Just out of curiosity.... washing?

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MissAnthropik
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Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by MissAnthropik » Sat Sep 25, 2010 10:14 am

So, just gathering opinions, GUDU are very mixed!

how often do you wash your dreads?
What do you wash them with?
How do you dry them?

I have just washed my dreads for the first time at 6 weeks and a day. I think 6 weekly might suit me, it was kind of a pain washing them, and I would prefer to wash less if I don't need to. I used the purple solid shampoo from lush (jumping juniper I think it's called). I pamlrolled each one while they were still sopping wet, then I wrapped a towel round them, then rolled each one individually against the towel to draw some more water out, then wrapped in a towel again.

Some people use a bonnet hairdryer, does anyone here use one of them?
telling it like it is!

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Love Bunny
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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by Love Bunny » Sat Sep 25, 2010 10:56 am

I've not had mine long, but I had to wash mine last week and I literally just scrubbed them with soap, rinsed them out in the shower, towel dried them and left them to dry naturally :) I sprayed them with a little bit of sea salt water and it made them dry really nicely and smoothly with hardly any frizzies :) ! Hope this helped! xx
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mrs. mole
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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by mrs. mole » Mon Sep 27, 2010 3:44 pm

i wash mine about once a fortnight/once a month, depending on how skanky they've got at work (grounds maintenance) or if they are in need of a bleach and dye combo.
drying wise, they get squeezed and then towelled, then a blast with the hairdryer on cool setting if it's winter, or natural drying in the summer.

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Desiree
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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by Desiree » Tue Sep 28, 2010 7:07 am

I wash mine less and less with time.
My scalp doesn't really get oily anymore, so I wash them every 6-8 weeks. But I go longer and longer without washing....

I use a diluted deep clean shampoo and just wrap a towel around them untill they don't drip anymore - then airdry them...

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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by trippytroll » Tue Sep 28, 2010 9:12 am

ive only had mine in for about a week
and washed them yesterday (as prior to that my had hadnt been washed for nearly 4 weeks)
i just used nuetrogena t gel watered down poured it on my hair and scrubbed my scalp.
the difference in my dreads now is amazing, they feel completely different and much more solider.
i dont really wash my hair much anyways!! and never brushed it before i done dreads so it wont bother me waiting weeks to washh it again, i plan on doing it just as and when it needs it really,
and yeh you do get a lot of conflicting opinions on GUDU on quite a few things, each to their own.
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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by Zira » Wed Sep 29, 2010 11:29 am

I wash mine two times a week with baking soda, and dry them a bit with a towel and then just leave them

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buddhabunnee
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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by buddhabunnee » Fri Oct 01, 2010 6:15 am

I wash mine about 2 times a week with clarifying shampoo (around $2 for big bottle, non-residue, removes residue, really 'rough' on undreaded hair/fringe.. so be careful and use conditioner on those) .. I mainly concentrate on my scalp and roots though. I don't usually palmroll because I like my loops and bumps. =)

It's more often than what I've read others do, but it works for me and my hair has been locking up very nicely the past 5 or so months with this routine. I can't really stand going much longer than like 4 days though, as my hair is rather thin and my non-dreaded roots look all flat and greasy after more than 3-4 days without washing. My dreads are also pretty short and kinda thin, too.

Everyone is different and I think it really depends on your hair type and the overall thickness of your dreads. I'd say the thicker they are, the more time you should hold off washing since they're more likely to hold moisture and get moldy and such.

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Taraiha
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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by Taraiha » Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:17 pm

Same as when I had fake dreads. Once a fortnight during the summer, once a month in the winter, with additional washes added according to smell/heat/exercise etc. I use a non residue hand soap with shea butter which leaves my dreads squeaky clean but very soft. Not felt the need to use baking soda yet but at almost 1 year I'm considering it just for the fun of it. If it's warm enough I leave them to dry naturally, if not I get out the hair dryer on a medium heat.

There's a lot of difference of opinion about washing on GUDU and some members are quite militant about the whole 'clean hair dreads faster' thing - which is true. But I notice that most of the ex-fakers wash less often than ex-brushables. I put this down to the fact that like us, those who used to wear fake dreads for extended periods have already gone through the scalp/itching/grease problems with fake dreads. Whereas most brushables go from washing several times a week. Also, they're mostly American. I don't know why but Americans (in general) seem to have a fascination with showering and washing their hair multiple times in a single day, whereas here in Blighty it's too freaking cold to bother more than once a day unless you have to!
I'm not saying stupidity should be a capital offense. But we could take the safety labels off everything and let nature run its course.

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Aricyn
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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by Aricyn » Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:27 pm

i wash mine when ever they start to feel dirty
i use a baking soda mixture to wash them and rinse with an apple cider vinegar rinse
no scrubbing or anything like that
i dont use any products in my dreads no wax or anything like that
to dry them i just wrap them in a towel for a while and then let them dry in the air, i havent had them long enough to know about winter drying tho that will be fun hehe..

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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by anjaloveshervw » Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:02 pm

Once a month in the winter, every other week in the summer!

Dr. Bronner's liquid castile lavender soap :)

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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by zeara » Sat Jul 23, 2011 1:11 am

I wash my dreads about once a week with doctored locks dreadsoap. It seems to me that washing them helps them to tighten up and it keeps my scalp from getting too itchy
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MissAnthropik
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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by MissAnthropik » Sat Jul 23, 2011 4:05 pm

well as an update on me... I have had my dreads nearly a year now, and I tend to wash them every 6 weeks or so. They don't seem to need washing any more often than that. I wash them with the purple solid shampoo from lush (forget it's name) and then towel dry them until the towel is ringing wet, then air dry them, which can take a day or 2 depending on the weather or whether the heating is on.

I think the drying time of dreads is probably the worst thing about having them, but at least I only go through it once every 6 weeks!
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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by trippytroll » Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:05 pm

update on mine too...
mine are now almost 11 months, i wash them about 3 times a week using watered down shampoo. i towel dry them to get the excess water out, then i hairdryer them for a bit then just leave them to dry. i usually wash them in the mornings so as theyve got the day to dry properly, mine are really skinny, so its not to bad :D
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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by Syrenfire » Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:37 pm

well, im new here, so hi everyone:)

I have natural neglect dreadlocks and I've had them for 8 months. I have ALWAYS (unless camping) washed my dreads every 3-4 days. One time while camping i didn't wash them for about a week and a half and i realized that any residue that came about in that time just got sucked into the center of my dreads and wasn't able to wash out since it was inside of them. I think it is very important to wash your dreadlocks at least once a week to keep the "dirt" and such out of the center of your dreads where it can be trapped and then cause smells and weakening of the dreadlocks.

This being said my dreadlocks fully formed and look great even while keeping them clean. so please, don't be afraid to wash them! in fact it helps keep the "dirty" hippy reputation down. there is no need to go longer then a week even when you are first starting them. however, use a soap that doesn't have the detaingling agent in it, even just a bar of Ivory soap or some baking soda, lemon, and tea tree oil drop mixed in some water.

as far as drying: I wash my dreads at night before about a half hour before i go to bed. then i squeeze as much water out as i can, put on a terry cloth robe and let them be down and dry for maybe a half hour, then i lay a towl on my pillow and lay down, then take my hand and spread all my dreadlocks up around my head like a "mohawk" laying sideways. then i fall asleep. I usually don't turn over in my sleep alot so this works really well for me. even when i do turn over alot the dreads still dry compleatly by morning and there is no need to hang out with spongy feeling hair dripping everywhere. but maybe its just me that can't stand the feeling of wet hair on my back.

Also did this same drying method with my 50 dreadlocks that were extended to my butt. very long, still worked great.

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MissAnthropik
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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by MissAnthropik » Fri Aug 05, 2011 11:41 am

Obviously each to their own... but I don't think I do need to wash my hair at least once a week. I have a fairly strong belief that the more you wash hair the more it needs washing. I trained (through extension wearing and not washing) my hair to only need washing about once a week in it's non-dreaded state, and that was with touching it a lot, brushing it and therefore transferring the oils and things down my hair, and some styling products. I just don't see how my hair could need washing MORE when it is dreaded. We are lead to believe by advertising companies that we need to wash our hair as much as we do. That said clean hair does dread better than dirty hair, so it's probably worth training your hair a bit before starting dreads if you want to try washing less. Also bleached hair will be drier and need washing less.

I would like to make it very clear that my dreads DO NOT smell. i use no products on them, and keep them out of the way when I shower. I use a shampoo with no conditioning agents, and I doubt very much whether there is any residue in my hair. I think that all people with dreads should expect some dirt and dust will end up in the centre of their dreads, but that on its own is not going to cause any smells.

Over-washing can also lead to smells, if dreads have not dried out in between washes it can lead to musty smells, and whilst i am sure no-one here has that problem, in the interests of providing information, it is something people should be aware of. If your dreads dry very quickly (such as overnight... even my pre-dreaded hair didn't dry overnight and would still have been wet in the morning) then it is unlikely to be a problem, but for those of us without that luxury it just could be.

Everyone should do what they feel is best for their hair and their lifestyle (I know if I did need to wash my hair once a week I probably would not persevere with dreads! I couldn't cope with that damp hair for so much of the time) I think the great thing about this thread is that it shows there is no right or wrong way to care for dreads, and that works for one might be VERY DIFFERENT from what works for another.
telling it like it is!

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Taraiha
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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by Taraiha » Fri Aug 05, 2011 12:36 pm

Coming up 2 years for me and I still do the same as before, once a month in winter, every fortnight in summer. Plus an occasional extra rinse through if it's particularly hot or whatever. I've had no trouble with them smelling, in fact I can usually still smell the soap several days later.

I have however discovered a wonder of modern science. Microfibre is magical! I bought a bath sheet sized towel from Ebay for under a tenner and I use it to squeeze the water out of my dreads after washing. It is SO much better than a normal towel I can't even tell you. My hair dried naturally in an afternoon, where before it would take about 12 hours even with a little help from a hairdryer. Totally worth investing in one of these.
I'm not saying stupidity should be a capital offense. But we could take the safety labels off everything and let nature run its course.

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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by Little Wicked » Sat Apr 07, 2012 12:08 pm

Just thought I'd pop in with my washing routine on this thread. Having had my dreads done at the beginning of February with HH extenders, I held off for about 3 weeks before washing the first time, and have since been washing every 1 - 1 & 1/2 weeks. I have been using DreadHead dread soap, which I like because it leaves my dreads feeling squeaky clean, and alternating with watered down Neutrogena T-Gel (I had quite bad dandruff with non-dreaded hair, but since having dreads and washing less often, the dandruff seems to be alot less than it was, so have decided to carry on with just the dread soap, and forget about using the T-Gel). I then squeeze out all the excess water, wrap my hair in a normal towel to absorb as much water as possible, then change to a microfibre towel and leave that wrapped around my head for a couple of hours to absorb most of the wetness from the dreads. After a couple of hours, they're just damp, so I leave them loose to dry naturally, and they're usually bone dry by the next evening. However, I made the mistake of trying dread wax on my dreads (I'm not going to take sides in the whole is it/isn't it debate about whether or not dread wax is good for your dreads, I'm just going to say it's not for me), and wanted to deep clean them to get rid of the wax residue. I found a great site with some natural dreadlock deep cleaning recipes, and just tried them out today. I love these deep clean recipes, they worked really well for me, my dreads feel clean and fresh, and not a hint of wax residue left! So I thought I'd share the link:

http://www.ragingrootsstudio.com/recipes.htm

Obviously, it goes without saying that everyone with dreads will have their own preferred methods of cleaning/washing, but just thought I'd share something that worked for me!
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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by Kajablomst. » Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:36 pm

I wash mine about twice a week now. I alter between a Lush bar and DreadHeadHQ dread soap. The dreadsoap is awesome.... :) I notised my dreads actually tightening with every wash instead of loosening. I love it. I dilute it abou 1:5 with water, and bring the mix in the shower. My dreads are just soooo clean, I can feel it squeeking...:P :P

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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by Celestial-Fox » Thu Apr 26, 2012 12:01 pm

After first getting them, I waited a week to wash. I rinsed with vinegar, then used diluted Head and Shoulders, no conditioner.

Now I like to wash with Head and Shoulders and condition with whatever I have every 7-10 days, but with school piling on work toward the end of the semester now, it's more like every two weeks.

I like to airdry in the summer, but during the winter when there's no light I half-blow dry / half-air dry.

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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by RagingRootsAmy » Tue Jun 12, 2012 7:27 pm

Folks have to be VERY careful about what kind of products they use on their dreadlocks. I would say some 98% of commercially available shampoos are NOT safe and should NOT be used on natural dreadlocks. They contain lots of ingredients that are made for conditioning (even in shampoos) that do not simply rinse out like they will rinse out of normal hair. (Actually they usually don't rinse off of normal hair either, but with normal hair its not as much of a concern.) These extra ingredients (oils, silicones, etc. -- commonly just referred to as "residue"-causing ingredients) build up inside the dreadlocks and can lead to MOLD. The risk is made that much worse if a person has or continues to use wax in their dreadlocks as well.

There is a LOT of information about washing dreadlocks as far as what I consider to be the "ideal" frequency (although folks often discover on their own what works best for them) and what products are SAFE to use, and what ingredients to look out for as "red flags" here: http://www.ragingrootsstudio.com/washing.htm

Just remember, just because a shampoo says it is "all-natural" (a market buzz word that means pretty much nothing), "organic" (often the same unless it is USDA certified organic), "tea tree" (and how far down the ingredient list is it exactly?), or even "residue-free" does NOT mean that they are good or safe to use on dreadlocks. People seriously underestimate the importance of what to use on their locks and it's important to do your research!

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Taraiha
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Re: Just out of curiosity.... washing?

Post by Taraiha » Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:55 pm

Avoiding conditioners while they're young, obviously, yes. Avoiding silicone pretty much ever, again I'd say yes, absolutely, because really, who wants to coat their hair in non-biodegradable plastic anyways?
But declaring everyone has to be VERY careful about what they use one their dreads because some products aren't 'safe' for dreads is a touch melodramatic. Pretty much anything can be used to wash dreads if you rinse them properly and dry them thoroughly afterwards. After about a year you can use just about anything from dish soap to bicarbonate of soda and it all has the same effect. Its very hard to get anything inside a mature dread, let alone actually do any damage to the point you can declare a product 'not safe'.
I'm not saying stupidity should be a capital offense. But we could take the safety labels off everything and let nature run its course.

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