So I'm in a bigger city now and I walked into a black person salon that does dreads and asked about maintenance, you know, out of curiosity. My locks are over two years old and fairly long. The lady was really snotty and said if I wanted her to do them over for me it would cost 200 dollars. I went into one across the street and they were much nicer but said maintenance would cost 185 plus tax. Seems like alot doesn't it? I bascially put my locks in and left em. I don't do anything to them other than wash em and rpipem apart occasionally. Now I love love love my locks, but they are kinda messy. They're frizzy and theres lumps and bumps allover the place. I don't know why, but lately I've been wanting to neaten them up a bit, maybe its the girly girl in me. Anyone know how I can make em more uniform and less frizzy without scissors or the high high cost of going to a salon or wax? I'm thinkin I'm prolly stuck with em as they are. I'll be swimming in the ocean lots soon, I'm sure tha'll help. Am I just being silly wanting my dreads to be more refined looking?
Why do you want uniform dreads? It's the imperfections that make your dreads uniquely yours. That's just my humble opinion. I'm sure that your dreads look beautiful the way that they are. If you want them to be less frizzy, try using aloe vera on them to smooth them out. I've heard that it works, but never tried it on my own dreads. Personally, I could find better use of $200 than on my hair, but that's just me. The aloe vera is much cheaper too! Peace and love
yea exactly what hippychick said dread maintanance is just keepin em seperated so they dont grow into 1 dread..lol thats all ya need i've seen ya..your dreads look great all id do is use alittle aloe now and then leave em be ya look beautiful
Thanks guys. I've really only ever gotten compliments on them. But us Canadaians are a pretty polite bunch. Those pics in my gallery are really old. I should update them at some point. I dunno, I'll be in Thailand soon, where maintenance- and everything else-is much much cheaper. I feel a bit like I've been kinda brainwashed by naturalists. Like, I think its probably OK to get some mainteace done as long as there is no wax involved. These are people that know dreads, you know. I still think its silly to get them done originally in a salon. But I certainly wouldn't look down at anyone that did. Eagle I look at your beautiful locks and they aren't all lumpy and bumpy like mine are. Yes, I admit I get dread envy sometimes. There are people out ther with nice, neat dreadies that didn't get them done in a salon, but I'm not one of em. I realize that dreads are like wine and get better with time., people tell me they'll smooth out, but I've had some of these lumps for a long long time and can't really see them going away. Theres places where theyre extremely tight and places where they're too loose. I know its silly but I want pretty dreads. As an artist and a very visual person I like to have fun with my appearance and believe it reflects my inner beauty, and f course my inner feakyness. I love dreads because I don't have to tell people I'm a freak, they just know. They aren't going to have weird expectations of me, and will either accept me as I am or not associate with me. Sorry I'm ranting. The ladiies at the first salon made me feel kind of insecure about my locks and overall appearance. Unfortunately for me the insecuriteis about my appearance seem to be the last part of societal brainwashing to go, for me.
I can't imagine what sort of maintence they could do. How would she redo your dreads? You can't comb out 2 year old dreads. I'm very sure salons use wax (or other nasty stuff) that you don't want in your dreads. At best she would somehow get the dreads out and backcomb/twist them over? That just puts you back at the beginning. You could start over, if that's what you want, but you'd have no guarantee that they'd look any different than they do now.
Honey, you and your dreads ARE pretty. Just the way that you are. The people at the first salon wanted to make you feel like shit to get your money. That's all. They're sales people trying to get you to buy their product that you don't need. You are beautiful the way that you and your dreads are. Just post some pics up on this thread and everyone will agree. You and your natural dreads are perfect already! Peace and love
i agree with hippychick as usual ..and gotta tell ya my dreads, like all dreads got lumps n bumps and lil weirdnesses and love every 1 of em 1 of my beard dreads has a big ol lump from where i tried 'maintainancce' on a spot that was gettin thin and lookin like it would break if u went to this salon..and paid em 200 i can almost guarantee the resilts would have ya in tears but plz..post some pics of your beautiful locks and i know folks here could give ya alot better tips for maintanance then any salon
well, i think you should do what you want. what i'd do to mine if i wanted them to neaten up a bit (they are 6 years old and very very messy!) is i'd take one of those sharp tiny pointy scissors, the kind people use to cut cuticles, and have someone 'neaten' them for you. cut off all the stringy extra hairs that have locked in. just trim em up a bit. be who you wanna be lady! don't matter to no one but you!
Well, I agree with Eagle and hippiechick, that naturals are beautiful. Who gives a damn what some bitchy salon employees think, anyway? I also think you should do what you want/what makes you comfortable. But CUTTING loose hairs out is the absolute LAST thing I would recommend! If anything, do some saltwater soaks, have a friend palmroll and apply a little aloe. Another useful thing, if you want to go all out, would be to get a teeny tiny crochet hook and have a friend integrate some of your fly-aways into existing dreads with it. But I would NEVER tell someone to apply scissors to their dreads - I've never seen that end in anything other that tears! Love your dreadies for what they are, and who they make you. They exist for you, not anyone else. That's the important thing.
eh, i think cutting the small loose hairs is fine. no need for debate, but if there are lots of flyaways (mine have many - my hair is very very straight) then it's a way to keep the locks neater. no amount of aloe will make my hair neater. but i also keep the flyaways, don't cut them. but i can't see why that'd be a problem, using a scissor way too small to cut off a lock or anything. maintenence is maintenence - anything you go out of your way to do is that...it's not like your cutting off your lock. how is crocheting your locks any better? it seems as though people are pretty low maintenence here; i would imagine crocheting to be very time consuming (although i suppose so would trimming). whatever. i'm sure people will have problems with using scissors, but i still say it's an easy way to have a neater look.
I agree with what hummblebee and soaringeagle said... natural is the only way for dreads. I would suggest palm rolling the lumpy parts. My old mans 15 year old dreads still have lumps and bumps and tons of flyaways and they are so much more of him than anything else.
wow his are same age as mine i'd love to see em, since havent found anyone elce on here over...i think 8 years except me...wait no...jailbate i think maybe has longer, but who can understand him sometimes..lol
