Myths, Facts, And Tips To Perfect Dreadlocks!

Matted hair coils, often called dreadlocks, rastalocks, locks, a ras, dreads, or Jata (Hindi) are typically intentionally made and worn by people all around the world with different hair textures and for many different reasons.

There are various methods the achieve the formation of the locks. Backcombing, palm rolling and twisting are common methods. Some choose to follow the method of deliberate neglect where the wearer will not brush or cut the hair-  this causes hair to tangle and twist as it grows, forming matted ropes

According to Wikipedia,”Dreadlocks are associated most closely with the Rastafari movement, but people from many groups in history before them have worn dreadlocks, including many Sadhus of India and the Sufi Rafaees, the Maori people of New Zealand, the Maasai of East Africa, and the Sufi malangs and fakirs of Pakistan.”

The word itself is a compound that dates back to the 1960′s.  Dread could be referring to the reaction by on-lookers of the controversial hairstyle, as well as “fear of the lord”  in Rastafarianism. The style’s name might be alluding to the alienation the wearer feels from contemporary society.

“All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.”— Numbers 6:5, KJV

So let’s dispel some of the myths and rumors behind the sacred art of dreading your hair:

Myth: Your hair needs to be dirty in order to properly dread.

Truth: If you don’t wash, you’ll smell bad. You wash dreads regularly and clean them as you would your dish sponge. Wet, soap and lather, rinse, then squeeze out the moisture (do this repeatedly to get the soap and moisture out). Clean hair actually locks faster. While it is true that residue in commercial soaps and shampoos make hair too slick to knot up, if you wash with residue free products, staying clean and dreading your hair should not conflict each other.

Myth: The only way to get good looking dreads is to enforce the neglect method.

Truth: While it is true that ignoring basic, traditional maintenance will cause your hair to lock, especially African-textured hair, the matting will occur in random, giant matts on your head- not neat and pretty coils. Caucasian hair takes a little longer to matt up. Curly hair is a little easier, but for great looking dreads, skip down to the end of this article for some tips and tricks!

Myth: Dreads are high-maintenance

Fact: It’s true that nice and sleek dreads are easily obtainable if you happen to be black, but it is possible for other hair textures to lock tightly and smoothly. The first month is hard, but as they become more secure, they become less and less work. Over time, they’ll look fantastic and all you’ll need to do is keep them smelling sweet.

Myth: Rubber bands break hair and can thin dreadlocks.

Truth: Used correctly, hairbands can help roots and tips tighten, especially when dreads are new. If rubber bands are applied too tightly, they can break the hair, causing thinning and even alopecia (hair loss).

Myth: Dreads will damage and cause your hair to thin.

Truth: Natural soaps actually clear away dirt and residue, helping hair grow faster. When cared for properly, dreadlocks are a very healthy hairstyle.

Myth: To get rid of dreads, you’ll have to shave your head.

Truth: Nah. Have your hairdresser cut your dreads about half way up, then use conditioner and a comb to un-knot the hair. It will take a long time, and you’ll need a haircut, but it’s better than looking like you just got off chemo.

So- there are several ways you can go about getting this look, thanks to dreadlocks.com:

1.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 rubber bands. 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 rubber band. Another rubber band on the roots will help the dread stay tight at its base. The rubber bands can be removed after the dread has a chance to mature. After the rubber bands 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 rubber band 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.

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 that you can do yourself.

Disadvantages: It hurts like hell and the dreads that it makes vary greatly in size and do not look 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, 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. Just let it grow, and in a year or so it may start to knot up. It may take 3 years since 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 rubber bands 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’re just pissed off at their hair and have decided to let it do what it wants.

Dread perming

Advantages: Instant dreads!

Disadvantages: It is a chemical process. Dreads formed by perming often require professional maintenance. Cost is around $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 rubber band. 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. Rubber bands 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 rubber bands 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..

Dread Accessories and Products:

You’ll need a wax or dread cream, as well as a few tools and accessories for achieving perfect locks:

Dread Combs

Dread combs are used for starting dreads using the backcombing method. They’ll need to be strong so the bristles do 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 stitches 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.

HAPPY DREADING!