Hello my dreads are 16 days old twist nd rip method and Ive been washin them with just water every like 4 days and leaving them alone or wearing a wool beanie but the back dreads are almost nonexistent now there getting reallllly loose should I let them be or redo them?
just leave hem be back dreads will lock up by themselves quite easily as you lie on them allot squish them aginst couches etc when your sitting have patience my son.
They're going to get loose. Twist and Rip, like all the methods doesn't actually create dreadlocks. It just helps to section the hair off into reasonable sized chunks, that then over the next year or so will then finally form dreadlocks. Your dreadlocks aren't coming undone, just the T&R sectioning. You can redo them if you like, but they will most likely fall out again and if you start re-doing anything you will lose any progress they have already made. My advice is to leave them alone, continue what you are doing. Wash thoroughly and dry completely whenever you feel the need and wait it out. If you're still having section problems in 16 MONTHS, then we can do something about it.
If you're 'washing' them with just water that could be part of the problem. I mean, 16 day old dreads are going to have loose bits that's normal, but oily hair doesn't lock up as well as dry, clean hair. Water alone won't clean oil out of your hair and it won't strip out the really gross pollutants your hair will pick up from the air around you. Dreads do well with residue free shampoo or baking soda & cider vinegar washes, I've heard of some people using dishsoap with good results too. Anything that gets your hair properly clean and doesn't leave residue.
Well I'd say that's not entirely true. Many people wash their hair with just water BUT washing with a soap is better and therefore more beneficial with young dreads.
It's not washing if you just use water, unless it's literally boiling it won't shift the oil. Water can rinse out some dirt (like if you've got actual mud in your hair or something) but anything greasy or sticky will stay put, as will anything that can get into the inside of the dreads and get trapped - that means sweat, sebum, any crap off your hands if you touch your hair (body moisturisers, food and cooking oil, other body fluids & lube... it could get pretty gross) and crap from the air around you (car exhaust fumes, dust/dead skin cells, spores from mould/fungus etc). That shit can cause you or others near you to have allergies, will aggravate skin conditions and smell awful. I'm not trying to be a dick but I hate the 'dirty dreadhead' stereotype and it's caused by people believing myths about 'washing' with water and your scalp adjusting and becoming self cleaning (I dated a guy who had just rinsed his hair and not used any shampoo/soap for his whole life - 23 years - still hadn't become self cleaning and it was disgusting). Dreads hold grease and dirt worse than brushed out hair because stuff can get into the core and be totally undisturbed unless you give them a good wash.
I used only water on my hair for the first two months or so, it was just fine. I think the OP just did't know tnr falls out. People's hair reacts differently.
I'm only washing with water for now because I'm broke and don't have enough for the acv or herbs or anything and I heard that using only water isn't bad its just not as good as using things to clean it
You can buy a bottle of residue free shampoo for not so much?.. Dread Head HQ might sell a lot of garbage wax products, but they also sell a decent soap. The price has gone up a little, the 16oz is $14, but my current bottle has lasted over 6 months. A teaspoon amount is enough to lather up my whole scalp and rinse through the dreads. I use it once every 2-3 days and it's still going to cost me less than $30 for a year of soap. Surely everyone can afford that? How did you afford regular shampoo before you dreaded your hair?
Any Supermarket, Iv'e Been Using It For Over 3 Years. What I Did Was To Drill A 6mm Hole In The Cap Of A 125ml Coke Bottle And I Put About 1/2 Tablespoon In With A Funnel,Add Warm Water, Replace Cap And Place Finger Over Hole Whilst Rocking Bottle Back And Forth To Mix It, Remove Finger Every Few Seconds Because With All The Bubbles It Builds Up Pressure, Then Dampen Dreads In The Shower And Hold The Bottle Over Your Head With One Hand Whilst Sqeezing The Liquid Through The Dreads With The Other, Leave In Whilst You Wash All Your Other Bits, Then Rinse..Rinse..And Rinse Again.... Cheers Glen.
One of the things that I've been doing is kind of a finger roll taking about an inch at the end closest to the root and doing a "Worlds smallest record player" kind of motion with my fingers moving it closer to the root for about 30 seconds a dread. As it creates a ridge I'll start measuring from the bottom of the ridge working my way down to the tip. I find that this helps the dread form more evenly. I have one that was nearly completely gone but now has about 6 inches of nice, tight evenly built dread after doing that every day for about 2 months. As for washing I've been using the Knotty Boy bar shampoo and have no complaints. I also have been using their "Knot Tea" when doing daily futzing that also seems to be helping them go in well. Unfortunately my sig pic was taken before I started doing the dreads. I may take another picture in another couple of months when I think my dreads look better (again with my bass since I made references to it in other posts). C/S, Rev J
I don't remember which thread, but just before letting my hair dread I saw you post this and I've been doing it ever since! Awesome way of getting the bi carb mixture on evenly so cheers Glen! :2thumbsup:
