Dreadlocks

[jezebel_1982]

I finally found one!
This is a pic of my dreads just when they were new. They are about one week old in this pic...and the under layers were not yet done.
Please excuse the face - it was very sunny; we were taking my son on his first outing to the park

[ilovemybrachiosaurus]

So I have read most of the 149 pages but I am definitely not going to read them all... and well I started my dreads umm 4 months ago?? maybe less but not by much. and I can't seem to find a good way to clean my scalp because every once in a while my head itches just like everyone else (dreaded or not) and well i get this almost waxy kind of substance in my fingernail after scratching...not entirely sure what this stuff is but can anyone suggest anything to help me out plz. Oh, and also I'm wondering a good way to wash the dreads themselves without the knots slipping out because every time I was my dreads seem to get worse and I wash 1-2 times a week...depending on how dirty I feel... I also use a non-residue shampoo made by nutragena or w/e. but im not sure i trust it. anyone have any shampoo suggestions also?

much thanks to all

I always use Prell Shampoo on my hair, it works pretty amazingly Plus, I've found if you vigorously clockwise rub your scalp and dreaddies when it itches it helps your roots and your itch, but I understand about just having to scratch sometimes as well. Waxy stuff also might be dandruff mixed with shampoo. Make sure you get ALL of the shampoo out!!

[Souldier]

So I have read most of the 149 pages but I am definitely not going to read them all... and well I started my dreads umm 4 months ago?? maybe less but not by much. and I can't seem to find a good way to clean my scalp because every once in a while my head itches just like everyone else (dreaded or not) and well i get this almost waxy kind of substance in my fingernail after scratching...not entirely sure what this stuff is but can anyone suggest anything to help me out plz. Oh, and also I'm wondering a good way to wash the dreads themselves without the knots slipping out because every time I was my dreads seem to get worse and I wash 1-2 times a week...depending on how dirty I feel... I also use a non-residue shampoo made by nutragena or w/e. but im not sure i trust it. anyone have any shampoo suggestions also?

much thanks to all

Since your dreads are under 6 months old what you are experiencing is your scalp adjusting to it's new routine. Just keep a regular routine and eventually your scalp will catch up and realize it no longer has to produce so much oils. If you can, try washing your hair once a week on the same day of the week till your dreads mature enough to handle more washing. Also you have to make sure you are using a non-residue containing shampoo. If you are bying off the shelf, you can use Dr. Bronners (found at most health/natural food stores) or Neutrogena Anti-Residue. Those are the only two off of the shelf that I know for certain to contain no residues.

If you want to give yourself some work, there is a trick to keeping those knots tight while washing. You'll need a metal tooth comb, a small gauge crochet hook, a needle and thread in your hair color. Basically all you have to do is backcomb your tip till you can't anymore, then take the crochet hook and keep pulling in the loose hairs around your tip till you get a nice little round tip. Then you take your needle and thread and just wrap the hell out of it by bringing the thread in and out of the tip in several directions followed by a couple knots. Voila. The thread will not retain moisture like elastics as it will dry with your hair and it can later be removed with a seam ripper to reveal a nice rock hard rounded tip... if that is what you are looking for... if not well you can undo some of the hair around the tip to make them whispy. It's up to you.

[outofthequestion]

jezebel, they look great. I'd love to see them now. I might try that method to redread my ends. I have tons on the ends that won't stay in no matter what i do. I've given up on rebackcombing them every day. The roots of my hair are not having any problems dreading, but I guess having a toddler pulling on my dreads all day doesn't help... :-P

As for Prell, I tried it. I LOVE the smell of it, but it dried my scalp like crazy. I do love the smell, though.

[Laneknees]

I really need to get a good picture up of my hair. It's in the 4th month and it looks amazing!!! My hair has really locked up nicely and with no wax or any other nasties!!

anyway, what I did for my tips was to just roll it in a circle between my fingers until it started to ball up into a little knot. Sometimes I would fold the tip up until it was in a bigger part of the dread and do the same thing.

Also if you get really wispy hair and fly aways you can crochet them in with a crochet hook. I've done it before, it works fairly nice if you want to look clean and good really quickly, but always palm roll after you do it so that they get a little rubbed into place. Also when I take showers I make sure to take the towel and squeeze out the water and then rub them all together as well as rubbing my scalp clockwise. Of course you'll probably have to rip your hair a little to keep 'em from congoing but it works pretty nice for me

[killerdreads92]

thnx everybody for your help...very informative! I must go get a crochet hook, although sounds like it is painstaking work to crochet all the loose hairs in... And I have never even heard of the sewing it up thing...

[Souldier]

It was a trial and error thing for me. I first heard of the crochet hook method when my dreads were about 6 or 7 months old and decided to use it in combination with the string method that a place called Dread Police, if I'm not mistaken, use to tighten up roots and tips.

I also tie off my roots once a year (I used to do it 3 times a year). Compared to my fiance's dreads, mine are much more groomed and there aren't that many flyaways... well except for the hairs that frame my face which is like baby hair but I like it. Tying off my roots every once in a while seemed to train the hair to stick to the dread at the base... it worked really well because I'm going on 4 years and I never have to do anything these days.

I really need to throw an updated picture into this thread.

[killerdreads92]

you totally should... I'm going to try and get one but I need to find a camera haha... Oh, and how to I get my new growth dreaded good mine doesn't seem dreaded much    my dreads start about a inch out... should it be at an inch???

[emkay]

So I have read most of the 149 pages but I am definitely not going to read them all... and well I started my dreads umm 4 months ago?? maybe less but not by much. and I can't seem to find a good way to clean my scalp because every once in a while my head itches just like everyone else (dreaded or not) and well i get this almost waxy kind of substance in my fingernail after scratching...not entirely sure what this stuff is but can anyone suggest anything to help me out plz. Oh, and also I'm wondering a good way to wash the dreads themselves without the knots slipping out because every time I was my dreads seem to get worse and I wash 1-2 times a week...depending on how dirty I feel... I also use a non-residue shampoo made by nutragena or w/e. but im not sure i trust it. anyone have any shampoo suggestions also?

much thanks to all

I get that stuff when I scratch, too.  It's probably just a mix of dead skin cells and the natural oil your scalp produces.  I have psoriasis so I wash twice a week with Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat shampoo http://www.giovannicosmetics.com/WLine/PROD_teatreeshampoo.php ... I get it at the grocery store in the natural section, it costs like 8 bucks a bottle but it lasts me about 6 months.  Or I use Dr. Bronner's followed by Neutrogena T-Gel shampoo for the serious psoriasis flare-ups.  I also use the Dr. Bronner's when I've been working in poison ivy to get rid of the oils from the plant.  I've had good luck with the Nature's Gate shampoos, and the Suave "clarifying" one, but the Tea Tree Triple Treat just seems to give them the perfect amount of body and frizzes them up just enough to help them lock, but not so much that they look like they're surrounded by a brown frizz cloud.

Incidentally, I USED BEESWAX (from Dreadhead HQ, I think) and I had NO ISSUES with it.  I was working at JCPenney so I needed to look presentable and the wax helped weight them down and tamed them a lot.  Eventually it washed out, but while it was in there it helped grab all the loose hairs.  I think if you use just a little so your hair is sticky, but not so much that it forms strings, then there is no problem.  I know most of you are all down on the wax, but keep this in mind- if you use it, and you don't like what it's doing, IT WASHES OUT!!!!!  Yeah, it takes a lot of shampoo and effort, but it does come out.

After six years, my dreads still start an inch out from my head, which I like because it makes them easier to control if I want to do something fun with them.  Also, the ends are 1-3 inches of straight hair, they have never knotted up simply because I had fine, straight, healthy hair to start with.



That tuft at the back of the top of my head is from my cowlick... never seems to want to join the rest of the herd...

[killerdreads92]

WOW emkay you have BEAUTIFUL dreads!!! omg I'm soooooooooo jealous... You did your dreads by urself right???