give me inspiration for natural locks!

hello everyone, this is my first post in the dreadlock forum.. and like my 4th total. ive been doing a lot of reading here lately, as i found this place when searching for dread info.

a little history, i had my first set of "dreads" about 3-4 years ago. i bought the dreadheadhq kit and thought i was well on my way to dreads. 6-8 months had passed and my locks did look nice.. but the heat of summer had set in and they were still short. they got cut. They were a waxy mess though, my face was breaking out, and my mom complained about my pillow covers. im glad now that i cut them, but wasnt happy back then. ive always missed them.

Here i am now. my hair has been growing since it was last cut short, i dont remember when that was. maybe last october? it is about 6 or 7 inches long. im ready for some locks now. ive commited mentally and this is a good time in my life to begin some.


This place has really helped persuade me to go the natural/ neglect method. I was honestly about to backcomb and wax my hair before i found this place.

After some research, here, online, and by asking a few dreadheads at the local coop, i settled on some Dr Bronners soap. (Lavender liquid, but i may go back for a tea tree bar for my hair, and use the lavender regularly on my body since it smells so good. Any recommendations on that?)

Ive never combed my hair, by my nature.. but i was using very conditioning shampoo regularly for the whole time my hair grew. 2 or 3 weeks ago i stopped washing with normal shampoo. i got some bronners a week or so ago when i really wanted to wash my hair, and im about to wash again for the second time. I have been palm rubbing my head/ hair lately, and i have started to see some real napping.


Now for my questions.. How much should i be doing this(clockwise rubbing), and is it really going to help? (as opposed to wool rubbing?)

i have seemed to notice the hair to naturally be forming or holding together in its natural areas, would it be wise to backcomb these a little to help its progress, or would it hurt it.. ?

and how long should i be rubbing for, will it start to tear apart the baby locks after a certain time?
How long before i should start seperating it?


And last but not least... How long before i start noticing some actual dread-like formations?

thanks for reading.
-ryan


(ps, i have fairly straight, but kind of curly hair, especially in the back. and my hair grows mediumly thick and fast.)

 

i know its a lot to read, i was kind of introducing myself a little, giving a bit of history or whatnot..



just skip down to the questions and help me out a little.. give me some encouragement.


thanks.

 

If I were you my friend I would simply wash your hair, towel dry, and throw on a hat of sorts. Your hair will lock,no matter what, unless you comb or use conditioner. Of course it's completely your decision, but if natural locks is what you seek, then you should simply go natural. My hair now is about 4 inches and my head is full of locks. And I did just what I described to you. And since your hair is longer it should be quicker for you than it was for me. Good luck and Cheers

 

I've been where you are man. I had dreadheadHQ dreads, so to speak. Summer came, they were sometimes great sometimes a waxy mess, so I cut them. Had a stint with a very big mohawk, and now have been growing my hair out for a little over a year. About 7-8 months ago I started washing with bronner's and never combed my hair.

As for your palm rolling questions, don't stress. Nature takes its course whether you try and force its hand or not. No one on here can give you a blanket answer about your hair and a time line, just relax and let it happen.

I can tell you that I have a few noticeable dreads forming and several other juvi's in the works as well. I was using bronner's peppermint, but when I switched to teatree I noticed a difference in the locking process, though that could just be a time related coincidence. Also, my hair is fine and straight. So don't despair, ANY kind of hair will lock up.

Just go with it. Soon enough you'll be where you want to be. It's a lesson in life: patience.

 

seperate em weekly at least
wouldnt over rub u really dont gotta at all
the wool hat would help alot
other then that sit back and enjoy the ride

ohh the bronners i used lavander on my bod tee trea on hair for awhile but just was cheaper to only use tea tree on everything

 

thanks for the replies.

i bought the lavender liking the smell.. now i want to wash my hair every day. i figure ill just use it for my body now.. and get a tea tree bar for the hair. are the bars any better for the hair?

and lastly, what about backcombing the little "pre-dreads" once i notice them holding together a little.. ? would that help them, or should i just chill out and let them lock themselves..

i live at the beach and despite the still-cold water, im about to go plunge in the saltwater today after work. i plan to swim there as much as possible this summer.

 

Good choice on going natural my friend! I went down the same road as you, backcombed/waxed first many years ago, now I'm going natural.

Any of the Dr. Bronner's soaps will work fine. Wash once or twice a week, whenever you feel like it. And a piece of advice: make sure to rinse ALL the soap out after washing...I was having a problem where I wasn't getting it all out and leaving my hair oily.

For rubbing and woolrubbing, you can do it if you want, but I wouldn't recommend ding it very much. Most dreads I have seen started that way tend to just be a huge mess and all stuck together. Just chill and your hair will section itself in the way it naturally wants to. Same goes for backcombing the beginning dreads, I don't think that would be a wise idea. Again, just chill and everything will be just fine.

It depends on your hair type how long you will start seeing dreads form. you said your hair is kind of curly and thick? you got some pics? Mine is pretty wavy and thick, and I started noticing knots forming in the tips after about 2-3 months. if you go swimming in the ocean, it DEFINITELY helps a lot. I noticed my hair was a lot more nappy after going in for a dip.

So good luck on the journey! Remember, it takes a lot of time a patience. Just leave your hair in the hands of mother nature and everything gonna be alright! It is the most natural thing you can do, so don't worry bout a thing.

 

well the only inspiration i can give you is that if you prefer fat locks, thats the way. I started mine with backombing and sewing them. But now i just rub them in my head and after five min. they have alredy braided and no water can destroy their tightness and they are becoming so much fatter than they used to be.

 

i didnt read this, but maybe if you go natural you wont get goo inside.

 

just be sure to seperate em often
both my sets were natural but the 1st i was clueless and thought neglect meant do nuthin at all and i ended up with 2 horns ontop and a pillow in the back

 

^heh, for real. The back can get kind of crazy if you're not careful.

 

:lol:

 

its odd. i dont know if they will all combine or not, but my hair seems to be staying in natural thin sections.. maybe these sections will join each other.. but they seem to all be hair that waves the same direction and just clump together.
i would really prefer to get many thinner locks than a few huge clumped ones. we will see what happens.

i dont know, i always feel like the few small tangles and "pre-dread" looking clumps are just going to fall out and ill be waiting 2 years before i get anything resembling a dreadlock.

 

not true, if you just keep an eye on them you will have locks faster than you think. I got dreads for almost 2 years now and half of my dreads are natural. Some of them i just rub in my head after i shower other like the fat ones on the back of my head i havent touched and they have formed perfectly, without any help of mine.

 

thanks for the encouragement.

going on 3-5 weeks now ? using bronners. never combed. hairs about 6-8 inches?

I have been "twisting and ripping" a few of the tangles, it seems to help them want to stay together and resemble a dread.. ive done 3-4 of those around my head and theyve held together almost a week now.. its just tightening the knots down towards the roots? good idea or bad idea?


-patience is definately what this will take.

 

sounds like your doin nicely
get youreself a wool tam

 

That sounds like it would be hot! it is almost summer here you know and i live in the south in the US. (Hot. and Humid)

 

Whereabouts are you located down here? too few dreadheads in this closeminded region

 

welcome to the bible belt. im not too far from you, the carolina coast.

 

which would be hotter youyr dreads in a tam or http://hipforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=303135
all that hangin all over ya like a fur coat

pluds the tam besides gettin it up off your neck helps it dread faster