My dread timeline - 10 1/2 months

In January I backcombed my hair. I used rubber bands and wax like 3 times. I immediately knew the wax was garbage but though the rubber bands helped. I kept them in for several months. I changed them out regularly and they never stayed in the dread. But the damage was done. As you could imagine it broke lots of hairs. I realized at this point, still not have read anything other than on the shitty commercial sites, that any maintenance is just hurting my dreads. I stopped everything I did on occasion and just let my hair go. This happened at the 5 months mark. From there on out I wash every 10-14 days and seperate regularly. I am thoroughly enjoying this experience. It's given me loads loads of self confidence and definitely patience. I recommend them to anyone that asks about them.

I am going to update soon with my digital camera. These were taken from my cell phone. Sorry for the poor quality.

These are from 5 months or so. I was in the process of taking all the rubber bands out for the final time. I took pics during the process. I also look pissed off but it was really hard to focus the camera and take a picture of myself. I was concentrating. lol

 

These pics are from 8 months.



Congos - I have one in the back comprised of 5 dreads. I they locked up before I knew I had to seperate. I love it though.


The light makes the color change slightly more exaggerated than it really is. But it's totally natural. I have never died my hair.

 

I can't wait until my hair starts to knot up! ^^

 

awesome congo picture!

 

I backcombed mine in Jan too. Mine have a shed load of loops in them. Can't wait until they go though. Yours look very very nice

 

Thanks. I don't do any maintenance other than just ripping them apart. They are still rather short, I can't tie them back yet which I am waiting for

 

have they shrunk yet? I've heard some mysterious things that like, around 5-8 months they start to shrink a LOT.

Anyway, nice dread pics. Thanks for posting, very encouraging!

 

i used to tie mine back from my face with a shoelace on top of me head, cause they werent long enough for a pony tail =]

 

lol. The original backcombed section are less than half the length they originally were. My hair grows rather fast but for the first 6 months I didn't see any new length. I mean I did just not faster than the old shrunk. The "new" natural growth is longer than the existing backcombed sections. There's a clear distinction between the two but time goes on, the distinction goes away. Like I said, I started with 3-4 inches and now its every bit of 6 inches or more. Before I had very straight, native american type hair. It shrunk more than I expected but it was a gradual shrinking. It seemed every time I would wash my hair the shrinking would occur the most (actually during the drying part).

 

Wow theyre really nice!

 

awsome man! lookin good!

 

im surprised how straight most of them are, but i guess that is from your hair type. cool stuff.

 

nice man

 

looking great!

 

If you look at them individually in person and not through a low resolution cell phone camera you can see each one has its own loops and unique qualities. They really aren't like straight and manicured. It's just how they lay. But I guess compared to a lot people they are really straight. I had really straight thick hair before.

 

very similar to my hair type!!! anytime over a year and they are going to be sweeeeet. try rubbin em up with a wool beenie. cheers

 

All this did with mine was make them frizzy. That and I have read reports where the ones rubbed with wool over time turn out different than those that haven't been rubbed. I recommend leaving them alone, they look great as they are.

 

i dig them!

 

oooh can't wait to see what mine look like that far along yours look cool man, well done