Why I Wear Dreadlocks?

For the last eight years I've worn what some refer to as - dreadlocks. I personally do not to call them dreadlocks because I see nothing dreadful about them. Instead I refer to them simply as "locks". If you're not familiar with this hairstyle, it is worn mostly by people of African descent (although the youth of today seem to love them no matter what their ethnicity). Locks are created by hand twisting the hair with a substance like beeswax, honey or shea butter. The hair is trained and formed into these twists until they "lock" in place.

Although many associate locks with Bob Marley and the whole Rastafarian religious movement, locks were actually around far before Bob Marley and his crew were ever thought of. Many historians say that dreadlocks first came about as a result of slave ships. It is said that slaves were unable to comb or brush their hair, thus the hair began to grow into what looked like ropes. Some say this was the first record of dreadlocks. Others refer back to the days of Moses and a group called the Nazarenes. One vow of a Nazarene was to not cut their hair. It is believed that instead they would form the hair into large roped sections and that they were the first to wear locks.

To this day, many wear dreadlocks because of their religious affiliations. Namely the Rastafarian religion. Others wear dreadlocks as a symbol of racial pride and strength. Some others view their locks as somewhat of a statement of radicalism. Consequently, everyone who wears locks is sometimes assumed to fit into one of these categories.

The truth is, although I researched all of this information before I began the lock process, my reason for wearing locks does not fit into any of the above categories. I am surely not a "Rasta" and never have nor will I ever have an association with that religion. And, although I truly believe that Black America has produced some wonderful and fine leaders, I don't wear locks to symbolize pride in the black culture either. Now, I clearly have strong and possibly radical views about many issues, nevertheless, I have not locked my hair to make any sort of political or social statement. Instead, I like many others wear the hairstyle for more simple and superficial reasons.

For most of my adult life my hair was chemical processed. I went through all of the trendy hairstyles including the Wave Noveau and the Jheri Curl. In my early 30's my hair and scalp rebelled and said - no more. Every chemical process would lead to sores in the head and a massive headache. Yes, I tried many different brands and even some of the so-called "gentle" ones, but nothing worked. My only option was to cut off all of my hair and go natural. Eventually this lead to my locking my hair.

It has been a real journey through this "hair thing". Locks have been a great solution for me. They allow me to get dressed quickly (almost as fast as my husband) and I can exercise/workout without the hassle of having to wash, blowdry and curl my hair. So the next time you're in the store and you see someone wearing locks, don't draw conclusions about them. They might just be like me - the reality is that for some people - locks are just a hairstyle.