F.A.Q concerning Dreadlocks

New quesions added!!!!!! May 12, 2001 (scroll down!)




MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION: How long does my hair have to be?


I suggest at least 4 inches long. If you just want short dreads. Try to grow your hair out, longer than just 4 inches, dread them up, and cut it back short. IT's easier and the dreads are more knotted up.




1. How often can I wish my dreads?


it depends on how long you've had dreads, how tight they are, you use any dread products, etcetc. If your a new dreader going natural, U prob won't be able to for a few months... Its better that you don't wash your hair too much at a regular basis in the beginning because hen your hiar gets used to that and would get really really oily if just one day you decided not to. It's better if your hair "learns" to build up less oil on a regular basis. By not washing your hair for a few weeks, your ahir might get oily for that first while cuz its not used to it, but after a while your scalp will build up less and less oil. I wash my hair once a week... yeah some dreads get undreaded but then tighter at the same time. So it's up to you.


2. Does beewax attract bugs?


Yes. Products like "Lets Dred" dreadwax are almost pure forms of beewax. It smells like honey and really attracts flies... "Knotty Boy" wax is mostly beewax but doesn't attract bugs...However, it smells bad well that's just my opinion, a few ppl I know dig it...


3. How long is the dreading process?


It depends on how you do it. To finish all yoru hair at once, it would take about 5 hours. I did minie gradually, like a strand a day... But just cuz you dreaded it all up, it doesn't mean they are officially done yet... U still GOTTA keep on working on them. Some people are able to go natural.. I tried that, didn't work... It depends on your hair type.


4. What if I get lice?


BAD NEWS! you could try soaking your dreads in vinegar for a few hours or you could try soaking it in some medicine that claims to kill lice. But most ppl would agree that yeah once you get lice in dreads you can't get them out. Some people say you gotta shave your hair off. I'm not too sure about this... All I know is that it sucks. TO avoid getting lice in your hair, dont let your hair touch other people's hair, pillows from an unknown source, don't share hats, avoid hair contact with any animals (wear a tam or tie them up while interacting with them). Clean hair do not attract lice is a myth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


5. When I don't want my dreads anymore, do I have to SHAVE tem off?


Well if your dreds are pretty tight and good, yes and sorry! But maybe you could just cut it really short so your roots are still there and get extentions. I know a girl who had real great dreads, she just cut them off to about 3 inches long. Dreadlocks mean commitment. All in all if you just want dreadlocks for the fashion then maybe you should rethink about it.


6. How often do you back comb?


When I frist got dreads, I backcombed daily. The mroe the better. No pain no gain right? Now I hardly ever do it. when my hair looks like crap but Im too lazy to fix things, I just tie them up. After a few months, its just like when dreads look loosy or bad, backcomb!


7. Where can I get dread extensions?


Most places that do braid extentions wil do dread extensions... Just look up the phone book or check downtown... A lot of rasta realted stores have answers, or ask someone who has extensions. Alot of black ppl know where U can get it done...


8. What are some safe blonde hair color kits?


I just blondisima (I think it's L'Oreal) to bleach my hair. Bleach is WONDERFUL for dreads, it fries the crap outta your hair, absorbs all the oil, causing them to dread up all easily and tight. I recommand everyone to use bleach. you can use any blonde color method after bleaching, just remmber, DONT use shampoo or conditioner, just let water wash the stuff away...


9. How should I deal with little lose pieces of hair?


Sometimes some hair don't knot with the main dreads, there are several ways to deal with it. If theres ALOT of loose hair, what you can do is cut the loose ones to about 2 inches long, tie them into the main ones with elastics/rubber bands. Make sure you tie them real close to the roots, dont take the elastics out for a month or two, REMMEBER they have to be real tight and real close to the roots (as close as possible) so then when new hair grows out they all tangle up and what not. Another method is just to kindda weave it into the main locs or just try to backcomb it into the center of a main loc. U can also use a crochet needle to weave them back into the main locks.


10. How much wax should I be using??


If your hair is starting to get all oily and stuff, stop applying dread wax. Dread wax is good to help shaping your dreads, but it's not good at helping them knot. The more dread wax you put into your hair, the harder it is for your hair to knot. You only add dread wax AFTER your hair is knotted. But again, use little wax for GOOD results.


11. What Do I do if I overapply wax?


Wash them off, NOT with shampoo no matter what! Use something that will wash grease away. Hemp seed oil based products are ok. You can get them in a hemp store or a natural herbal product store. For cheaper ways you can also buy the cheapest crapiest brand of soap bar and use that to wash your hair. I've also tried dishwash it worked fine. For the best result, bleach your hair with out using shampoo...


12. "Dreadhead scalp is oily / over dry", which statement is true?


Most people misunderstand the conditions of dreadhead scalps. In the beginning your scalp will be really really greasy. After about 4 months your dreads will start to suck all the oil outta your hair and your scalp will be so dry that it will flake. Dry hair is GOOD but dry scalp is not!


12. How do I keep my hair dry but my scalp not?


You can buy hemp seed oil (not the shampoo) or a tyle of dread oil from a special Rasta store and apply VERY LITTLE to your scalp. THis works VERY well. Another dreadhead also told me you can boil up rosmary oil (not till they evaporate) and apply to scalp. If your ahir is really brittle, applying them oils isn't a bad idea.


13. Are dreadlocks expensive to get done professionially?


Of coarse, think of all the time used to dread up all your hair! My buddy got hers done for 200 Canadian Dollars, thats around 135 USD...


14. What are the different styles I can fix for my dreads?


Theres much you can do... 1.) Prom nite - you can wrap them up with strings or fancy things like that... ribbons or whatever. you can tie them all up with something sweet... or you can even do some kindda huge wrap like those Africans, this big bundle or soemthing... 2.) Add beads, simple "string" beads into your hair, make sure the bead's hole is HUGE so you can jut put it into your dread. 3.) tie them up differently, pigtails, whatever. 4.) braid them together to create HUGE braids, when you braid them together you dont need to fix them for a while... 5.) hair wraps, it them bad boys wrapped in Embroidery strings or hemp strings. This improves your dreads too. 6.) hats, toques, whatever, get a tam! 7.) dye them different colors.


15. HOT QUESTION!!!! How long does my hair hve to be to start dreading?


I suggest that your hair be at least 4 inches long. Shoulder or chin one length is BEST...


16.) Is it hard for curly hair to dread up?


AT times slightly harder than straight hair and at times better. Your dreads might not turn out as smooth as straight haired dreads, there might be some "S" shapes... But that only adds style.

17.) HOT!!! How do I round the tips?


ROunding the tips is easy. Simple fold the tip up (about an inch), and hold the folded tip and rub it against your palm in a clockwise direction. Keep doing this until the tips get all knotted up into the main dread... Usually it takes quite a while.


18.) How do you dye your dreads?


If your hair is a very light blonde then it's really easy. If not, then you gotta bleach them first. Use normal bleach, wait for an hour or two, and wash them out with water, NO SHAMPOO or conditioner. Then when you lift up a dread for coloring, use tinfoil underneath it, and after you've brushed the color in, wrap the entire dread with tinfoil so that the color wil not contaminate otehr locks. DO this to all your dreads. Wait for a frew hours so that the colors could SOAK in. Then rinse with water only.


19.) WHy isnt there anything about the Rastafarian Culture in this site?


This website is geared towards hard-to-dread-striaght-hair-dudes. Jamaicans and Africans have a different hair type and they have less problems getting dreads. People with smooth straight hair face many problems getting dreads, and their dreads often have different characteristics than those of say, Bob Marley. It is also very hard for many people to just "grow dreads", becuase no matter how much they just leave their hair alone, they don't tend to turn into locks very muich, at lease not in an ideal speed. SO the only thing we can do is manually knot the hair up. ANd so this is why the website is created, to help those hard-to-knot-up types of nappy heads.


20.) Why is shampoo/conditioner bad for dreads?


They're not that bad once your hair is really really well dreaded and tight. The problem with shampoo and conditioner is that there's alot of moisterizers and stuff that smooth out your ahir. OF coarse dreadheads DON'T want smooth hair right? Plus if you use shampoo alot, chances are that your hair will build up oil really quick so that you'll have to use shampoo very often. But you don't want that cuz you want your hair to be able to control oil build-up by itself.
21.) Can thin haired people get dreads?


Anyone can get dreads. The problem is whether you'll look good in them. IF you have only like say ONE layer of hair, it's probably a good idea that you choose not to get locks. But I dunno I've seen thin haired people with locks and they look real sweet. You can also make your dreads really skinny like Trent Reznor did. Just remmeber that if you have really thin hair, you'll prob never be able to look like Zach de la Rocha (Rage against the machine).


22.) Will my dreads shrink?


Yes, imagine a string being all tangled up, it's gonna be shorter than a straight string right? When you fist dread your hair, the locks will be "puffy" and look real thick, then after a few washes they will get tighter and skinnier. However in the LONG RUN, your dreads wil only get thicker because of all the new hair growing in and dead hair trapped inside.


23.) How do I get rid of the stinky smell?


First you need to find out where the smell came from. If its just a moldy smell it's probably because you don't dry your hair well after washing them. Or if you sleep whne your hair is wet... If your dreads smell like food or oil or smoke or whatever htat is trapped inside from the atmosphere, you can get a product called Hair Frenshener from BodyShop. I use it and its really good... It's not like a perfume that tries to cover the smell up, but rather it's almost scent free and it effectively gets rid of trapped smell. WAshing your hair is also a good solution.


24.) How do I convince my parents to let me get dreads?


Don't tell them all the downsides of dreads. Tell them also the truth - the fact that now tons and tons of prodcuts are out there to help kids get dreads easily. Point out the myths of dreadlocks, and how the stereotypes aren't true. Tell them also that this period of your life is the only time you can get dreads. Anyways good luck ok?


25.) How can I get non-permanent dreads?


If you want dreads just for the weekend, what you can do is backcomb them, not too much that they won't untangle. Dread them up to a poin that they stay together, but notcompletely knotted up. Then use ALOT of dreadwax and just glue your hair together with that stuff... When you don't want them anymore, simply wash with alot of shampoo. (OR) you can just twist your hair and apply pomade oil for a similar look.


26.) How do I knot up my roots?


Fold your dread so that you have the roots sticking out, press it against your other palm and just rub in a circular motion. Do this only in one direction, and your roots will knot up nicely.


27.) How do I get wax out of my hair?


a cheap bar of soap will do the trick.


28.) Should I add pomade oil?


NO! Nor gel, hair spray or anything like that.


29.) Can I go swim with early dreads?


This shouldn't be a problem. However if your dreads are just ahir glued together by dreadwax then swimming will undo alot of your hair. Water should tighten up your dreads. But if they arent well dreaded, then you'll end up with some loose hair.


30.) How do i get rid of bacteria?


U can wash your hair, you can dip it in sea salt water. Sea salt water is capable of killing all the stupid germs, itch and tighten your dreads at the same time. SO have fun at the beach!


31.) What is the term "wolf"?


So far from what I know some Rastas call non-Rastas with locks "wolves"... Basically meaning "Rasta wannabe". I don't know I think the term is dumb. IF you are a true dreadhead then you can just ignore that... For me I think we shouldn't fight over this issue, I love everyone, Rastas, non, dreadheads, non.... they are all good.


32.) Can I just rub my head in circular motion to get dreads?


This is the dumbest way to do it. It gives you the crappiest looking dreads... It takes the longest time... And your hair will look tremendously messy. But I dunno maybe for some hair types it's cool. U can however, rub your dreads in a circular motioin, that helps, I did that to my roots for teh longest time and it just broke 1/3 of my roots and my hair's a mess now. so dont over do it!


NEWEST QUESTIONS!


33.) Is it Ok to go get my dreads done proessionally?


Sure it's ok, but less fun, less cool, and less everything! ooh yeah not to mentioni less repect from me. hahah.


34.) Can I use gellatin (Mohawk stuff) for locks?


Im not sure about that. some dreadhead told me you can, but dont count on it.


35.) Why do Dreadlocks make me nervous?


Mmmmmm, i dunno, same reason why mullets, mohawks and skinheads make me nervous???

EmAiL mE