Dready Mamas 2013 - Page 3

[CrunchyMama19]

happy dreadiversary koru!

phishcarrie - How old are your dreads? That can make a big difference on what to use. A deep clean with ACV is supposed to work wonders. Just google ACV and dreads and I am sure some stuff will come up. Tea Tree oil can also work wonders for itchy scalp.

One other suggestion which I know works is Neutrogena T-Gel. It doesn't leave a residue and I think it actually helped with the knotting process for me. After I use it my dreads knot up a lot and I usually have to go in and do some separation of some dreads. It feels great and takes care of the dandruff. I alternate between the T-gel and Dr. Bonners with Tea Tree oil. Hope that helps.

[Becky Wheeler]

Yay! I'm so happy for you!!!  Happy dreadiversary!

[Becky Wheeler]

Progress! I don't even remember how long it's been(ah! It's been 20 days lol). My hair is still adjusting to no poo, so it's kind of oily on my crown, but I'm still seeing it separate and it's knotting.

[koru]

Thanks for the dreadiversary love, friends!

Today I did an ACV treatment on my head & it feels much less itchy & dry. I put about a cup of ACV in a squirt bottle & poured it all over my head (scalp & hair) and then covered it all with a shower cap for about 10 minutes. It stung for a few seconds on the areas where my scalp has been the most itchy but now it feels great! 

[Becky Wheeler]

Do any of you regularly excercise? If so, how often and do you wash your hair more because of it?

[ShadowMoon]

Originally Posted by Becky Wheeler 

Do any of you regularly excercise? If so, how often and do you wash your hair more because of it?

I exercise regularly - cardio/weights and yoga 3-5x/week. I also have a very physical job. I really only wash my hair once a week, regardless of activity level. I'll throw in a second washing if need be but I try to keep it down to one. I do wash my bangs a few times a week though. 

[CrunchyMama19]

I run long distances (half marathon and up) so I exercise a lot. Have done a couple of marathons and was going to do an ultramarathon before I got pregnant. Anyway, I still only wash about 2x a week although I shower everyday.  I guess my head adjusts to all the exercise. I usually wash after my long run and then once other time during the week. DH hasn't complained about smell or anything so I guess it's good!

[Phishncarrie]

Originally Posted by CrunchyMama19 

happy dreadiversary koru!

phishcarrie - How old are your dreads? That can make a big difference on what to use. A deep clean with ACV is supposed to work wonders. Just google ACV and dreads and I am sure some stuff will come up. Tea Tree oil can also work wonders for itchy scalp.

One other suggestion which I know works is Neutrogena T-Gel. It doesn't leave a residue and I think it actually helped with the knotting process for me. After I use it my dreads knot up a lot and I usually have to go in and do some separation of some dreads. It feels great and takes care of the dandruff. I alternate between the T-gel and Dr. Bonners with Tea Tree oil. Hope that helps.

My dreads are 7mnths old. I caved and bought some Neutrogena TSal last night and it kicked all the flakiness! I think I might incorporate it into my wash routine until winter is done. What other dread soaps do you guys use? I've tried baking soda/ACV for about a month, Dr B's, Maylee's Garden, and couldn't handle the grease. I've been trying to use up an old (like 7yrs, from a past failed attempt at using a dumb kit!) DreadheadHQ shampoo bottle and I think it contributes to the dryness. I'm stumped.

[Becky Wheeler]

Awesome! Thank you, ladies! I didn't know if I should wash more or just rinse it out, due to the sweat and stuff. I don't want my hair to smell funky. lol

[inconditus]

yay! Dreadie thread :) 

Mine are a little over a year old, started tnr, but I've put some extensions in via crochet also. I'm super creepy and dreaded some of my husband's hair in, and then I also wanted some color so I dyed some purple and crocheted that in since my hair is too dark to do anything with. I wanted to do neglect but it just didn't work out for me. I feel like everyone has their own standards and even though I wanted to go the "completely natural" route I'm happy that I diverged because it helped me get over a lot of the dogma that I had in my mind at the time.

I wash once a week with Dr. Bronners tea tree and LOVE it. Very helpful for a itchy scalp and dandruff. Once a month or every couple I will do a deep clean with baking soda and apple cidar vinegar. Just 1/6 cup of BS per gallon of water, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then rinse. You can add essential oils to this too but I'm too lazy. Then after it's completely rinsed out I put some amount (never really measured) that's probably near a cup of Braggs to a little under a gallon of water and pour that on. It depends on how old the dreadies are on how long you let it sit. When they were babies I rinsed right away but now I let it sit for about a minute or so to get a good conditioner in them. They are always nice and soft afterwards :)

[Becky Wheeler]

inconditus, do you have really fine, straight hair? Neglect often doesn't work with that hair type. I saw a gal on www.dreadlockssite.com whose hair was really straight and fine and it didn't start dreading on the top layers until a year after she started.

[incorrigible]

Hi mamas. I'm in search of some advice. dd11 has been toying with the idea and told me today that she for sure wants dreads. Dh and I think they're great and will look amazing on her, but neither of us has any idea how to get from here to there! lol I tried a web search, but there's SO much info and several different methods that all claim they are the best and only one anyone should use. My head is spinning a little. Could you all help me narrow down the research material a bit, please?

Dd wants thinner dreads. She has this final image in her mind of some of the dreads died different colors, and some with beads or other decorations in them. She does get that it's a long road from here to there, and that she's going to look completely unkempt for most of it. That's probably part of the appeal. She honestly prefers to look unkempt anyway. lol 

She has long, slightly wavy hair. It's a gold-blond in summer, and light brown this time of year, and thick for a blond. It's kind of a long silky almost straight. It won't stay brushed to save her life, so dreads are probably a good fit for her. lol

We would prefer a method that doesn't involve applying a lot of chemicals, but are open to using simple, natural products, if it will quicken the process. I'm not particularly hot on spending the next year reassuring her church leaders that she really does bath and really doesn't need to brush her hair, so quickening the process is of value.

Tips, tricks, advice? Recommended websites? I'd appreciate any input.

[MovnMama]

Dreadheadhq has a "starter kit" with a how to DVD. You could do them or it might be fun for friends to help. Hers not yours - I'm thinking slumber party style . It's pricey but it comes with all you need and very thorough instruction. Not that I used it, but I went to a salon and had mine done professionally because I wasn't willing to look unkempt (I'm a high school teacher in a conservative area) for a long time. If I hadn't done that, I would have done the dreadhead HQ method. Google it and let me know what you think! And how it works out

[Becky Wheeler]

You don't need a starter kit for dreads. Even dreads for kids. Further up in this thread, you'll see that my daughter's hair gets knotty like dreads by just being active. Neglect isn't hard, you just have to do it.

[CrunchyMama19]

IMHO, the starter kits are a waste of money. You really want to stay away from wax. It is difficult to impossible to remove and holds onto dirt and smells. And the "Lock Peppa" is made from teh same chemical used to remove ear mites from cats! The wax also hinders the hair from truly knotting. I would suggest backcombing, twist and rip, or crocheting. They will fall out, reknot, fall out, reknot, but that is the way dreads form, it is an act of patience. If you want to help things along you can use a spray of water, sea salt, and lemon juice and that will help hair knot, just don't over do it as it can dry the scalp. And of course, keep them clean. Clean dreads dread faster.

[MovnMama]

Originally Posted by Becky Wheeler 

You don't need a starter kit for dreads. Even dreads for kids. Further up in this thread, you'll see that my daughter's hair gets knotty like dreads by just being active. Neglect isn't hard, you just have to do it.

I agree that neglect method isn't hard, but I got the impression that she wasn't interested in a method that would take a long time or willing to deal with a more "messy" method. I mean that totally respectfully because I think that your dreads are looking awesome and progressing well - I just know it isn't the right method for everyone, especially people in a situation where more conservative folks may judge them (right or wrong - this is what happens). That's why I didn't go that route - my job and town are fairly conservative. I needed to go from zero to dread quickly to avoid being judged negatively by conservative parents and administrators. Seemed like from her post incorrigible was seeking a similar quick turnaround for church, etc.

Originally Posted by CrunchyMama19 

IMHO, the starter kits are a waste of money. You really want to stay away from wax. It is difficult to impossible to remove and holds onto dirt and smells. And the "Lock Peppa" is made from teh same chemical used to remove ear mites from cats! The wax also hinders the hair from truly knotting. I would suggest backcombing, twist and rip, or crocheting. They will fall out, reknot, fall out, reknot, but that is the way dreads form, it is an act of patience. If you want to help things along you can use a spray of water, sea salt, and lemon juice and that will help hair knot, just don't over do it as it can dry the scalp. And of course, keep them clean. Clean dreads dread faster.

I also agree that wax is not preferable. I was mostly referring to the DVD instructions on how to back comb and crochet - seemed like the pp was looking for real detailed instructions and finding conflicting info online. So she wanted more specifically how exactly to back comb, not just "hey, try back combing!" Not that you were saying that, but that's most if the online advice.

In terms of product, aloe gel and lime juice "locking" products are natural and I've had success with the Locksteady gel from Knotty Boy. I'm considering making my own recipe though, after using it and checking out the ingredients. HTH.

[incorrigible]

This is all very good information. Thank you all for the input! 

I think I've worked out a decent plan. Church is really the place we're most likely to run into problems....but we won't be attending for the 2 weeks after tomorrow. If we start tomorrow, that gives us 3 weeks into dreads before many overly well meaning folk get a look at her. I think twist n rip may be the way to go...with some homemade locking spray. She should at least look like what's going on with her hair is intentional by then, I'd think. That should keep people from worrying that she's just not being cared for or something. lol 

ETA: I plan to put pictures and updates in my blog. PM me if you want the address, but I will also post some pics of her progress in here. ;)

[starcrossedmama]

Hi Ladies! I am thinking of dreading my just-under-chin-length hair. THere is a shop in Vancouver-about 6 hours from me, called The Dreadquarters that I am looking into. I will need some extensions, I just want it to be shoulder length. I am the impatient want them to be done fast type, so I am getting them done at a salon. Just thought I would pop in and say hi!

Peace! Ky

[starcrossedmama]

Best of luck to you! I am a newbie here :-) But I would love to see some pics of your little beauty!

[Phishncarrie]

Originally Posted by incorrigible 

This is all very good information. Thank you all for the input! 

I think I've worked out a decent plan. Church is really the place we're most likely to run into problems....but we won't be attending for the 2 weeks after tomorrow. If we start tomorrow, that gives us 3 weeks into dreads before many overly well meaning folk get a look at her. I think twist n rip may be the way to go...with some homemade locking spray. She should at least look like what's going on with her hair is intentional by then, I'd think. That should keep people from worrying that she's just not being cared for or something. lol 

ETA: I plan to put pictures and updates in my blog. PM me if you want the address, but I will also post some pics of her progress in here. ;)

I had help from a friend and after 12hrs, I had 40 thin back combed beauties! I thought they seemed very "Side Show Bob'ish" at first, but if I wore them up they were very presentable to the conservative crowd. Good luck and can't wait to see some pics of her journey!