Tips for Maintaining Dreadlocks

Healthy dreadlocks take a lot more maintenance work to keep them looking good than most people think. Washing, waxing, and rubber banding must all be done on a regular schedule to keep your dreads looking good. Here is a simple routine to follow for dreadlock maintenance. It helps if you can find a dread friend who is willing to help you out in maintaining your dreadlocks (hint: you may have to bribe him/her).

Step 1: Wash your dreadlocks once a week with residue free shampoo

Before you wash your dreadlocks it is a good idea to rubber band the roots and tips, at least for the first couple washings, while your dreadlocks are still young. Once your dreads become mature you can wash them through a nylon which is much less time consuming than rubber banding each individual dreadlock and also prevents loose hairs.

Step 2: Dry your dreadlocks

After washing your dreadlocks it is very important to dry them well because dreadlocks hold in moisture easily causing mildew to form. Next you will want to spray some locking accelerator into your damp locks and let them air dry. The locking accelerator will help them dry quicker and will also help to make your dreadlocks tighter.

Step 3: Cleaning up the loose ends

When your dreads are dry and clean it is the perfect time to clean up any loose hairs, tighten your roots, and wax your dreadlocks. There are two ways to work your loose hairs back into your dreadlocks. First, you can use the dread ball method. Here you would roll the loose hairs into a mini dread and then work them into the nearest dread. The second method is to use dental floss guide and weave the loose hairs into the dreadlock. Both methods for maintaining your dreadlocks are time consuming.

Now you can work on tightening your dreadlocks, especially at the roots. To do this you can use the palm rolling method in which you would rub your palms back and forth together with the dreadlock in between. It is important to concentrate on the roots to prevent more loose hairs. The second method is the clockwise rubbing method. In this method of dreadlock maintenance you would rub the root against your head in a circular, clockwise motion while holding the dread in your fist. Again, both methods are time consuming especially considering you have to do this to each and every dreadlock.

The next step in dreadlock maintenance is to wax your dreads which will smooth out any frizz and keep them nice and tight. It is best to work the wax in using the palm rolling method. Remember, you don't need a lot of dread wax to keep your dreadlocks healthy, just enough so you eliminate any frizz. You can also use a blow dryer to dry the wax into your dreads.

The whole process of washing, rolling, and waxing your dreads will take several hours, especially for new dreads, but it will last you for up to a week. As long as you stay on a steady once a week maintenance schedule, you will have healthy looking dreadlocks in no time. The maintenance program will also start to get easier and take less time once your dreads mature as long as you're religious about your dreadlock maintenance.