How to dread hair naturally
Dreading hair naturally is easy as can be. However some tips will make your natural dreadlocks journey easier and faster.
Dreading hair naturally tips:
- Clean hair dreads best– wash your hair often but not every day. use a non residue dread friendly shampoo or the baking soda deep cleanse, and wash at least weekly, at most every 2 days.
- Dry hair dreads best– dry hair dreads faster, however african hair gets brittle if too dry so should be moisturized throughout the process, other hair types it helps to reduce oiliness and dry the hair out somewhat, sea salt sprays and soaks can help. baking soda without acv afterwards will slowly make oily hair less oily, also, washing slightly less often will also reduce oiliness slowly.
- Longer hair dreads best– if hairs too short it is harder to hold in knots, (african textured hair however will dread short) the longer the hair the faster it can dread typically, but longer hair also shrinks more, and may try to congo more as it dreads.
- let it dread don’t make it dread– try not to play with it much, don’t twist roll or mess with it. when washing, if you use shampoo just scrub the scalp ignoring the hair. if you use the baking soda soak dont scrub. when drying shake it out and air dry.
Phases of hair dreading naturally
When hairs allowed to dread naturally it goes through fairly predictable stages.
- Sectioning stage: the hair separates into sections, groups of hair begin to cling together in groups typically this happens within days to a couple weeks of stopping combing.
- baby dread formation stage: the sections begin to get tangled and knot, loose knots but still the sections are held together by many knots forming baby dreads. This can begin in days, but more often in weeks, sometimes it can take longer.
- Looping wild teenager stage: the dreads will get loops, bumps, kinks, and change dramatically day by day. this stage is fun and exciting if you dont worry about your teen dreads misbehavior. this is the stage where they develop personalities that make them unique, typically in the 3-8 month stage.
- shrinking stage: as loops become tighter the dreads shrink drastically, longer hair can shrink from hips, to ears, shorter hair will lose about 1/2 the length typically or more.this is also the tightening stage leading to maturity
- mature stage: they change less noticeably over time
- growing stage: once mature they will begin to grow, slow until fully mature then faster.
Natural dreading dos and don’ts
do wash them
don’t force them
do enjoy the journey
don’t worry
optional seperate as needed to prevent congos (dreads combining)
tips sea salt sprays and soaks help sea water is 3.5% salt content. don not leave it on too long, it only needs to be in the hair 10 minutes to 2 hours then can be rinsed out, any longer and you over dry the hair and scalp.
Wool tams, wool sweaters or blankets put over your pillow will help encourage knotting.
feel free to post questions in the comments.
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I am going to stop combing my hair to let it dread through the neglect method. Will it be okay to still wear a turban while they are going through the process of locking up?
is a turban a cultural or religious thing for you?
yes a turban should be ok but if its socially permitted the more they stay out hanging loose the better
having them bound up in a turban, even if loosely will slow progress
additionaly you will have to seperate way more as they will try to dread in 1 mass the shape of the turban
if able try to ballance the time they are in the turban with time hanging free to move
Thanks, I will try to balance the time.
normally I tie my hair in a rishi knot on top of my head before putting the turban on. Should I not do this when I wear a turban?
i can vaguelly picture what that is ..if its loose its probably ok if tight i wouldnt although it would be better to not knot it
another question… I have lock up shampoo, should I start using it right away, or wait until my hair starts to lock up on its own? also, is it okay to blow dry my hair (at least partially)? Thanks for your help!
use the shampoo from day 1
yea u can but lower heat quick bursts..do bare minimum blowing
I did research for a year while letting my hair grow out from my Mohawk. Its a bit past my shoulders. I decided to go the natural way and bought residue free shampoo off line. I already have baby dreads forming. I wash about every 3 days because my hair is prone to get oily which sucks. But on the 3rd day the dreads are noticeable, when I wash them they seem to become soft and informed until my hair is dry and its been a day or 2.. Is this normal? Is there anything I should do to help form them better? Its been about a week or week and a half since I started them. Also I feel the roots on the dreads that are formed together and the roots are formed long ways instead of circular like. Is that ok? Can I separate them so the roots are more circular rather than long ways? Are small rubber bands a no no? I have maybe 3 in but they’re loose and not too close the the roots.
rubber bands are a huge nono that cause dozens of problems
whats the residue free shampoo if its anti residue they are not safe for continual use (extremely toxic)
no 2 dreads roots should be the same shape it doesnt make any diference at all
just make sure that the size doesnt average out to more then 1 square inch
if your seeing dreading in a week then your in awesome shape
dont worry at all about the 2 steps forward 1 step back progression its normal
when washing only scrub the scalp that way your not undoing knots scrubbing the hair itself
I ordered knotty predread shampoo to test it out. So far I’m pleased with it but when it runs out I’m going to look into buying shampoo off another site possibly.
I’ll take the rubber bands out now !
They are pretty well formed already which I’m pleased with. I noticed when my hair starts to dry the dreads start to form back up. I don’t ever was the dread itself just the scalp 🙂
One other slight problem I have is that the back of my head looks all knotted. Not forming as well as the sides.. Anything I should do for that or just let it be? I have my hair down a lot so when the dreads start to mature it wouldnt… I guess make my head feel funny if I ever put them up since they’re used to being down?
best shampoo http://www.dreadlockshampoo.com knottyboy should be boycotted!
the back..well all of them..you’ll want to separate often so they dont form too big or grow together
seperate when wet
nope putting them up shouldnt feel funny
The dreads in the back are pretty thin.. Should I palm roll some that are close, together, to make a thicker one?
I’m such a worrier and kind of a perfectionist… That’s why I’m trying the natural way, to learn to not HAVE TO have complete control of something lol
no you shouldnt palm roll at all it does nothing good but do it enough and it causes permenant harm (doesnt take alot) dreads will be thin at 1st and thicken up as they mature i would not ecven consider combining them till mature and you know how thick the 2 together will be and when you do all you got to do to combine them is not seperate them or at most put a bead over the 2 thick dreads can cause problems too u might want to stick with thin for awhile anyway
Ok thanks ! I’ll just continue to let them do their thing and watch and enjoy them ! Sorry about all the questions lol no one where I live has dreads and I just read mix reviews on everything I search… Your experience has helped so much ! Thank you again ! I love this site. Good info for natural dreads and I really dig the quick responses from you ! I’d give it 5 stars ! I’m sure I’ll be back with more questions in the near future !
well come by http://www.dreadlockssite.com thats the main site for dread info (especialy natural) this is just my blog site that sites got 12,000 members 65,000 photos 1.3 million pages of the best dread info..and fast reply times
hello sir
Im just starting to dreads naturally as you’re recomended. For your infomation, im from malaysia which the weather was so hot in here. And my question is everyday i woke up in the morning and to take a shower, should i put a shower cap or i just let my hair getting wet? If i let it wet, will the processed of breading keep on running or it will slow it down? Im just started bread on 20th of october 2013.
Sorry for the bad english
Tq in advance sir.
it wont slow it down but once dreaded they can take too long to dry to soak every day
a shower cap would slow things
instead just dont stick your head under the shower stream if the ends get damp so what just dont soak your while head
What if you have reallly short layers? Do they become tiny dreads that pop out or do thet just form together with the longer hair? I really like dreads but my hair is super layered… 😛
some may lock into existing dreads but most just wont dread till long enough
they shouldnt pop out really if they are healthy and clean usualy just waxy or crochetted fdreads are stiff enough to stick up
I’ve been neglecting my hair for a few weeks now, and been putting it up into a large beanie daily while I’m at school, the only knots forming are three in the back, but the front doesn’t seem to be doing anything, even separating. Do you think I should I stop putting it up in the beanie?
absolutely although its still lil early to expect too much
and the side you sleep on will dread fastest and front slowest anyways so what your seeings probly bot all the beanie but the beanie will still slow things
Thank you so much, I have been looking for ways to dread my hair but always just found complicated ways and somehow that just didn’t make sense. because I doubt they had expensive hair saloons or hair treatments in Jamaica.
Hey, I was thinking about dreading my hair naturally. I’m caucasion and have extremely curly hair. Does it matter how long it is when you start dreading? My hair is 2-3 inches long, would it dread the same as hair that’s 12 inches?
does dr bronners 18in1 hemp pepermint prue castile shampoo work.for dreads
theres no yes or no answer it depends
in soft water yes its great in hard water no it sucks
in anmy water its got to be diluted 12-1 12 times more water then soap..minumum many do 18 20 even up to 40 times more water
but in hard water no amount of dilution will prevent sticky buildup
in soft water the dilutions not because of residue but bronners is a super concentrated extremely strong multi purpose soap that has a diferent dilution ratio mfor every purpose
if you dont have hard water then its a great choice (ass long as you always use it in a soft water location, going on trips you never know what water you might run into)
if you have hard water http://www.dreadlockshampoo.com is made for hard water (any wayer type but its as pure natural and ethical as bronners just works right in hard water)
probably you have already answered many questions like this in this thread… But I’m just finding myself lost in the long thread as I’m browsing from my cellfone. So sorry for the repetition. 🙂
sorry you may want to check out http://www.dreadlockssite.com and the new more mobile friendly http://ww3.dreadlockssite.com
Hi, appologise in advance if I’m being stupid… But I really need help badly. I’m a 24 year old Indian guy, with approx 20 inch long straight silky hair(almost the kind most of the teenager, wanna-be-model girls dream of :P). And I’m kinda despo to have dreadlocks! I’ve been studying online for quite sometime now, (as I failed to find someone/a salon in my city who knows about forming natural dreads ) untill I found you. I just want to start my journey, but heres my problems….
1. Its nearly impossible to collect ACV,tea tree, lavender, gel, dread shampoos etc here, the only thing I’ve been able to find is Edible Soda(which I guess is same with baking soda and is not baking powder), and I know theres lemons in my kitchen.
2.I live in a hard water area,with a significant ammount of iron io water, which makes my hair fall a lot if I dont shampoo.
3.I need a step by step guide about how to use soda and lemon in my hair, and is it ok if I dont find ACV?
4.What do I do about itching sculp?
glad you didnt find a salon thats the worse mistake you can make
dont use lemon at all
read the edible soda ingredients it should say bicarbonate soda no added starches or anything
any vinager will do it doesnt need to be acv apple cider vinegar (acv) is best but white vinagers fine too
you can order http://www.dreadlockshampoo.com online the shipping to india isnt cheap but you can fit 5 or 6 in a box for the same shipping fees so you can get 6 months worth at a time and then its reasonable
Hi, thanks for replying so soon, I just finishd checking all the links mentioned all over this thread. I cant tell you sir, how excited I am to find you and your words, it has inspired me a lot, and being so I’ve strictly decided to stick to the (so called) neglect method. 🙂
I think I got misguided about the lemon juice and BS solution from some forum, but I’m actualy feeling a lot better after using soda (and lemon also, as I dint come back here then…..) to wash my hair for the first time. Significant drop in hair fall rate too….
I still got few silly questions for you.
1.Is it possible to achieve neat, and evenly round dread through natural process? I mean I let them tangle themselve, but maybe I can devide a bunch of hair sometime and roll them in palm sometime?
2. My hair is shiny black, and I want this color to remain when I’ll have dreads too, what can I do about that?(I’m noticing its turning bit gray after my first soda use)
3.will vinegar and soda take of the health of my sculp too?
like i said lemon seeps into the inner later where pigment lies when exposed to sun or heat it bleaches
baking soda strips color treated hair colors faster so may not be your best option
the baking soda exfoliates so if you get a dandruff or dry skin buildup it removes that dead skin
you might want to try these http://www.dreadlockshampoo.com
you can seperate to keep them even if you want but some variation in size and looks a good thing
they will be loopy early on
palm rolling really does nothing (only temporarily seems to help) doing it alot or agresssive can cause permenant harm..ive never palm rolled once in my life personally
the loopies and flat ones should mostly self round over time
the one that doesnt will probly be your favorite
I been growing my hair about 1 3/4 and I want to start freeform dreads. my hair is in a afro right now. is having a cap on my head all day everyday making my hair lock faster or shorter?
actualy the oposite well depends on the hat tight hats will prevent progress loose tams especialy wool tams will help somewhat but they still need equal time loose and dfree
if it did dread with a cap on 24/7 it very likely would form 1 dread the shape of the hat
so whats the best thing for me to do to make process easier?
patience theres nothing to add tht legitimately makes it easier everything that claims to actualy makes it harder..they are scams
washing is what makes them dread
alright. yea I started washing it with baking soda vinegar and water. so how long it should take for them to dread? im half Bahamian/african
your not mixing them right you using baking soda 1st then rinsing then acv after? it varies how long is the hair hair type p]oiliness all make a diference also how you dry matters some see dreading in hours or days many more weelks most a month to 3 months with a verty rare few taking longer
no I wash it with baking soda and let it soak for about 20 minutes then wash it out wit vinegar and warm water. then I shake my head and then use a dark color towel and dry it that way for a while and let it air dry the rest. my hair bout 7 inches long and kind of nappy but curly too
rinse with water b4 you do the acv make the acv very diluted and dont towel dry you’ll rub way progress
don’t rub the hair with hands either?
when washing? no mostly concentrate on the scalp scrub the scalp carefully with fingertips then rinse through the hair
one thing i noticed while showering is as the water runs through the hair the surface tension pulls it together into sections..the water gets turbulant as any deviation from perfect straighness ocurs wich starts the hair tangling and twisting around eachother the more it does the more turbulant the water gets etc..you want it to stay as tangled as it can gwt then when yiu sleep those knots compress and “set in” it may be a 2 steps forward 1 step back for a bit untill theres enough progress to prevent it from untangling between and during washes but just trust in the process it will happen
okay, last question. when I go to sleep use a cap or no?
do you like crawling under the bed looking for a cap in the morning? the only reason to wear a cap is if you really enjoy searching for it under the bed in the morning cause 9 times out of 10 thats where you will find it..it sure wont stay on your head and theres no point in wearing it anyway
so whats the best thing to do to make the process dread quicker
wash often every 3 days with a quality dread shampoo like http://www.dreadlockshampoo.com dont try to rush it let it happen..anything that yiu do to try to rush it is harmful and backfires crochet gives you dread like things in a day but then makes it take 6 months longer to actualy dread and causes extreme harm..be patient let them form at their own pace
alright. yea I started washing it with baking soda vinegar and water. so how long it should take for them to dread? im half Bahamian/african
quick question.. is the Rasul (soap clay) dread friendly when starting and later on :)?
i don’t know about using it straight but its (or a simular clay) in the http://www.dreadlockshampoo.com soaps which are definately great to use
i imagine its fine just am not aware of anyone who used it on its own and not as just 1 of the ingredients in a dread soap
Hello once again good sir,
I contacted about a month ago and appreciated your advice so I figured I ask you a couple new questions about the process. I am a month into dreading and I am concerned about my progress. My hair is soft and curly and after a month of not combing my hair once all I have to show for it so far is a bunch of frizzy nonsense (my hair is naturally very frizzy). The frizz is worse by the roots but is pretty much all over the entire length of my hair. Is this normal? I have watched as many you tube videos I could find with people who have similar hair types as my own (not many available…most videos are people with very straight hair or very kinky courser hair textures than my own) and have found that their hair has progressed so much more than mine has in a months time. I separate often since I wear my hair up for work everyday, but in all honesty I don’t see anything that even closely resembles a dread yet. The closest thing I can compare my hair to right now is a birdsnest ( my coworker actually told me that yesterday 🙁 . My questions are
1. Is this normal? And if so …..
2. Is there anything I can do to tame the frizz during this awkward phase?
its normal so is it taking longer to dread in some cases..but what are you seperating if theres nothing like a dread yet your probably pulling apart would be dreads
dont seperate till you have dreads forming that you can feel
then separate if they are too thick or 2 are combining
aloe or the karma magic locking gel from http://www.dreadlockshampoo.com are options
but aloe will condition and slow progress
I’ve been thinking about getting dreads. I’ve always wanted them but have always had short hair until these last 4 years. I have a few questions. My hair is thinner and straight and 2 inches below my shoulders. Should I let my hair grow more or just start now? Also is it ok to wash hair everyday? I’m an nurses aid and my hair gets so gross after working and is usually all oily and sweaty. While the dreads are forming can I put my hair up in a ponytail or maybe a clip to keep it out of my face? I don’t think we are allowed to wear hats or anything like that. And my last question. I have very mild psoriasis on my scalp(it was in other places but as I switched to an all natural soup it went away). How will that work, or should I just forget about it? Thank you 🙂
you can start at shoulder length
as for washing every day yes you can, but you should try to get used to every 2-3 cause once dreaded they dry slow
hows your diet?
the more pure the diet the more clean the sweat so wont stink and will just be salty water really
if your veg or vegan it’ll be less of a problem
Also, can I put my hair in a pony tail or a clip while its dreading? I hate when I’m
Working and my hair gets in my face. I don’t think I’m allowed to wear hats at work.
you can but will slow the dreading in the front wich already dreads slower
leave em loose all you can when u must put em back loosely somehow..bandana or scarfs a good choice
So I’ve been thinking about dreads, have always wanted them but until now my hair has always been short. My hair is thinner and just below my shoulders. Should I wait until it gets longer? And when I start, can I wash my hair for the most part everyday? I ask because I sweat so much at my job that it gets real oily.
I started my dread journey 4 months ago when my hair (fine, thin, straight and bleached)was about 3 inches long using root and tip rubberbands and the twist and rip method. I am caucasion. I have retwisted them monthly and put fresh rubber bands on as needed. I’ve used Murray’s Beeswax Cream for a month, applied 3 times, each time after washing it out thoroughly and there does not seem to be a build up. I know that some of what I am doing is a no-no. Problem is I have to keep them somewhat manicured or my boss requires I wear a cap over them which seems to cause more problems in keeping them attractive for when I don’t have to wear a cap. Anyway, any suggestions on how to keep them more manicured for the picky boss other than using product, re-twisting and using rubber bands. I don’t seem to be having a problem with thinning roots luckily. I have about 50 thin dreads that have formed nicely. Just need to see if there is a trick or two I can use to keep them more manicured at this point so I can get away from the bad habits before they cause problems. When they get longer I anticipate there will not be an issue as it will simply be the character of the style and the boss will simply have to get used to it. I am trying to be respectful in needing to look professional and have this personal journey at the same time. Also, can you explain to me how you separate them. I don’t have that issue yet since I am banding them but when I take the bands off and they begin to grow together, how exactly do you separate them. Never understood that.
1st by law your boss cannot make you keep them neat nor cover them. but that really only applies to natural dreads for spiritual reasons
.
the rubber bands must come out they cause so many issues
1 they contstrict weakening the hair causing permenant dents and weak points
2 every time you remove them you undo progress
3 they can get swallowed quickly and be stuck inside dreads forever
4 they can break into peices and peices get stuck in them forever
5 they can melt into a sticky goo and get stuck in them forever
6 they can dry rot inside dreads forever if swallowed
wax is a dread killer it has to build up to “work” works in “” cause it only creates an illusion of helping
.
reasons why wax is so bad
1 it just glues hair together to look like dreads and actualy delays or stops progress only hardens to resembly maturing
2 it traps dirt and water and leads to mold
3 it never washes out..never if you put in after every wash you got alot to remove http://www.dreadlockshampoo.com makes wax b gone that is needed to get the wax out
4 wax dreads rarely survive past 3-4 years
twisting doesnt work at all in caucasian hair..ofcourse caking them in wax will make it seem to work and its really bad to do repeatedly in any hair
go to http://www.dreadlockssite.com/main
search for letter to employers (theres more then 1)
take what you find and make it your own
explain that what yoir doing to your dreads to satisfy his idea of how they should look ultimately will make them stink and be ruined.
heres what you do
remove all rubber bands right now today they did not belong there after day 1 or 2 max
get the wax b gone and start removing the wax..you will need multiple treatments based on how much wax you used
stop twisting
which shampoo are you using?
to seperate just take 2 dreads that are connecting and pull in oposite directions
when the wax is removed you will possibly be shocked t not only how much better they feel..and look but also how little progress youd actualy made
they will be messier but a more beautiful messiness then the waxed down rubber banded mess u got now..this messiness is esential to its progress
you will see loose hairs between dreads (softening the look nicely)and along those dreads..
how are those loose hairs going to become part of the dreads through tangling and matting when you keep gluing them down so they cant move around and tangle?
they will begin to progress much more quickly as soon as you remove all the bands restrictions and gunks and let them be clean and free
the karma magic locking gel on http://www.dreadlockshampoo.com is probably the 1 exception to the rule
if the boss really wont let u keep them free of products then that gels special ..after the wax is all out you can use the gel to tame frizziness just put a dab near the roots then with a slight..and i mean slight..twist run it down the dread (1/2 to full turn your not twisting the dread just your hand as it slides down) this gels majical cause even after sliming up your hands while gelling up each dread ypu wont need to rinse your hands the gel just goes away leaving no stickiness no residue only a scent
but really once the wax and rubber bands are gone all you need to worry aboput is seperating and letting them dread
Excellent feedback and will follow it. I agree that I should not be required to cover them up. I was actually “requested” to wear a cap which to me means my job is not necessarily in jeopardy and we know how that goes, get you on something else as a means of justification. This journey is very much a spiritual one for me based in a shamanic journey I have been pursuing for over a year now, the last of which has been the change to a more natural hairstyle and a vegetarian diet. I have not been able to find a letter that would be appropriate to provide my employer. I work as a counselor for a Lutheran non-profit and I would think that given the religious nature of the organization they would follow their own dictates “Thou shalt not judge” when dealing with their employees. It just tends to upset me given that not once has my boss asked me what I was doing or asked why I am doing it. Prejudice…..will it ever get better?
well just explain to them the nazarite vow and that jesus, joseph, sampson and john the baptists were all nazarites and all had dreadlocks
sampsons 7 locks are famouse john and josephs not so much but were to the ground
jesus only hair mention is hair like wool..wool forms dreadlocks easily because of the lanolin content ..wich has to be removed in order to comb it out and make it usuable so its safe to assume hair like wool refers to matted or dreaded hair
can I naturually dread my already twisted hair ?
ofcourse but
if you had used wax your going to want to remove the wax asap..even start over if under a month in
technically they are only natural if started naturally but..we coined the term natural surrender for dreads started other ways then surrendered to the natural process..or..naturalized dreads
no matter what you at least want to stop twisting thats really bad for them
(ps the only if strarted thing isnt some elitist thing its by definition natural means occuring in nature without the intervention of man)
Yo, I’m just now starting my free form journey, probably been only 2 to 3 weeks of not combing..I’m a mixed breed(black&white) so I have that natural soft, curly, tangly hair..been growing my hair for about a year now I would say, and my hair is about 7 to 8″ long..so, aside from the washing and not combing throughout my growth do I need to do any twisting at the roots or anything to form them…orrr just let it be??..I can already notice little dread-like strands of hair forming..n my hair is knotting up alot(mostly in the back)..I usually tend to just rub my fingers through my hair often n just fluff it out a little, not so much seperate the tangles cause I can already notice a shrinkage in length. I mainly just wear my hair back in a ponytail with a rubberband n a hat on while out n about n I don’t wrap it up or anything while sleeping..should I basically just continue to let it be & tangle or occasionally seperate to form my dreads?..I want to end up with decent sized dreadlocks but not big clumps of just matted up hair type dreads.
just seperate to prevent them from forming too big (1 inch max at the scalp) never twist!
wash with a dread friendly shampoo dreadlocks shampoo is the best 1
dont use rubber bands the more you tie em back the slower they will dread and the more they will try to form 1 big pony dread
dreads fatter then 1 inch can cause issues
dreads =tend to form 1st on the side of yoir head you sleep on
word. seen your reply on yahoo too..appreciate.
When it is tied up its usually only wit a loose rubberband tho not tied tightjus to keep it back yanno.
still if they are loose to move its better
that was you on yahoo answers right? answered ya there too
yup. well ill try to remember n give an update in a couple months.
post a timeline on http://www.dreadlockssite.com
Is it possible for me to free form my locks? I have been growing my locks for 14 years now and palm rolling. I also dye them raspberry. I hair texture is mixed so when it get wet it looks slick. Can I benefit from free forming or am I stuck rolling? I really want a more puffy organic look. But I also want to keep my raspberry color.
absolutely
and you should stop palm rolling it does absolutely nothing helpful but can cause permenant harm
but its never too late to let em naturalize
however was wax ever used? even once? of so your going to want to do wax removal