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Removing Dreadlocks
- By naani
- Published 01/21/2008
- Frequently Asked ?s
- Unrated
Removing Dreadlocks
A naaniFAM Member Wrote
"My name is Elisheba. I have admired the loose ends of Tubby's locs for about a year. Four months ago I took out the ends of my own locs and loved it. But now I'm confused on maintence. If I comb the ends out I loose hair, (which I know is Natural) but when you have locs for three years your not used to losing hair, even if it is natural shedding, how do you deal with this? Or if i don't comb them out they start to loc back up, which would be fine if I knew I would have the same look. I love the way my hair has the body of a fro, but the length of Dreadlocks. I just need some tips on maintence. Please give me some help. --Thanx Elisheba J.
Dreadlocks, once they reach maturity, are permanent...sorta.
The only way to truly remove dreadlocks is to cut them off..sorta.
There are methods by which you can unravel your dreadlocks but their effectiveness often depends on the length of your dreadlocks, the method used to start them as well as your maintenance routine.
Generally the removal of dreadlocks is a tedious process and often results in significant hair loss. So if you didn't have a thick mane to begin with, you may not want to go this route. BUT...with a lot of time, some tiny instruments, the help of a friend and a truckload of patience, you MAY be able to successfully pull apart your dreadlocks...just don't get mad at me if you have five strands of hair afterwards :-)
Undoing Dreadlocks
Recently I met a woman with the most unique set of dreadlocks I'd ever seen. Although she'd been dreadlocking for several years, I noticed that about 3-4 inches of her hair remained unlocked. The peculiar thing was, the unlocked portion was at the tips, not the root.
The unlocked hair was natural and formed an Afro puff. It was soooooooo cute. She'd dyed the tips a very light brown shade so the poof added personality to her otherwise beautiful dreadlocks.
I approached her and asked her how/why she'd done it. What I learned, I thought I'd share with the naaniFam.
The sista had been having problem with lint for years. She said that she'd become so frustrated with the lint that she didn't know what to do. She tried cutting the tips off a few of them, but said that it literally "hurt" to cut them. She said that even after she'd cut them, there was still lint inside the tips of the lock and she had no way of knowing how extensive it was. Out of this frustration she developed a technique to remove the dreadlocks.
The Technique
You'll need a pair of angled tweezers, a rat-tail comb with a metal tail, metal nail file or any instrument with a smooth, yet pointed-like edge. You want a utensil that will penetrate the dreadlock, but not rip it apart.
Shampoo your dreadlocks. Rinse thoroughly and towel dry. Doing this process on damp hair will minimize breakage.
Begin by snipping off a very small portion at the end of your dreadlocks. When I say small, I mean small. All you want to do is remove the rounded tip.
Take the tweezers. Using one of the prongs, insert the tweezer into a small section of the lock. Gently pull in a downward motion with the tweezers. If the prong does not work itself out easily, take the tweezer out, reinsert it and pull down again. After a bit of maneuvering, the hair should seperate.
If you began with braids, you will notices that the hair will begin to unravel like a braid normaly would. The same with two-strands. For those that started with palm-rolls, you will find that the hair will unravel just as easily as the dreadlock will always maintain it's internal structure.
This technique will not work of course if you manipulate/maintain your dreadlocks with methods other than palm-rolling/finger-twisting. Interlocking for example is similar to creating a series of knots and it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to undo these types of dreadlocks.
Continue unwinding the dreadlocks using the tweezers or like utensil until you are about .5-1 inch up the dreadlock. If you're doing the process correctly, you shoudn't see very much hair loss. The hair that does come out should be that which has naturally shed over years of dreadlocking so there is no need for alarm.
After you have freed the hairs, you'll notice all types of
Build-up"My name is Elisheba. I have admired the loose ends of Tubby's locs for about a year. Four months ago I took out the ends of my own locs and loved it. But now I'm confused on maintence. If I comb the ends out I loose hair, (which I know is Natural) but when you have locs for three years your not used to losing hair, even if it is natural shedding, how do you deal with this? Or if i don't comb them out they start to loc back up, which would be fine if I knew I would have the same look. I love the way my hair has the body of a fro, but the length of Dreadlocks. I just need some tips on maintence. Please give me some help. --Thanx Elisheba J.
naaniMODEL Tubby's Unraveled dreadlocks
Dreadlocks, once they reach maturity, are permanent...sorta.
The only way to truly remove dreadlocks is to cut them off..sorta.
There are methods by which you can unravel your dreadlocks but their effectiveness often depends on the length of your dreadlocks, the method used to start them as well as your maintenance routine.
Generally the removal of dreadlocks is a tedious process and often results in significant hair loss. So if you didn't have a thick mane to begin with, you may not want to go this route. BUT...with a lot of time, some tiny instruments, the help of a friend and a truckload of patience, you MAY be able to successfully pull apart your dreadlocks...just don't get mad at me if you have five strands of hair afterwards :-)
Undoing Dreadlocks
Recently I met a woman with the most unique set of dreadlocks I'd ever seen. Although she'd been dreadlocking for several years, I noticed that about 3-4 inches of her hair remained unlocked. The peculiar thing was, the unlocked portion was at the tips, not the root.
The unlocked hair was natural and formed an Afro puff. It was soooooooo cute. She'd dyed the tips a very light brown shade so the poof added personality to her otherwise beautiful dreadlocks.
I approached her and asked her how/why she'd done it. What I learned, I thought I'd share with the naaniFam.
The sista had been having problem with lint for years. She said that she'd become so frustrated with the lint that she didn't know what to do. She tried cutting the tips off a few of them, but said that it literally "hurt" to cut them. She said that even after she'd cut them, there was still lint inside the tips of the lock and she had no way of knowing how extensive it was. Out of this frustration she developed a technique to remove the dreadlocks.
The TechniqueYou'll need a pair of angled tweezers, a rat-tail comb with a metal tail, metal nail file or any instrument with a smooth, yet pointed-like edge. You want a utensil that will penetrate the dreadlock, but not rip it apart.
Shampoo your dreadlocks. Rinse thoroughly and towel dry. Doing this process on damp hair will minimize breakage.
Begin by snipping off a very small portion at the end of your dreadlocks. When I say small, I mean small. All you want to do is remove the rounded tip.
Take the tweezers. Using one of the prongs, insert the tweezer into a small section of the lock. Gently pull in a downward motion with the tweezers. If the prong does not work itself out easily, take the tweezer out, reinsert it and pull down again. After a bit of maneuvering, the hair should seperate.
If you began with braids, you will notices that the hair will begin to unravel like a braid normaly would. The same with two-strands. For those that started with palm-rolls, you will find that the hair will unravel just as easily as the dreadlock will always maintain it's internal structure.
This technique will not work of course if you manipulate/maintain your dreadlocks with methods other than palm-rolling/finger-twisting. Interlocking for example is similar to creating a series of knots and it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to undo these types of dreadlocks.
Continue unwinding the dreadlocks using the tweezers or like utensil until you are about .5-1 inch up the dreadlock. If you're doing the process correctly, you shoudn't see very much hair loss. The hair that does come out should be that which has naturally shed over years of dreadlocking so there is no need for alarm.
After you have freed the hairs, you'll notice all types of
The accumulation of product, dirt, dandruff and other sediments on hair and within dreadlocks.'); return false">Build-up/lint that has naturally or UNnaturally accumulated over time. Some dreadlocks will have more than others. Build-up in dreadlocks is natural to a degree but in the case of excessive debris, you may want to reexamine your maintenance routine.
It's up to you as to how far you want to go up the dreadlock. The lady I met began by loosening 1 inch of hair. Over the years, she continued the process and added to the loosened portion. She said that it'd look too awkward to have only an inch of unlocked hair and 30 inches of dreadlocks.
IMPORTANT: After you've completed your entire head, be sure to shampoo again. You'll need to wash away the lint, dirt and product residue.
A Word of *CAUTION*
If you're apprehensive about the technique, try it on one of your dreadlocks in a not-so-visible area. Undo 1/2 to 1 inch of the dreadlock. If you like what you see, keep going. If you don't, two-strand twist the end and let it relock. In some cases, the unlock'd hair may resist relocking so you may have to eventually snip off the end for uniformity.
Immediately After the Technique
Be sure to initiate the process slowly and methodically. Don't force the hairs apart...encourage them with a little pressure but too much will result in breakage.
It Works!
Ok, her hair was soooooooo cute that I had to try it. I wish my hair was all the same length cause I'd pull the hair up and form a fierce afro puff. Either way, I LOVE how they look. I love the feel of my unlocked hair.
I must say that although I LOVE my locks, I missed my natural. Although I've only been sporting this for a few weeks and I have no way of telling how it will effect my future locks, it's cute (to me) now.
My locks not only look unique, but they're also fuller and appear longer...go figure! This is truly the best of both worlds.
I took a few pictures and they can be viewed on the right.
Cutting Dreadlocks
You know, even typing that title made me feel a little nauseous. If you're thinking about cutting your dreads...why????? Sigh...let me say now I think you're making a BIG mistake but hey...it's your head :-P
Now if you're steadfast in your decision, we suggest growing your hair out for several months and cutting an inch or two off every few weeks. Why? Because believe it or not, if you've had your dreadlocks for sometime, cutting them too quickly can lead to seperation anxiety. Sounds crazy right?
Well according to our very own Loctician Camille, she's had several customers over the years who at some point decided to release their dreads and have regretted the hasteness in their decision. Although they felt it was time for a "new beginning" so to speak, many of these individuals had been cultivating their dreadlocks for several years. Think about it, when you get used to one way of doing things, it's a little traumatic to immediately go to the opposite end of the spectrum.
By gradually transitioning your self away from your dreadlocks, you reduce your chances of seperation anxiety and the dreaded..."Oh shiznet! What the hell was I thinking???" response. Camille said one of the baldheads still has his dreadlocks stored away and plans on sewing them back on one day. Yeah...that one requires the patented "uh....hmmmm????" response.
For those wanting a temporary style, dreadlock extensions are an option so consult a licensed natural stylist.
Tubby's Response to Elisheba
Hey Elisheba,
Thanks for the compliments. Not much maintenance is needed to take care of the unraveled ends. You will find that over time the ends will look less poofy/afro-like and will begin to settle in to your natural hair texture.
In my case, the initial undoing revealed mini-afros. Several months later, they started to look like curly tendrils.
The hair that you've undone won't necessarily re-lock. I've had my hair like this for about 2 years now and none of the ends have resealed.
What does occur is that the hair may curl onto itself while you shampoo. If it does this over several shampoos without your paying attention to the ends, you will find that the loose hair knots onto itself. When you try to comb it through, it's just like trying to comb through any tangled hair so you may lose a few strands in the process.
On one hand it doesn't matter. On the other, constant loss of hair will eventually mean that your lil puffs will gradually dissappear.
What I would suggest doing is right before you shampoo to gently run your fingers through the ends to remove any snags/kinks. After shampooing, if you're at a stage where you can condition, put a little extra conditioner on the ends. Conditioners detangle and soften so it will help to keep your hair from curling onto itself to the point where it gets tangled up.
When it's time for maintenance, I twist as I normally would then using a little lock'd down, I place a little on the loose ends and gently twist them so they are encouraged to form spirals. Not only does this help define their shape but the product will help prevent any breakage by protecting the outter layers of the hair.
If you continue in this manner, the ends should remain healthy.
Spread The Word
Article Series
This article is part 16 of a 17 part series. Other articles in this series are shown below:
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Removing Dreadlocks
