Hair Extensions Forum

Hi there!

This is actually my second set. My first set was black. I had problems with them, but I figured out a little more when I did this set. These were not made for installation. However, I think my technique needs to improve before I can make a set good enough to go on my head. That's where all of you come in, thanks in advance.

Alright, so this is one half of a small fall. It was made to accent a pair of yarn falls.

Does anyone have any advice for creating a neater loop?

Also, I ran into a couple of other problems. 1) Bumps. My guess is that my fibers weren't shuffled enough, or I didn't backcomb enough. Here's a pic of the worst example:

Any tips so I can avoid this in the future?

Problem 2) not enough sealing? Too much sealing? is this just what it looks like when the dread relaxes normally?


Any help would be appreciated, Thanks!

what sealing method are you using? when i make mine sometimes using cheap fibers i end up needed to boil and use my iron/wet cloth as well.
also your candy canes look like they may separate after some wear, did you backcomb the colors separate then backcomb them together a little bit?

i love those colors together too btw

My sealing method is water and flat iron. It was hard keeping the twist tight while I was working in sections. The setup I have right now is a wicker basket with jumbo shoelaces tied to the handles. it's hard to keep the basket weighed down and keep tension on the dread lol. I need a better system

And for the candy canes, yes, I backcombed the colors separately, then twisted and sealed.

I'm not very happy with the ends, either. they're coming apart, but I sealed them at least twice. I'm wondering... does it make a difference if you seal the dread, let it cool completely, then seal again? as opposed to just going over it a couple of times with the flat iron...

I personally like to go over them again after their all cooled and dried because then all the flaws appear and you can pinpoint the issues you are having. It also just generally leaves a tighter seal after a second run.

As far as your backcombing goes, you can feel those bumps along the way. Once you're satisfied that your dread is nice and muffed up, just grasp it and run your hands down and you'll be able to feel them.

As far as sealing goes, I think the straightener method is great for ends and as a kind of "finisher" but in my experience (which isn't much), you really have to boil them or steam them repeatedly to get a nice, tight seal.

If you haven't already, you should really check out http://www.doctoredlocks.com tutorial section on dreads.

Good luck!

Thanks for linking us! Technique really comes with time and preference. Colors and brands of hair all act a bit different, so you do have to tweak your skills accordingly. Without a steamer, I find in easiest with a wet towel and clothing iron. Then a flat iron for the ends. You may have to bump up or down the temp depending on which fiber you are working with.

Thanks for your input, everyone! ^_^ I'm looking forward to trying everything and finding what works for me. Hopefully I'll be showing better projects in the future.

vailismyname wrote:I personally like to go over them again after their all cooled and dried because then all the flaws appear and you can pinpoint the issues you are having. It also just generally leaves a tighter seal after a second run.

+1 i do this too x

These are gorgeous. As far as the lumps go you may be twisting too tightly while you are sealing. I had that problem with my first set, I twisted them so tightly as i steamed them that once they cooled off, parts of the dread that had overlapped while i was twisting, started to puff out, try to avoid pinching them too flat while you seal, and avoid overlapping the hair, use more of a downward motion to guide the hair as you seal. That's helped me a lot.

Sharaya wrote:These are gorgeous. As far as the lumps go you may be twisting too tightly while you are sealing. I had that problem with my first set, I twisted them so tightly as i steamed them that once they cooled off, parts of the dread that had overlapped while i was twisting, started to puff out, try to avoid pinching them too flat while you seal, and avoid overlapping the hair, use more of a downward motion to guide the hair as you seal. That's helped me a lot.

Thanks a bunch! That's great advice. I can't wait to try it out on my next set!