please help.

my name is hannah and i am new to this group =]
and i have a few questions.

i just turned 16 and have decided to start the lovely journey of dreadlocks.
i couldnt be more happier with my decision.
i have decided not to use wax and i am going to backomb and throw it up in a tam.
my hair is board straight, so i was wodering if anyone has any suggestions on how to make it dread easier?

i was also wondering how much length do you think i will lose during the process?

this is the lenght of my hair, its a bit longer when i straighten it
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...endID=47818636&albumID=67075&imageID=57200371
i am the one on the right

 

I couldn't see it?

 

your myspace profile is set to private.
What's your hair like, is it thick, thin?

everyone will be glad to hear you're not using wax
Wish you well on your journey!

 

your album is private

 

Hello and welcome!! My hair was about that length on the sides when I dreaded it. I'm not even two months in and I really haven't lost too much. I imagine I will lose most of my length from 6 months to one year... but this is all a guess.

As for bone straight hair.. I have it too and people say that if you have bone striaght hair but hte actual hair is thin, then your hair will dread easily. My hair has taken to the back combing in the front where it is longer, but my back and underneath came undone. I suppose it was too short and I didn't do "maintenance" to it, to keep it dreaded.

Best of luck!!

 

i had a similar hair type before i started, if you wash your hair then put your hair into small enough braids, straighten them then take them out and blow dry it bone dry it will get giant and crimped, then backcomb as you would, i was suprised after this how much hair i actually had

 

ok i think i made it public =]

i am so excited about starting.
haha i cant stop talking about it =]

is it best to start with freshly washed hair?

 

you should wash it in my opinion and get as much residues as you can out of your hair before you start backcombing, better to get it out before you dread, its harder to get it once your knotty

 

Yeah wash it with residue shampoo, some deep cleansing shampoo or a baking soda wash to get all the buildup out.
Your length looks fine to me. And I love the color too btw.

 

yes, color is indeed quite nice, after you dread i think your hair will be about 3/4 the length it is now, it will look very cool once the root grow out, get some residue free shampoo and wash your hair with it for a week if not two before you dread it, if you back comb and leave it be, some of them might fall out and you will have to re comb. what i did with mine is back comb, and crochet loose airs into the back combed dreadsto bring the hair closer together and prevent them from falling out...welcome and good luck

 

thanks for all the help
i really really appreciate it!

i love the color too, i think im going to bleach and dye some of it purple before i dread it =]

 

hurray for purple!!!
will look amazing or at least thats what mi imagination makes
wish you luck

 

thanks =]
i love your hair. i love colored dreads.
and you are really cute =]
haha

 

no dont rebackcomb, only backcomb once if u backcomb at all..if it falls out thats totaly fi e it will dread on its own
bacfkcombing is totaly unesacary
and repeatted backcombing is double dammage
just leave em be after u backcomb and let tim e take over

love the color too and it makes your eyes really pop..
the dreads will be amazing

 

thanks I love coloring them just cant seem to leave em alone
Im looking forward to seeing your purple dreads
plus your cute so its even better

 

hii&welcome^.^
before I backcomb I'd wash w baking soda and blow dry like crazy to make it big and poofy! I'm guessing your hair will shrink up to your chin maybe? But you never know,,, I think when you start off w shorter hair it doesn't shrink as much as there isn't as mch hair to be sucked up etc. when are you starting?you must post pics!

 

yeah, only backcomb once or you will destroy pervious backcombed knots.

 

just a waaaaaaaaarningggg

my last lot of dreads, i had my hair bleached and then 2 weeks later was backcombed. biggest. mess. ever. the bleached part practically crumbled (it was done at a salon) and the hair was really brittle and crap and broken and rubbish and horrible.

HOWEVER, amy recently bleached her dreadies and they havent fallen off, so maybe i just fucked up with that.


ummm. as for you hair, itll be fine. backcomb it once and leave it, it wont need re-backcombing, or plamrolling, or elastics or wax. most of the backcombing will fall out anyway, and then knot up again by itself.

also,, some of my locks were done REAL tight, and theyre about 3 inches long (but still really tight), whereas the loosely backcombed locks are still about 6-7 inches long (but falling out)

 

youre pretty

bleaching seems to contribute to super insanely knotty hair, so i say give er (but be careful, like smelly said, you dont want to make it too brittle). its hard to say how much length youll lose... i didnt really loose any ever.... at one point, my hair basically stayed the same length for a long time but thats about it. some people with strait (especially bleached and dyed) hair do seem to get major loops and shrinkage, which i think is awesome. anyway, i cant remember what you asked and im rambling... gook luck!

 

allright so ima backcomd once and then let it be =]
how often/with what should i wash it?
sorry about all the questions, i just want to do it right the first time around ya know?
lol

and i plan on starting maybee next weekend!
and i will post a ton of pictures =]