~~ Dready Mamas 2012?~~

[HuntressMother]

Im not sure if a dready mama thread has been made for 2012- I looked around a bit didnt find one...so

       *********  Here it is!  **********

I must admit, I myself only have 2 baby dreads at the moment. But I LOVED the dready mamas 2010 thread. I spent so much time there reading everyones stories and questions and looking through the beautiful pictures of mamas with dreads.

I made a post the other day...in the 2010 thread..and it took me awhile to relise that it wasnt the up to date thread.   I had a few questions for other dready mama that I hope someone could answer for me. I will post them below this.

Welcome dready mamas! I cant wait to see everyones amazing dreads, so lets start sharing and keep 2012 dready!

[HuntressMother]

For some reason everytime I try to post my questions- all of the words end up in a very long line going straight down in the post. Hmm. Ill come back and try again later.

Edited by HuntressMother - 1/3/12 at 10:27pm

[jimblejamble]

Your post looks fine to me.

Sigh. I finally, finally, FINALLY put my hair up in dreads. I know I posted on the old Dready Mamas posts a few times in the past. I finally did it in September. 3 weeks later they all slipped right out. My hair is SO soft/fine/slippery. I backcombed them for hours but they still fell right out. I asked for help with them on another message board I post on and everyone said "Just let them be and they'll come back". But they're GONE. Like, as if they never were there! Anyone have any tips for making them STAY in? I miss my little wispy dreadies!

[ShadowMoon]

Happy 2012 mamas!!! I can finally join this tribe :)

I started my dreads in August and October using the crochet/rip & twist methods. They're a bit crazy but I love 'em. I'll post a pic soon.

[Ohhedgehogs]

*pounce* I belong here! I want dreads some day! but my hair is not long enough yet. *GROW GROW GROW*

[HuntressMother]

Ok, so- for some reason when i tried to copy and paste my dread questions that I had posted in the 2010 thread- it looked really weird when they were transfered.  The words streached very long and in a straight line. Anyways- lets try this again.

So- ive wanted dreads for a very long time. BADLY.   I recently ended up cutting off my lovley 19 1/2 inches of jet black hair and donating it to the Locks Of Love foundation. Which im very proud of, but i really miss my hair!  Atleast my hair and nails grow very fast. At the moment im rockin an A-line bob. My hair has grown quite a bit since the cut. The fronts now are touching my shoulders..well maybe theyre not 'touching'..grazing is more like it. At the moment, im trying to keep my hair healthy to promote better and faster growth.

Anywho, I have a few questions for you lovley ladies so that in another 3-4 years (hopefully less) I will be fully ready for my dready journey. Its SO HARD to wait!

Questions are below:

1) What is a 'good' length to start dreads?

2) What do you do ,regularly, get keep your dreads up?

3) How long does it take for dreads to lock up and start to look good?

4) I dye my hair black regularly ( I cant help it..i seem to be a slave to beauty products..ugh). Will this make it harder for my hair to dread? Whats can i do to better 'prepare' my hair for dreads?

5) I pretty sure that im going to go fully dreaded, and thought about having them layered in size ( meduim/large on bottom working up to smaller ontop). But first i though about doing a few dreads in random and leaving the rest of my hair free and wild. I like to think of this look as " Warrior Princess" *LOL*. Im not sure why, thats just what it reminds me of. Has anyone here every tried this, or knew someone who has? If so, how did it look and would you recommend it?

6) At the moment I have 2 baby dreads ( 3 days old, one small dread on each side) and i used the twist and rip method and then palm rolled to make those, which seemed to work really well in my hair. Would you recommend that I stick with this method when its time for me to make the rest of my dreads, or try something else?

Sorry is that was alot. Im just really excited  and want to be fully prepared. Not to mention, DH (who already has a beautiful head full of curly brown hair) wants to dread it up with me!

Thanks so much for your answers in advance!

[HuntressMother]

I know how you feel. Im in the process of growing mine out as well...from an a-line bob. I went from 19 1/2 inches to about 6 inches in front & 3 inches in back...in one weekend! So im sending some magick 'growth dust' both your way & mine!

[snugglebug14]

Can't answer all of your questions but here's what I can answer...

My locs are just over a year old (I did them on winter solstice 2010)

1) What is a 'good' length to start dreads?

My hair was about shoulder length when I dreaded it. I had a lot of layers in my hair since I was growing it out from a fairly short cut and I have alot of curly hair. The layers were a bit challenging at first since it made my dreads not lay great, but now that they've gotten much longer, it doesn't seem to be an issue anymore.

2) What do you do ,regularly, get keep your dreads up?

there's a local women who does "dread maintenance". I've gone to see her twice and found that it was a HUGE help in getting them to lock up. I tend to be really lax about doing dread maintenance. I wish I was better about it as I think I would have neater dreads and they would have locked up quicker. But...i was periodically with baking soda and a vinegar rinse. I make sure to separate them regularly...especially after I've showered! I wasn't great about separating them in the beginning and because of work had to wear them "up" alot so I had a lot of congoing going on. Once they started to lock up more I found that it became less of an issue, but separating them is definitely easier (and much less painful!!) if you stay on top of it. I also try to palm roll them whenever I think of it

3) How long does it take for dreads to lock up and start to look good?

Mine felt like they took a really long time and I think alot of it is because I didn't do much for regular maintenance. Like I said I'm about a year in and altho they seem pretty frizzy at the moment, I feel like they are finally looking like they are actually dreads and not just a nest of messy hair lol. I'd say probably 6 months in they were over that really awkward stage, but it took a good year to get to a place of feeling decently comfortable with them and how they looked. 

Now my questions....

1.) I seem to have a bunch of dreads that have gotten "flat"...like they used to be cylinders and now look more like fettucini noodles lol. I try to palm roll them whenever I can, but it doesn't seem to really be helping. any tips on getting them to round out? I was thinking about wrapping some embroidery floss around the flat ones to sort of hold them in their shape until they are willing to stay that way on their own...would that likely work? any other thoughts for rounding them back out??

2.) I really want to dye just a few of my dreads...i want them purple or maybe a few purple and a few red (like red red not redhead red). I have pretty dark hair so I'm guessing I would need to bleach them first and then die them?? any tips or advice on dying just a few of my dreads??

[HuntressMother]

Thanks for your answers, they where really helpful!

[mamayogibear]

My dd is four and is starting pre-school Tuesday. It is a half hour away from us and only three hours a day! I'm so happy she is going to have some time to be with other kids her age. I am going to spend the time studying for entrance exams if her little brother sleeps.

I know pre school is different than daycare which I used to send her to but I'm not sure what to expect. I'm as excited about this as she is! But... she recently met a little girl at the playground with dreadlocks and decided she wanted her hair like that. So she has not been brushing her hair for the past week. Will this be frowned upon, considered neglecting her hair or should I let her keep doing it?

[mamayogibear]

Originally Posted by snugglebug14 

Now my questions....

1.) I seem to have a bunch of dreads that have gotten "flat"...like they used to be cylinders and now look more like fettucini noodles lol. I try to palm roll them whenever I can, but it doesn't seem to really be helping. any tips on getting them to round out? I was thinking about wrapping some embroidery floss around the flat ones to sort of hold them in their shape until they are willing to stay that way on their own...would that likely work? any other thoughts for rounding them back out??

2.) I really want to dye just a few of my dreads...i want them purple or maybe a few purple and a few red (like red red not redhead red). I have pretty dark hair so I'm guessing I would need to bleach them first and then die them?? any tips or advice on dying just a few of my dreads??

1. In the past I have had the dreads on the back of my head get dreadfully flat. I would use hemp and wrap them up which would kind of smush them into shape. I would keep them wrapped up for a couple of months (or till the hemp began to stink).

2. For dying I gave a detailed post on one of the other dread threads. The key is to use saran wrap or plastic bags and make a tight seal on the ones you are not dying. You can also rub tons of oil on your scalp (like coconut or jojoba) to keep the dye from bleeding into other locks. I have bleached a few at a time then dyed them different colors.

[ShadowMoon]

I can answer some of your questions:

1) What is a 'good' length to start dreads?

       My hair was a boob length when I started and has since shrunk up a bit to just passed my shoulders. You only need a few inches of length to start but be prepared for some shrinkage. They will begin to grow again though.

2) What do you do ,regularly, get keep your dreads up?

       I began mine with the crochet method which makes them look quite tight and good at first. The woman that put them in, (Amy, http://www.thedreadqueen.com/ from CT), lives close to me so I can go to her for maintenance whenever I like. However, because I'm tight on cash, I haven't gone back yet. I just palm roll after every shower.

3) How long does it take for dreads to lock up and start to look good?

        This depends on how they're started, hair type and how much maintenance you do them. I hear 1-3 yrs is the average time it takes people to really love their dreads.

4) I dye my hair black regularly ( I cant help it..i seem to be a slave to beauty products..ugh). Will this make it harder for my hair to dread? Whats can i do to better 'prepare' my hair for dreads?

       I highlight mine blond regularly. It didn't impact my dreads at all. It may depend on your hair type though....

5) I pretty sure that im going to go fully dreaded, and thought about having them layered in size ( meduim/large on bottom working up to smaller ontop). But first i though about doing a few dreads in random and leaving the rest of my hair free and wild. I like to think of this look as " Warrior Princess" *LOL*. Im not sure why, thats just what it reminds me of. Has anyone here every tried this, or knew someone who has? If so, how did it look and would you recommend it?

    I did this! I back combed 2 dreads into my hair several months before I put more in. When I went to Amy I only had half my hair dreaded, all placed randomly on my head. I did this in August and went back in late October to have the rest done. I liked the way it looked and my "normal" hair never got caught up in the dreaded hair. The only reason I had the rest put in was because I was loved them and was ready to start the entire process.

6) At the moment I have 2 baby dreads ( 3 days old, one small dread on each side) and i used the twist and rip method and then palm rolled to make those, which seemed to work really well in my hair. Would you recommend that I stick with this method when its time for me to make the rest of my dreads, or try something else?

     No method is better than the other. Do what is best with your hair or what feels natural to you. My only advice is to stay away from wax or most other products which tend to be more trouble than they are worth.

   Good luck on your journey!

[HuntressMother]

Thank you so much for your reply!  I can wait to be fully dreaded...even though itll be a few years until that time. But..who cares? Hair that cool is totally worth the wait. Thanks again, mama!

[delicate_sunshine]

I'm so glad a new thread was started!  Right on time for me too!  I just finished making my dreadlocks last night, and well they look less than stellar to me but I don't know what is normal for right at first.  We used twist and rip method and they look pretty good the further down they go, but up top is just one big poofy, frizzy mess.  It seemed like no matter what I did, I could not get the roots to knot up tightly, or even up to my scalp.  Is there any way to tighten that up?  Is that normal?  Have I screwed up my hair already?  Also, thoughts on wax?

[mamareba]

Hi Everyone! It seems I am in a little bit of a different boat than most who have posted so far as I've had my dreads for almost 11 years! i started mine all natural, without backcombing, twisting, wax or anything... just no brushing, no conditioner.  yes, it took a couple years for them to look good, but im so happy i did it that way! ive definitely experienced the flattening, but i dont mind it.  looking forward to chatting it up and seeing your progress mamas!

[mamareba]

mama yogi bear~ I say if she's happy let her do it! i hope my babe wants them one day! i'd be more worried about them hurting if they started clumping together...can we see a pic? :)

[HuntressMother]

Beautiful dreads! Just a darn good photo in general.  Thanks for sharing, mama.

[koru]

Joining the tribe! I've been wanting dreads for years & finally took the plunge. Yeah, some may say I cheated because I had my friends backcomb but hey, that's what I chose. My question is this..I decided to do the backcomb method for many reasons & bought some wax, too. Now that I'm mostly knotted, though, (still 26 more to go up front!), I've been reading awful things about the wax. I've also read not-so-awful things but when you have a head of newly waxed dreads, the last thing you want to read is that it was the wrong decision. Yikes! What are your opinions? Experiences? Suggestions? 

And here's a shot of my lovely locks! I have 4 amazing friends (my dread wives, as I so lovingly call them) and they've spent the last 2 days taking turns backcombing my hair as our 16 unschooled children enjoyed hours of togetherness. I'm going back tomorrow to have them finished but I just need to know that I didn't ruin this whole, fabulous process by waxing them. Or if I did, can it be remedied??

Thanks for your support! I'm sure I'll be back soon & often. I used to be an MDC addict but after my 3rd kid I toned it down. Haha! Miss this place.....

[Chicky2]

Lovely pics, ladies!

I started my dread journey just shy of 18 months ago.  I started w/backcombing and twist and rip.  My hair was to my bra hooks and now is shoulder length, which is the shortest I've had my hair in ages.  Of course if I combed them out (if I could) I'm sure my hair would be butt length. 

Best way to take care of flattened dreads is to palmroll IN the shower.  Or at least it works for me.  I don't do much maintenance now at all, but did for the first 8 months when they suddenly stopped trying to congo.  I separate in the shower, too, because it doesn't hurt!  I do it under the stream of water.  Wrapping w/embroidery floss or hemp will help, too, but palmrolling in the shower definitely helps with shaping.  Mine are kind of a big mess now, but that's ok, I still love 'em!

I guess some are a bit longer now than I realized (been awhile since I had a pic taken). I have one wrapped in purple hemp (never had the hemp stink anytime I've used it, btw), and some ends wrapped w/embroidery floss just to help them hold better (about to take them out--they have been wrapped for months now-they had been really wonky on the ends).  I have a couple that I henna'd, but it's hard to tell now.

I'm pretty impatient about the length.  I am hoping by the end of this year they are the length my hair was when I started. 

Don't know why my hair always looks so red in pics.  I guess because all I see is the front, and that's got alot of gray! (I'm almost 40).

Wax.  Personally, I would wash w/really, really, really hot water to get it out quick, but that's me.  I don't want to hurt your feelings, because your hair looks great, but I've just heard awful things about wax and how it attracts dirt and people who've had dreads a long time and started w/wax usually warn people away from it because they've found oogy stuff in the middle of their dreads later on.

When I do dread maintenance, I usually just do what I've already mentioned in the shower.  Other than that, there is a great method I've linked to in the past about taming those frizzies (which I need to do!), and joining little wispy pieces of hair w/other dreads. 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=farren%20fox%20and%20dread%20maintenance&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CB4QtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DnuHmVeVbIys&ei=SCAkT8unNOLHsQKQmOiMAg&usg=AFQjCNEsC2E2V-KHLXPmE9H61_xT8nr7Kw&cad=rja

Sorry that link is so long, I don't know how to do it better, lol.

Oh, and as for dying/preparing hair for dreading....I personally wouldn't dye right before dreading because it conditions the hair so much.  Wait til they are locked up more.  Stop using shampoo and just do baking soda and acv for now to reset the oils in your hair to what they should be.

[dinan6]

Hello Dready Mama's,

Good idea to start a new thread, the other one was very old. My dreads will be 2 years in March. I started them by backcombing, some twist & rip, and little maintenance. My hair at the time was different lengths and pretty short just about my shoulders. I kept separating them for the first year. I had to go through them a few times a week to make sure they were not growing together into big clumps. Then I would pull them apart. I had a girl I found to do maintenance on them right at about a year in. She just cleaned up all my whispies and helped combine some. No wax, no root maintenance, no weird stuff to damage them.

I would strongly warn against wax. I have heard very bad stories with peeps that used wax on their dreads.

Really try and embrace the craziness of your few year or so with the dreads. They get crazy looking some days I really like them others they drove me crazy. I would cover them with a hat, headband or scarf on the days when I just wasn't feeling it.

I wash with baking soda, essential oils & apple cider vinegar. And at time an all natural soap that I dilute in water. I used to wash every 3 days now I'm going every 4 days. I dyed mine blonde this past fall and now have gone back to reddish brown. The thing about dying them is you don't want to mush the dye into the dread. You just want to coat the outside of the dread. and rinse a ton. It's hard to get it out of the dreads.

I would say it took mine a good 8 months to a year to lock up. I have attached some pictures.

This was May of 2010. They were 2 months in.

This was April 2011. Just over a year. I had dyed some of them blonde.

Me & my hubby in France 10/2011. I'm all blonde

And here we are 1/2012 with my baby who turned 3. 

I hope this is not too much, but thought I would show my progress. I have really enjoyed the journey so far.