How To
Start
Dreadlocks
 Basic dreadlock care information page
 Help with deciding if dreadlocks are for you
How To
Start
Dreadlocks
Anyone can have
dreadlocks, but it definitely helps if you have very nappy (curly) hair. The
straighter your hair is, the more time it will take to lock.
However, with patience and time, all hair will
 eventually lock no matter
what the hair type. If you
have a perm, you will have to grow it out or cut it off. Healthy hair is
a
necessity. Frail or brittle hair will only break off in the
twisting process (of which there is much in the initial stages). It is also good
to start with a few inches of hair so that the starter locks will hold
their shape. If the hair is too short, it will unravel more quickly.
When using a
method that requires the application of products, remember that less is
better. Too much product will clog your pores and disrupt hair growth. Products
also help to attract dirt which may become embedded in the dreadlock. Products should be used sparingly.
Also
note
that the very top of your head (where the soft spot is on babies) will
be the last section to lock and often the hardest part of the hair to
keep locked.
 There are so many
methods of creating dreadlocks. No one way is right for everyone.
As a rule, you should start out with clean hair. The
methods described below work best for nappier (curlier) hair.
Unfortunately, we have no experience with starting dreadlocks on naturally
straight hair. This usually requires the application of different
types of hair products and sometimes chemical processes.
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Comb coils
Usually done by a hairdresser. The hair is parted neatly to the size of
your liking and twisted into sections using a
small-toothed comb. The sections will be very tidy but they can
unravel more easily than the other ways, when they become wet.
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Palm rolled
Another process
usually done by a hairdresser. Hair is sectioned and rolled between the
palms with a gel. It’s my understanding that this method is the most
likely to become undone in the beginning stages.
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Braids
Here you start off
with small box braids and let them fuzz over. The braids can then be
palm-rolled to look like locs. The subsequent new growth can be
twisted into actual dreadlocks.
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Organic (called the
Neglect Method)
Hair is left to separate and matt as it pleases. This is how
traditional Rastafarians achieve locs. They wash the hair, shake it
and leave it. Sections will form on their own. As the hair grows and
the individual desires, they can separate locs into smaller sections,
or leave them to grow into larger dreadlocks.
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Finger Twisting
Sectioned hair is
twisted around and around with gel, beeswax or just plain oil and
water. Groups of new twists are pinned together to prevent
unraveling.
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Washing (while
starting dreads)
When you first
begin, you shouldn’t wash your hair too often (this is possibly where
the myth of dreadlocks being dirty came from) or
too enthusiastically. Your newly twisted dreadlocks will
unravel. It's okay to dampen it weekly for re-twisting. When you do wash
it, try not to rub too vigorously and use only a small amount of soap.
In lieu of washing, you may also blot the scalp with
a mild astringent like Sea Breeze. It will help to remove trapped oil
and dirt and keep your head smelling fresh and clean, without over-drying the scalp.
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 Remember, it takes TIME, PATIENCE AND DEDICATION to reach the point where
you'll have a natural, long, flowing mane of dreadlocks...several years
actually. All the more reason to start NOW!!
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