My Dreadlock Journey

[lynnala]

I'm doing dreads! :happydance:I've wanted dreads for a long time but I always thought my hair was too fine and thin, but after researching I discovered that any hair can dread if done right. I'm going for skinny, tidy dreads
After much research, I decided on the "twist and rip" (http://www.dreadlockssite.com/page/twist-and-rip-method-dreading) method, which is not as horrible as it sounds. It's not as damaging as backcombing, and works better on fine hair like mine. I also decided to use this "locking gel" (http://www.knottyboy.com/shop/product/locksteady_tropical_tightening_gel/) after trying plain aloe gel, which didn't have enough hold for my hair. The gel is working great! Even after sleeping on it, my little baby dreads stay nice and tidy. I am starting with hair that is completely chemical free and natural. I've used nothing but shampoo bars and aloe gel on my hair for years now. It is naturally silver, soft, shiny and healthy.

I'm hoping that on this thread, while I am documenting my progress, other LHCers with dreads will share pics and stories and we can discuss maintenance, problems, goals, etc!

For those who don't know how dreads work, it takes months (and more months) for the dreads to "lock". The full process can take a couple of years. Here (http://people.howstuffworks.com/dreadlock.htm) is a very good article on how dreads work if you are interested.

Okay, and now pics!

Here is my starting hair: http://s7.postimg.org/vjjhgl697/hair_from_back.jpg (http://postimage.org/)
[/url]

And here are my first baby dreads, I love them already! July 3, 2014.
http://s7.postimg.org/ouhjebaaz/front.jpg (http://postimage.org/)
http://s7.postimg.org/9uklcq417/left_side.jpg (http://postimage.org/)
http://s7.postimg.org/4kfmlfjsb/right_side.jpg (http://postimage.org/app.php)
[url=http://postimage.org/]

[cathair]

If you upload them to http://postimage.org/ or another image sharing website, it will give you some code you can paste in here to show the images. Looking forward to seeing your pics :)

[lynnala]

If you upload them to http://postimage.org/ or another image sharing website, it will give you some code you can paste in here to show the images. Looking forward to seeing your pics :) Ah ha! I remember that now. Thank you!

[lapushka]

If it takes years (didn't know that), then it's awesome that the small dreads are already "taking" so fast. Hope your journey goes well, lots of luck (not such a fan of dreads myself).

[RapunzelKat]

Oh my, silver dreads sound awesome! And the little baby dreads are looking good! :thumbsup:

Hope you will keep posting pics! I love dreads on others, though I don't think they'd work on me.

[tigerlily.]

This is so exciting! I've always wanted dreads but I'm too scared to commit to it right now, I will definitely someday though! They're lovely with your hair colour, and very neat! Will you be updating this thread as you progress? I'd love to see how they take form and hear your personal experience!

I've always wanted to have dreads like this, I love the beads and the flower in the hair!
http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w634/lily-dinka/ScreenShot2014-07-06at005536_zps403473fc.png
(Image found at http://www.pinterest.com/explore/blonde-dreadlocks/ if this is against forum rules to repost this here, please let me know)

[lynnala]

If it takes years (didn't know that), then it's awesome that the small dreads are already "taking" so fast. Hope your journey goes well, lots of luck (not such a fan of dreads myself). They aren't actually "taking" fast, it's the gel I'm using that is holding them in place for now.


This is so exciting! I've always wanted dreads but I'm too scared to commit to it right now, I will definitely someday though! They're lovely with your hair colour, and very neat! Will you be updating this thread as you progress? I'd love to see how they take form and hear your personal experience!

I've always wanted to have dreads like this, I love the beads and the flower in the hair!
http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w634/lily-dinka/ScreenShot2014-07-06at005536_zps403473fc.png
(Image found at http://www.pinterest.com/explore/blonde-dreadlocks/ if this is against forum rules to repost this here, please let me know) I love that picture, I came across it many times when researching dreads. Yes I will update a lot! I plan to use this thread as a journal of sorts to document my progress. I'm taking a break from dreading right now in fact, and will take a pic of today's progress when I'm done.


Oh my, silver dreads sound awesome! And the little baby dreads are looking good! :thumbsup:

Hope you will keep posting pics! I love dreads on others, though I don't think they'd work on me. Thanks! And yes, I'll be posting lots of progress pics!

[cathair]

I'm glad you got your photos working :) It looks like you've made a great start. I think white dreads will look so striking ones they are done. I don't think I have ever seen them in real life!

[lynnala]

:laugh:
I'm glad you got your photos working :) It looks like you've made a great start. I think white dreads will look so striking ones they are done. I don't think I have ever seen them in real life! I don't think I've ever seen natural silver dreads either; most people who do dreads aren't as old as I am!:laugh:

[terryn]

Welcome to the dreadlock club! I hope everything turns out wonderfully! As a former dreadhead (2.5 years!) I am happy to share any experience you might find valuable or answer any questions!

My greatest resource was this livejournal community Get Up Dread Up (http://get-up-dread-up.livejournal.com/). The community is not very active these days, but the memories section is invaluable for everything from how-to's, to maintenance and even just lovely posts by users. It really is invaluable. This (http://get-up-dread-up.livejournal.com/7198060.html) was my last post to the community, and in it are links to all of the posts I made there during my time as a dreadhead. Or, for some more recent musings, I posted on this forum a while back as a reintroduction, you can read that here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=123943).

gosh! I had forgotten how excited I was the day I started my dreads! I couldn't wait for them to look like "real" dreads. Enjoy the ride!

[Undomiel]

I like your inspiration image... sort of looks like tiny braids. Your hair looks nice, good luck with the dreads :)

[Johannah]

I'm happy you like it! Good luck with your dreads!

[luluj]

I am so excited for you, lynnala! :cheer:

You have a good start, judging from your photos. Long silver dreads.....I think it is going to look awesome!

:popcorn:

[lynnala]

Thanks for the encouragement, and also thank you terryn for the info!

ETA:

I am so excited for you, lynnala! :cheer:

You have a good start, judging from your photos. Long silver dreads.....I think it is going to look awesome!

:popcorn: Hi Luluj! So nice to see you and be back on LHC. Thanks for the encouragement! I'm very excited about my new hair.

[luluj]

Hi Luluj! So nice to see you and be back on LHC. Thanks for the encouragement! I'm very excited about my new hair.

You are welcome, lynnala.

You have me quite intrigued, so much so that I googled long silver dreads. I found this page of images and was amazed at how gorgeous silver dreads are. I am sure you may be way ahead of me and already looked at these photos as they are quite inspiring indeed.

http://www.google.ca/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=photos+of+long+silver+dreadlocks&oe=UTF-8&gfe_rd=cr&hl=en&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ei=tmO5U_fTMo6kyATcvIGYDQ&ved=0CBMQsAQ

[Miasen]

Good luck on your way to what is going to be some superawesome dreads! I've always loved the look of dreads, particularly the skinnier type, like you are aiming for. Some part of me have always wanted to get them, but I don't think I could commit to it, so for now I'm just gonna look at pictures of those who do commit. :D

[cathair]

You are welcome, lynnala.

You have me quite intrigued, so much so that I googled long silver dreads. I found this page of images and was amazed at how gorgeous silver dreads are. I am sure you may be way ahead of me and already looked at these photos as they are quite inspiring indeed.

http://www.google.ca/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=photos+of+long+silver+dreadlocks&oe=UTF-8&gfe_rd=cr&hl=en&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ei=tmO5U_fTMo6kyATcvIGYDQ&ved=0CBMQsAQ

I think a high percentage of these are plastic extensions? I think the real thing is going to look even more stunning :)

[Nimia]

I so love that you are doing this. It makes me happy every time I see someone doing what they've longed to do, especially when it makes a dramatic visual statement. Go dreads!

[rags]

Welcome back, Lynalla! It's good to see you here again!

I can't wait to see how your dreads turn out! The baby ones look good already. It's a style I love the look of, yet would never do on myself (I couldn't handle the first phases of it. I'm pretty sure I'd go mad and shave my head. :p ). So I love seeing it on other people, who are possessed of this mysterious attribute called "patience". :p. I think your silvers are going to be gorgeous!

[lynnala]

You have me quite intrigued, so much so that I googled long silver dreads. I found this page of images and was amazed at how gorgeous silver dreads are. I am sure you may be way ahead of me and already looked at these photos as they are quite inspiring indeed.
I think I've now seen every dreadlock photo known to mankind! And yes, many of these were my inspiration.


Good luck on your way to what is going to be some superawesome dreads! I've always loved the look of dreads, particularly the skinnier type, like you are aiming for. Some part of me have always wanted to get them, but I don't think I could commit to it, so for now I'm just gonna look at pictures of those who do commit. :D Well I'll be providing you with plenty of pictures!


I think a high percentage of these are plastic extensions? I think the real thing is going to look even more stunning :) Yes, a lot of those dreads are extensions. Some of them are half and half, like this woman.http://weheartit.com/entry/20173038/via/imani_nooks I've seen her videos and her dreads are real down past her shoulders and then she has extensions. If you look closely you can see bumps where the extensions start. I plan on having real dreads all the way and growing them as long as they will grow. I've gotten my hair to below waist before, so I hope the dreads will grow that long too. Fortunately, my hair grows fairly rapidly.


I so love that you are doing this. It makes me happy every time I see someone doing what they've longed to do, especially when it makes a dramatic visual statement. Go dreads! :toast:


Welcome back, Lynalla! It's good to see you here again!

I can't wait to see how your dreads turn out! The baby ones look good already. It's a style I love the look of, yet would never do on myself (I couldn't handle the first phases of it. I'm pretty sure I'd go mad and shave my head. :p ). So I love seeing it on other people, who are possessed of this mysterious attribute called "patience". :p. I think your silvers are going to be gorgeous! Hi Rags! Great to be back and see my old hair buddies. Patience! Ha! I do have that attribute, probably from years of gardening. I am quite content to stick a seed in the ground, knowing that in 10 years or so I'll have a tree. I am going to enjoy the process of creating these dreads as much as the finished result. Plus I intend to keep them looking nice all along the way. Some people do the "neglect" method and just leave them be, but messy hair is one thing I can't stand for myself.

I have about half my head done right now, I hope to finish tonight. I'll post pics when I'm done.

[Cichelle]

Aw, good luck with your dreadlocks! Enjoy the journey. I had them for three years and miss them! I had pretty fat dreads, compared to what you are going for. I loved how easy it was to care for my hair. Never having to detangle or do much of anything besides wash them was heaven! I might start them again some day. I look forward to seeing your updates!

[lynnala]

Thanks Cichelle! Maybe I'll inspire you to have dreads again! :silly:

[Crumpet]

Oh, I'm looking forward to updates to this thread! Your starter dreads look great and I'm sure the whole head will be amazing.

I'm another one who has always wanted dreads but can't commit/can't be patient. Although, with more inspirational hair like yours, I may change my mind!

[truepeacenik]

Oohhhhh lynnlala, you reignited the itch for me.

With mid thigh hair, I'd likely have waist length dreading. Hmmmm....

[lynnala]

Crumpet and truepeacenik: :happydance: Yep, I had the itch and I just had to scratch it!

[Islandgrrl]

So cool, Lynnala! I'll be watching this thread for updates and I can't wait to see your progress!

[lynnala]

So cool, Lynnala! I'll be watching this thread for updates and I can't wait to see your progress! Hi Islandgrrl! So glad you'll be joining me on my great adventure!

ETA: Well, I didn't get the back of my head finished tonight after all. Tomorrow I'm going to wash my hair before I start up again, it's getting yucky. Funny, the recommended washing methods are BS/ACV or shampoo bars, which is all I've used on my hair for years already! Interested to see what happens; washing supposedly helps the locking process.

[Loviatar]

Oh how cool! I am so watching this thread. My brother has dreads and often he suggested I should get them. I think your baby dreads look fab. Best of luck on your journey!

[lynnala]

Thank you Loviatar!

[ooglipoo]

Are you able to do the back of your head by yourself, or must someone help you? I've often considered, but never gone so far as to research, tiny ones like you're getting. :flower:

[patienceneeded]

Very cool! Keep us updated with pics!

[lynnala]

Are you able to do the back of your head by yourself, or must someone help you? I've often considered, but never gone so far as to research, tiny ones like you're getting. :flower: I am doing them by myself, which is why it's taking so long. The hardest part is getting the sectioning to my liking. On the back of my head I grab a clump and then use mirrors to get it neat. Then the twisting, my arms get very tired and I have to rest them often. I hope to finish today!


Very cool! Keep us updated with pics! Before and after shampoo pics coming in a couple of hours...

ETA: I've left my ends unknotted simply because it was the easiest thing to do, I figured I'd deal with them later by weaving them in or cutting them. But now I'm noticing so many pictures of wispy ends on dreads, I'm glad I'm doing it this way! I guess here at LHC we'd call these dreaded fairy tale ends? :)

http://postimg.org/image/x65uck36b/

[Unicorn]

I love your baby dreads and the inspiration photos. I look forward to seeing you progress.

I have micro locs, known as Sisterlocks. I absolutely love them. I hope you enjoy the whole process as well as the results.

My signature shows a picture of my locs from this time last year.

Unicorn

[lynnala]

Oh Unicorn, your locs are gorgeous! What exactly are micro locs? Are they a sort of dread? I think it might be what a friend of mine has; hers started as twists and in three years the twists have locked.

[Unicorn]

Microlocs as in super tiny dreadlocks. The sections are 1cm squares and smaller. My signature shows 7 years of growth,

I've blogged about the process the link is in my signature. I used the latch hook method as my locs are too small for the twisting method.

Unicorn

[lynnala]

Microlocs as in super tiny dreadlocks. The sections are 1cm squares and smaller. My signature shows 7 years of growth,

I've blogged about the process the link is in my signature. I used the latch hook method as my locs are too small for the twisting method.

Unicorn Thanks! I'm going to read your blog thoroughly. I'm interested in the latch hook method; I've been reading about using a crochet hook to help tighten up loose hair.

[faellen]

Good luck on your journey! I'd love to have dreadlocks - maybe one day! Your baby dreads are cute :)

[lynnala]

Good luck on your journey! I'd love to have dreadlocks - maybe one day! Your baby dreads are cute :) Thanks! Cute, but now messy! It's going to be a looooong haul.

ETA: These pics are from yesterday, July 7, four days into the process. I still haven't finished with the dreads on the back of my head: after washing my hair, the first dreads came very loose. Now, this is normal in the dread process, but I realized that the gel I am using was giving me a false idea of how tight each dread was. So now I'm re-doing the dreads without the gel, and will add it afterwards to keep them looking neat. Since these pics, I've started re-doing the original dreads at the front.

Here is dried hair immediately after washing: http://s29.postimg.org/o6w5mmhvb/dry_right.jpg (http://postimage.org/) http://s29.postimg.org/xxthclgc7/left_dry.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

http://s29.postimg.org/qvvjqecqf/loops.jpg (http://postimage.org/) This looping effect is common in new dreads; one can choose to leave them (they eventually work their way into the dread on their own), or some people use a crochet hook to weave the loops back into the dread. This is something I am considering. For now, I have retwisted the dread without gel.

[RapunzelKat]

Looks like they're coming along nicely! :D

[lynnala]

Looks like they're coming along nicely! :D They are! I'm working on the back of my head today, it's hard work! My arms get really tired and sore. After this, I'm ready for :ale: !

[lynnala]

I have some new inspirational photos. I googled "older women with dreads" because, after all, I am an "older woman with dreads" now! I'm already discovering that keeping dreads neat and tidy at the beginning is near impossible unless I completely slather them with gel, and this apparently slows down the dreading process. There is also a crochet method wherein you use a crochet or latch hook to pull the unruly hairs into the dreads; while this makes the dreads look nice and neat it apparently can cause a lot of damage and tearing and my hair is so very fine and thin that I don't think it would be good for the long haul. The best advice seems to be to just leave them alone, mess and all. Plus, now that I've finished my whole head, I have LOTS of scalp showing through, as I knew I would and it's really, well, ugly. So instead of using the crochet hook on my hair, I used it to make a couple of hats to wear when I go out. If the scalp problem doesn't get better, I may have to only have dreads on the front of my head, but I'm going to give it a shot and see how it goes. DH is very supportive, thank goodness! Anyway, here are some images of older women with dreads that I think are spectacular. If I can grow mine long like this I will be one happy camper!
http://s30.postimg.org/6o9xku81t/beautiful_dreads.jpg
http://s30.postimg.org/4me1kbzgh/beautiful_dreads2.jpg
http://s30.postimg.org/ycwkscv29/beautiful_dreads_3.jpg

ETA: Here are a couple of shots showing my creative use of the crochet hook to hide bare scalp! :knit:
http://s28.postimg.org/k0rj06g25/IMG_3020.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

http://s28.postimg.org/fg5cl8wct/IMG_3023.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

[Adiro]

Wow! Your hair dreads AND your new hat look awesome!
I wanted dreads in my younger years, but I always got scared by their "permanency" ( there is no way back, right?)
You look.amazing and so happy and radiant!
Ps probably when you get a bit of new growth the scalp showing will lessen. But until then, use SPF or the hat continuously! Scalp skin burns very fast in the sun!

[lynnala]

Wow! Your hair dreads AND your new hat look awesome!
I wanted dreads in my younger years, but I always got scared by their "permanency" ( there is no way back, right?)
You look.amazing and so happy and radiant!
Ps probably when you get a bit of new growth the scalp showing will lessen. But until then, use SPF or the hat continuously! Scalp skin burns very fast in the sun! Thanks Adiro! Apparently you can comb out even well established dreads with lots of time and conditioner. I'm not worried about that because I don't mind chopping my hair off if I change my mind somewhere down the line, it grows pretty fast. And I hope that you are right about the new growth, that's what I'm hoping for too. We'll see. It's quite the adventure!

[lynnala]

Here is a shot a photographer friend took of me and my cat Birdy. I'm loving my dreads! I am taking some apart and re-sectioning here and there plus experimenting with crocheting some of them. My plan is to take monthly pics to track progress, so August pic up soon!
http://s21.postimg.org/c2to35ivb/lynne_bird.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

[elsieivy]

They look wonderful! I can't wait to see your August pictures. My sister had dreads for about two years and was able (with a lot of work) to take them out when she decided she wanted a change.

[lynnala]

Thanks elsieivy! Yes, you can take dreads out with a lot of conditioner and patience.

[ravenheather]

They look great. Coming along quickly too. I think they really suit you.

[hannabiss]

I always wanted dreads but want to wait till my hair is longer. I love the sister locks idea also. Time to sit and think bout hair.

[Nellon]

Hi! Just wanted to say dreads are awesome (though I never had themmyself). A friend of mine has grey/silver waist long dreads and she's one of the most beautiful women I know! Just some encouragement :) Glad your DH is supportive!

[Kome]

I've been tempted to do dreads for a long time, but I don't know.. my hair is your length now cause I cut it all off. I worry it'll make it too short.

[metztlie]

Ohw your dreadies are so cute.
And your hat is awesome :applause

On the permanent thingy, I used 6 bottles of cheapy conditioner (and 3 days) to get mij 5 month olds out.
And my hair did not have to much damage.
One day, when I have the money to pay some one to maintain them, I might start again.
I ended up with one big dread at the back of my head, so I took them out

And seeing yours lets me know I'll never be to old :p

(ps: over time it'll get fluffy on top and you'll show less scalp. And you'll get used to the fluffyness too ;) )

[lynnala]

Here are my first monthly update pics. I am very happy with my progress. I ended up doing a gentle crochet process because the dreads kept coming loose. That took me a couple of weeks. The thin spots in my hair still bug me, but they are starting to fill in. My hair is wet here so you're not seeing how frizzy and fluffy it is when dry. Now I just have to let the little dreadies do their thing!
http://s13.postimg.org/phzxbjkaf/back.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

http://s13.postimg.org/jsjor8e47/front.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

http://s13.postimg.org/7tcrxnxx3/side.jpg (http://postimage.org/)


post images (http://postimage.org/)

[RapunzelKat]

They look awesome, lynnala! They're a really nice thickness and I'm just loving the color!
Happy continued growing! :happydance:

ETA: Cute kitty, too :rolling:

[lynnala]

They look awesome, lynnala! They're a really nice thickness and I'm just loving the color!
Happy continued growing! :happydance:

ETA: Cute kitty, too :rolling:Thanks! I wouldn't say they look awesome yet, but I think they will eventually!

[Islandgrrl]

Awesome progress, Lynnala!

[fiðrildi]

They really suit you :) I've always loved dreads, but dreads on white hair are even cooler! Your monthly update looks amazing (and I love the cat in your avatar!)

[sally_neuf]

I love how they are coming along!! I think they are going to look fantastic :) keep posting!

[Unicorn]

I'm amazed at the progress in such a short time. They're looking great I'll be keeping an eye on his thread.

Unicorn

[truepeacenik]

Hmm... I can't get enabled...
http://bohofien.tumblr.com/post/34773270114

[lynnala]

Hmm... I can't get enabled...
http://bohofien.tumblr.com/post/34773270114 Wow, thanks for that pic! That's what I hope mine look like years from now, except skinnier.

And thanks for all the comments everyone! I'm really enjoying sharing my journey with you all. (the kitty in my avatar is the same guy I'm holding in my sig pic. He's a bit more dignified now. He wishes I would take that other one down but I'm not about to!)

[Crumpet]

The dreads really look great on you. They're really cute now and will only get more beautiful from here on out.

Also, I love your hair colour and your kitty!

[lynnala]

Here's my two month update pic! Not much new to report, the dreads are dreading up, lots of loose hair that I am slowly crocheting into the dreads. They are thickening up nicely!
http://s10.postimg.org/ub24izcax/2_months_1.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

[browneyedsusan]

Nice job with those! They suit you! :)

[Crumpet]

They look great! I'm enjoying watching your progress!

[Knifegill]

Love this thread!

[BrendaLoan]

The dreadlocks are looking great!! Specially with your hair color (gorgeous). I'll be following this thread :popcorn:

[Anje]

Oooh, I think I like how they're going!

(Disclaimer: I generally don't care for dreads until they're a couple years old. I probably wouldn't be willing to wait through the ~3 years of not-mature-enough dreads to get them myself, even though I think they're pretty cool after that.)

[ErinLeigh]

They really suit you :) I've always loved dreads, but dreads on white hair are even cooler! Your monthly update looks amazing (and I love the cat in your avatar!)

Ditto everything :)

[lynnala]

Thank you everyone! I'll post a pic when I've done more crocheting and they aren't so wild!

[Loviatar]

Oh my, I love those! I wish I had the patience for dreads (and my work would find them acceptable)

[lunasea]

Simply awesome!

[lynnala]

Three month update! Bad picture, I've got to get DH to take a better one. I added short extensions made out of DH's hair from his last haircut. His hair is much darker than mine so I now have 2-tone dreads! My hair has become an art project for me, I love it. I now see pics of myself before dreads and my hair just seems sooooooo boring! I'm so glad I did this. Plus my ponytail has gone from dime size to giant size. I've had very skinny hair all my life and it is a lot of fun to have so much hair.
http://s23.postimg.org/62p5ie1cr/3_months_1.jpg (http://postimage.org/)
adult image upload (http://postimage.org/)

[Nebulae]

That looks so cool! I like the two tone on you :D some day I might have the courage to get dreads.. I always liked the look!

[Tootsie]

Love, love, love!! Can't wait for more updates.

[tokugawa.miyako]

Those do look good on you! On the campus near where I live, there are a lot of hippie types and I have seen some very unfortunate dreads. ><
Congrats to you though! I hope it continues to go well. :)

[rascayu]

I'm doing dreads! :happydance:I've wanted dreads for a long time but I always thought my hair was too fine and thin, but after researching I discovered that any hair can dread if done right. I'm going for skinny, tidy dreads
After much research, I decided on the "twist and rip" (http://www.dreadlockssite.com/page/twist-and-rip-method-dreading) method, which is not as horrible as it sounds. It's not as damaging as backcombing, and works better on fine hair like mine. I also decided to use this "locking gel" (http://www.knottyboy.com/shop/product/locksteady_tropical_tightening_gel/) after trying plain aloe gel, which didn't have enough hold for my hair. The gel is working great! Even after sleeping on it, my little baby dreads stay nice and tidy. I am starting with hair that is completely chemical free and natural. I've used nothing but shampoo bars and aloe gel on my hair for years now. It is naturally silver, soft, shiny and healthy.

I'm hoping that on this thread, while I am documenting my progress, other LHCers with dreads will share pics and stories and we can discuss maintenance, problems, goals, etc!

For those who don't know how dreads work, it takes months (and more months) for the dreads to "lock". The full process can take a couple of years. Here (http://people.howstuffworks.com/dreadlock.htm) is a very good article on how dreads work if you are interested.

Okay, and now pics!

Here is my starting hair: http://s7.postimg.org/vjjhgl697/hair_from_back.jpg (http://postimage.org/)
[/url]

And here are my first baby dreads, I love them already! July 3, 2014.
http://s7.postimg.org/ouhjebaaz/front.jpg (http://postimage.org/)
http://s7.postimg.org/9uklcq417/left_side.jpg (http://postimage.org/)
http://s7.postimg.org/4kfmlfjsb/right_side.jpg (http://postimage.org/app.php)
[url=http://postimage.org/]

Thank you for sharing this:cool: information with us

[Majorane]

Your dreadproject is wicked! I REALLY like the two-toned hubbyhair dread addition. Elegant! Romantic! Cool!

A co-worker of mine of about your age got dreads almost a year ago. She bleached her BSL+ length a yellowish platinum and then had them dreaded by a professional, but without wax or perm liquid. I've re-dreaded her regrowth about 6 times now, so I'm her dreadupkeeper and I get to see all the different stages from fresh dread to thick, cool, felty tight dread. They just keep getting prettier and prettier by the month! The first half year was the hardest because her caucasian hair just kept unraveling but now they really are taking and she has this amazing almost waist lenght whispy yellow dreads. It's a look I really like, especially on people over 45! It's.... well. Really awesome.

You rock them dreads, you're awesome!

[GetMeToWaist]

Three month update! Bad picture, I've got to get DH to take a better one. I added short extensions made out of DH's hair from his last haircut. His hair is much darker than mine so I now have 2-tone dreads! My hair has become an art project for me, I love it. I now see pics of myself before dreads and my hair just seems sooooooo boring! I'm so glad I did this. Plus my ponytail has gone from dime size to giant size. I've had very skinny hair all my life and it is a lot of fun to have so much hair.
http://s23.postimg.org/62p5ie1cr/3_months_1.jpg (http://postimage.org/)
adult image upload (http://postimage.org/)

SO beautiful and edgy!

[TheBlondieDream]

I love your baby dreads! <3 can't wait to see your next update!

[bekstamonkey]

Oooh yay, dreads make me happy. Haven't had locks for years now...this was my last pic taken with them. I do miss them (just not in aussie summer heheh) especially the difference in pony diameter you mention (my hair STILL feels ridiculously thin in comparison)! Your locks are looking great, nice work...! :D
http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o594/bekstamonkey/Other/dreadsbyebye_zps615b46bf.jpg (http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/bekstamonkey/media/Other/dreadsbyebye_zps615b46bf.jpg.html)

[Vaas]

So awesome!

[Unicorn]

I haven't been on LHC for a little while so I've just seen your extensions. I absolutely love them! What a brilliant idea. Your dreads just look better and better each time I see them. I've never seen such small locs on European hair - really lovely. You'll be able to so many styles as they get longer, which would be difficult to impossible if you started out with thick hair.

Unicorn

[lynnala]

Thank you everyone for your comments! I am REALLY digging my dread journey! Back at the end of the month with my four month update!

[NitaB]

Wow! It's great to see a nice set of dreads here. Mine are currently only a few months old as well.

How often are you crocheting?

[serin blackwood]

Your dread art project is really making me smile ... wonderful! Can I ask how you add extensions to the bottom? It's a great look and using Hubby's hair is brilliant (:

[lynnala]

Wow! It's great to see a nice set of dreads here. Mine are currently only a few months old as well.

How often are you crocheting? I was crocheting quite a bit for the first two months, but not the same dreads over and over. Every night I would crochet loose hairs in. I'm not using the hook at all now, I'm letting the loose hairs do what they want. I rather like the look of long dreads with some loose hairs mixed in. But I think the loose hairs might join the dreads naturally; I just realized that my roots are dreading themselves, which is nice. I'd love to see a picture of your new dreadies!


Your dread art project is really making me smile ... wonderful! Can I ask how you add extensions to the bottom? It's a great look and using Hubby's hair is brilliant (:I used a crochet hook to make dreads out of his hair, and then used the hook to crochet them onto my hair. You have to use a very tiny crochet hook, 0.60. He's now growing out his hair for me so I can make more extensions! I had to use raw wool on a few because I ran out of his hair. ;)

[Clarkie]

I love the two tone look! And may I say you do NOT look your age. I think the dreads take years off you. ;)

[lynnala]

I love the two tone look! And may I say you do NOT look your age. I think the dreads take years off you. ;)Thank you! I think so too. :toast:

[lynnala]

I neglected to post these; this is my four month update! The dark parts are my husbands hair and some black raw wool, it worked pretty well. My husband loves the messy ponytail! Next update for 5 months will be with the wild lavender and blue extensions I'm installing!
http://s30.postimg.org/iv8hocqu9/4_months.jpg (http://postimage.org/)
http://s13.postimg.org/u2ytudbd3/4_months_with_ponytail.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

[lynnala]

In fact, here is a preview of the extensions.
http://s1.postimg.org/glxt4rnen/extensions.jpg (http://postimage.org/)
http://s28.postimg.org/ev4dhqpa5/dread_rings.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

[yahirwaO.o]

I always thought that dreads on super straight hair were imposssible.... but you proved me wrong.... It lookk so awesome on you!!!!

[lynnala]

I always thought that dreads on super straight hair were imposssible.... but you proved me wrong.... It lookk so awesome on you!!!!Nope! I found out that any hair can dread, in fact, my slippery skinny hair is dreading really fast! Who knew? And thank you!

[ashke50]

They look beautiful! I love that you have added in your husband's hair as well.

[Annalouise]

I was a reggae groupy for years in my youth. Sigh. I did think that dreadlocks were 'cool' but now I gotta say that I like hair that is well cared for.
To me dreadlocks are a violence to the hair. Nuns shave their heads as a violence to the hair because they are renouncing worldly life. So too Nazarenes dreaded their hair as a sign of renunciation for the world.

So I see shaved heads and dreads as the same thing: a violence to the hair. A sign that a person is deliberately "neglecting" a part of their body as a 'sign' of their renunciation of worldly things.

But, in my spiritual journey I prefer to take care of oneself, and one's body, rather than to do violence to it. There are saints that did violence to their bodies. But I'm not a saint. I think its better to love oneself as God loves us than to neglect or deliberately damage ourselves or a part of our body. This is where I diverge from the Rastafarian philosophy or a monastic philosophy that cuts off the hair.

[winship2]

These are great! I'm so glad you made the decision to have the hair you want, and I'm looking forward to seeing the lavender extensions!

[Beckstar]

The blue and lavender look so colorful and fun!

[elsieivy]

It looks great! The lavender extensions are beautiful

[missblueeyes]

This is so cool! I can't wait to read further updates! You suit dreads super well and I love the different tones you're adding to them. :)

[lynnala]

7 month dread update! I've had the purple extensions in for a couple of months now, and so glad I did because it makes the messy stuff on top bearable! My real hair is dreading nicely, I do need to do some maintenance to neaten things up a bit; one of these days....
http://s16.postimg.org/fkbl2dyx1/2_8_15.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

[MarlieJane]

They look so great! Wowza!!!

[moontree]

Your dreads are beautiful! I've been following this thread for a while now and it's fantastic to see how things are going. The purple is so harmonious with your natural color too :)

[lynnala]

They look so great! Wowza!!!


Your dreads are beautiful! I've been following this thread for a while now and it's fantastic to see how things are going. The purple is so harmonious with your natural color too :)Thanks MarlieJane and moontree; I love them!

[Avis]

Wow! Your dreads are looking cool. Thanks for the update. :)

[TaterTot]

I love the extensions, those are a great idea.

[Upside Down]

I just saw this thread for the first time. The dreads look ridiculously good on you, and it was so much fun to see all the progress pics! You make me want dreads and silver hair :lol:
Thank you for sharing, and please keep updating with pics! Love it!

[Blueyedfall]

Lynnala your dreads look awesome! I especially love the color variations in your extensions. I will now be living the "dread life" vicariously through your pics! Thanks for the updates on your process.

[lynnala]

Thanks you guys! I am enjoying my dreads immensely. They've become sort of an art project!

[Crumpet]

I love the purple ends. What a great idea to do those as you work on your dreads!

[raemarthe]

Your dreads are lovely, I love the colors!

[DeadlyUnicorn]

They are so gorgeous! :D They really suit you!

[Alaska98]

Wow! I have serious hair envy here! They look awesome!

[Miasen]

I love it! It looks great with the purple against the silver, super pretty. :D

[brickworld13]

Oh these are looking amazing! I've been lurking here hoping that it would work out for you, and it has.

[girlcat36]

Wow, Lynnala, I love your dreads!!!!

[lynnala]

Thank you everyone! Hi girlcat! I just looked you up the other day; wow your silver hair is GORGEOUS!!!

[lynnala]

My dreads are 1 year old! I cut off the purple extensions last month, they did their job of getting me through the "painful" months well. Since hair shrinks while dreading, my hair is now just about as long as it was when I first started. I love love love my hair now. It's exactly as I envisioned it would be when I first started. I only have this one selfie from the front, will post some better pics soon.
http://s30.postimg.org/og1sfqa8h/1_year.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

[ravenheather]

I think they look great on you. Congrats on getting just what you wanted. Waiting to see more pics.

[Aderyn]

They look great, lynnala and thanks for updating! :)

[proo]

Darling on you -
gonna be wicked cute as they grown longer.

[Crumpet]

Ooh, I love this thread. They look great! I can't wait to see more pictures.

[lunalocks]

Believe it or not, I was thinking about you yesterday and wondering when we would see more dread pics! So cool. So glad you are happy!

[lynnala]

Thanks all! I'm glad you are sharing my journey with me.

[browneyedsusan]

So sassy! I love them!

:popcorn: waits patiently for more pictures. :)

[lynnala]

17 months! Just got a trim today to neaten them up.

http://s8.postimg.org/ufg1cq2ad/Thanksgiving_2015.jpg (http://postimage.org/)
http://s11.postimg.org/jr0938fkj/thanksgiving_2015_2.png (http://postimage.org/)

[Entangled]

How does one trim dreadlocks?

[Arete]

I love thinner dreads. The purple was so fun too

[lapis_lazuli]

So pretty! I love the colour too!

[papayatree]

I love those dreads lynnala They are so gorgeous they make me want to :thud:

[Theophany]

They're beautiful lynnala! Makes me want to really jump in & just get mine

[lunasea]

Awesome dreads!!!!

[lynnala]

How does one trim dreadlocks? You just cut them! Many people don't cut their dreads, but I like the blunt cut look.

[lynnala]

I love thinner dreads. The purple was so fun too I liked the purple too; I just had the extensions on to get through the first year.


So pretty! I love the colour too! Thank you lapis!


I love those dreads lynnala They are so gorgeous they make me want to :thud: Thank you papayatree!


They're beautiful lynnala! Makes me want to really jump in & just get mine Thank you Theophany! Have you had dreads before?


Awesome dreads!!!! Thank you lunasea!

[Miasen]

I just love your dreads, they suit you so well! :D