Starting Dreadlocks: What to Know Before You Lock

If you're considering starting dreadlocks, you're probably wondering what to expect along the way. Dreadlocks are - by nature - locked and become a permanent hairstyle, and you probably don't want to rush into a quick decision without having all the facts. So here are some things you should know about dreads, locks, or whatever you choose to call them, before you take the plunge, from someone who took the plunge without knowing most of this beforehand:

Dreadlocks require care and patience

Obviously dreadlocks do not form overnight. They are actually the result of hair matting, binding and locking together into rope-like structures, and this takes time. Depending on the texture of your hair, it could take a lot of time. I am mixed - half black and half white - with hair that is coarse and pretty curly. After about a year and a half of locking, some of the "locks" around my hairline still were not locked.

So depending on the texture of your hair, it could take up to two years, and maybe more, for your hair to actually form dreadlocks. During this time you'll be required to continually re-twist your hair or visit a salon and have them re-twist it for you.

Washing your hair can also become a chore. You will probably not want to wash it very often, as each wash requires thorough drying and a re-twist that can become time-consuming.

Dreadlocks can be expensive

Depending on your regular hair care routine and how you choose to maintain dreadlocks, locking can be an expensive endeavor. Before starting locks i kept my hair in two-strand twists which I did myself. The only expense I had for hair care was the hair care products I used to maintain my twists.

When I started locks, I had to visit the salon about every three weeks for a re-twist, which ran about $60 per visit. I re-twisted my locks on my own in between, but found that I got a much better result when visiting the salon.

For some people, $60 a week every few weeks may be a drop in hair care expenses, so dreadlocks may actually be a more inexpensive route; for me it was not.

Dreadlocks get dirty

As hard as you try to keep them clean, this fact is inevitable. As stated above, dreadlocks are, by nature, uncombed, matted hair that has bound together in a locked structure. Thus, hair on the inside of the structure and any residue/products that may be on it is enclosed and does not get cleaned when locks are washed.

That's why, if you ever look at the tips of dreadlocks, or cut off your locks (as I did) and look on the inside, you will see a rather unpleasant blend of product build-up even though you washed your hair regularly and tried to avoid products that cause build-up.

I know that some people use only olive oil on their locks to avoid this phenomenon, but when cutting off a portion of their locks to view the inside, report seeing this same buildup inside their locks, much to their surprise.

That's not to say that you can't keep locks looking clean; the stereotype of raggedy, unkempt locks is simply that: a stereotype. Locks can be kept neat, shiny, and relatively clean, but again, it's relatively, as what's happening on the inside of the lock may be quite different from its appearance on the outside.

If you have a naturally itchy/flaky scalp or like washing your hair often, dreadlocks may not be the best hairstyle choice

This is one fact I really wish I'd known before starting locks. For whatever reason, my scalp tends to get itchy and slightly flaky after a few days of not washing my hair. And when you have dreadlocks, it's really hard to wash your hair that often, because of the time required to dry and re-twist it, and also for the potential for pre-locks to unravel before they're actually locked. Considering the fact that locks attract buildup anyway, this resulted in a very poor result for me where my hair never really felt clean.

Make sure you or your loctician choose a locking product that is not thick or greasy when starting locks

My loctician chose beeswax, because of its binding power and the curly nature of my hair. Although this is one of the "strongest" locking products, in retrospect, it may not have been the smartest choice. Beeswax does not break down easily in water, if at all, and can end up in clumps or flakes in your locks, which you obviously don't want.

So before you lock, make sure you find a product that will be able to provide moisture, shine and some binding power to your locks without adding to the inevitable buildup that forms in locks.

For ideas on products to use, read my article on dreadlock product suggestions.

Have a picture of the size you want your dreadlocks to be, and bring this in to your loctician when starting locks

When it comes to locks, size really does matter. Although I told my loctician how small I wanted my dreadlocks, we clearly had different pictures in our minds, as what she created, looking back, was much larger than what I wanted. I should have just made it simple and brought her a picture. Because once the size is formed, there's really no going back unless you want to start all over again.

If you like to change things up often, locks may not be for you

It wasn't until I had locks that I realized how much I enjoyed the freedom of being able to do different things with my hair on a whim. Before dreadlocks I could just wear my hair curly in a ponytail, I could wear twists or braids, and I could straighten it occasionally when I felt like it (which wasn't often). Although my hair annoyed me before I locked it, after locking I missed the versatility it previously had. Obviously with locks you can create many different styles, but the fact remains that your hair is always locked.

If you change your mind midstream, you will have to cut most of your hair off

About a year and a half into locking my hair, I decided it just wasn't working. My locks were bigger than I wanted them to be, caring for them was a chore, I could never seem to get them as clean as I wanted, and I missed being able to do different things with my hair. So after going back and forth about it for a couple of months, one day I just sat down in front of my bathroom mirror with a pair of scissors and went to work. And it was work.

I pulled each lock apart from the root as far as I could before I simply couldn't pull anymore. And then I'd cut the rest off (and see what was actually inside the lock). As I mentioned earlier, some locks around my hairline weren't actually locked at all. Other sections were locked from the tip to about halfway up. Others in the middle of my scalp were locked almost all the way to the root, and this is where the severe cutting really came into play. After cutting those locks off I had about an inch or two of hair left, and had to cut the rest of my hair to that length (or lack thereof) to match.

Wow. When I was done, my hair was shorter than it had been in many years, curly, kind of goofy looking, but in a way I was happy. I'd forgotten what my hair was like and I was happy to have it back. Since then I've experimented with a variety of styles, including scarves (I make liberal use of these, because my hair is still too short to pull back into a ponytail), cornrows and now, once again, twists.

For years I dreamed of having dreadlocks and felt pangs of envy every time I saw someone walk by with a beautiful set of locs or saw pictures of loc-wearers in magazines. I wanted what they had, and so I got it. But once i had it, I realized it just wasn't for me. I wanted what they had for a day or a week, but not as a permanent hairstyle. Maybe that will change one day, and I'll start locks again, (making sure to bring in a picture of the size I want to my loctician)! But for now, I still think locks are absolutely gorgeous, but on someone else.

And if you shrug or at least don't cringe at most of the drawbacks I've named, then I'd encourage you to plunge ahead, as locks are probably for you!