Dreadlocks: How to Start and Manage Your New Locks

Have you ever thought that you might want to do something a little different with your hair? Well I have. I had waist length hair for a few years after I had my daughter and wondered what it would look like braided. Well, seeing other girls with braids, I realized that braids frizz up and come apart too easily and with being a single mom I wouldn't have the time to maintain them. So I asked myself what would be similar but would stay put for as long as I wanted? To me the answer was dreadlocks. I decided to go for it and I did it, I kept them in for about two years until I decided it was time for a change and then took them out. I loved my locks even though they have only been gone a few weeks. I am going to take you through everything I have learned in my experience from having dreadlocks. And if you decide that they aren't for you, I will explain how to take them out with little damage to your hair no matter how long you leave them in.

This process will take several hours so make sure that you have plenty of music to listen to and a loyal friend or spouse willing to help you. Make sure your helper is a patient person because I let someone that gets easily frustrated start my locks. They ended up looking horrible - nothing was straight or sectioned off right. When you section the hair off take care not to gather hair from the top and bottom of the head because when it starts to lock up down the road your scalp will start to be pulled and you will end up having bad headaches.

If you want to bleach or dye your hair it's a good idea to do it first. This will help dry out the hair so it will lock up easier. The first step is to wash your hair using a clarifying shampoo or a shampoo that will dry out the hair such as a dandruff shampoo - nothing with conditioners in it. Conditioner will prevent your hair from wanting to lock up when you begin the back-combing process. You will need to gather a few items before you start: a pair of scissors for trimming fly away strands, about two bags of small rubber bands, and a jar of organic beeswax - these last two items can be bought in almost any grocery store in the hair care isle. Beeswax is used to keep the hair held together after the process has been started. It is important you keep your locks drenched with it for the first few months or it will lengthen the time it takes to grow together, if you let them dry out they will start to fall apart.

With a rat tail comb, section off your hair into a grid of that will look like small squares on your scalp. Picture a soccer ball; that's what you're going for. Hold the hair tightly to the scalp and hold in place with a rubber band. How you hold the hair when banding and combing it will determine the way it lays or even worse - sticks up! Unless you want locks that stick out or up hold them at a downward angle. Sections should be about half an inch to an inch depending on how thick or thin you want your locks. They do get thicker when you start the back-combing and locking process, so I suggest you start with nothing larger than half an inch unless you know you want thick locks. If you want a part in your hair on the side or in the middle after your locks are done then make sure the part nice and straight when you section it off in the beginning. Once your locks are done it will be hard, if not impossible to fix it.

Back-combing is exactly what it's name states: combing backwards. Did you ever tease your hair in the Eighties? Then you've already done it. Begin by saturating the lock thoroughly with beeswax. Start at the back of your head above your neck and with the hair closest to the scalp: firmly grasp it with one hand and begin the back-combing process. Make it as tight as you can get it against the scalp alternate twisting the lock and back-combing all the way down the strand. Keep back-combing until it starts to feel stiff but be careful not to use too much pressure and break the hair. This process will take a notably long time especially for long or thick hair. Feel by squeezing if there are any hollow parts in the dread lock. If it's hollow or soft feeling then a portion of the hair inside the dread lock is not knotted up, simply start below the hollow part and tightly back-comb. If this does not work, the point on the rat tail comb or a fingernail can be used to make a hole in the lock where the soft part is, then flip the bottom of the dread lock into the hole and pull it out the other side like making a knot. This process is also how you tighten the locks when they start to grow out. When tightening hair close to the scalp always go from over to under so it doesn't stick out.

If your locks start to grow together, and after time they probably will, then a simple trim will fix the problem. Care is vital the first few months. Be sure to not use shampoos with conditioner in them. You will get all the conditioners you need from the beeswax or grease you put in your hair. If a rubber band gets loose or falls out then promptly replace it. Anytime you are sitting down watching a movie or have your hands free you should be twisting your locks. Twist them as much as possible. This will help them keep their shape. If you don't twist them you'll end up with flat locks. But even flat locks can be shaped back into nice round ones. If your roots grow out you can begin dyeing them withing a month. When you do dye your hair squeeze the dye all the way through the dread lock.

If, for any reason, you decide to take your locks out start by soaking them with a strong conditioner and let it sit for a while. Use the pick end of a rat tail comb and start at then end of the lock separating a few strands at a time. This process took about two weeks for me to complete. It is a good idea to start with the locks on the bottom so your freed hair doesn't tangle up with your locks. Don't panic if hair comes out when you start doing this. A dread lock is made when your hair is knotted up - the hair you shed has no place to go so it is trapped inside of the dread lock making it thicker over time. You may also notice lint, fuzzies and lots of other unexplained materials in your hair; this is normal. It helps if you condition your hair every other day during this process as well as leave a spray in or leave in conditioner in it as much as possible. Your hair will be frizzy so a deep conditioning will be needed after all of your locks are taken out.