Dreadlock Any Hair Type Without Products

A short guide to dreadlock straight, wavy or loosely curled hair. The methods outlined in this guide are not healthy for most people with kinky, tightly curled, Afro textured hair.

Steps

  1. Make sure your hair is 3 times as long as you want it. During your first year or two of having dreadlocks, they will shrink significantly. This is different for everyone. It may end up making your hair half its length, so have some length to spare.:)
  2. Braid the hair you want to dreadlock very tightly into large braids; each of the three strands used in the braid should be roughly the size you want your dreadlocks to be, so, for example, if you want 1-inch in diameter dreadlocks, braid together three 1-inch strands. Leave it in for 1-2 weeks.
  3. During this two week period, wash your hair often, but do NOT condition it. How often you wash will depend on your skin type. If you have an oily scalp, wash your hair every other day or so. Rinse it as often as you like. Just DON'T over dry your scalp through excessive washing, that is unhealthy for your hair.
  4. After two weeks of training your hair through washing it and forcing it into tight curls, the braids should be removed.
  5. Using a metal comb, "back-comb" each strand towards the scalp until it is teased up into a fluffy ball, then pull the hair away from the scalp with your fingers and back-comb it again. You should end up with a compacted, tight dreadlock with a little bit of 'undreaded' hair at the tip.
  6. Do this to each and every braid strand until all the hair you want is dreadlocked.
  7. After this, have someone give you a scalp massage, as your hair follicles will definitely be hurting after all the back-combing.
  8. After this, you can use a needle or a crochet hook to take the loose hair sticking out of your dreadlocks and sew/crochet it into the back-combed part. You can alternatively (and without the headache of learning this technique) just leave your tips be and cut them off when your dreadlocks have matured.
  9. Once you have decided what to do with your tips, your dreadlocks are done. That is the only certain key to having quickly maturing dreadlocks; cleanliness of one's scalp. Keep in mind that dreadlocks should be periodically kept apart from each other and palm-rolled. Not doing this will result in one big mass of hair and flat dreads.

Tips

  • Use a residue-free shampoo. Some "normal" shampoos have chemicals that will remain on your scalp hinder the dreading process. Go online to find special shampoos for dreadlocks. They can be helpful when starting or maintaining dreadlocks.
  • Do not wash your hair too much. Your scalp needs natural oils to remain protected so the more you wash your hair, the more oil it will generate. Once dread-locked, washing your hair once a week is a good way to go, if it gets oily up there. Otherwise you can just rinse your hair whenever you feel like it.
  • Wax is by no means necessary and does not help with the locking process. If you must use wax, use quality wax and use it very sparingly. What wax will do is make your dreadlocks look neater by holding down frizzy hair, however, this hinders the process of dreadlocks maturation and WILL REMAIN INSIDE YOUR DREADS. There is no effective method of getting that wax out of your dreads once you have it there (Although soaking your dreads in very hot water can help melt the wax out).
  • Don't be afraid! Play with your dreadlocks often by rolling them between your palms and fingers. This will texturize hair on the outsides so that it more easily gets "sucked in" as your hair grows. It's also something to do on boring days. Do not, however, excessively rub your hair against your scalp, as it will only break hair follicles and irritate your scalp.
  • Excessive use of any products on locked hair may cause build up of residue and this, as well as environmental factors may cause locks to smell. The best way to reduce build-up and cleanse mature locks is to wash with hot water. Waterless cleanser is highly recommended for newer locks as a way to reduce build-up and odor.
  • While back-combing you can add more texture to the hair by squeezing lemon juice onto the section and letting it dry. Citrus will degrease the hair and damage it very slightly on the outside, which will make it more textured.
  • Don't lay your head down while your hair is wet because it could result in flat dreadlocks.
  • Don't twist your dread too tight, it'll cause your scalp to go bald.

Warnings

  • People WILL judge you for your hair; be prepared for prejudice to be a part of your life if it wasn't before (People tend to associate dreadlocks with hippies, filth, laid-back, and other culture that is considered abnormal to some cultures today. People will judge based on misunderstanding of dreads and other assumptions).
  • Dreadlocks require dedication. After a certain amount of time, it will be nearly impossible to comb out dreadlocks, but it takes about a year and a half for most people. That said, there are products available online which guarantee to remove any dreadlocks of any age.
  • Dreadlocks strain your scalp as they age and get heavier. Young children or people with sensitive scalps should steer clear of dreadlocks, unless they're cool with pain.

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