On like December 10th my wife started sectioning and backcombing my hair. After 4 days and about thirty hours of backcombing, my dreads were in. I blunted the tips--I know some people don't like it, but I think it looks better--which took about 8 to 10 hours. Well, a whole lot longer than that, because I had to redo a few I had done pretty janky. I didn't really know what the hell I was doing, but it seems that they are turning out fine. I have waxed a bit after washing, and I give em sea-salt showers, palm-rolling, and all that. Hope you take a look at my album and tell me what you think...the last two pics are obviously from the days when we were putting them in. NORML - "Fighting the good fight for good folks"
^^ I seriously hope they were dry! If you haven't already I'd have a look around about the wax issue, it won't help, but hey it's your choice. I'd also take out the elastics, if they are elastics, I can't see them properly. Again if you haven't already, have a read of the stickies and the other threads. I personally think wax sucks, especially if you're in it for the long run... Other than that it doesn't look like a bad start
eh, it's only been a month. Stop using wax and take out the elastics. They will lock up nicely over time.
Looks like you have a great start. Just avoid the wax as it can build up and trap gunk and make them kind of nasty. But it looks like they will lock up great. Just give them time and neglect and try not to rub too much to avoid breakage.
Lol, of course I make sure it is dry before I have ever waxed em. But I am glad you are looking out. I have looked into the wax issue. I have waxed probably 3-4 times in a month, only on clean dreads, using about 1/75th what they tell you to use on the box. Main motivations for wax are the dryness in the back where we dyed it red. Was kind of wondering what folks thought of the Jamaican Mango-Lime Gel (not the wax). If anyone has used it, it seems like it could help with my dryness issue in the back a little better than wax. I will post some follow ups when I get the rubberbands off. Hell half of the reason I have left them in is cause it is a b*tch to take em out, lol. Thanks NORML - "Fighting the good fight for good folks"
if you don't get them out now, they will get sucked into the dreads quickly and turn to goo that you will never be able to get out. The same can be said for wax. It's awful. There are much better alternatives to conditioning dry hair than using wax. It really doesn't belong in our hair. Ask anyone that has had locks over a year and they will agree that wax is worthless for real locks. good start. Get out the bands, and cut out the wax and you will golden.
Thanks for the tip on the coconut oil. Not only should it help with dryness which will let me chuck up the duce to the wax, but it also smells hella good. I was looking and the wax has a major coconut base, so it makes perfect sense.
after u get thre bands out agressively try toi get every trace of wax out its evil shot and nearly impossible to get out u shiould take extreme steps to make sure your as wax free as u can be the manmgo gel is crap mtoo conditioning locks safe products are pure 100% aloe gel (redfridgerated) acv (apple cidar vinagar...diluted) coconaut or cocoa butter in extreme cases or in mature dreads that can handle conditioning jojoba oil (can be cut with olive oil to make it last nlonger add andy scented oils u like (smnall ammounts) mix that oil with water to make it spread u can also heat it and apply less diluted for a deep conditioning hot oil treatment i find though that the deep cleanse usualy eliminates any need for conditioning
I spent this morning taking the rubberbands out. Underneath there was quite a bit of wax. And now that the dreads are starting to move more freely it looks like I have terrible dandruff, but it is all wax. Since it was under the rubberbands I couldnt see it. I dont have build up anywhere else. I blow dried it and used a towel to get some of the wax out. It helped. I am going to just focus on getting this crap out for a few days. Rubberbands did a good job at hiding wax. I am not overly concerned though. Now that the rubberbands are off and I rolled them out--to help center them and straighten them up--they look pretty good. I just need to get the wax build up out of the roots--lol. I thought I had escaped it. I thought wrong. haha.
4 times a month? That's extreme. If u REALLY want to use wax use it at most every half yr, 1 yr whatever. Since your dreads are so young, it was a waste of time to blunt the tips bcuz they will unfold pretty easy. Try and scrape the wax with your nails because if ur planning on keeping your dreads, you'll hate yourself in a year if you dont get it out.
I have pretty much cleaned most of it out at this point. And have shifted to a wax-free system. Like I had said, I was fortunate enough that I probably used used as much wax for all 70ish dreads that was recommended for one. Now that the bands are out and they have been cleaned and everything they dont have so much wax buildup near the roots. As for blunting the tips, lol. I Don't mind having to fix the random one every once in a while. I had a bunch of family come in for the holidays--like my grandmother who I hadnt seen in nearly a decade--so I had to make them as presentable as possible as quickly as possible to avoid an international incident with my moms and grandmoms. Most of the tips are holding pretty good at this point. Thanks to everyone for the tips and feedback btw.
