Instructions: The neglect method is pretty much just that. You do nothing but keep the hair clean. (Some people don't even do that but not washing your hair is unsanitary and it slows down the dreading process) Just let it grow and in a year or so it may start to knot up or it may take 3 years Hair texture and hair length has a lot to do with how long it takes. You can rip it into dreads and try to combine dreads that are too small with rubberbands if you like, but in the spirit of true neglect most people don't. I don't really think that people that use this method are really after dreads, I think they are just pissed off at their hair and decided to let it do what it wants. When I meet someone that has dreads obviously formed by neglect I always complement their dreads anyway and I don't usually offer advice, because they do not really want it.
Dread perming
Advantages: It's like instant dreads.
Disadvantages: It is a chemical process. Dreads formed by perming often require professional maintenance. Cost, $200-$400!
Instructions: Save your money. Find a salon that does dread perms.
Twisting
Advantages: It is all natural. You have control over the size of the dreads and how they form. Many salons are familiar with this method and the cost is usually much lower than a dread perm.
Disadvantages: It only works in African textured hair but that doesn't mean salons won't try it on Caucasian hair!
Instructions: Hair should be sectioned into squares. Square sections make round dreads. Between 1" and 2" squares works well for most people. Smaller sections make thinner dreads. As you section the hair you can secure each section with a rubberband. When the whole head is sectioned twist each section clockwise using a comb to snag the hair at the ends and twist. As each section is twisted dread wax should be worked in to hold the twists. Thick waxes without petroleum hold the hair much better when starting the dreads. After the dreads mature thinner waxes can be used to add fragrance and sheen. Rubberbands can also be used at the roots and tips to hold the hair for the first couple of weeks. Be sure not to attach the rubberbands too tightly, nice and snug will do the job just as well and should not break any hairs. Hair should be twisted by hand regularly to help it lock up.
Dreads can also be started in short black hair without sectioning by hand. The hair can actually section itself. To do this you need short curly African textured hair about 1/2" thick. Take a soft bristled brush and rub it gently in clockwise circles on the surface of the hair. As you rub the hair will magically form little nubs or balls of hair. These little nubs can be twisted by hand into dreads. Twisting and working in a little bit of thick dread wax will help them hold together and mature much faster. The nice thing about these sections is that they are chosen naturally by the hair and for this reason they dread nicely by themselves as they continue to grow..
updated by @hippie-love: 01/13/15 09:42:05PM
new to this and friendless!
Introduce Yourself
This exactly.
soaring eagle said:
welcome just take out the braids and let em dread
let mom freak out all she wants..
remind her that that lil number 21 means she no longer can tell ya what to do as an adult your able to decide for yourelf what you want to do with your hair
Washing?
Introduce Yourself
Listen to SE he knows more than probably anyone on here since he been dreading for 22 years.
Adding dreads gradually?
Dreading Methods
I have 15 tnr dreads now, but once you start washing your hair like if you had your whole head with dreadlocks you'll start to notice that your hair will start sectioning into sections. I'm in my second week of dreading my third set of dreads now just left my other hair for neglect but at the same time trying to maintain it so it won't dread. All my dreads are underneath the rest of my hair so I'm trying to go with a style I have loved to have/wear for years now.
hmm, when will it grow?
General Questions
Couldn't have said it better than this.
Baba Fats said:
Locks go through 3 major stages. They shrink for a few months. Here, they usually shrink to about 1/3 - 1/2 their original length. Then they go through a phase where they seem to be stagnant. They don't shrink anymore, but they don't grow either. This is when your roots start to tighten up more. Then they explode with growth.
It's hard to tell how much your hair will shrink. You may lose a little more length. But it's nearly impossible to know until it happens