First Eva dread!

[Mushette]

Im so happy i did my first dread this evening!
Its very very long,
Blended Black, Blackberry, sensational purple, lilac lavender, Bright pink!
I didnt cut it down as i want long dreads!
They are I would say slightly bigger than pencil but not sharpie big

Im so pleased and ive only made one! LOL!


This is just to show the length, Excused the big belly


This is to show the Ends and the blending, I know they are perfectly blended but thats what i wanted, to be able to pick out the different colours!!!


Just another one to show off. It kinda looks candy cane there!

I was some advice! Does it look good or shall i change my technique.
I really wanted to use the steamer but it just wasnt hot enough to 'glue' the fibres together so i decided to use hairstraighteners this time and if i decide to make another set i will invest in a new steamer!

Thanks so much in advance for any tips and tricks!!

[Monique_marion_may]

They are looking good! Personally i'd say they need a little more back combing for some more body but tis good!

[rivetlicker_]

I do agree on more backcombing. Just a little more. You managed to seal it fine, but just attack it a tad more!!!

[Librarynerd]

Very lovely color combination
You might try using less KK with more backcombing. This will give a dread the same thickness, a bit shorter, and much more durable.

[Mushette]

IS it easier to backcomb with less kk?? I did it till i could pick up one strand and the whole thing would lift. Im going to go to the pet shop today to get a wire brush or something as that was a normal comb, thanks ever so much for the advice. Xxx

[convenientlust]

More backcombing but good job sealing. Less KK will be easier to backcomb but it will also result in a thinner dread You may have better luck at the backcombing with the wire pet brushes, depending on what you're using now, but a regular aluminum comb works fine too.

[mandikat]

The best way to tell if your dread is backcombed as best as it can be is if you hold it from the bottom and it stands straight up, very rigidly. I can't imagine that you'll be able to do that with such a long dread, but try it at various parts of the dread.. Something can be tangled to the point of one strand holding the rest up without being properly backcombed. The thing that works best for me is that I backcomb it until I genuinely feel like I can't possibly backcomb any more without ripping the thing to pieces.

I will say, I got a comb specifically designed for backcombing (it was like 3 bucks at a salon), and it has worked FAR better than the first brush I used (which was just a pet brush)... And way, WAY better than a regular comb. I highly recommend them. It was kind of like this: http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/product ... =553477284

Seriously, it's MORE than worth the investment.

Same thing goes with backcombing.. The more backcombing you do, the stronger and more uniform your dread will be.. And that's worth the investment of time and energy to have a good end product.

P.S. the best backcombing tutorial, imo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50_dAKwyG_Y

[Mushette]

Oh that really good to know about the comb, going to my mums Wholesaler tomorrow, Shes a mobile Hairdresser which is always handy!!

Will see if i can get one!

[oxalchemyxo]

wow thats alot of colors going on, but I love it , I LOVE blends. Don't give up! I'd love to see more creations from a fellow blender

[oxalchemyxo]

oh and I just noticed your post about the pet hair brush, I dont know if you got it yet but I wouldn't recoment it!!!! I did the same thing and this is what happened:



sorry the pictures are huge, but if you can see them, the hair I backcombed is ripped and frayed. The ends of the wires on the brush are so sharp they cut and ripped the hair as I backcombed it. you could hear it ripping also, it sounded like nails on a chalkbord! Shows how much they care about your dogs too

Anyways, if you did buy it and really want to use it, take caution, otherwise id just suggest a black fine tooth comb. It is called back combing for a reason . So good luck! Keep up the good work.

[emmyk89]

I really like the colour combo and the way uve blended them ditto about the backcombing though

[Zombiæ]

That looks so much better then the dreads I made. ^_^ I can't give you any tips that others haven't given already, accept keep up the hard work! I quit and started ordering from others...