Neglect or Rip Tear - DIY Dread Help Needed

Alright so I've decided to go at it myself and start the dreads.

I've weaned my hair off conditioner and not used it in the past month, I now only use alberto balsam shampoo, and I can now leave my hair 3 days before it gets visibly greasy whereas before when using conditioner it was only a day.

I've decided against backcombing which I originally wanted to do, as I wanted the basic "dread" apperance from the start, but as most seem to say they end up cutting out the backcombed lengths in time to come, I've decided to go with neglect / rip tear, if I have hobo hair for a couple of months... haters gonna hate.

Can anyone give me any advice on starting my neglect/rip tear hybrid babylocks? Do I actually have to do anything or basically just stop brushing my hair?

I plan to get a couple of wide fabric headbands to keep it all out of my face while they're maturing, but anything else I can do?

I am NOT using wax, I'm willing to wait for my dreads to look like dreads, and I am happy to look like a hobo for a while, just not an electrocuted hobo so I will be doing some maintanance, but for the most part should I just stop brushing, shove it back into a headband and leave it be?

 

All you need to do for awesome locks is to wash as you currently do and not comb, run fingers through your hair(washing is best done with a gentle patting and in a few months, gently rubbing the scalp between locks with ginger tips, or by lathering with the palms), tie your hair up, or use any products or chemicals on it.

Movement is good, just not the kind that aligns hairs in the same direction.

if a lock is larger than you'd like, carefully rip it apart. But remember, they will gradually shrink lots on their own for many months.

 

Who's this most? That sounds silly.

 

I've read a few threads and posts of people who backcombed their hair and they have said that as the dreads mature to the point where the hair grows in locks, that they cut out the backcombed length as it is so hard and unmovable in comparison to the grown in locks.

Thats a few years down the line for me yet, but I want to do it right, so whats the point of going through all the hell of backcombing now, to cut it out in later years, when many say neglect gives as good results and a lot less painful!

 

and maybe go to the sea every few months and dunk it

 

Haha that wouldn't be a problem if I didn't live in the centre of land locked west yorkshire!

 

Interesting, as this has not been my experience at all. Not even remotely.
At 4 1/2 years, even I have a hard time finding where backcombed turned to growth and I'm the one that backcombed them. Even the ones that fell out in the back and did their own thing, still look like the rest.

 

haha i know your pain. when i do go to the beach, i take a couple of little bottles and bottle some sea!

 

Haha well I always bring bac driftwood and stones for the snakes, so I guess bottling the sea water only makes me look a little bit more crazy!

 

48 hours into neglect.

Not brushed or combed my hair in 48 hours, only ran my fingers through it to seperate any nasty knots but for the most part my hair is still straight... if not a little frizzy.

 

Don't run your fingers through your hair, knots are good

 

Roo Says to run fingers through your hair, Peace says not to.... What do I do??

 

/facepalm

 

roo is saying don't run your fingers through your hair.

 

Aaah alright then.

I have to bear the knots?

 

yup. matter of fact, you're lucky you got knots in 48 hours.

 

I'm female with long hair. I get knots in 48 minutes If I don't brush!

 

**side eye** so you started neglect, got knots within two days, and then combed them out with your fingers?

 

Can we see pictures of your snakes?