Lets talk dreads
So you're thinkng about joining the dread family, or maybe you're already a part of us and have some questions about your dreads?
I get asked so many question about dreads, even when Im just walking down the street. So.... below I've added some FAQ's that might be of interest to you.
If anyone has any questions relating to dreads please email me and Ill do my best to answer. And if anyone has any info they would like to contribute to this page, or if something I've written here is not correct, or you know of a better way to do something - please let me know.
CAN I TAKE DREADS OUT ONCE I GET THEM DONE?
This depends on what method was used to get your dreads done and how long they have been in for. Good old backcombing allows for dreads to be taken out (combed out with lots of effort!!!) and without losing too much hair. Once dreads have been in for a while though and they have tightened up, they will be much harder to get out.
Dreads done with a crochet hook are hard to get out and you will lose lots of hair. The crochet hair knots and breaks the hair thats being 'dreaded'.
All this being said, i once had some dreads in for a few years that I painstakingly combed out. I lost heaps of hair, but still managed to keep a lot of it too. The dreads i have now are quite matured and would be difficult to comb out. I dont think Id be left with much hair....
CAN YOU WASH DREADS? DONT THEY HAVE TO BE DIRTY?
Yes - wash them! And no - dirty is not good!
Ok lets face it, having dreads is often like wearing a woolen hat and we sweat perhaps more than we would without them. Sweat = smelly heads. Washing dreads is essential not only to cleanse ourselves of sweat, but also to nourish our scalps and promote healthy hair growth.
Oily hair will not dread well. Dry hair does dread better, which is why swimming in the ocean is always great for dreads (as the salt dries the hair out). However dont forget that there is lots of bacteria in the sea water, so try mixing up some sea salt in water and spraying it onto your dreads instead, or after washing.
I use dread specific shampoo and dread specific products. the ones Ive found to be the best are Knotty Boy. I recommend the shampoo, wax and conditioning spray. See the Knotty Boy site www.knottyboy.com for further details and heaps of great dread info. And please contact me if you would like some products.
Regular shampoo has heaps of nasty chemicals in it so i wouldnt recommend anyone use it - with or without dreads. Use a natural shampoo made from all natural products and oils. Conditioner has a lubricant in it with is not good for locking up dreads.
Another thing.... Dreads take AGES to dry. Wash them in the morning on a sunny day if you can so they dry out. Dreads can trap water and I have heard of cases of mould growing in dreads. Very unpleasant indeed! If your dreads are still damp before bed time, give them a gentle blow with the hair dryer.
WHY IS GETTING DREADS AND BRAIDS EXPENSIVE AND WHY DOES IT TAKE SO LONG?
Thoes of us who create dreads usually have years of experience behindus, lots of learning and practice. Lets say you visit the hairdresser once every 6-8 weeks to get your hair done - how much do you spend? Maybe $150 each time? And youre there for maybe and hour or two? Compare this to getting dreads. A head of dreads might cost you $100-$300 and you'll be with me for about 7 hours. Thats equivalent to maybe 2 trips to the hairdressers - and the fact is you will not have to go to another hairdresser again once you come to me :)
Dreads take a long time to create because its essential to section the hair properly so it doesnt all start growing into random clumps. And its also important that the initial dreads are put in quite tightly so they hang in there and have enough time to start to mature and grow on their own.
Its not all terrible, hanging out with me for a few hours. Bring your own music, bring a book. It can be a fun and relaxing day really!
WHAT HAPPENS IF I GET HEAD LICE - WILL I HAVE TO CUT MY DREADS OUT?
There is heaps of head lice solutions for dreads online, plus Knotty Boy also has some good info on their site. I personally have never had lice (touch wood), but Ive known fellow dread-heads who have and Ive heard of all kinds of solutions (some I cant mention here due to potential danger factor!!!). Some remedies Ive heard of are coating your head in Vasoline as the lice cannot breathe when that is on. Ive always wondered how you would then get the Vas out though..... Another person told me she blasted her head with the hairdryer on high heat for ages and burnt the little buggers to death. There are natural remedies that you will find online. I have not tried them so i cannot say whether they work or not.
Lice dont like clean hair - so yet another reason to keep em clean!
WILL MY HAIR JUST DREAD BY ITSELF AT THE ROOTS AS ITS GROWING OUT?
This is completely dependent on your hair type.
Getting the top of your dread and turning it round and round in a clockwise motion against your scalp is a good way to keep them knotting up. Having regular maintenance may also be an option for you as this makes the dreads nice at the roots and tidies up and strays. Dreads can naturally have a space of around an inch from the scalp and thats ok. Anything beyond that you might want to start making maintenance appt's. When youre getting maintenance, I dont think its good to get it done really tight on your scalp. Our scalps need room to breathe and having really tight dreads constantly on your scalp may promote bald spots.
CAN I DYE MY HAIR WHEN I HAVE DREADS?
The best thing to do is color your hair prior to getting dreads and then do the roots as required. I definitely would NOT bleach my hair if I had dreads as they would probably snap off, but if your hair is already bleached, you can carefully get the roots done . There is usually a bit of breakage though.
If you have dreads and want to color the whole thing, I would recommend going darker only.
I know there are stacks of dread questions out there - i will get back to this as soon as I can..... Please email me at locafella931@aol.com or call my salon 931 920-4232 or 931 249-5439 with any questions you have, or any great pieces of advice :)
