Getting dreadlocks!

[chainedangel]

So, as a child there were two things I wanted to do with my hair while I had the chance.

1) looong, healthy, untreated, natural, etc. hair.

2) dreadlocks/locs

So, here I am, 31 yrs old and I've decided that it is time for me to get my hair loc'd

How do I know it's time? Well, I had one major requirement before getting locs. My locs had to be longish. Like shoulder length at least. but the longer the better. And with my hair being butt-length or so, i think it'll work.

Also, I have slowly tapered off from treating my hair well so it will "look pretty". I went from daily combing, with various washing/treatment methods, and weekly s&d... to weekly or bi-weekly combing, washing when it "feels off" (weekly?) and no s&d (though if i wanted pretty hair i'd be s&d at least weekly). And it has already started (but barely) to loc up on it's own.

So, having my hair the required (by me) length and obviously not feeling the whole standard longhair thing anymore, I've come to the conclusion that it is time for change.

Anybody else here have dreadlocks?

[redneckprincess]

cool i cant wait to see pictures

[GlassEyes]

Kwanisiam would be the best person to talk to.

Also, I'd get them loc'ed rather than letting them dread, but that's because I prefer the thinner ones. She's had and gotten rid of dreds in the time that she's been here, so she's a good person to talk to.

[jahof45]

I can't wait to see photos either! I love dreadlocs!

[Beldaran]

I know MadPirateBippy also had dreads at one point, so she may have tips for you as well.

I'm envious, I like dreads but will probably never have real ones.

[enfys]

Dreads are awesome looking, but I'd say definately make them on purpose because they look a lot neater and nicer. They can be very pretty.

[Jessikinz]

I have always wanted dreads myself, they look awesome.

[AmyJorgensen]

I'd agree to go to a professional for a nice even look. IMO it would look more kempt than just letting them dread on their own.

[melrose1985]

So cool! I love the way they look!

Not to hijack the thread- i have been wanting to get one done behind my ear. How do you do it or where can i get one done?

[DarkChocolate]

How does one put their hair in dreadlocks?

What does getting loc'ed mean?

[Rentlle]

I always wanted Dreads too!!!
I think it's really beautiful :love:
I think it's a good idea to let them be made by a professional, so they look nice and don't loose in time. :)

[Xandergrammy]

I'm very interested in hearing about this process and seeing pictures. I'll never have them myself but I think they can be quite lovely.

[Brownie]

I love dreadlocks, but my mom says that I can move out immediately if I turn my hair into dreads :D I think it would look flattering on me and it would suit my attitude. Sadly, my mom would kill me, she loves "normal", silky manes.

There's a nice site about dreadlocks: Dread Head HQ (http://www.dreadheadhq.com/)

[GlassEyes]

How does one put their hair in dreadlocks?

What does getting loc'ed mean?
Loc'ed is a shortened form of 'locked', which happens in the process of locking, i.e., the making of dreadlocks.

There's a few ways to form dreadlocks. Hair, if left alone and not combed for a long time, will form them by themselves. However, there are other ways (some involving wax--which seems to be discouraged in some circles) to create them in different shapes and/or sizes. I'm not actually sure how they're formed WITHOUT the wax--probably with some other sort of bonding--but you can look onine for the processes.

[Copasetic]

I don't have them, but a lot of my friends have dreads!
Are you planning to use the "neglect" method to get dreads, or are you going to have them done? Either way, be sure to post some pics once you are an official dread-head :D

[rach]

i don't know much about dreadlocks but i got the impression you help/encourage them to twist and matt together till they hold. don't know
would like to see pics!!!!

[Fencai]

You can also get a "dread-perm" which would help you out. It might not make them perfectly even, but you would get a more uniform result instead of the "clumpy" looking ones.

but like the others... I want pics!!!

I too plan to have dreads some day. I usually do dread extensions on myself and friends, but I want them permanent!!! Some day!

[Quixii]

Honestly, I'm not overly fond of dreadlocks. But to each his own.

There was a girl I knew who got dreads and she manages to pull it off nicely. :) Good luck!

[chainedangel]

I've already unintentionally started w/ the neglect method (not combing/brushing/otherwise detangling) but will likely end up doing it myself with the help of a friend or 2 using the backcombing method.

I'll be taking lots of pics before, during and after I'm sure. I can't wait!

[MuzicalH3rb]

So cool! I love the way they look!

Not to hijack the thread- i have been wanting to get one done behind my ear. How do you do it or where can i get one done?


It will be a big pain in the butt because all of your other hair surrounding that dread will want to dread to it. You will be ripping your hair out of the dread in the shower, and it will turn into a huge mess. (knots, breakage, damage) That's why it's normally either one or the other.

[Chrissy]

The only drawback to dreds is if you no longer want them don't you have to cut them out, hence leaving you with very short hair? I'm not sure but that's what I've heard. I love your hair the way it is but it is your hair so I hope you enjoy them.

[Themyst]

There is a guy around town here that has classic length dreads and they look cool. I don't want them personally, but I do think they look good on some other people.

[Fencai]

depending on how long you've had them, combined with how much patience you have, you can get them out with hoards and loads and tons of conditioner and gentle combing.

[rhubarbarin]

I think they can look great but I do prefer the thinner, neater, often professionally done ones..

Good luck and post pics!

[ZadenWillowfyre]

I've had dreads in the past and will get them again when I am done finished growing. My plan is to grow to terminal...keep that for a bit...then cut some to donate...then dreads here I come! If you need any advice or anything fell free to ask!

[free_hug]

Well, you should definitely avoid the neglect method. You might get scary huge chunks of mess, instead of cool looking dreads :P I've seen many examples.

So your hair is very long to begin with, you'd better find either a friend who knows all the methods and has a day to start dreadding your hair, or a professional.

Also, i know many people find dreads cool, and i used to be quite fond of them at a time (and the whole careless vagabond lifestyle the sort of suggest), but still, you'll exchange a headful of hair for a mass of rather rigid locks sticked together. (Nothing like running your fingers through it... hmmmm)
If you get bored with them, you'll have to cut either the whole thing or at least most of it. Then years to grow it back ot its present state... I think the two weeks rule apply for your case as well.

[feralnature]

I had dreadlocks "put in". They were too thin and if I did it again, I would use the neglect method. I much prefer natural dreads now after the fact. I joined a dreadlock forum after I went to a loctician and had my dreads put in (by sectioning, backcombing and waxing. I was devastated with the wax/petroleum jelly based stuff that she used as I knew that was a no-no but I did not know she was doing it).

Anyway, the loctician made them too small and I hated that so i joined them up together and let them form in groups of 3 or so to make them fatter. I liked that size better and they did join up to make fatter dreads. I would still have my dreads if it was not so hot where I live that my hair has to be washed often. In cool climates dreads would work better.

The dreadlock forum I was a member of had so many pics of natural verses manmade dreads that I was sorry mine were not natural (also called "organic"). It took 11 hours to have mine put in and all I would have had to do was (A)stop brushing my hair and (B)stop using conditioner.

[eternallyverdan]

That's awesome! I've never done anything more courageous than cornrows, but it's a lot of fun to to just go wild and have a completely different look. I'd love to see some pictures once you're fully dreaded.

[VanillaTresses]

I had a friend that tried the "neglect" method (she had about waist length hair) and she ended up with something more like a polish plait (all one big dread) rather than individual dreads. After that happened she ended up cutting her hair into a bob. Just fyi!

I saw a woman with classic length, awesome dreads at the zoo one day and I was so in awe. It made me want to get dreads! I am a big fan and I wish you the very best of luck in your endeavor. :flower:

[lora410]

I forget her name but someone here on LHC got dreadlocks. After awhile once she didn't want them anymore she tried unlocking them. Her hair got so damaged she had to chop to shoulder. I don't recall if she regretted them or not but she would be the best to ask for advice her name was kwaniese or something like that. Maybe she will pop on by.

[FallenAngel]

The only drawback to dreds is if you no longer want them don't you have to cut them out, hence leaving you with very short hair? I'm not sure but that's what I've heard.

Not entirely true. My friend combed hers out with a needle!! Took her more than a week, and she is VERY patient. Her hair went from BSL to almost waist! (and she found... things... in her hair *shudders*)

I LOVE dreads, and if it wasn't for my greys I would have it myself.

And about getting them done or just let them form themselves. It depends on what kind of hair you have what the results will be. I tried to "get" dreads when I was younger with the same method my friends used, but my hair is so "slippery" nothing happened. I got two little dreads in my neck after trying for a looong time. It was not for me, and if I would get them now I would go to a salon. (Need the extensions as well) I think that the natural dreads looks better than the made ones in "hair like mine" (as in not african - have no idea what to call it to be PC. Sorry.)

Good luck with the dreads and please show us the result when you have them done!

[kwaniesiam]

I had dreadlocks for about 4 months. I wish I had been able to give them more time, but they weren't coming out how I had hoped and I was constantly being pressured from my parents to cut them out. I'll post pics of my process in the next post. Someday I want them again, and there are a few things I'd do differently now that I know better.


So, as a child there were two things I wanted to do with my hair while I had the chance.

1) looong, healthy, untreated, natural, etc. hair.

2) dreadlocks/locs

So, here I am, 31 yrs old and I've decided that it is time for me to get my hair loc'd

How do I know it's time? Well, I had one major requirement before getting locs. My locs had to be longish. Like shoulder length at least. but the longer the better. And with my hair being butt-length or so, i think it'll work.


Honestly, shorter hair is better. Short locks grow in to long, beautiful, tight ones with time. Having long, loose ones that are not wanting to lock up very well just cause problems. Mine was waist length when I backcombed it in to dreads.That was one of the main problems I had with mine. The longer your hair is, the harder it is to get it to lock up, and the messier they will be in the process. The roots of mine were not staying separated, and were growing out in to one matted mass. I recommend starting them at shoulder length at the longest, or you will quickly end up with a matted mess that does not form uniform locks.

Also be prepared to have your hair look awful by normal standards for a while. People stare at you, make unfair generalizations, etc. I've been called a pothead and homeless before, plus accused of wanting to be black. I have no idea why people are so rude, but just be prepared it is something you will face from others regardless if you do not care what they think, they'll still force their opinions at you.


Also, I have slowly tapered off from treating my hair well so it will "look pretty". I went from daily combing, with various washing/treatment methods, and weekly s&d... to weekly or bi-weekly combing, washing when it "feels off" (weekly?) and no s&d (though if i wanted pretty hair i'd be s&d at least weekly). And it has already started (but barely) to loc up on it's own.

So, having my hair the required (by me) length and obviously not feeling the whole standard longhair thing anymore, I've come to the conclusion that it is time for change.

Anybody else here have dreadlocks?

Are you going natural, by just letting your hair mat up on its own or were you planning to section it off and backcomb it in to locks? The biggest tip I can give you is NO WAX. The various companies that sell dreadlock products are generally full of crap. Waxing your hair will make candles, not dreadlocks, and hinder the locking process in the long run. Dr. Bonner's soap is a great washing method, I used the peppermint myself. It helped calm itchies from going a week or more without washing and was residue free, so it left no gunk in my dreads.

Make sure you really want to take the pluge, and I highly recommend backcombing if you aren't against it. Especially with your hair type, it will be extremely difficult to maintain natural locks at the length you have. HTH and PM me if you have any other questions!

[camirra555]

I used to have dreads for two years. I took them out a year and a half ago...yup you read right, I took them out. :) I cut off about 5inches from the bottom and soaked the rest in a very slippery conditioner. It took two days and some help from friends but I got them out. A lot of people say they can't be removed but I knew a girl in high school who had them and one year after summer break she came back to school with bsl length undreaded hair. I asked her how she did it and she said lots of conditioner and detangler. I miss mine terribly. If I had the patience I'd do it again. I might do it at some point in the future.

When I dreaded my hair I was in university so it was more acceptable for me to walk around with hats all the time or messy hair. Now I'm in the "real world" so I'd be hesitant to do something so extreme to my appearance until I'm well established. I got mine started by a friend. She twisted with beeswax however beeswax is horrible for your hair. I eventually found a loctician who used natural products and methods. She would "thread" my locs (basically wrap thread around the dreads to keeps it neat) and this worked very well. After just over a year my hair began to look really good and dread like and then I didn't need the thread any more so it wa sonly a matter of twisting the roots.

[kwaniesiam]

Pics, my timeline. I have an album with more shots in there as well.

Before:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/KyanAdiel/LHC%20and%20BME/DSCN8524.jpg

Immediately after:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/KyanAdiel/LHC%20and%20BME/DSCN8537.jpg

1 week:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/KyanAdiel/LHC%20and%20BME/dreadlocks005.jpg

1 month:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/KyanAdiel/LHC%20and%20BME/DSCN8564.jpg

3 months:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/KyanAdiel/LHC%20and%20BME/DSCN8567.jpg

Then I had to comb them out and cut. I cut about half the locks, then combed out. After getting my hair evened up it was short and layered just above shoulder length. I think my hair is a bit too thin for it to really work well on me as well, unfortunately :(

[DreamsOfEmerald]

I don't but i was at work the other day and this guy came past with the most amazing dreadlocks ever!!! they were past his knees!!!

[FallenAngel]

Good thing with dreads is that you don't loose hair... it goes on forever, if you know what I mean.

We have a guy in town with superlong dreads (and he is really gorgeous as well). The look neat and clean and he works as a optician!

[may1em]

I love the way dreads look on other people. Intricate buns and braids are too fun to me, so I wouldn't get them myself.

Listen to others who have had them - that will get you the best results.

[Roseate]

I always envy folks with beautiful dreads; there are quite a few heads of TBL dreads around here, which are so impressive. They look great down, and the huge, ropey updos are fabulous!

I wouldn't wear them myself, though; I am mostly white, and I've never seen a head of dreads on a white person that I really loved. I've seen plenty that were just fine, but the really gorgeous ones are always crowning heads with a bit more African descent than me.

Good luck with your cool new hair! And show us pictures!

[Xandergrammy]

I saw a guy with amazing classic length dreads at a rest stop on the NJ turnpike last month. He was moving too fast, or would have complimented him.

[Blueglass]

I love small neat dreads on African type hair. I can recall a fellow student who had beautiful dreads a little past mid-back and very full. In my opinion she, and her dreads, looked fantastic.

I also recall a white pale skinned, pale blonde with very full hair. Because of her full hair, her dreads looked great, but, in my opinion, the style just looked odd on her.

Just make sure you really want them for yourself. I would say the smaller the better, as you will have to watch out for mold.

[Igor]

I envy you!
So good that you are doing something you want to try! :rockerdud

Actually I wanted to get dreadlocks before I shaved my head but it was too expensive for me to get them done :(
I wish I had tried it!

[brok3nwings]

Oh i really appreciate the small ones but i think having some kind of variation is also very nice. I like on others, i woudnt be able to do that to my hair without a huge heart breaking. Everytime i hear my hair pulling somehow i just cant help feeling bad about it :P

[zombi]

I love dreads! I too want long(ish) ones, so when I reach a good lng length I'll be deciding if I want to dread it up or leave it loose. Good luck, babe!

Messy, natural dreads are just as beautiful as backcombed/rolled/rip and twist/whatever, just in a different way. So if you like your natural ones, don't feel like they HAVE to be neat!

Have you looked at the get_up_dread_up community on livejournal? I suggest it!

[camirra555]

I love small neat dreads on African type hair. I can recall a fellow student who had beautiful dreads a little past mid-back and very full. In my opinion she, and her dreads, looked fantastic.

I also recall a white pale skinned, pale blonde with very full hair. Because of her full hair, her dreads looked great, but, in my opinion, the style just looked odd on her.

Just make sure you really want them for yourself. I would say the smaller the better, as you will have to watch out for mold.

There are ways of avoiding mold. The reason dreads have get such a bad rap for being dirty and stinky is because of beeswax. The loctician I went to was a pro, she had dreads herself and had been doing her job for about 25 years. As I said before she used all natural products and threading unless someone begged her to use beeswax and brought it themself. She said the smell and mold came from using beeswax because the beeswax would trap the water molecules in the dreads causing mildew, mold and bad smells. I had dreads for two years and the only time I used wax was the first day I got them put in before I met my loctician and knew any better. I can guarantee that my dreads were never stinky. They were washed regularly and when I took them out I sure didn't find any mold in them. I

If you can find a way around the wax then that is your best bet:) Good luck!

[LKayL]

That will look really nice on your long dark hair. I can't wait to see pictures.

[Beldaran]

Man I have *got* to stop reading this thread. I cannot show up to my final year of nursing school with dreads. (I wouldn't get kicked out, but with the job market like it is, I need to network, and I can't have the prejudice of something like that working against me)

[Fethenwen]

Awesome! You would surely suit well in dreads, hope it works out fine in your long hair and that it wont destroy it.

I was on a open air forest festival last week, and at least half of the people out there had dreads :) I was in awe! Some people had like long dreads to their knees.
I really would love to have dreads, how about having just one dreadlock for starters?

[bte]

It is your decision, but the only thing you will have to think about is that it if you change your mind, it's not easy to go back to "conventional" long hair of that length. I have seen both locs and dreadlocks of that length which look realy good, so good luck, whatever your decision.

[pdy2kn6]

i saw a guy in sydney with dreads, one was an old white man and his dreads where floor length. I actually saw him twice, luckily the second time i was able to sneak a pic:

[moderation: streetshots are not permitted on TLHC, please only post images that have proper permissions granted]

Also theres a guy in my anthropology course with waist length blond dreadlocks, they look great, and a real conversation starter!!

[Fractalsofhair]

You can comb out dreads, though I've never had them. I have combed out back combing(Wild ones, not the ones done for volume, but a more "goth" or w/e style), and I know with dreads, you don't shed hair, so you will appear to loose a lot of hair when you comb it out. You will need to use tons of conditioner, for sure! You will lose length if you have dreads past your terminal length, since they do hold shed hair(which is why many people of African descent find it easiest to grow VERY long hair with dreads, since they don't have to worry as much about breakage, since the broken off hair is still there, and you aren't combing them all that often and such. ) With combing out back combing, it is hard, and you have to be gentle. I presume the same is the case with dreads, but just a lot harder. The natural ones seem to look best on people with naturally curly hair, since that's the pattern it forms. I had a camp friend with backcombed dreads, and she didn't wash the dreads themselves, but did wash her scalp and tried not to wet the dreads. The biggest damage that comes from back combing is improper removal(It is knotting your hair on purpose!), so if you don't want dreads, do remember that it does take a lot of time and to be VERY gentle.

[cutenappygrl]

I am glad that I came across this thread. For a few days I had been thinking about getting locks. So it's good to see someone else is doing the same thing. I still can't decide between free form ones or small, neat salon ones. Salon ones are more expensive so I would have to save up to get them.

[Drynwhyl]

chainedangel, I advise you to continue with the neglect method (don't brush at all, but wash often), and when they get nicely formed, you can always get them "repaired" to get a neater look. And don't forget to occasionally separate the strands so you don't end up with a huge matted mess on your head. ;)
With your hair type, you should get pretty, well formed locs in just a few months. Good luck!

[Quahatundightu]

My previous flatmate has some awesome dreads, waist length and bright red :) She also taught me how to make dreads so I have put a few in other people's hair now! The first one I put into my Austrian friend's hair like a year ago (she just wanted one) and I was surprised that when she came back to Europe and I met up with her again after so long, she still had the dread I gave her, looking nice too!

Anyway good luck :) Can't wait to see your pics, I love dreads ^^

[naomimcc]

I've had dreads in the past and will get them again when I am done finished growing. My plan is to grow to terminal...keep that for a bit...then cut some to donate...then dreads here I come! If you need any advice or anything fell free to ask!

Donate? To where? Please please please don't say Locks of Love....:(

[adiapalic]

can't wait to see photos!

[sconey]

I had dreads for about 5 years. They were put in by a hairdresser using rip & twist and backcombing so were nice and even but also quite natural.

They took a LOT of looking after to keep them neat and clean and nice, much more time consuming than non-dreaded hair (for me at least!). I really didn't want to look dirty or be smelly! I used products from Knottyboy which are all natural because I was really aware of product buildup when the hair wasn't being shed. (I particularly recommend the peppermint cooling scalp spray mmm!)

I used to get a lot of compliments on my dreads, and regularly had people come up to me in the street asking about them and often asking if they could touch them!! I was always a bit surprised at the attention but I guess I have always had 'normal' hair. I'm sure most people here get attention all the time because all your hair is so long and pretty!

Unfortunately I had to make the decision to get rid my dreads when they were just past APL because they were so thick I was getting neck pain from how heavy they were :(

I ended up having to cut off only about 4 inches and with a lot of conditioner and patience I combed the rest out. I went to the hairdresser to get everything evened up and he couldn't believe I had just combed out dreads so my hair must be quite resilient!

I loved the experience of dreads, but would only recommend it if you can handle the time and effort of looking after them and not being able to truly massage or itch your scalp or run your fingers through your hair! Also, I found that people do tend to make assumptions about some other lifestyle choices that stereotypically go along with having dreads which makes for some interesting conversations with strangers....!

Like everyone else I would LOVE to see photos if/when your hair is dreaded! They will be so long and pretty!

[Jemoiselle]

i saw a guy in sydney with dreads, one was an old white man and his dreads where floor length. I actually saw him twice, luckily the second time i was able to sneak a pic:

[moderation: streetshots are not permitted on TLHC, please only post images that have proper permissions granted]

Also theres a guy in my anthropology course with waist length blond dreadlocks, they look great, and a real conversation starter!!

Ha! The person on the far left has the same idea! :cheese:

[nowxisxforever]

Ha! The person on the far left has the same idea! :cheese:

Hahaha that's hilarious.

I wonder if she thought positive or negative though?

[bte]

I have just come across this image on Flickr - anyone want five metres (16 feet) of dreads?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fredcan/534522350/

[LaFlor]

I had dreads a few years ago. If you decide you don't like the look of them you can still take them out for up to a year I believe. I ended up taking mine out so that I could start job hunting, my hair was the most beautiful it's ever been after I took them out... I guess because I only washed once a week with a gentle shampoo and loaded them full of hemp all the time. It was so shiny and healthy. But I went back to my normal S & C routine everyday and it totally dried it back out. There is plenty of information on dreading your own hair, but I would recommend looking for a professional. There are some salons that focus on dreading... they are usually gothic/hardcore style salons. Expensive but worth it.

[earthymamawitch]

kawniesiam, I love your dreads when you had them! Also what color were you using on your hair at the time? its a gorgeous color.

I'm from Pgh as well :)

Jenn


Pics, my timeline. I have an album with more shots in there as well.

Before:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/KyanAdiel/LHC%20and%20BME/DSCN8524.jpg

Immediately after:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/KyanAdiel/LHC%20and%20BME/DSCN8537.jpg

1 week:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/KyanAdiel/LHC%20and%20BME/dreadlocks005.jpg

1 month:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/KyanAdiel/LHC%20and%20BME/DSCN8564.jpg

3 months:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/KyanAdiel/LHC%20and%20BME/DSCN8567.jpg

Then I had to comb them out and cut. I cut about half the locks, then combed out. After getting my hair evened up it was short and layered just above shoulder length. I think my hair is a bit too thin for it to really work well on me as well, unfortunately :(

[aada]

i had dreads for a few months (my mother took the opportunity when i was in the hospital to uh...comb them out. i went from iii to i that week....thanks ma.)

i loved them! i am debating whether i want them again when my hair is longer.

my friend sectioned my hair, backcombed and palmrolled. no wax. i would suggest not using wax at all if you can, because it does have adverse side effects (can prevent hair from loc'ing, makes it sticky and much more likely to get dirty, possibility of mold, etc). SLS-free shampoos are always awesome for dreads, and tea tree oil spray is HEAVEN. HEAVEN i say! (cuts down on the itchies. wonderful wonderful...haha)

the neglect method works well if you are willing to rip the dreads apart to keep from having one big ol natty dread. i personally prefer cultivated locs, myself.

[star13]

The only drawback to dreds is if you no longer want them don't you have to cut them out, hence leaving you with very short hair? I'm not sure but that's what I've heard. I love your hair the way it is but it is your hair so I hope you enjoy them.


That isn't true, many people have combed out their locs with a little time and diligence.
Cutting them is not the only option.

[ale]

I love dreads too, and I must say they can be really awesome.
Some days ago I came across this pic and thought it was fabulous:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64449313@N00/3439294586/

[Green Elf]

I have 3 dreadlocks :) I made them by myself a few months ago with backcompbing and a crochet hook.
I prefer the natural-ones (neglect mrthod), but to me it would be impossible to get (having to comb and condition the rest of my head...)
I'm here for any question if you need it ;)

[Tangerine]

I love dreadlocks but I am not brave enough to have them myself .. I also think I'd be too lazy with the upkeep of them by the sound of it.

I'll be interested to see how you get on. :)

[bigevilgrape]

I love dreads but I don't have the self confidence to go for it. It really wouldn't fly at my job either. I have been thinking about making some wool dreads for fun :)

[Xandergrammy]

I love dreads too, and I must say they can be really awesome.
Some days ago I came across this pic and thought it was fabulous:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64449313@N00/3439294586/



Wow!!! Thanks for posting that link, ale. I think those are the most beautiful dreads I've ever seen. :inlove:

[twolunarspring]

I have one baby dread... I put it in a few months ago by backcombing and tying off with a tiny elastic band. It's tightened up beautifully now, and from now on I'm just leaving it to do it's thing. I don't want any others, but if I did, I would put them in/get a friend to help put them in by the same method - I think they'll be more special if you've done them yourself :)

I have a lot of friends with dreads (damn hippies! :D) and the one thing they all agree on is that the biggest setback when on a dreadlock journey is expecting them to be the way you want them straight away - they won't be, and that's part of the process and you'll be happier if you embrace it!

[.Amanaka.]

I love dreads. Unfortunately, I have been told that they would be a bad idea (for me) for various reasons.

I know someone else reccomended this, but I want to say it again: visit the GUDU on Livejournal. (get_up_dread_up.livejournal.com) Take some time to read the memories and go over some of the posts. I love going there and looking at all the awesome hair.

[truepeacenik]

So cool! I love the way they look!

Not to hijack the thread- i have been wanting to get one done behind my ear. How do you do it or where can i get one done?
Do it yourself. I had a cluster for a long time.
section the hair, back comb a pit and then "rip" which is splitting the rat of hair, pulling the ends away, pushing the ratting up the strands.
split a different way and repeat until it all locks. The dread will be loose and fluffy, so I would put a bead on it to anchor the size.
be aware that they will try to claim surrounding hair.
rip daily until it is well locked.

when washing, keep the lock out of the way during any moisturizing treatments for at least six months.