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Dreadlocks Hair Style
Discover everything you wanted to know about properly growing and caring for the dreadlocks hair style as well as purchase naani's naturals products to keep your locks healthy and happy.
We've always understood that it's not the wax itself that causes the problems because beeswax in and of itself isn't wholey evil...actually it's not bad. Most people make the mistake of lumpi
The first two pics were taken during the early part of 2001. I was still in the teenage phase of locking (less than one year old) and although the photo quality isn't that great, you can see the length a little better in the first photo.
Not all dreadlocks wearers have dry looking locks. The appearance of the hair depends on the maintenance techniques and products used by the individual.
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.
What are Flat Dreadlocks?
Flattened dreadlocks is more commonly referred to as "flapping." They are just what they sound like...flat dreadlocks. Where dreadlocks are typically known to be rounded/cylindrical, in some cases the dreads may develop in such as way that they are flat...like a pancake.
One of the more common complaints folks have about dreadlocks is that they're afraid of getting "stuff" trapped inside. Unfortunately, much of this can't be avoided cause facts are, everyday lint and dust will be attracted to your dreads so if you're the type who sits and twists randomly, you may be twisting that stuff right into your hair.
Budding is a term used to describe a process that occurs during the teenage stage. You can think of it as the same thing that plants undergo in spring. The formation of buds means the start of something new whether it be leaves, flowers or even mature dreadlocks.
There are two different types of budding. Although they don't occur simultaneously, most people with African hair textures experience them at some point in their dreadlock development.
The causes of mildew and odor in dreadlocks are numerous. More often than not however people with these issues make some of the same mistakes:
Not properly drying your hair
Dreadlocks are like a wet towel. If you allow a wet towel to sit, debris, allergens, and anything from the air will gradually settle on the towel and "breed." If your locks are wet for hours on end, if you sleep on wet dreadlocks, you are encouraging the growth of mildew and bacteria.
African hair typically is coarse in texture when compared to other types. Coarse hair has a larger diameter and more cuticle layers than fine, straight hair. Sometimes the layers themselves in coarse hair can even be thicker than fine, straight hair. This constant layering and thickness in comparison to fine hair makes our hair more resistant to hair color and decolorization products.
A naaniFAM Member Wrote...
"Hi, i have very curly hair and i got dreadlock 3 months ago by backcombing and using ropes. However, I didn't know much about dreads by then and was pessimistic about the fact that my i kind of looked like a caveman at first.
There are many ways to maintain dreaded hair. No matter what your hair type or texture, as you grow your dreds, you are bound to discover that caring for them is unlike any other hair style.<
I got a call the other day from one of my closest friends. She started her locks about a year after I began mine. She wanted to know why her locks were breaking.
Once your dreadlocks are mature, they may unfortunately undergo a stage of regression or loss. As you know, once you're fully dreadlocked, little to no hair is shed. What this means is, hair that would've long left your head through natural shedding remains.
The amount of time it takes for hair to dreadlock depends on the dreadlocking method used, maintenance techniques, as well as the texture of your hair. Some methods cause the hair to lock quicker than others and coarser, tightly coiled hair locks quicker than straighter/wavier hair. Thus, there is absolutely no way to state a definite time frame at which your hair should be locked.
I recently encountered a client with freeform/organic dreadlocks. I point out the fact that this brotha freeforms because he likes for his hair to look unkempt. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that organic locks can look unkempt but simultaneously be clean. Over his 3 years of locking, he probably shampooed his locks only a few times a year. Yeah I know...gross!
