Dreads only in the back of hair

Hello guys!

Came across this board yesterday so i was browsing a bit.. there's some awesome pictures in that big inspirational thread! I saw this picture



and i think the one on the left, under is soo gorgeous..

i have kinda thin hair, straight, and at the moment it's not very long either..

So my questions: how long should it be before i can start, and what method should i use?

I have read through the how to get dreads topic, but i'm a noob so all info is welcome =)


Peace out!

 

dread mullet

the method you use is really a matter of personal preference and what you're wanting to accomplish by getting your dreads.

If you're more into the spiritual side of it, the neglect method may be more for you. If you're just in it for the look, backcombing will give you a little of a head start, then there's twist & rip, etc. etc. just all depends on what you want personally.

how long is your hair right now? most sources suggest at least 3 inches when starting dreads, but I have some hair on the sides of my head that was about 2 inches and I've actually gotten it to start locking up... if you look herehttp://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?t=366831&page=2 you can see one of the 2 inch ones on the side right above my ear. It was too short to backcomb, so after having sectioned it, I pretty much did some clockwise rubbing followed by some finger rolling on it until it stayed. It's survived for a week so far and actually is one of my tightest locks since I sleep on that side of my head the most.

 

defiently give wax a shot first

If that doesn't work for you apply taco sauce to your forehead

 

the taco sauce to the forehead was funny the first time np said it.....now its lame....eeeeek....please come up with somethin a lil more original if your gonna be sarcastic!

 

to the op I think angel [the guy who responded first] gave some great advice!

 

lol

enjoy is np's echo that never shuts up.

 

taco sauce = lamesauce

 

lol

 

and how does that make you feel shady?

**Edit
and Mandy... who said I was being sarcastic?

 

Business in the front, natural party in the back

 

Do you think that guy grew a dread mullet, Or had a full head of dreads and cut all but those off?

 

you just blew my mind lol

 

lol baboom

 

It's just 10cms/4 inches in the back.. but i'm gonna let it grow in the back from now on, i just like short hair ^^

But uhm, about the neglect method.. I wouldn't mind trying that, but the thing is that i never really comb my hair and it's still straight, doesn't tangle or anything, it's not curly either, heh. I do understand how you have to use a different kind of shampoo/soap but i don't really see how that would work with my hair, and also: i only want it to go dreading in the back.. So how does that work with the neglect method? I just comb the hair i don't want to get dreaded?

If i use the backcombing method (when my hair has grown), can i still wash it with regular shampoo then?

Thanks already for the helpful answer =)

 

lack of tangling now may be due to conditioner or shampoo with conditioners...
with your hair being very straight, it could possibly take a while to start dreading. You may want to consider backcombing a bit just to get things started off.
Mine is only partially dreaded... I'd just run a comb through the part you don't want to dread occassionally and that should do it.

Even if you backcomb, you still need to switch shampoos. Not only does most ordinary shampoo have conditioners in it but they also tend to leave buildup on your hair which can be a problem with dreads since they're, in essence, like sponges. Even on undreaded hair, the buildup can really weigh your hair down after a while, which is why cleansing shampoos and residue free shampoos are widely sold in stores anyways.

 

my hair is naturally thick & wavy and i didnt brush it, but it never started to dread.

id say backcomb or twist and rip, cause then you can get the approx sizes you want.

you can use 'normal' shampoos on dreads, but theres quite a few of use on here that just use water and we've had no ill effects =] ive found that knotty boy shampoo bar leaves a grime/gunge/scum on my scalp, which is why i stopped using it

 

Personally, I'd never use any kind of bar to wash my hair with... solid materials tend to return to solid when they dry. I'd be afraid of not rinsing well enough to get it all out.

I've been using K-boy's liquid shampoo... I've been pretty happy with it. Love the tingly peppermint feel when I use it, definitely helps with the itchies, and love that smell. Doesn't lather and rinses clean.

DreadheadHQs shampoo is pretty good from what I've heard as well as Doc Bronner's diluted in water.

Besides just water, a lot of people use bakingsoda... can either sprinkle it on your scalp, agitate a bit, then rinse or you can pre-dissolve it in water and pour it over your head.

Regardless of what you're using, you're only going to need to wash your scalp, the rest will be cleaned enough during rinsing.

About the only other thing I've heard of washing with is vinegar diluted in water, but that should only be used if you have a problem with smell (possibly from mildew if you don't dry your dreads well enough after getting them wet) being that it is a bit acidic (which is good for removing smells and residue) and could be too harsh on your hair with constant use. (just for comparison's sake, as far as undreaded hair goes, most clarifying shampoos are slightly acidic as well, which is why they're good at getting rid of residue and recommended for use only once a week.)

 

done the shampoo bar thing.. done the baking soda thing.. =]
and i know all too well about not rinsing the KBoy poo bar out properly, but that was with my last set of dreads.

regardless, i just use water these days, and in fact giving the rest of my shampoo bar away

 

Mullets are so classy. I mean honestly it's the perfect combination. Business in the front and party in the back. It couldn't get better than that haha

 

Dreadheadhq soap is shit. It took like three rinses to get my hair just somewhat clean and left buildup...the same with bronners (I love this stuff, just not the best for dreadlocks. I mean it works, just no the best. Def way better than dhhq soap.) All in all the best thing I have used to date is water. I rinse it with water every couple weeks or once a week, depending on how long it takes to get sick on it.