a few things i need to clear up

[iddylove]

Ive posted this on DTBD as well so sorry for everyone who has to see this twice

ok so ive decided that im going to take the plunge and dread my real hair. i have a ton of questions though:

1. my hair is about shoulder length, and im wondering will i end up with spikey nubby dreads. i dont want to extend them so im wondering how much length is normally lost.

2.im planning on dreading only halfway up my head for starters, will my usual shampoo interfere and cause build up in the locks? its a color safe shampoo, and im assuming its not residue free ( its bed head superstar, to be exact). i will get a residue free shampoo for the locks and try to rinse my hair in a way that prevents the shampoo for my top half from running down into them, but it still worries me a bit. thoughts?

3.i think im going to iuse the back comb and crochet method to start my locks. i have fine naturally wavy/curly hair. would this be the best suited method for me? ( i DO NOT want to use any wax at all, as i dont like the way it feels or smells)

[Librarynerd]

I've never had natural dreads but I've done research on this forum and other places while I've been thinking of dreading up.

But I would strongly recommend going to a professional locktition to start your dreads. If you are in the UK, Gracey(WoolHairHabit on this forum) does fantastic work.
For me I think of it like getting a tattoo, you may have your dreads for many years and it is worth it to save up the money to get them stared right. Just like a tattoo artist I would ask to see lots of pics of their work and talk to some clients.

I agree about NO WAX. The pics and stories I've read say it's not the way to go for having healthy mature dreads. Looks good for the first couple weeks but ultimately prevents hair from locking up and leave's you with a big sticky mess.

[iddylove]

well i was intending on having my friend help me with this...were kind of partners in crime wiht our hair.lol. im in the US and i cannot find anyone proffesional to do it within 5 hours away. there were a few afro hair shops i talked to on the phone but once i went in and they realized i was white they told me it couldnt be done with their methods. so. i feel pretty confident in our ability to do them once i get all the detials sorted. ive had her practising on HH scraps lol and i think it will be fine. had i the time and money to travel far to have them done, trust me i would, but it just seems very unrealistic.

[Librarynerd]

It sounds like you have a very well thought out plan. I don't have a partner in crime interested in learning how to dread:( And I too would have to travel many hours to find someone experienced dreading caucasian hair.

But if I was in the UK I would go to Gracey in a heartbeat.

Damm U.S geography! Everything is so far apart , and usually a snowy mountain range from each other

[iddylove]

i know it super sucks. and yea i would love to go to her. but pretty much anything me or my friend need done to their hair we learn it for eachother. and im a cosmetoligost for real lol so i do all the cutting and chemicals.

[..::AtomicLox::..]

While it's really nice to have them professionally done, I wouldn't say it's absolutely NECESSARY.
The key things are even backcombing and nice sectioning. After that, sooo much of it lies on you being able to properly maintain.

Loss of length depends on the style of dread you're going for, and the way the person backcombing does their thing! If you're cool with wispy ends, you'll easily preserve the illusion of extra length.

Personally I am not a fan of Bed Head shampoos and am almost positive there will be some mild residue issues. That said, it's not the BIGGEST deal ever and I wouldn't let it worry you TOO much. It's a lot nicer when you don't have any residue; the hair knots up faster, for one, and also cuts way down on any itchiness.

Dread Head HQ's dread comb is my favorite thing ever. I also quite like their shampoo. [ETA that I like it on my many clients that have used it, as I have never had natural dreads personally!]

Sounds like your method is dead on, and I would definitely recommend avoiding wax. It can get suuuper nasty. I had a girl come in for maintainence once who had experienced a "wax incident". I hit each dread with a blow dryer and literally sponged the extra wax off with a roll of paper towels. IT WAS GROSS! lol

[iddylove]

i like the wispy deal. so thats good to know...
and im willling to change shampoos i just dont want to risk ruining my solor, so i'll have to play around with that.
and no bueno on the wax "incedent" lol. thats gross.
thanks for your input!

[toxic trish]

IF remember rightly gracey commented that dreads get hungry and want to get fatter so any loose hair may be pulled in and eaten by your dreads. So I don’t think a half dreads head would be wise, as I would assume that in the end your hair will slowly get pulled in to the dreads and then you would just have all the hair you didn’t dread locked in to other dreads.

Hope this makes sense

[..::AtomicLox::..]

IF remember rightly gracey commented that dreads get hungry and want to get fatter so any loose hair may be pulled in and eaten by your dreads. So I don’t think a half dreads head would be wise, as I would assume that in the end your hair will slowly get pulled in to the dreads and then you would just have all the hair you didn’t dread locked in to other dreads.

This is totally right and I forgot to touch on it! It really depends on how long you intend to go in between, and I wouldn't go for long. It'll totally mess with your sectioning and could literally become a pain when you try to get it all straightened out eventually!

[iddylove]

hmm you think? i mean im a total fanatic when it comes to upkeep on my hair so i would have not problem seperating every day to be sure the werent becoming fused with the other hair. hmmm. thats quite dissapointing. as with my current haircut its shorter on top so the dreads would just look awful to me if i did the whole thing before the top got a chance to grow more. maybe i'll just wait another six months or so and then just do the whole thing :*(

[..::AtomicLox::..]

If you're really REALLY super anal about it it should be okay. I would make sure to completely section off the top from the bottom when sleeping (*ahem*or other things that involve messing tangling hair and NOT sleeping).

[iddylove]

hahaha. yea i think i wouldve been ok....but, sad to say (well not completley sad as this is good news too) i think i might be holding off on doing this. i have a few leads on a couple diff salons so i think i'll be focusing on that first and then if they allow it i will get the dreads. so sad and not at the same time. i will keep all of this in mind though when i do dread and thanks a whole bunch