10.31
There are two basic ways to remove dreadlocks – and yes, there are ways to do it without cutting your hair, contrary to popular belief.
Myths:
* The only way to remove dreads is to shave your head, or cut them off very close to the scalp.
* If you don’t shave your head, removing dreadlocks is painful and damaging to the scalp and hair.
Fact:
* It is possible to have dreads, and then remove them no matter how long you may have had them.
Here are the 2 basic methods.
1. Shave or cut dreads
By far the easiest method of dreadlock removal if you don’t wish to save any of your hair.
Materials:
* scissors and/or clippers
Duration:
* less than an hour
Directions:
Whether you want to shave close or cut leaving an inch or so of hair is entirely up to you.
1. Begin by using scissors to cut the dreads off one at a time near the root where the hair is less tangled, and then shaving clean with clippers if you so desire.
(You can also leave 4-6 inches and pick out that amount of hair with a lot of conditioner and a strong metal comb if you are willing to put in a little more work in order to keep some hair. For picking instructions – see below).
2. Finish by washing your scalp and remaining hair thoroughly.
2. Picking out dreadlocks
Extremely time consuming but very successful if you are willing to put the time in.
Materials:
* strong comb (preferably metal)
* high quality de-greasing shampoo
* high quality verrrry slippery conditioner
Note* We recommend the Knotty Boy removal kit, for removing dreadlocks. it has both, they also have metal combs for a good price. It is possible that you will run out of conditioner if you have really long hair or a lot of hair, so you can supplement this with another quality conditioner to finish the job.
Duration:
* up to 15 hours total, depending on your locks. We are serious about this. Typically 4-8 hours but we have heard of it taking 2 days!
Directions:
1. Lay in a bath and soak your dreads completely for at least 10 minutes.
2. Wash dreadlocks thoroughly with shampoo, and with water as hot as you can safely stand it. This will help melt the wax or whatever greasiness has built up over the years. Do this by working small amounts of shampoo into each section of each dreadlock to get the soap into the middle as much as possible.
3. Rinse
4. Work conditioner into each dreadlock and begin to GENTLY pick each dread out carefully with a metal comb, beginning from the bottom and working your way up to the scalp. This will take a LONG time – but be patient – you will get your hair back.
5. Once you have picked out all of your dreads, condition all of your hair again with a lot of conditioner and allow it to sit in your hair for 5 minutes. This will help repair some of the damage caused by picking.
6. Go to a salon and get yerself a nice new hairstyle!
hi my name is meganand i am 15 years old i have had dreads for about 2 years now and they are 2 my shoulders. does these things work for sure?
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I had dreads for a long time then i had to take them up for work….it took a long time to get them out but my hair is fine now…any knot can be untangled with patients……oh and don’t waste your money those kits….a good shampoo and a conditioner for dry hair or the ones u get in hair dyeing kids work just fine…just make sure u have
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I realize this is an old post, but for the record…
I’ve found Coconut oil to be helpful with pulling knotting out. You don’t have to sit in the shower to do it either. Just watch where the oil goes, remember staining factor. And of course lots of patience.
stasia
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arghh..time to take out the dreads.an to be honest i am scared tha my hair will b ruined.n thick n horiible condition.,i am goin 2 pick them out myself which is goin to take hours. keep washin my hair an soon im sure it hopefully will be bk to normal!! here goes… jad x
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i’ve had my dreads for a year and month and it’s time for them to come out. i’ve had really bad dread-dranduff for the whole time i’ve had them…and i’ve tried everything but nothing works.
SO! i’m fed up…i just want them OUT now. i am ready for short hair…but not REALLY short! i’d really like 4 inches…..
i was going to go to the knottyboy salon and have ‘professional dread removal’……but it costs $60 an hour…..and the girl was going to book me in for three hours minimum….and i was even going to agree to it…..but then my mom spazzed out at me and we got in a big fight.
and now i think i’m just going to do it myself. the only reason i was going to get it done at the salon was because i was afraid i wouldn’t be ABLE to do it myself…but i mean…they’re not magic….if they can do it, i can do it myself, right? right? i need some affirmation.
i’m really upset about the whole thing. i just want them GONE (but it also really makes me sad.)
i’ll schedule next weekend with myself and just start combing. wish me luck.
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i HAVE HAD MY LOCKS FOR ALMOST SIX YEARS. THEY ARE MIDWAY DOWN MY BACK AND I WANT TO TAKE THEM OUT AND KEEP MY LENGHT, IT THIS POSSIBLE
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how do you take them out on your own. i have my dreads since 1993!!! help!
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omg my hair is straight and i dont own a brush ahah how sad..and i never new i had dreads growing ever were until some one tryed to brush my hair and i had big dreads under my hair i want to remove them but it hurts so much whats the best way to remove them
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I started my locs about two years ago and I started from having a perm. It had been at least 5-6 months since I had a perm and I told my rasta mother-in-law I’m ready to loc my hair. she tried by twisting with wax but it didn’t work and she complained my hair was just still to straight. I then began experimenting with my hair with the wax and ended up washing it to get the gunk look out my hair. After washing it twice it was back to normal. I then told myself I can make this happen on my own I can do it I wanted locs that bad. I began washing my hair everyday for a week. I used mayonnaise and vingear to strip the perm and chemicals out of my hair it began to work day to day I saw a change. My hair began to come back to it’s natural texture i began to have a afro. I took a amount of hair together and added wax and twisted my hair and didn’t comb it or anything after wearing a scarf on my fro with out combing for a while. It took a month for my hair to loc and it is doing very we’ll. I just want to know the right shampoos and conditioners to use that are not to expensive? And what can make my hair grow and grow faster? I don’t have a dry flaky scalp but my locs are dry and brittle. My scalp is always itching. Can you help me with good products for growth and all?
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I am planning to get dreds…how long will it take for my hair to grow longer with the dreds?(aprox. to my elbows in length)my hair comes to my shoulders….currently my hair is done every 3 mths with Care Free products (jerry curl)…would it be possible for me to get dreds easily?…how much would it cost me?…
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umm…. I want to start my dreads but. No one can do them i have curly but not super thick hair. I want to pay somebody to do it do i cant mess them up. I was wondering how long it will take because i dont have alot of time to sit down and twist my hair but i would take care of them once they were in.
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I’ve had my dreds for about 4 months- & now I’m takin them out. They’re jus not workin out too well. Wehn my friend & I did them, we didn’t spend the right amt. of time sectioning them, so now at the roots it’s all knotted together n holds in the worst smell. My ends suck, and the dreds jus do not look good. I’m cuttin my hair real short & when it’s good, ready, & long enough, I’m gonna get them done professionally.
I’m so sad I’m taking them out though!!! But it will be nice to run my fingers thru my hair again =]=]
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hey yall, ive had my dreads for 6 years and i decided to cut them off finally. hahah im really here for moral guidance. Im pretty sure im gonna go through some withdrawal
. ne ways thanks for the tips
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Sorry to hear you cut your hair. Unfortunately, you were looking for an instant “dred” look without going through the different stages. When your hair grows out again, make sure you get a consultation first! Everyone doesn’t do locks the same. Shop around, ask questions, look at the professionals work, and make sure you are comfortable with your decision (with the professional and your style). I don’t know your hair texture, but it sounds like your hair was going through what some call the “teenage stage”. This is where the hair is really starting to form and have a mind of it’s own.
Good Luck!
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im thinkin ov gettin dreads, buti realli dont trust ane1 i kno to do the back….. is there like any places that do dreads? or wat?
also, wat is to happen if u get lice or sumfin!!??
haha cheers 4 the tips pplz-
bek
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I did mine a week ago tommorrow(with the help of my VERY generous mother) and alas half of them have fallen out without the aid of any kit:( Not sure weather to start over all together, or leave them alone for now. (by fallen out I mean, parts of the hair is not knotted at all, its just strands held together by rubber bands, while other sections have dreaded up quite nicely so far) Maybe this is normal?????
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This comment is for “Beck” if you are worried about getting lice in your hair, you are not ready for locks. It is the misconception that locks are dirty, and are prone to lice. You have to wash your hair and maintain a clean scalp. If you do this you would have to worry about lice. Another thing you need to keep your locks covered as much as possible, this helps to your hair clean. I suggest you do research before you lock.
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Correction to my previous comment If you wash your hair and maintain a clean scalp you would NOT!!!!!!!!have to worry about lice.
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well, here we go, i’ve had my dreads for about 3 – 4 months now (jeez havent though about it) and they looked awsome about 1.5 – 2 months into it, they were tight and neat, but then i got lazzy and i kept butting them into a pony tail and wearing a head band to keep them up, they looked cool like that, but i was never rolling them or curling the ends and VERY rarly put wax in, and then!!! i went on holiday!!! sun, and water, sun, water, in and out all the time, the dreads didnt like it, so the ends all started someing out and so i have almost half dreaded hair if you get what i mean, and atm, the roots have combined with eachother and are forming 3 HUGE dreads, soo, due to my lazyness, im thinking i have to cut them out!!!!
but it took my so long to grow my hair!!! and i wouldent mind doing them again, but alot neater and looking after them from day one.
but i dont want to start growing my hair again,
so im gunna try this removal kit and see what happens from there!!!
see you all soon!, btw, add me to MSN please, scottaii@hotmail.com
chears EVERYONE (p.s sorry about spelling, i cant be asked to go back over and look though!!)
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Much like Scott here, my dreads have become very lose over the corse of travelling. When I first put them in, they looked amazing. Then a few months later I went backpacking…..after a few more months of that, very lose hippie esk dreads have taken place. So lose that when pulled back, my hair looks undreaded. I am to thinking of trying to remove them, but this dread kit removal system, seems to me like a bit of a waste. All you’re paying for is a good shampoo and conditioner. Has anyone tried it and know if it is better then doing it on your own (asking as an unemployed recent returny to the country trying to stretch a buck wherever possible) ? If you have any advise send it my way.
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Hey there. I had dreads for about 2.5 years and just recently attempted to comb them out. After about a week of picking I have two fatties left. I found that hair lotions with castor oil in them to be extremely helpful. I’d slather it on before bed and sleep with it on. In the morning, I’d comb them from the bottom toward the root. My hair is extremely thin right now, but that’s to be expected. I probably ripped out nearly as much as I combed. Conditioner is also a good thing for this. Good luck, all.
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Ummm, juliet that is incorrect. You can have the cleanest head in the world, and still get lice. They do not discriminate.
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Hi everyone ! i was injured in an accident and couldn’t raise my right arm up enough to comb my hair. And I’m not good at using my left one. SO….friend tried to help me keep my hair combed, but then we both go lazy, and lazier and laziest.
My hair is ONE HUGE dread….
If I cut it off I won’t have any hair and I’d look not too good that way plus I’d be really cold. It would take me a LOT of year to grow it back shoulder length.
What can I do ???
Thanks to you all !
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I’ve been growing my locks for 2.5 years. Having extremely soft, curly, and fine hair, it took more than a year for the knots to start showing. Though it was a hard journey, I stuck with it, Sometimes i considered opening each lock and starting all over again. When i realised how much hair i would lose by doing that, i was effectively deterred, and inspired to make my hair work for me. Now i create my own hairstyles. I never go to a hair salon. I wash, treat and condition my hair every weekend, then palm roll and pin my locks into a beautiful crown that is admired by most people with whom i come into contact. I take pride in my appearance and feel proud to carry these knots on my head. In the Caribbean, dreads carry a stigma with them because of the association with Rastafarianism. That stigma attached to the possession of locks is slowly dissipating and people are starting to appreciate the natural, creative and artistic appearance of the style. Whether or not it’s just a fad, i plan to have my crown for life.
Peace
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If u want to be lazy, u should be prepared to accept the inevitable bongo lock that will result. If u want to benefit from the beauty that dreads can truly give, u need to work at it. It’s up to u. There r so many websites and professionals who can advise u on how to care of ur locks on ur own. Just one or two hours each week and u can teach urself the skills needed to be nurture ur strands. Trial and error. The best way to learn. It’s up to u. Bongo or bingo!
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Can I have dreadloc hair sewen into my own locs to make them thicker and longer? And if so,what is the best hair to buy?
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get the dreadlock removal kit is works great no pain and you get to keep your hair. just when you get it done make shore you have a movie on because it takes about 6 hours!! hope things work out for you
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my friend has dreads, and i think im gonna use this to take them out, it worked on my cousin really well.
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well I’ve been thinking about getting dreads, and I think that I’ll use this If I ever want tpo take them out…. withch I’ve been wanting them for a long time!
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I had the same results with some leave in conditioner, that worked really well with some locks that started off as kinky twists and were in for about a year. The client needed to go back to perms because she lived in a small town and was military and the look she was wearing was causing problems for her while in uniform. There was no one in this little town that dealt with Black hair. She was worried she would have to cut all her hair off! One of my other clients happened to be in the town for a wedding and she saw her micros. So she drove 5 hours (one way) so I could save her hair. It took almost 9 hours, I used a heavy cream leave in conditioner (Lekair); sat her under a dryer on medium, checked and combed (vented brush,first, wide tooth comb, second, and finally a rattail). I gave her a good conditioner and flat ironed and trimmed her hair and she got some simple cornrows. She was very pleased, said she felt “human again.” Glad to help u Candice!
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Thanks for the information, bu i have some questions:
1. Did you have to start at the bottom of the lock and worked your way up, whils conditionor was in trhe hair?
2.Did you pick it loose before using conditioning?
3. Did you use any type of oils to lossen the hair?
I’m need to remove my 3 month onld locks due to new employmnet location.
Thanks, BJ
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Hey guys,
I just got dreads last week and they are hurting my head sooo much. I also didnt realise how thin my hair was so the dreads are fewer and further between than i expected so i’m thinking i might take em out. I’ve got six days off from work next week so i plan to do it then. My hair is shoulder length. Any extra tips on top of what’s above? I dont think i’ll order the knotty boy removal kit – i’ll just buy a couple of bottles of really intensive conditioner….Wish me luck……
lou
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hi, my name is bibi, im 16, and i think i want to get dreads. i absolutely love the style, but everyone tells me my hair is way too besutiful to be put into dreads, and quite frankly, it is. my hair is quite healthy, strong, shiny, and beautifully curly, and naturally, i love it, but i love dreads too. i just dont know if i should make the drastic transition to dreads this early in my life…can you help?
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My daughter is 12 years old and she decided that she doesn’t want her dreads anymore so she started cutting them out so I had no choice but to let her finish them. So what am I to do with her hair now. I am really upset and wanted to cry because I think that they meant more to me than to her. They were sacred to me and she didn’t want them anymore. I wanted my son to have them but his hair was so fine that they wouldn’t lock…..
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i was wonderin’ if you loose any hair durin this process, you know, shed a little?
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hey, oh just looked at the date of your message and im obviously a bit late but ill say it anyway. i got dreads at 16 too i had long strait nice hair too and i wanted dreads and finally did it, once i had i thought oh my gawsh what have i done they looked horrible, but after a couple of months once they settled down and i got used to them they look awsome. ive had them a year now and theres no way i regret it, its a hole new way of…life really. people see you differently and i learnt to just be myself pretty much, they gave me the confidence i was lacking.
.
i honestly have come out of my shell heaps im not so shy anymore its great. ill shut up now i just had to put my 2cents worth in ae
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hay guys i’m eleven and i just got dreads they are awsome but i miss my old hair as i every one thought i should be a male model see ya peace out
aj
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guys people have misconceptions about lice and dreads, lice like clean hair that they can cling to and get off easily, having dreads doesnt mean ur more or less likely to catch them… just try to avoid those who have them.
Ive had dreads for nearly eight yrs, ive always kept my fringe as normal hair so I can look smart if necessary. I satrted them by plaiting small sections of my hair… the only time I didnt wash them was for the first 10 wks, 7 of which they were plaited for (it drove me crazy) I took out the plaites and literally got the bottom of the section, split it in 2 at the bottom, pulled it appart up to the top, put it back together split it in 2 again etc etc and did this for ages…then I rolled the section between my palms a few times ,did this with each section and did it all over again and again.
Making and creatin dreads is a long old process,those of u that have had them for a few months dont give up!! they wont look perfect. I started wen my hair was chin lenght (im female so to me lenght was important) 7yrs down the line they are at the bottom of my back (very almost)
good luck everyone, those who are starting them, those who are losing them… good luck all.
Hpoe some of this helps a few of you.xx
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sorry bout my terrible spellin last comment was trying to get it all down fast!!
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umm i had twists since like august..but i got lazy and didnt rlly finish the back till like october..so how long should i wait to wash them?my hair isnt dirty because when i go out i wear a hat so it doesnt get dirty..and i twist everyday and surprisingly i didnt need wax i jus washed my hair and startedtwisting and they stayed together,but now i’m getting wax for the back because the hair in the back is rlly soft(i have some indian in me) but what wax should i use?
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hey- i had my dreads for about two years, they were skinny and probably down to the middle of my back, i got a new job and had to take them out. they were farely easy to remove as long as you have a good comb, a bottle of conditioner, and a bunch of good movies. My hair is perfectly healthy after a couple hot oil treatments and some good shampoo and conditioner. the only difference is that i used to have strait hair, but now it is curly…..has anyone else experienced this?
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Hi, BiBi!!
There are dreadlock WIGS AND HAIR PIECES that you can buy at wig and beauty supply stores. There are even dreadlock extensions. If you wore a wig or something like that, you’d get a chance to wear them on a trial basis, and if you decide that it’s not for you, simply take the dread hair piece off. Then, you’re not stuck with a style that you don’t like. You can just resume your regular style. If you’ve really got nice hair, you need to realize that not being able to comb and brush your hair for a long period of time will make your hair weak and thin.I wouldn’t want to see you ruin a good grade of hair. I’m telling you right now, that your hair will NEVER be the same again– and, I am a living witness!! Just as an aside– people think that dreadlocks are low matainence– DON”T YOU BELIEVE IT!! Keeping dreads looking fresh and nice requiires CONSTANT care– twsiting and tightening, conditioning, etc. They are NOT easy to care for, and in the long run can ruin your hair.
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I have had locks for about 5 years now and they are very long. I have ran out of ways to sytle them. So now I want to get rid of them. I dont want to cut them off, but I dont know where to start. Everything that I have read seems to give me some idea but I have very thick hair. My beautician said she could put perm on it and take them out. Is this a good idea? please give me some feed back
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i’ve been thinking of getting dreads. I want to get the half inch ones. my hair is shoulder length. But my mom keeps bitchin. because my hair is fine, shiny, and straight. i really want to do it but if i ever change my mind like in a year or two will i be able to get them out with like minimal hair damage or without losing lenght? or quality?
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I DUNNO IF I WANNA REMOVE MY DREADS OR NOT AHHH SOMEONE HELP SHOULD I AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
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Hey dave, don’t get rid of your dreads man! Stay in there! ha ha, I know I am biased, because I truely love my dreads, but think about how much you had to do to your hair before you had your dreads, and think about how easy they are now! showering is really not that different, and you never have to deal with doing your hair when you wake up. To me, the biggest problem with having dreads is what other people think of you, but does that really matter in the long run? Not to me it doesnt, I want people to like me for who I am, not what I have on my head.
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Hell yeah Kayla! I hear you on all that!
and to re-emphasize what everyone else has said,
DO NOT GIVE UP…
dreads take time, love, and a lot of commitment!
Peace, Love and Jah Light
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Hello Bibi, and Catheye as well…
Several things that I think you might both want to know.
To many people, both who wear dreads and who don’t, Dreadlocks are a way of life, a way of becoming more natural, and a way of connecting with not only Jah Ras Tafari but also with their ancestors in Africa. Having dreads for white folks is often the same reason. I think that if you want dreads, the best thing you could ever do is commitment. If you think you want them but are not sure, don’t spend tons of money on a wig, and CERTAINLY do not get extensions. Rather, think about if it is what you really want.
Also, as Catheye said, Dreads will change your hair forever. Know this when you make your decision. Also, when you get dreads, it is important to realize that it is your decision, and no one else’s. No matter what people tell you, you have to know what you want, and you have to be willing to do it without caring what others think.
And, my dreads are extremely low maintenance. In fact, I rarely ever do anything to them other than wash and love them. I have had them for around a year now, and they are locking up nicely. Being white, blonde, and having thin hair, it will take some more time before they completely lock up, however, when they get there, I will know that my hair did that on it’s own, and I can be proud of that. Dreads are a commitment. Know that, and dont let anyone else tell you any differently. True, again as catheye said, if you want really really perfect dreads from day one, you will have to do a lot to them, but if you want natural dreads, solid dreads, and true dreads, then the hair will do it on it’s own.
I hope this helped, and Catheye, I didnt mean any harm to your comments, I just wanted to provide an alternate point of view…
Peace, Love and Jah light to you all
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Totally natural heather. It all depends on how you sectioned your hair, what happened that to that part of your head, etc… eventually, all will turn out knotted!
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There is no such thing as “true dreads”. It is a hairstyle. It is up to the individual to give the hairstyle additional meaning.
If you want to watch a how-to video and buy hair products to make dreads, that is your choice. If you want to do nothing and wait for your hair to lock slowly, that is fine too – both work and each provide different looks.
There isn’t only one path to locks man
peace
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