Baby Dreadlocks:  Depending upon your hair Texture, this phase lasts 3 to 6 months. Soft, fine or wavy hair takes longer to dreadlock than coarse, curly or tightly coiled hair.

Baby dreadlocks should be maintained by re-twisting, two-stranding or palm-rolling. It's suggested that you avoid washing baby dreadlocks during the first 3-4 weeks to allow them to set.  However, if you have a scalp condition such as seborrhea or feel the need to shampoo sooner, do so.  Just do so carefully and be ready to retwist areas that come undo.

Teenage Dreadlocks:  This period lasts anywhere from 3 months to a year.  Although this phase tend to overlap the Baby dreadlocks phase, the time frame largely depends on hair texture, length, method used to start your dreadlocks and maintenance techniques.  

Teenage dreadlocks are characterized by budding and matting (for descriptions of these terms visit the Dreadlocks FAQ Section.

It's recommended that you groom your dreadlocks no less than once a month because they have a tendency to bunch or Crawl together (share rootbeds).  Teenage dreadlocks should be washed gently every 2-3 weeks barring any scalp or lifestyle conditions (such as working out frequently) which may cause you to shampoo more frequently.

Mature Dreadlocks:  Depending on your hair texture, you should expect to reach maturity sometime within 12 months but this period may take up to 2 years.  On average, people with African textures of varying types report to be fully dreadlocked within 16-18 months.

Mature dreadlocks are the strongest and require less grooming; however they are not maintenance free. Unlike baby and teenage dreadlocks, you'll have more liberty when it comes to maintaining and styling them. How "neat" they appear is really a matter of personal preference and time invested in the dreadlocks as compared to the other stages where "neatness" is far more unpredictable.