If left to its own devices, human hair tends to form KNOTS, TANGLES, and eventually MATTED sections. If you have ever tried to run a comb or brush through your child's hair that hasn't been combed for a few days, you will be met by a lot of resistance from the hair and the child. And if you let that child's hair keep growing without combing or brushing, even if you washed it occasionally, more than likely it would start to resemble my beloved: dreadlocks.
Don't let the misunderstood reputation of the dreadlocks fool you. While they can be caused (formed) by intentional neglect, don't get it twisted and think dreadlocks are necessarily dirtier or messier than other hairstyles. It is actually just the opposite. Most people who wear dreadlocks achieve the look through careful styling and maintenance, by building the locks strand by strand on their own, as I did, or with the help of a professional "loctician."
I have come across some information for caring for your dreadlocks that are routine for any type of hair and some tips which are specific to dreadlocks.
Of course washing will be part of your hair care routine, but special care should be taken. Once your dreadlocks have matured you want to continue to wash the scalp very carefully massaging the scalp and just letting the soapy water run through your dreads. A special note for people with especially long dreads; to prevent MILDEW and BUILDUP of product, dry the dreads thoroughly every time you wash them removing as much water as possible. you can squeeze them to wring out excess water and then use a blow dryer. I prefer to let my dreads air dry naturally so I plan my day accordingly not scheduling any activities where I would have to put my hair up before it is dry. This means I time my hair washing and drying with enough of time for my dreads to be dry before covering them with a scarf before going to bed. Tying your hair up at night also prevents the dreaded enemy of dreads: LINT.
When it comes to products to use on your hair that comes down to the individuals preference. Many people with natural hair also choose to use natural hair products. Some dread wearers use hot oil treatments to prevent the hair from drying out, while others use gels or SALT WATER 'accelerators' to tighten individual locs as they form. I use a home made conditioner which consists of consisting of eggs, olive oil, and honey. I can generously coat my hair from root to end. I leave the conditioner on for at least 30 minutes and rinse it out thoroughly with warm water. A natural clarifying shampoo is also preferred, which does not leave a lot of residue. RESIDUE can lubricate the hair shaft and cause them to come loose from the locs.
Dreads can begin to fuse together if you don't roll them individually on a regular basis. They will fuse together (join with each other naturally). Unless you want the fused look, which a lot of people prefer, you will want to separate any newly combined locs by pulling them apart and ripping the hair that is connected. of course you will want to rull them to make the loc neat without any stray hairs running along the loc.
Now I have saved the best tip for last. TENSION is another enemy of dreads. If you twist (my preferred method) your locs too tightly the first few months or really at any time while caring/maintaining your dreads, without leaving enough of room at the roots, they can can put strain on the scalp and sometimes break off. AVOID applying too much tension at the root. You need some loose hair at the root to allow your hair to continue to grow.
So there you have it. Caring for your glorious locs in a nutshell. Many people believe switching to this hairstyle equals less hair care. WRONG. You need to put in the same amount of tender loving care for your dreads as you would do for any type of hair style.
I hope I have supplied you with some insightful information about dreadlocks. I know anytime I have a chance to learn something about my preferred hair choice I enjoy it. In my upcoming book "Don't Dread Dreads; The People Speak" I will have an entire section devoted to hair care. As you know the book is the people speaking. If you have some great tips on caring for dreadlocks, bu all means SPEAK (share them with us along with a picture and bio. The loc nation will love to read your words and see your lovely locs) by submitting your input to www.dorothysguyton@gmail.com or you can leave a COMMENT here. As you know any picture or comment may be used in my book project.
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