Well im new to this whole forum thing and definetly new to the locks so im hoping to get some answers to some of my questions. I got my hair backcombed about a week ago and wish i found this site before i did that so i could go all natural but ohwell. My question is what do i do with my tips? there thin,long,skinny and pointy. And also after i washed my hair for the first time some of the 'locks' got really thin. Thinner then a pencil to give u an idea. Is there anything i can do to ensure thick dreads because i dont want thin ones not that theres anything wrong with them. Should i palm roll my hair or just leave them be? As for washing. eventually I want to was my hair every other day but am afraid that everthing will fall apart. So do i wash once a week or every third day or what? I heard that u should wear a stocking over your head when u wash them for the first month or so is this true or can i wash 'normally'. any advice and tips are greatly appreciated and thanks for taking the time to read this
my tips are pretty ragged and stuff from draggin on the ground id say if u feel u need to do something do it..if not just lket it be ya can wash as much as u want but once a week seems to be best never heard of washin with a stocking..lol that seems weird but might be an interesting experiment..lol
just wash em once a week or so and let them be they will be really loose and fall apart but will do their own thing and get tight eventually. just dont use wax. my tips are still all loose hair but ive had them for almost 2 years. i just let them go wild.
washing every day when they're brand new makes them fall apart a lot more. I can't speak like an expert as i've only been dealing with mine for a few weeks....but i can tell you what has worked best for me thus far is a spray bottle with about a cup, cup and a half of water mixed with about 1/3 cup sea salt and the juice of 1 huge lemon. i spray it on my hair once or twice a day and let it dry. (dont wash it out) i've been washing my hair about every 4-5 days at the most. The lemon helps alleviate any itchiness and it dries the fuck out of it. I also rub any kind of natural wool on my head before bed (i rhyme also hehe) to tighten the roots and i sleep on a fleece pillow. Aside from that i don't palm roll or use wax or anything, it's awesome just letting them do their own thing. They all have their own character and that's what makes them ~*MINE*~ oooh and you must know that they're going to get loose and small & scraggly before they really tighten up and get their groove on. Mine are getting skinnier and skinnier by the day.......i was told that in a couple of months they'll probably be half the size they were when i started. ahh, im sorry i write novels.....it's just...eeeeeee im so excited to share dreading experiences with newbies. makes me feel less alone
whew, I'm not alone. My tightest ones are getting TINY! And they were really thick and poofy when I started. A little smaller than a pencil. also some of the back fell after my first washing...I didn't re-backcomb it. Letting it do its own thing. It's matting up pretty well. As for washing, yeah I'd only actually wash it every three days or so. The stocking/pantyhose hat is actually a good idea. I just cut off a section of the leg, tied it at one end, put it on like a hat and pushed my hair up into it. I get in the shower, scrub with my Dr. Bronners making sure to get all of the roots. Then I let as much rinse out as possible, do whatever other business I have in the shower, and take the cap off and rinse my bare dreads for a good five or more minutes in really hot water. I try and support the ends with my hands to prevent detangling, though I don't know that this actually makes any difference. I like to blast some ice cold water over my head just before I step out of the shower. I dont' know if hair has pores, but I imagine this'd tighten them...plus it feels good. I also roll my tips. I grab an inch or so from the tip between two fingers (like you'd hold a cigarette) palm down, and rub the tip around on my other palm really quickly like a mortar and pestle. it'll flare out and start to knot. then I palm roll the knot so that it looks nice. This falls out of course, when you shower or pull your hair back or whatever, but it falls out a little less every time. Just a lot of patience. Your dreads'll look awesome..and I'm hoping to God mine start fattening up soon! I feel you on that, it's disappointing. I want thick pretty locks NOW!
I was having the same problem, then I ran into a friend of mine over the weekend last week & she had dreads! Her husband has had them forever & she decided to take the journey about a yr ago. She showed me this little trick... take a lock, twist it all up (taught, but not so that it starts to kink), take the end of the lock and split it into 2 pieces and pull them apart (like you were pulling your shoelaces tight, slowly), repeat twisting and pulling. These nice & PHAT knots started to form. Now, I do NOT recommend doing this on a daily or even a every other daily basis because it seems to break some hair... but my ends are staying together better and I'm not loosing as many of my knotted up parts when I wash. This has also turned my little, skinny dreads into fatter dreads. Using aloe has really helped with keeping my hair nice and not brittle/dry.
thank you everyone for responding. I found everything very helpful. Now all i have to do is get a gient lemon and try to stay pacient. Im gunna get a camera so i can post some pics of progress if the camera doesnt break after taking the pic
