I've had dreads for a nearly a week, and my roots have untangled about 2 inches or so - I've put elastic bands around them (the more superfical ones) to try collect all my short baby hairs, and encorage them to knot more, but I was wondering ifthere was anything else that I could do. My hair is curly and fine by nature, I've been washing with dr.bronners leading up to, and now I'm using margarat river hemp soap, I've washed them twice because my hair gets oily quickly - so I've just made up a salt water solution, with 1tbs of sea salt, 1tsp lemon juice, a dash of aloe vera, and drops of bergamot and ylang ylang. I've been trying to crochet them, but getting to the back dreads is hard! Any tips to getting my knots to stay? I've been using a crochet, which seems to work, untill the next morning.
Stop stressing and reassess in 6 months. Onto more important things, what do you climb? I got my first lead 6b+ onsight today!
Your dreads are broken, you have no choice but to shave them. Hurry up, if you wait too long it will mess up your scalp too and you won't be able to grow hair, you'll have like 3 homer simpson ones on the side and that's it.
Just palmroll them daily, don't stress about them loosening, this is all part of the process. they will tighten up eventually, but will take about a year to lock up properly. This place used to be friendly *Sigh*
I wouldn't palmroll if I were you, specially if you have curly hair to have dreads you don't mess with your hair stop crocheting, take out the bands, wash as often as you want ... wait for about a year or so, and that's it also read this http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?t=365451&f=209 and this http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?t=384124&highlight=physics&f=209
I used to be on this forum a few years ago, and it was awesome. Thought i'd turn to it again for help. pinch of salt ehh. Shit Shit, Dreads are gonna fuck my hair up and I'll be bald forever! Is it so hard to ask for some tips on how to tighten the roots? Also Jimbo, Well done on an Onsite 6b+! Where was it at? I used to live in the Peak District, so climbed a lot of grit and limestone, but I'm back in OZ and crushing the gramps, hehe. I'm more of a boulderer these days - I climb about v5.
Even if you do tighten them up, they'll come loose again. Don't worry, it's just a normal thing. It really isn't a quick process. Like the others have said, just leave them and in a a year or so you'll be rockin some pretty awesome dreads A lot of the things people do to tighten roots, like root flipping and such aren't good for your hair or your dreads anyway. Take the bands out also, they'l do more harm then good.
Fixed. The 6b+ lead was indoors at the climbing center in Warwick uni. Indoor bouldering I've managed 1 or 2 V5s at Manchester (They don't grade problems at Warwick!). I've only climbed on grit twice and led trad three times, so the best I've done is HVS 5b and a V2 at the roaches (it was a bit wet, sob). We're going back on sunday to tick off lots of problems though!
No. Is it so hard to follow the tips you get on tightening your roots? Time is the only way. Wheover can say whatever about the bodies of locks, but if you try to knot your roots closer to your scalp, you WILL fuck things up. They WILL lock in that direction on their own, and they should NOT be tight against your scalp.
I'll answer your question if you like. The answer is that roots are not supposed to be locked. It's normal to have some hair that is not locked at the root. As they mature you will find that they lock closer to the root, but you will still see straight hair at the root, even if they're mature you'll see straight hair if you look closely. As the hair grows it away from the root it will lock, and will no longer be roots This is one problem with backcombing, t+r, or whatever (not judging on methods, I personally couldn't care less what people do). When people initially do this, they look like dreads, then after a while it all starts to fall apart because the hair is not ready to lock, it takes time for this to happen. Most newbies then start to panic because it then goes from looking "super cool" to "super shit" after a few washes unless you continually work on them, which will probably damage your hair in the long run. Luckily for you this is only temporary and in time they will start to come together if you stay patient and give your hair a chance.
take out the rubber bands. having unlocked hair at your roots is what you want! otherwise they would be uncomfortable. your hair needs that extra few inches to lock as it grows. for godsakes leave em alone.
Also, if you didn't have loose hair at the roots, how the fuck could the fresh hair at the roots lock? Yeah. Movement=locks. People who do things to their roots are only having to work on their roots BECAUSE they choose to work on their roots. If you let them get a handle on themselves, they'd lock closer and better, and with no work on your part. If you refuse to believe that hair makes knots, having dreadlocks is going to suck for you.
Leave. Them. Be. Fucking with the roots is a good way to get them super thin and break off later on down the road. If, however, you only plan on having them for 6-10 months, go ahead. If you want those babes for a lifetime then LEAVE THEM ALONE.
