A Dreadlock Photostory!

Step 1 - Pre Wash

Dreads need to be clean. Forget all the urban myths you've heard about putting mayonnaise or beeswax in your hair. Thats all misinformation. Hair needs to be clean to knot and hold well, and therefore to dread well.

Using a non residue soap or shampoo is very important, as the cleaner your hair is starting dreads then the better those all important starter knots will hold. Plus residue is bad for dreads, it can create build up inside the dread and make them smell nasty too.

My hair, very squeaky clean:-

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Once your washed, towel dry your hair until it is damp, not soaking wet.

Step 2 - Sectioning

Sectioning is parting your hair into small ponytails that will be the basis of your dreads. It is extremely important to section well, as this is the way your hair will lay for as long as you have dreads. it is easier, after all to move small elastics than to combine or split dreads!

Sectioning Don'ts

- Don't place sections directly above each other, this will make your dreadlocks lie with big spaces between each other.

- Don't make sections too elongated or too perfectly shaped, this usually looks a bit off with dreads.

- Don't just pic a random number out of the air. look at how thick or thin your hair is and how many dreads you want. Thick hair will need bigger sections, thicker hair less for medium (finger width) dreads.

- Don't section when your hair is bone dry, its hair work on anything longer than shoulder length hair.

Sectioning Do's

-Do try different ideas

-Do look t it for a long time, take photos and get a second opinion.

- Do make sections similar sizes.

- Do make sections slightly rounded, rather than perfectly square.

Here are some examples of my sectioning:-

The first rows:-

" alt="The first rows" />

the Top;-

" alt ="The top" />

" alt="The top" />

Finished:-

" alt="finished sectioning"/>

As a guide, my sectioning took me an hour and a half. my hair was 18 inches long (mid back length) and is fairly thick.

Step 3 - Backombing the front and sides.

Doing the front and sides first is a good idea if you are working alone, plus it gives you time and practise at getting good at backcombing dreads before you tackle the back, you'll be an expert by then! If you working with a friend, like I did towards the end, its good to both be working on dreads at the same time, that way you can get done twice as fast an compare results along the way!

Backcombing is hard work. Make no ideals, your arms will ache, but remember - the better you backcomb, the faster your dreads will mature.

I fell down here, i could have backcombed MUCH better than I did, but ill explain why mine wasn't idea later...use these pictures as guidance, not as rule of thumb.

BACKCOMBING

- take a section
- remove the elastic band
- insert the comb 1 inch from the roots
- push the comb onto the scalp pulling hairs back with it

Once your roots feel fairly knotted, start working your way along the hair toward the tip, bit by bit.

Make sure that you backcomb the hair to equal density along the dreads, and go at it like hell, really make that hair bunch up!

Don't be afraid of damaging your hair, the tighter and more knotty it is in the beginning - the better!

As you get to the end of a "dread" be aware you cant knot right to the end, you'll have loose tips. just do your best and nature will knot up the rest in time.

Here are some pictures of my first few:-
<img src=
"http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a321/Spandorexxa/Dreadlocks/Starting%20dreads/?action=view&current=DSCI0054.jpg" alt ="first few dreads" />

<img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a321/Spandorexxa/Dreadlocks/Starting%20dreads/?action=view&current=DSCI0060.jpg" alt ="first few dreads" />

<img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a321/Spandorexxa/Dreadlocks/Starting%20dreads/?action=view&current=DSCI0046.jpg" alt ="first few dreads" />

Notice that mine look very skinny. I *should* have backcombed harder. However hindsight is a wonderful thing, and you know what, even with a bit of a bad start, you'll end up with dreads a few months down the line anyway!

Step 4 - Backcoming the Back

After admiring how your hair is looking, have a cup of tea, then tackle the back. I had a friend help me, and it was so much easier. My friend had never made dreads before, but we managed a treat!

It helps at this point to set up some mirrors, so you can see the back well, and so you can see your progress. Working blind with dreads is never a good idea.

Here are some of mine after we finshed:-

<img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a321/Spandorexxa/Dreadlocks/Starting%20dreads/?action=view&current=DSCI0084.jpg"
alt ="Some finished dreads" />

Notice i have rubber bands on the end of some of them. Don't do this. I realised quickly its totally un needed.

From the front:-
<img src="
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a321/Spandorexxa/Dreadlocks/Starting%20dreads/?action=view&current=DSCI0090.jpg" alt="dreads from the front" />

(Please note - my fringe/bangs are left undreaded on purpose ;) )

So earlier I mentioned how I didn't do my dreads as well as I could. How did I realise this?

A month later, I hated having my fringe undreaded. It needed washing all the time and was generally annoying me. So i dreaded it!

My fringe only made 4 dreads, and because of this I spent much longer on them, and backcombed much harder, so they looked like this afterwards:-

<img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a321/Spandorexxa/Dreadlocks/DSCI0411.jpg" alt="dreaded fringe"/>

These turned out to be my best dreads, and I wish I had backombed them all like this!

Hopefully this article has proven useful and informative! Remember - if you want dreads - go for it!