Dreadlock Straight Hair

Are you dying to get dreadlocks? Unfortunately, straight, fine hair doesn't lend itself easily to dreadlocks, which are strands of matted hair that can form naturally from tightly-curled hair. But with a little effort and a lot of patience, you can get dreadlocks too!

Steps

Initial Steps

  1. Grow your hair out. It should be as long as possible, or the longest length you feel comfortable having. You will need at least three inches of hair and a lot of patience. Make sure to keep your hair healthy throughout this process!
  2. Decide how big you want your dreads to be. Thicker dreads become compact much sooner and are easier to maintain, but are harder to brush out if you decide to change your hairstyle. The diameter of a dread is typically no less than half an inch and no thicker than an inch, but it all depends on your hair type and how you'd like them to look.
  3. Find a friend to help. Dreading your hair yourself is quite difficult and the results will not be uniform. Get more than one friend if you have extremely long hair.
  4. Prepare your hair. You will want to begin with clean, dry hair. It can have been washed a couple of days before, but it should not be completely dirty. Shampoo it beforehand, but do not use conditioner.
    • It is a myth that dirty hair helps dreads. Grease actually lubricates and prohibits real dread formation. You also don't want to have to work on oily, dirty hair. Instead of having a full head wash, you may want to spritz on dry shampoo a few hours before.
  5. Brush and blow dry the hair so no knots or tangles remain. This may seem like the opposite of what you want to achieve, but it makes it much easier to separate and section off your hair. It also makes your hair a lot easier to work with.

Backcombing Your Hair

  1. Separate your hair into sections, starting with the underside of the hair and working your way forward. Place a rubber band around each part to section the hair off completely before you actually start dreading. Remove the rubber band before you backcomb though.
  2. Backcomb or "tease" your hair, starting at the root and working your way down the section of hair, making sure to go over it all a few times in order to tighten the knots. This method is similar to "teasing" your hair. Repeat this step as many times as needed to have the section resemble a dreadlock.
  3. Twist the dreads. Add some kind of natural product to it if you want. Rubbing fine wood fire ash through your dreads can make a huge difference at the beginning of this process! Just be sure to properly clean out the ash, as leaving it in can be harmful.
  4. Leave the twists in for at least 10 days. Wash your hair as needed during that time, but don't use any conditioning products.
  5. Remove the elastic bands one at a time.
  6. Twist and backcomb each section of hair tightly. This should be done using a metal comb, beginning from about an inch off your scalp and working toward the end. Once you reach the end of the section, repeat this step until a dreadlock is formed.
  7. Re-attach the elastic bands at each end of the dreadlock.
  8. Weave loose hairs into your dreadlocks. This can be done using either a dental floss or small crochet hook.

Other Methods For Dreadlocking Straight Hair

  1. Brush rubbing. You will need a bristle brush, residue free shampoo, and rubber bands for this.
    • Wash your hair with residue free shampoo and let it naturally air dry. Do not use a towel!.
    • Rub your bristle brush in a clockwise circular motion around your head. Dread balls should start forming after you do this for a while.
    • Add a small amount of dread to each ball.
  2. Twisting. Do not use wax! If you want to use this method, use hair gel because it can be washed out. Hair gel isn't permanent, so this would be good to try before committing to dreadlocks. Otherwise, you might end up with mold in your dreads!
    • You will need residue free shampoo and rubber bands for this.
    • Wash your hair with residue free shampoo and let it naturally air dry. Do not use a towel!.
    • Section your hair into 1x1 inch sections. Use rubber bands.
    • Take one section at a time and twist it back and forth between your fingers. Put some hair gel on the twist and keep twisting your fingers. After doing this for a while, a dread should start to form.
  3. Neglect. This is by far the slowest method for dreadlocking straight hair, but will not require any products. Simply wash your hair with residue free shampoo and nothing else. Leave your hair alone and eventually, dreads should appear.
  4. Perm. This method requires a visit to the salon, where they will apply a harsh chemical to your hair that makes it easy to dread.
  5. Synthetic hair. If none of these methods work, you can purchase synthetic hair and make an appointment at a salon. You and your stylist can dread the hair using the backcombing method and simply clip it on.

Tips

  • Many people think that the only way to get rid of dreads is to shave your head. That is not true! Some products on the market can condition and remove your locks (without taking your hair with it!) Google "dread removal."
  • You can buy dread-friendly gel that can tame fly-aways, but still let you develop real dreads. Do not use regular gels or products, especially those with petroleum.
  • Get creative! You can wear any number of things in your hair to adorn it. Beads and "peyote stitches" are popular. Dreadlocks tams not only help tighten, but look nice too.
  • Use a metal lice comb for the backcombing. It will break up the hair and knot it more easily because the teeth in these combs are stronger. Plastic combs will break after a while.
  • Try to be as patient as you can with people who don't understand this hairstyle or why you want it.
  • Try not to put any nasty things in your dreads as you want to keep them healthy.
  • Love your dreads and give them plenty of care with regular tightening for at least the first two months. They will eventually lock up. It takes time. Dreadlocks are a journey and should not just be a fashion statement.
  • Buy some good dread shampoo. Again, a quick search will turn up several good brands. Dr. Bronner's is often recommended.
  • Dreadlocks take time to form. Even with backcombing, it will take at least a year for your dreads to form, maybe longer. Be patient! If you like to change your looks often, this is not the hairstyle for you. Opt for non-permanent dreads.
  • Again, do not use wax! This is a common mistake, promoted by companies and websites which sell wax. Wax is not easily removed from hair and can mold. There's nothing more disgusting than cutting a dread open to find weird colored crap in the center. It also slows down the dreading process. Your new dreads may look great, but they will look a lot worse as time goes on. Also, wax tends to collect lint and other junk that you don't want in your dreads!
  • Rub your scalp in a circular motion daily, encouraging clumps to form. Separate these clumps into smaller sections. Wear a beanie/dreadlocks tam to ensure that the matted hair does not become untangled and in a few months, you will have thick, round dreads.
  • If the roots are becoming loose and wild, get a friend to tie some cotton that is the same color as your hair into the base of the root. This will give you that 'tight roots' look and feel. But remember that after a few weeks, the cotton will break and get sucked into the dread (or you can simply cut it out).
  • As time passes, make sure to separate dreads which start to combine. The best time to work on your dreads is in the shower. Wet hair tears more easily than dry hair.

Warnings

  • If your hair is quite thin and fine, or very soft and straight, dreads may be more difficult to achieve. Be persistent! All kinds of hair will eventually knot up.
  • If you are in the interviewing process of a job, it is considered unprofessional to have dreads and will likely interfere with you getting the job.
  • Many people strongly dislike dreadlocks, so unless you have a job in which you don't interact directly with the customers (face to face), it might be a bad idea to get dreads.

Things That You'll Need

  • Minimum three inches length dry and clean hair
  • Friend(s) to help
  • A metal lice comb
  • A residue-free shampoo
  • Aloe to moisturize (if necessary)

Related Articles

  • Undread Hair
Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Dreadlock_Straight_Hair&oldid=304378"