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ok, so how long should your hair be to go dreads? i dont want them sticking out all spikey. and how hard is the maitenace and waxing? did you have a pro do it?
thanks, J
my hair was mid back when i dreaded it, and when it was done it was an inch or 2 above my shoulders - but my hair is really fine, and i went for lots of thin dreads instead of fatties. if you've got thick hair it'll probably shorten less.
i just got my mates to dread it for me. i provided drink, nibbles, films + music, and they slaved away all day :)
i only waxed my dreads for job interviews/wedding etc. the rest of the time i just palm rolled them, although after the first few months when they'd started locking up properly it didn't need much. at the start they were a nightmare - they would try to dread together so i'd have to spend a few minutes every day splitting them apart, and rolling them to keep them round - they used to get flattened by sleeping on them.
washing them is harder than normal hair. it probably took me 30 mins to wash them - getting the shampoo right into the middle, then making sure to rinse it all out, then squeezing them as dry as possible. Some people wash them less, you've got to work out what's best for your scalp. i wouldnt recommend never washing them. air drying takes ages...
In spite of all this, they're well worth getting. i loved 'em (only got rid of them to get a new job, already planning to put them back in!) I managed to comb out most of my dreads after having them in for around 8 years (i let them grow out for a few months so the tops were looser, and cut the bottoms off where they were most tightly locked - took a long time, and an unbelievable amount of conditioner). i cut around 2 foot of hair off in the end, but that left me with ok-quality hair down to my shoulders, and after a few months it's looking pretty good. still feels weird not to have as much weight on my head tho!
In short - get them :)
Hair can be any length, but remember you can lose up to half of your length during the locking process, so keep that in mind. I combed in one set, kept for a month, then combed it out, (and all the nasty wax I used). A few months later, due to circumstances beyond my control, I stopped using conditioner, and just used normal shampoo or even soap to wash my hair, and I stopped detangling 2 years later I have some rather mature dreadlocks.
If you're combing:
Firstly, stay away from wax. . .it doesnt help the hair knot up, and can hold in water (making mold more likely). Hair has to move in order to knot up, but wax just pastes them together, giving the appearance of dreadlocks, but impedes the locking process.
You know the awkward stage you get when first growing long hair? Dreadlocks have a bit longer, and a bit more awkward of an awkward stage, so be warned ;) There will ALWAYS be some frizzies, some bumps/loops, or other "imperfections" in your dreadlocks. You better learn to love 'em or get really dang good with a crochet hook.
For more good info on backcombing (without the wax) or just going natural, visit www.knottylocks.tk I post there under the username "ThatBallGuy", and they've got tons of useful info on dreadlocks there.
Hope this all helped.
That "Ball" Guy
www.thatballguy.com