First dreads, new, better pictures!

[Oizys]

Okay so, first dreads now with good pictures!
First three now! I've seen improvement! And figured out my not tight enough without loss of length back combing issues! Joy!
End sealing is... Still a little sketchy.
So, better but still not perfect, what am I missing?


Top one is the most recent, bottom is the very first, middle is (der) the middle one. Don't even know how I got taper issues there...


Ends! Same top to bottom order as before!


Middles! Left is new, right is old. Sorry about the lighting here... Camera and I had a debate about its ability to pick things up nicely and I did not win XD

[leviclementine]

What sealing method are you using?

[Oizys]

Currently an iron.
Lost the flat iron...

[Aricyn]

i'm only just starting out as well but I've found that absolutely everything depends on the back combing it needs to be really really well don't without lumps and inconsistency or it just wont look good.. ive been using and iron as well and i use a thinner towel when i do the very ends and leave it on for quite a while

oh also just random but it wouldnt happen to be the quality of the hair causing u issues ?
i deffinately have a much harder time sealing the cheap black i have atm than the blue and they are even the same brand..

[Oizys]

The middle one was... Not lumpy as far as I could tell when backcombed but apparently I was wrong. We call that one a learning step! lol
Yeah I'm having some trouble with the iron for sealing the ends but slowly figuring out tricks about it.
The more I do the better my backcombing is getting though!

I don't think its the hair causing me issues. Well aside from the fact that the only dreading I've done in the past was on my friends head so it was different but. I'm not so sure about that. I only have one pack of blue ATM and I'd rather not rip into it till I'm better at it since I've got another of the black.

[convenientlust]

Good for your first dreads ... as for the critique, they need more backcombing. When you're sealing, make sure you twist the dread and smooth out the lumps and bumps while twisting downwards. If you do these both, there should be room for a nice taper at the end. Keep at it though, they look good!

[Oizys]

Thanks.
I'm not sure how to twist and smooth things and hold things without burning off my thumb yet... Which I'm sure the best advice I could get there is to use not an iron!

This leads to a question! How do I back comb the heck out of them without ending up without any length? Or is that just something that'll come with better back combing skills?

[convenientlust]

Well you can use an iron but it's probably alot harder to do the twisting while sealing. I've personally never used one to do dreads.

Watch Rivet Licker's tutorial on backcombing, it's very helpful. But the more practice you get in, the better you will be at it.

[Oizys]

I don't have any other options then the iron or boiling water ATM and boiling water already resulted in injured thumb so I gave that on up.

I've watched her tuts a few times trying to figure out what I'm doing thats not working out. I suppose at this point its just need to practice then.

[cherrybombdreads]

wear gloves!!

I always find that twisting and smoothing the hair down first, about 3-5 inchs, then seal it, then if its sealed well enough it will hold up while you twist the rest.

It's all just practise though, you'll get there in the end
xx

[convenientlust]

Great advice ^^ Definitely use gloves. And post more pictures!

If you are going to use gloves, I'd recommend using the boiling water method. I feel like it'd be easier than an iron. But you can burn yourself with pretty much any sealing method. You just have to get a feel for it.

[Oizys]

Gloves...
Now that is awesome advice!