so heres a question...im not really sure how dumb it is.

so, ive been toying with the idea of getting dreads for years now.
here a few thoughts on them, and some questions.
it would be great to get some answeres and maybe some opinions/comments on them
1. so my hair is like, pretty long, a bit past my nipples, which is pretty neat, i love being one of the few guys around with long hair, its fantastic. but if i got dreads how much short would my hair be? im guessing maybe collarbone legnthish...
2. alot of dreads just look well......not to put it harshly, shitty. there big and thick and chunky and frizzy.... not good. but them poeples are like awesome, there all evenly sized, not frizzy and long and thin. i think i would get like a shit ton of them and have really long thin ones, but then again, my hair is pretty freakin thick, so having a bunch of long thin ones may not be to possiable.
3. one thing that really bothers me about dreads is there lack of movement. like you see some of these dreads out there, and the things just dont more, they stick out and wont swish around like normal hair does, they just dont move around alot, like on the middles and ends like normal hair does. maybe having long thin ones would eliminate that problem but im not sure.
4. i dont know i would like them or not, and i know you can take them out, its just a major pain in the ass. whats the best way to dread your hair if you think you may end up taking them out in the next year? im guess wax probably wont be good, and i would defintly use the backcombing method i think.

so i guess those are my main thoughts/concerns about dreads.
any opinions/advice/answers on those?
thanks!

 

1 your hair will shrink to about 1/3
2dreads naturaluy are all sizes thin to thick uoiu can rip them to be thin or allow they to combine to be thick
most pppl who backcomb tryu making them thick
as for size vs length.. i had 250 thin dreads to the floor and beyond talk about movement they tangle in everything everywhere im now allowing them to combine just cause 250 is alot to keep track of..
hair that dont move alot is probly stiff with wax

wax definately would be bad
but i have to ask
why dp you want dreads if you think theres so many things you dont like about them

 

if you're not sure you'd like what it's like having dreads, do your hair up in a bunch of little braids, and leave them in for a week or so. that'll let you see what it's kinda like to have dreads. it'll also give you an idea of how thick or thin you want to separate them for your dreads, esp. if you backcomb.

your hair will shrink a LOT when you dread up. mine shrank by 50 percent. but it WILL grow again. and its REALLY nice to only have to wash it once a week, and never worry about what it looks like.

just don't use wax. if you backcomb, fine. backcomb once, and leave it alone, just rip them apart once in a while when they want to combine. wash once a week or so with residue free shampoo (a cheap daily clairfying will work just fine) and don't use conditioner. in no time you will have awesome locks! and most of the time, if you REALLY want to comb them out, doing a super condition and using olive oil or whatever will help you comb them out if you want to in the first year. after that it gets way harder and you lose most of the hair. but it can be done.

 

Poor happy bunny.

 

hehe, wrong thread.

 

awww, he's just popping in for a little snack. just in the bag, stealin the saladz!

 

you may find that dreads change you and your opinion of what looks cool. When I first got my hair backcombed, I was all freaked out with the desire to have perfectly uniform 'flawless' dreads. I've since quit palmrolling and attempting to force them to develop in any particular way. The messier look may 'grow' on you, no pun intended.

 

seriusly once ya get dresads the craziest ones u got tend to be your favorites
wether its the biggest flattest lumpiest whatever the most unusual dread on your head becomes the 1 u love the most

 

1) my hair was past my nipples by almost an inch, and now its just past my shoulders. but i have veryyy thin straight hair.
2) if u are going to backcomb and u want thin dreads all that u need to do is make the sections smaller, maybe 1/2 inch sections instead of 1 inch sections.
i have 39 dreads and my sections were 1 inch; half the size, double the quantity.
3) like everyone said, wax = lack of movement. dont use wax and they flow freely.
4) really backcombing would be (in my opinion) the best way to go if ur ganna shave your head eventually anyhow.


if u dont think you would like having dreads, its probably a good idea to stay away from them.

 

1. depends, but I do think the longer and finer the hair... the more it will shrink. My guess is your hair might shrink to about shoulder length, maybe a bit less since you're saying it's thick.

2. if you want perfect dreads be prepared to do a LOT of maintenance, especially in the beginning. If you want them all the same exact size then you'll need to 1st section perfectly and then backcomb, crochet, whatever. Natural dreads can end up relatively the same size, especially if they are kept separated... but obviously there will be some more variety and will not look "perfect" from your perspective.

3. well yeah, it's not long flowy hair. Thinner dreads will definitely have more flexibility than thicker, but still... not nearly the same. I actually LOVE that my dreads are more rigid as I feel like they're so much easier to style and play with... and mine are thin btw.

4. your hair will become damaged and need a major trim no matter what. The damage will occur during initial backcombing (since that's the method you're leaning towards) and during the process of taking them back out. The actual time AS dreads is not what damages the hair. Dreaded hair actually stays "healthier," longer since combing hair (along with blow drying, etc.) is what most damages and breaks hair. This is why folk with dreads can grow their hair longer than folk without dreads... it's all compacted and bound like rope so it's MUCH stronger.

 

there some things that i dont like, but then you look at some peoples and your just like blown away by how amazing they are. ive always liked them, i spend alot of time in boulder co ( i live like ten minutes south of it) and you see alot of amazing dreads there. i guess i just mentioned the negative thoughts i had about them, but i defintitly think that there are a ton of positive things about them as well.
so thats why!

 

Yeah I agree with what was said earlier; the messier more natural look may appeal to you more a while after starting your dreads. And yeah sometimes the crazy lumpy bastards are your favs I first wanted perfectly uniform locs but after a while just learned to love em for what they are, unique. maybe everyone's dreads grow out the way you really want em deep down

 

Yeah when I started my dread journey, I too wanted them nice and neat, never perfect, but well maintained with round blunt tips, etc. But not 8 months into the ordeal, I wouldn't dare maintenance my hair with a comb, crochet hook, or needle. I love the natural look and think in the long run give a much better look. You opinion could change over time like mine did.

If you want dreads, just go for it.

 

i love it how ignorant people turn out to be after seeing me roll. xD

basically, you just have one thing on your mind, "if you dont like it, fuck off!, i dont like either, IN THE VERY FIRST PLACE."

 

when i started allowing my hair to dread, the length was about 4 or 5 inches past my 'nipples' and it's been 4 months (today wooohooo) and the ends of the dreads dont even touch my shoulders.

 

oh yeah and p.s. you can not predict how your dreads will look they might end up thick and chunky and frizzy