Tips for Starting Dreadlocks

If you've made the decision to wear dreadlocks, you probably need a solid plan for starting them. You might wonder if you should begin them yourself or have a professional start them for you, where to find such a professional, what products to use, and what to expect in the way of care and maintenance.

Here are my suggestions, based on my own experience with dreadlocks:

Establish the size of your locks beforehand

I can't stress the importance of this step enough. Overlook it, and you'll be stuck with locks that are too big or too small for your taste, with your only option being to cut them off and start all over again. I'd strongly suggest you look through magazines, pictures online, books in hair salons, and pick the dreadlock size that you really like. Consider that the smaller the lock, the more locks you'll have, and the more time that will be required in caring for and re-twisting your locks.

Then once you have your size established, bring a picture with this exact size to your loctician. Which leads me to my next suggestion:

Visit a loctician to start your locks

You could, hypothetically, start your locks yourself, and many people do. But if you really want a neat, manicured, uniform look to your locks, I'd suggest you visit a loctician, as achieving this yourself will be nearly impossible unless you are a wizard with hair and have multiple mirrors that allow you to view the back of your head with precision.

Show your loctician a picture of the size you want your locks. If possible, view pictures of the loctician's past work to make sure they are capable of creating the look you want.

In terms of finding a loctician, this can be done through word of mouth, the internet, the phone book, or any combination thereof. It may take a little work, but the time spent finding a loctician who obviously has experience starting and caring for locks will be well worth it in the end. When choosing a loctician, consider not only price, but what products they use and the quality of their previous work.

Choose a method that suits your texture and your schedule

There are many ways to start dreadlocks. One involves not combing or fussing with the hair until it locks on its own. Another involves simply separating the hair into sections and forming twists with a comb. You can also start two-strand twists and let those evolve into locks by simply not undoing them. And you can do Sisterlocks, which add lock extensions to the hair - giving the appearance of locks -until your own hair begins to lock and the extensions are removed.

The method you choose really depends on the texture of your hair and how much time for maintenance your schedule permits. The coarser and more tightly coiled your hair is, the easier and quicker it will lock. Basic twists will probably lock quickly, whereas on someone with curly hair they will be likely to unravel without a strong binding product and frequent re-twisting to keep them in place.

In my case, I am mixed - half black and half white - and have coarse, curly hair. My loctician started my locs with comb twists and beeswax, which in retrospect probably wasn't the best choice.

I think for less tightly coiled hair, two-strand twists are the ideal way to go, as this allows you a hairstyle that is easy to maintain while your locks form.

Choose products that suit your texture without causing build-up

Everyone's hair texture is different, and therefore requires a product well-suited to it. When choosing products to aid in the locking process, you want something that s going to add shine and hold without causing tremendous buildup that will be difficult, if not impossible, to remove. Potential products range from lemon juice and cream hairdress to beeswax. I would suggest finding a loctician that does not recommend beeswax, but instead a natural product that dissolves more easily. It may take more time for your hair to lock without an artificial substance to bind it together, but it will be worth it in terms of the end result.

Make sure you know how to care for your hair in between visits to the loctician

This may require some self-study, or conversations with your loctician while they're twisting your hair, or maybe you already know instinctively. But you'll need to have the products and materials in place to care for your hair in between visits. That means shampoo, moisturizing and binding products, sprays and astringents, and possibly hair clips, headbands and scarves to style your hair in the transitional process.

For advice on products, you can read my article on dreadlock product suggestions.

You will need a good shampoo that cleanses the hair thoroughly without drying it out, a good binding/moisturizing product you can use to re-twist your hair with in between visits, and a spray or balm to refresh and moisturize your scalp and hair while adding shine.

You will also want clips to hold your twists down after you re-twist them, in addition to a blowdryer or hair dryer (unless you want to let your hair air-dry, a much longer process), cute headbands to hold your hair back while it's still in the beginning stages, and scarves as styling aids, and to sleep in at night. Scarves you sleep in should be made of silk, as this will cause minimal friction and flyaways to your dreadlocks.

As a side note, it is not necessary to visit a loctician if you're looking for a more free-form, less manicured look to your dreadlocks. In fact, many popular dreadlock wearers, including Bob Marley, formed their locks by simply not touching their hair or applying aloe vera (from the plant) and doing nothing else. While your hair will look more unruly during the forming process, it will leave less work for you and will ultimately bring you to the same destination.

But for those who want a neat a look as possible while locks are still forming, having a solid plan for starting locks in terms of size, method and maintenance will be a big help. If you're still on the fence about forming locks and wondering if they're really for you, read my article about what to know before you start locks.