It depends on the type of thin. If it's sparse thin, like you don't have a lot, that can be a challenge, you'll have to make larger sections to compensate. If it's fine thin, as in each hair strand is small then you actually have an advantage, fine hair dreads easier than coarse hair.
dude... thank you. I've been wanting dreads because my fro is so big. It's pretty much shoulder to shoulder. I'm gonna get dreads in about a month. You insured my reasoning.
yea, if they are pretty loose starting again with good sections is prolly the way to go...You'll love how fast the thin ones dry, even after they're mature...
completely true. There are a ton people that share the mindset and don't have dreads. I hope I didn't give off the wrong impression on that...I do tend to direct this stuff towards people with (or thinking about getting)dreads...
Asian hair is generally more coarse, each strand is larger around, so it's a little more difficult to get it to lock on it's own. On the upside the hair is often thicker (more strands per sq inch) and that helps. I would recommend going with larger sections (maybe 1"sq or 3/4" sq if the hair is really thick(ie lots of hair per sq inch)). That should save you some extra work. The good news is the hair will lock and it will look amazing once it does. Everything else works the same.
haha... That guy is so entertaining. I've gotten really interested in dreadlocks, recently. Unfortunately, I have a shaved head, so it will be a very long time before I could actually start the dreading process. Also, I'm a business major, so I may get stuck looking for an office job. Hopefully people continue to become more accepting of dreadlocks, within the next few years, so I can actually get a job.
Sweet man, I'm glad to hear it... We've actually had a lot of rastafarians place orders with us. From what I've gathered they take care of their dreads in different ways. Some twist and play with their dreads others avoid touching their hair, some use products, others don't....but none of them cut or shave their hair (on their head or their face). This is the second rule of their Nazarite Vow. "there shall not razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled"
They do get beefier as they mature... It's hard to go wrong with 1" sections. If you maintain them they will lock pretty quick in any hair type and they look really stinkin' good. :)
that IS a good question...I've actually recorded some stuff on that, I'm looking forward to getting it out there. There are a lot of misconceptions about wax, mostly coming from mis-use. In the video I cut in half a Thick 4 year old dread that was properly started and maintained w/ wax, and not a trace of wax inside. It's all about how you use the wax... Anyway I'm going to get the vid up as soon as I can and you can check it out and decide :)
The wax doesn't prevent the hair from moving like you might imagine. It's much softer than pure beeswax or candle wax. It holds the hair together without sticking it in place (like glue would for exe). Because the hair can still move, and because the wax is holding it close to the center of the dread, it's pressed against other hair and the knots tend to get tighter and tighter as they are pressed and twisted against each other. This is why palm rolling is so effective. After they've tightened..
yea, we gotta spread the word... Like regular hair you can take care of dreads or you can neglect them. Just because some people don't take care of dreads doesn't mean that dreads have to be dirty or messy, it just means some people choose to wear them that way.
thanks bro.. I usually tie'em up or stick'em in a dread band if I'm trying to keep'em dry. I wash mine every other day. You gotta get them mostly dry first but if you go to bed with them a lil damp they look all full and fluffy the next morning...it's a "good dread day". Course I use the Dhhq dread soap, its completely residue free so it helps'em lock faster and dry faster. When they are new they tend to pick up fuz so you should keep them covered when you sleep... (more on the site and in vlog5
Yea, the size of the locks chosen with the section size...bigger the sections bigger the dreads...You loose more length with larger dreads but they do lock easier... I'm gunna hit all the sectioning stuff in the third vlog...the site has lots of good info and the dvd too...
Washing them every day when they are new is going to cause a lot of loose hair to pop out. Keeping up with it will be a chore. Leaving out the wax will make it more difficult still. Unless the hair is pretty long I think you're going to have a rough time of it. The peppa is not put "all over" the dreads like most products. You usually put a small amount on your finger tips and work it into the hair only where you are making knots. You won't need much to make knots,it works like instantly..
There are 2 kinds of thin hair... If the hair strands themselves are thin (fine hair) it will lock quicker, good stuff. If you hair is sparse (thinning)and you don't have much hair per sq in, you are at a slight disadvantage, since more hair = faster locking. You can make the section size larger to compensate and the dreads will be the right size and you'll have fewer dreads. You might go w/ 30 dreads rather than 50 or 100. If you have fine hair and lots of it your dreads will be smokin'...
I followed the same instructions we have on the dreadheadhq website. I only used our products and the techniques we have on the site. I did 1/2" sections but I would recommend 3/4". They will look very similar and the maintenance will be even easier :)
Thanks :) You can swim with dreads but there is some stuff you should know... Unless your dreads are crazy mature you're going to get some loose hair each time you swim...It's not really that swimming causes loose hair, it's just that normally much of the loose hair is stuck down where you can't see it and when you swim it's going to float right out. No biggie, it's an easy fix, just dread ball and stick it in.
Yea, the DVD shows how to make and maintain ze Dreadlocks step by step, easy to follow. You can order reg. ground shipping and get it in 2 business days...it gets to NYC in 3 and you're like right next door...
thanks :) I'd go for the dreads first, then the mohawk :) It won't be a problem to comb the right dreads out when it's mohawk time. Some Dread Zasta will take'em right out and then you can mohawk it up.. Color? Playstation-light blue :)
you could try twisting but based on what you said twisting is prolly not gunna work so well. You really need to have a nice tight fro for twisting to work well. I'd backcomb. There are some backcombing vids on the dread head site, as soon as I get a chance I'll put links to them on dreadlocks tv I'll have some new backcombing stuff in dread vlog 4
well I totally respect your point of view and with that in mind I'll share my experience. I've been helping people start their dreads for about 9 years, I've seen quite a few people that were over-waxing or not rinsing the wax out properly and after they understand correct it their dreads rock. I've been wearing dreads personally for 9 years and I started them with DHHQ wax, I use just enough and I've always gotten great results. I think the upcoming wax video will answer a lot of questions...
Three inches is usually enough, especially if you don't mind keeping up with some extra loose hair. If you start'em shorter it's a lot more work (putting loose hair back in) until they lock...
best of lock w/ your dreadies! I hope you won't need the DreadZasta either but if you do, rest assured, it does work. Even totally mature dreads, years old, comb out without a problem. Dread removal is not the fastest process but the Zasta makes it easy..
6"-8" is good lenght if you want it to be easier (less maintenance). Since your hair is more coarse than average I would push for 8" and things will go pretty smooth.
hot or cold is fine...I prefer hot water if it's available :) If you're rinsing the wax out (it's a good idea to do so about once a month) use nice hot water and wash'em a couple times with plenty of soap.
yea, depending on where you are it can be tough, other areas don't seem to care, they appreciate them. one thing that always plays a factor is the way they look and the reason they feel you have them. If they think you have dreads cause you're lazy and didn't feel like combing your hair forget it, what employer wants that?...If they see you as someone with the confidence to get what they want who creates rather than following the crowd, it can be a great advantage..
uber-short, like 2-3" spikey dreads that stick straight up. The will stick up until they grow a few more inches. You can sportem (they look sorda cool) or you can cover them with a tam when you go out if you're not into the spikey look :)
yea you'll really love havin' dreads... Everytime I see someone obviously struggling with poofy hair I want to walk up to'em and tell'em they should try dreads. I've never done it though, if I ever do I really need to get some video of their reaction. :)
with afro textured hair you should be able to begin twisting it now. If your hair is softer and you want to backcomb it you'll need to let it grow out to 3 or 4 inches.
I'd say the best reason would be one that makes them meaningful to you, gives you the patience to see them through, and allows the experience of growing and having dreads bring you the most pleasure... I'd also guess that this reason is going to vary as much as the people that wear dreadlocks. :)
Good eye, They're pretty tight but not really "stiff", (heh, he said stiff), it's hard for thinner dreads to be stiff, they don't really have enough hair. Dreads are like cotton rope, they are hard to squeeze flat but easy to bend. Smaller dreads tend to stick up and "defy gravity" more since they are so light, lighter than they look, and that can make them appear stiff since they will stick out in strange ways sometimes.
yea, actually it sounds ideal for starting dreads...except for the "hard to grow it out" part. If it grows slowly it will take a long time for the dreads to gain length. They gain length much slower than straight hair. If it's brittle or weak you'll need to take care to keep the dreads moisturized.
thanks for watchin', I'm glad it put your mind at ease... it's hard when you start'em and you're still not sure if they are going to "make it", keep at it, they will :)
I started these dreads about about 8". Hair usually grows about 1/2" per month, so 10 months would be a good estimate....this give me an idea for Vlog 2 part C :) My dreads are just under 4 years old now. Thanks for the props on the vid!
yea, we have this stuff called Dread Zasta...it can take out dreads, even if they are years old. its on the Dread Head HQ site. Taking dreads out isn't fun but if you have to take them out and you don't want to cut them this stuff works...
So what do you do about swimming? Does chlorine or salty oceany water make it unravel? I can't get dreadsies if I am not able to swim anymore. That would be sad! Great videos, by the way. You are GREAT at video editing. Good job!
hey. your video helps alot. i have been thinking about getting dreads but i am afraid that my hair mite be a little bit to thin. should that be an actual concern i have?
You can totally do it w/ no prior experience, most people do...It's pretty straight forward like you said, backcomb, palm roll, peppa and wax....the thing is, it takes a while. The next vlog I'm gunna talk about getting a party together so you have as much help as possible...it's more fun and so much faster...
Almost forgot, the saltwater is great for them, and the chlorine won't hurt'em a bit, but you might want to stear clear of greasy hotel pools where people have washed off lots of sunscreen and oils.
Hard to say, most peoples hair seems to grow about 1/2 an inch per month but it can vary quite a bit. Unless he makes smaller sections (which make smaller dreads, which don't shrink as much)they probably won't be shoulder length this summer. I'd lock'em up asap so they can start maturing..by July he'll be through the toughest part... If he only wants them for the summer and then he's planning on cutting them make sure he knows that he'll be cutting'em before they really lock up...
ya know, I agree...people who weren't meant to have dreads won't keep them...I also feel like giving it some thought up font, instead of jumping in immediately, might help more people succeed, it may just be a matter of timing, choosing the right time when success is more likely.. I hate hearing about dreads getting cut before they mature... If there were a dread superhero he'd fly around and stop people from cutting off their dreads :)
yea, I've seen'em too. I have a response in the FAQ on our site, search the faq for "bad wax" and it should come up. In short, wax used properly is great. I started my dreads with it and I recommend it. That said, it can also be misused (using too much and using it at the wrong time) and it can be gross and hinder progress... So, read the instructions for using it (also in the faq) and you'll get better dreads in less time.. I'm going to do a vid on wax..I promise :)
Yur right about that...you certainly don't have to. :) you don't have to put in loose hair or wash'em either but doing these things will make your mom proud. :) It really depends on what you're going for I guess. I want my dreads to be clean & nice lookin, I'm not out to scare children or smell funny, although sometimes I may smell funny, but I'm working on that..Thing is, do whatcha like, their your dreads. (and don't let anyone make you rub'em if you don't wanna)
I have bone straight hair....pretty coarse too, it doesn't dread at all if it's just "left alone", I know this cause I have some loose hair in the back that I've just been watching to see if it will lock at all on it's own...no dice. To get the dreads to not hang and look flat you need to have tight roots. Getting the new growth to lock quickly makes this possible. If you want more info on what I do, my dreadies have been started and maintained with the info on the dreadheadhq . com site .
I'm hard at work on vlog 2 right now, I'm hoping to have it up in 2 weeks or less. Just curious, how big are you're dreadlocks mang? You might be able to split'em. Right now we have the "How to Dread" dvd on the dreadheadhq website but I am going to get into more tips and instructions in the dread vlog...it's gunna be good :)If you don't have a youtube account and you want to subscribe to tha vlogs you can snag the rss feed at dreadlocks dot tv...
They will get loose but they won't fall out... I mean sometimes you'll have a couple that get so loose they have to be redone but by the end of the first week or so you'll have'em all fixed and you should be good to go. Don't stress about loose ones...you can always fix it, it's never like "oh I lost one, it will never be a dread". If ya follow the instructions on tha site youre hair is gunna dread...it's just a matter of how fast it will dread... :) Hope that helps...
Sharpie size...bigger than a pen, smaller than a regular magic marker, just over 1/2 an inch or almost 2.5cm. I think that size is a great balance between locking speed and drying time and they look sick. I'm going to go over dread and section size in dread vlog 3.... I'm going to cover all that stuff :)
The reasoning I heard was that thick dreadies were an ideal place to hide weapons so it put guards and other prisoners at risk...depending on the dreads it could work I suppose...
nice stuff..! i am going to wear dreadlocks too! is 10 cm long enough for making dreadlocks? i am not going to dread all my hair , just the back hair ;)
Nice video. I've had dreads since 96. I agree with your most of your video but disagree on a small part. So, you've had people talk to you from day one about wether or not they should dread. I always say to dread it up asap. They may be reaching for something they don't quite understand yet. The struggle with the dreads usually weeds out people that shouldn't have had them in the first place anyway. Maybe one learns from the journey..about themselves &... you know, the big picture.
Pretty. That's what I was goin' for :) heh, m'kidding, thanks. I've been growing these for 4 years but I'd say they looked...um..pretty...by a year. Thinner dreads definitely take longer to mature. I'm going to hit on section/dread size in the 3rd vlog...I'm finished shooting the 2nd, now I just have to edit it...
You should wash your hair, if you don't it will get itchy and cause problems for the dreads. Residue free is important, our dread soap will help the dreads mature and get'em clean. You'll wash them every 3 days for the first month, then every other day after that and you should be good to go. Take care of loose hair after you wash using the technique in the loose hair video I did a few weeks ago
I'd wait until you are sure....when you KNOW ya want'em 6 months won't seem very long... Added bonus:Waiting will give your hair a chance to grow, unless it's long already the extra length will make skinny dreads a lil easier to get started..
EXACTLY ! I told my mom today I wanted to dread the rest of my hair (I currently have a few dreadies) and she said: "Nonono, vas a tener tu cabeza bien piojosa!" (Translation: You will have a head full of lice.) Me: *scoff* What? That's not true! It's MY head anyways, I'll do what I want!" :3
thanks man, listen im from isreal and we dont have Dreadlocks hairslones.. my hair is like a Velcro its forming knots by itself.. i think about make it a dreads but there is a problem in the back of my head my hair is curly and i mean all of my back scalp .. and in front its kind of straight becuse of my ponytail.. im afraid to make mistakes since im joining the army next year and i love my annoying hair.. what can i do? do the Twisting method is effective?
yea, that does help, It's actually mentioned in the next vlog (part c). You can stop using conditioner sooner, it's really the last week or two that makes the biggest difference. If you can use a residue free soap for the last week it will help. 5 inches is good. The length of the dreads will depend on your section size, bigger sections, shorter dreads, on average you can figure you'll loose about 30% of the length. There's some good info on this in the faq at [dreadheadhq] [dot] [com]
no, if the chlorine levels are ok for you and your eyes, your dreads should be find. Light Blonde hair can turn green in heavy chlorine but other than that..no worries :)
thanks man.!Im a Asian...Im planin' to grow dreadlocks..but I still think my hair is too short, but my question is..are Asian's hair condition harder to grow a dreadlock..or it is pretty much the same..?
dreads are simple after they mature... just keep them clean and put some loose hair in now an then. When they are new it's a good idea to maintain them...working on them then will help them mature faster and you'll get to the point where you don't have to work on them sooner. You can also just neglect them, which is simple...but if you have a job or a reason you can't completely ignore social standards (can't look like a caveman for months) backcombing is prolly a better choice :)
lol yea,have you seen the after pics on the DreadHeadHQ . com sight? Thousands of people who have obviously done something "very bad" to their locks. I totally agree that overusing and misusing wax is counter productive but the truth is that if you use it correctly it makes better dreads faster. So rather than debate this point I'm making a video about wax and soap residue and how to avoid'em.(please post wax comments to that video)
dreads are pretty tough if you take care of em, they could get ripped out in a fight though...honestly if you're going to do a lot of fighting short hair is best... just ask Edward Norton: "Fight Club became the reason to cut your hair short or trim your fingernails"
..the wax can be removed with dread soap and hot water leaving nothing but tight dread behind. I'm working on a video that should explain it better and show how it works...and how it doesn't work if you over-wax or fail to get the hair clean or have other probs.
hey johnnny whuts up.. ur dreads r awsome. im gunna put in dreads soon and i was wondering if i should ude wax. ive watched other youtube vids that say wax can do harrible bad thing to your hair.
you had a fro ay? It depends....if you're sure you want dreads then you should look at how they've started to form. Unless you're happy with the size and placement you'll prolly have to comb some out and make some adjustments...like if you have one that has a huge section and it's likely going to grow into Sr.MEGA-DREAD, a mean Mexican boxing dreadlock with unmatched strength, and possibly hold you and your family hostage....you're gunna want to separate that bad boy before he locs too tight...
the only truly residue free soaps/shampoo's (besides the dread head soap) that I know of are sold for people with eczema. Many shampoos make residue claims but if you check them out you can feel and smell residue they leave behind. If you need something in a pich, J&J no more tears baby shampoo leaves little residue, not bad for temporary use. btw castle soaps (animal or vegetable based)all leave residue, it's why they make skin feel soft, the residue left behind is what gives that feeling..
I have a djembe drum 14" I think, and have have a set of tabla (indian drums) that I'm borrowing from a friend :) I need to get sum beats in a video :)
my dad dont like dreads im trying ta tell him dreads are not stupid wat should i do? every thing or excuse or trying ta get him ta say yes. your the dread guru/proffesional. tell me wat i should tell him!
lol ok so how do you convice a stubborn italian mother to let ger 17 year old daughter dread her hair?? i am soooo done with frizzy crazy hair...4 years ago i even chopped it all off to about an inch, no joke. so yea i really want dreads, skinny dreads, thought it through..more like obsessed, and yea so my hair is about 3 inches past my shoulders now. so when i dread it, how much shorter will it get? also another thing, i dye my hair alot and it always grows in like crazy, so what would i doo?
you have one of the neatest coolest dreads ive ever seen.
thanks man :) It's great to have yur moms support...it took a min. for my mom to get used to me having dreads ...
It depends on the type of thin. If it's sparse thin, like you don't have a lot, that can be a challenge, you'll have to make larger sections to compensate. If it's fine thin, as in each hair strand is small then you actually have an advantage, fine hair dreads easier than coarse hair.
dude... thank you. I've been wanting dreads because my fro is so big. It's pretty much shoulder to shoulder. I'm gonna get dreads in about a month. You insured my reasoning.
yea, if they are pretty loose starting again with good sections is prolly the way to go...You'll love how fast the thin ones dry, even after they're mature...
completely true. There are a ton people that share the mindset and don't have dreads. I hope I didn't give off the wrong impression on that...I do tend to direct this stuff towards people with (or thinking about getting)dreads...
Asian hair is generally more coarse, each strand is larger around, so it's a little more difficult to get it to lock on it's own. On the upside the hair is often thicker (more strands per sq inch) and that helps.
I would recommend going with larger sections (maybe 1"sq or 3/4" sq if the hair is really thick(ie lots of hair per sq inch)). That should save you some extra work. The good news is the hair will lock and it will look amazing once it does. Everything else works the same.
haha... That guy is so entertaining. I've gotten really interested in dreadlocks, recently. Unfortunately, I have a shaved head, so it will be a very long time before I could actually start the dreading process. Also, I'm a business major, so I may get stuck looking for an office job. Hopefully people continue to become more accepting of dreadlocks, within the next few years, so I can actually get a job.
Sweet man, I'm glad to hear it...
We've actually had a lot of rastafarians place orders with us. From what I've gathered they take care of their dreads in different ways. Some twist and play with their dreads others avoid touching their hair, some use products, others don't....but none of them cut or shave their hair (on their head or their face). This is the second rule of their Nazarite Vow. "there shall not razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled"
uumm...this was actually very helpful. I'm six weeks in and it is stressful! But this vid gave me hope!
They do get beefier as they mature... It's hard to go wrong with 1" sections. If you maintain them they will lock pretty quick in any hair type and they look really stinkin' good. :)
that IS a good question...I've actually recorded some stuff on that, I'm looking forward to getting it out there. There are a lot of misconceptions about wax, mostly coming from mis-use. In the video I cut in half a Thick 4 year old dread that was properly started and maintained w/ wax, and not a trace of wax inside. It's all about how you use the wax... Anyway I'm going to get the vid up as soon as I can and you can check it out and decide :)
The wax doesn't prevent the hair from moving like you might imagine. It's much softer than pure beeswax or candle wax. It holds the hair together without sticking it in place (like glue would for exe).
Because the hair can still move, and because the wax is holding it close to the center of the dread, it's pressed against other hair and the knots tend to get tighter and tighter as they are pressed and twisted against each other. This is why palm rolling is so effective. After they've tightened..
yea, we gotta spread the word...
Like regular hair you can take care of dreads or you can neglect them. Just because some people don't take care of dreads doesn't mean that dreads have to be dirty or messy, it just means some people choose to wear them that way.
thanks bro.. I usually tie'em up or stick'em in a dread band if I'm trying to keep'em dry. I wash mine every other day. You gotta get them mostly dry first but if you go to bed with them a lil damp they look all full and fluffy the next morning...it's a "good dread day". Course I use the Dhhq dread soap, its completely residue free so it helps'em lock faster and dry faster. When they are new they tend to pick up fuz so you should keep them covered when you sleep... (more on the site and in vlog5
Yea, the size of the locks chosen with the section size...bigger the sections bigger the dreads...You loose more length with larger dreads but they do lock easier... I'm gunna hit all the sectioning stuff in the third vlog...the site has lots of good info and the dvd too...
Washing them every day when they are new is going to cause a lot of loose hair to pop out. Keeping up with it will be a chore. Leaving out the wax will make it more difficult still. Unless the hair is pretty long I think you're going to have a rough time of it.
The peppa is not put "all over" the dreads like most products. You usually put a small amount on your finger tips and work it into the hair only where you are making knots. You won't need much to make knots,it works like instantly..
There are 2 kinds of thin hair...
If the hair strands themselves are thin (fine hair) it will lock quicker, good stuff.
If you hair is sparse (thinning)and you don't have much hair per sq in, you are at a slight disadvantage, since more hair = faster locking. You can make the section size larger to compensate and the dreads will be the right size and you'll have fewer dreads. You might go w/ 30 dreads rather than 50 or 100. If you have fine hair and lots of it your dreads will be smokin'...
I followed the same instructions we have on the dreadheadhq website. I only used our products and the techniques we have on the site. I did 1/2" sections but I would recommend 3/4". They will look very similar and the maintenance will be even easier :)
Thanks :)
You can swim with dreads but there is some stuff you should know...
Unless your dreads are crazy mature you're going to get some loose hair each time you swim...It's not really that swimming causes loose hair, it's just that normally much of the loose hair is stuck down where you can't see it and when you swim it's going to float right out. No biggie, it's an easy fix, just dread ball and stick it in.
Yea, the DVD shows how to make and maintain ze Dreadlocks step by step, easy to follow. You can order reg. ground shipping and get it in 2 business days...it gets to NYC in 3 and you're like right next door...
i got dreads because it was another thing to cross off my list of things to do before i die lol
thanks :)
I'd go for the dreads first, then the mohawk :)
It won't be a problem to comb the right dreads out when it's mohawk time. Some Dread Zasta will take'em right out and then you can mohawk it up..
Color? Playstation-light blue :)
you could try twisting but based on what you said twisting is prolly not gunna work so well. You really need to have a nice tight fro for twisting to work well. I'd backcomb. There are some backcombing vids on the dread head site, as soon as I get a chance I'll put links to them on dreadlocks tv
I'll have some new backcombing stuff in dread vlog 4
well I totally respect your point of view and with that in mind I'll share my experience. I've been helping people start their dreads for about 9 years, I've seen quite a few people that were over-waxing or not rinsing the wax out properly and after they understand correct it their dreads rock. I've been wearing dreads personally for 9 years and I started them with DHHQ wax, I use just enough and I've always gotten great results. I think the upcoming wax video will answer a lot of questions...
Three inches is usually enough, especially if you don't mind keeping up with some extra loose hair. If you start'em shorter it's a lot more work (putting loose hair back in) until they lock...
best of lock w/ your dreadies!
I hope you won't need the DreadZasta either but if you do, rest assured, it does work. Even totally mature dreads, years old, comb out without a problem. Dread removal is not the fastest process but the Zasta makes it easy..
6"-8" is good lenght if you want it to be easier (less maintenance). Since your hair is more coarse than average I would push for 8" and things will go pretty smooth.
hot or cold is fine...I prefer hot water if it's available :) If you're rinsing the wax out (it's a good idea to do so about once a month) use nice hot water and wash'em a couple times with plenty of soap.
yea, depending on where you are it can be tough, other areas don't seem to care, they appreciate them. one thing that always plays a factor is the way they look and the reason they feel you have them. If they think you have dreads cause you're lazy and didn't feel like combing your hair forget it, what employer wants that?...If they see you as someone with the confidence to get what they want who creates rather than following the crowd, it can be a great advantage..
uber-short, like 2-3" spikey dreads that stick straight up. The will stick up until they grow a few more inches. You can sportem (they look sorda cool) or you can cover them with a tam when you go out if you're not into the spikey look :)
yea you'll really love havin' dreads... Everytime I see someone obviously struggling with poofy hair I want to walk up to'em and tell'em they should try dreads. I've never done it though, if I ever do I really need to get some video of their reaction. :)
with afro textured hair you should be able to begin twisting it now. If your hair is softer and you want to backcomb it you'll need to let it grow out to 3 or 4 inches.
I'd say the best reason would be one that makes them meaningful to you, gives you the patience to see them through, and allows the experience of growing and having dreads bring you the most pleasure... I'd also guess that this reason is going to vary as much as the people that wear dreadlocks. :)
Good eye, They're pretty tight but not really "stiff", (heh, he said stiff), it's hard for thinner dreads to be stiff, they don't really have enough hair. Dreads are like cotton rope, they are hard to squeeze flat but easy to bend. Smaller dreads tend to stick up and "defy gravity" more since they are so light, lighter than they look, and that can make them appear stiff since they will stick out in strange ways sometimes.
thanks! I wish I had more time to do it :) The videos answer a lot of questions for me, but sometimes you need to ask a real person.
yea, actually it sounds ideal for starting dreads...except for the "hard to grow it out" part. If it grows slowly it will take a long time for the dreads to gain length. They gain length much slower than straight hair.
If it's brittle or weak you'll need to take care to keep the dreads moisturized.
thanks for watchin', I'm glad it put your mind at ease... it's hard when you start'em and you're still not sure if they are going to "make it", keep at it, they will :)
I started these dreads about about 8". Hair usually grows about 1/2" per month, so 10 months would be a good estimate....this give me an idea for Vlog 2 part C :)
My dreads are just under 4 years old now. Thanks for the props on the vid!
yea, we have this stuff called Dread Zasta...it can take out dreads, even if they are years old.
its on the Dread Head HQ site.
Taking dreads out isn't fun but if you have to take them out and you don't want to cut them this stuff works...
So what do you do about swimming? Does chlorine or salty oceany water make it unravel? I can't get dreadsies if I am not able to swim anymore. That would be sad!
Great videos, by the way. You are GREAT at video editing. Good job!
hey. your video helps alot. i have been thinking about getting dreads but i am afraid that my hair mite be a little bit to thin. should that be an actual concern i have?
You can totally do it w/ no prior experience, most people do...It's pretty straight forward like you said, backcomb, palm roll, peppa and wax....the thing is, it takes a while. The next vlog I'm gunna talk about getting a party together so you have as much help as possible...it's more fun and so much faster...
Almost forgot, the saltwater is great for them, and the chlorine won't hurt'em a bit, but you might want to stear clear of greasy hotel pools where people have washed off lots of sunscreen and oils.
Hard to say, most peoples hair seems to grow about 1/2 an inch per month but it can vary quite a bit. Unless he makes smaller sections (which make smaller dreads, which don't shrink as much)they probably won't be shoulder length this summer. I'd lock'em up asap so they can start maturing..by July he'll be through the toughest part... If he only wants them for the summer and then he's planning on cutting them make sure he knows that he'll be cutting'em before they really lock up...
ya know, I agree...people who weren't meant to have dreads won't keep them...I also feel like giving it some thought up font, instead of jumping in immediately, might help more people succeed, it may just be a matter of timing, choosing the right time when success is more likely.. I hate hearing about dreads getting cut before they mature... If there were a dread superhero he'd fly around and stop people from cutting off their dreads :)
yea, I've seen'em too. I have a response in the FAQ on our site, search the faq for "bad wax" and it should come up.
In short, wax used properly is great. I started my dreads with it and I recommend it. That said, it can also be misused (using too much and using it at the wrong time) and it can be gross and hinder progress... So, read the instructions for using it (also in the faq) and you'll get better dreads in less time.. I'm going to do a vid on wax..I promise :)
Hahaha that vid was sweet. Im considering getting dreads atm and that vid helped me :)
Thanks for for replying. I was also wondering about the actual diameter of the dreads. What width would you recomend?
growing my hair - my pops had his for over 25 years - I wana do this and there is noone that can get in my way. Thanks for the help
well you rawk :) ... Now I need to finish that video about avoiding wax 'n soap residues...I'm on the home stretch of dread vlog 2 right now...
Yur right about that...you certainly don't have to. :) you don't have to put in loose hair or wash'em either but doing these things will make your mom proud. :)
It really depends on what you're going for I guess. I want my dreads to be clean & nice lookin, I'm not out to scare children or smell funny, although sometimes I may smell funny, but I'm working on that..Thing is, do whatcha like, their your dreads. (and don't let anyone make you rub'em if you don't wanna)
I have bone straight hair....pretty coarse too, it doesn't dread at all if it's just "left alone", I know this cause I have some loose hair in the back that I've just been watching to see if it will lock at all on it's own...no dice.
To get the dreads to not hang and look flat you need to have tight roots. Getting the new growth to lock quickly makes this possible.
If you want more info on what I do, my dreadies have been started and maintained with the info on the dreadheadhq . com site .
I'm hard at work on vlog 2 right now, I'm hoping to have it up in 2 weeks or less. Just curious, how big are you're dreadlocks mang? You might be able to split'em. Right now we have the "How to Dread" dvd on the dreadheadhq website but I am going to get into more tips and instructions in the dread vlog...it's gunna be good :)If you don't have a youtube account and you want to subscribe to tha vlogs you can snag the rss feed at dreadlocks dot tv...
They will get loose but they won't fall out... I mean sometimes you'll have a couple that get so loose they have to be redone but by the end of the first week or so you'll have'em all fixed and you should be good to go. Don't stress about loose ones...you can always fix it, it's never like "oh I lost one, it will never be a dread". If ya follow the instructions on tha site youre hair is gunna dread...it's just a matter of how fast it will dread... :) Hope that helps...
Sharpie size...bigger than a pen, smaller than a regular magic marker, just over 1/2 an inch or almost 2.5cm. I think that size is a great balance between locking speed and drying time and they look sick. I'm going to go over dread and section size in dread vlog 3.... I'm going to cover all that stuff :)
The reasoning I heard was that thick dreadies were an ideal place to hide weapons so it put guards and other prisoners at risk...depending on the dreads it could work I suppose...
nice stuff..! i am going to wear dreadlocks too! is 10 cm long enough for making dreadlocks? i am not going to dread all my hair , just the back hair ;)
wow your really good at video editing aswell. lol
thanx, i cant wait till my hair grows.
With avg. size dreads you'd probably want to have hair about mid back and that should give you dreads near your shoulders...
Nice video. I've had dreads since 96. I agree with your most of your video but disagree on a small part. So, you've had people talk to you from day one about wether or not they should dread. I always say to dread it up asap. They may be reaching for something they don't quite understand yet. The struggle with the dreads usually weeds out people that shouldn't have had them in the first place anyway. Maybe one learns from the journey..about themselves &... you know, the big picture.
Pretty. That's what I was goin' for :) heh, m'kidding, thanks. I've been growing these for 4 years but I'd say they looked...um..pretty...by a year. Thinner dreads definitely take longer to mature. I'm going to hit on section/dread size in the 3rd vlog...I'm finished shooting the 2nd, now I just have to edit it...
You should wash your hair, if you don't it will get itchy and cause problems for the dreads. Residue free is important, our dread soap will help the dreads mature and get'em clean. You'll wash them every 3 days for the first month, then every other day after that and you should be good to go. Take care of loose hair after you wash using the technique in the loose hair video I did a few weeks ago
I'd wait until you are sure....when you KNOW ya want'em 6 months won't seem very long... Added bonus:Waiting will give your hair a chance to grow, unless it's long already the extra length will make skinny dreads a lil easier to get started..
that's a huge fro...bro, you're gunna have some sweet dreads! :)
EXACTLY ! I told my mom today I wanted to dread the rest of my hair (I currently have a few dreadies) and she said: "Nonono, vas a tener tu cabeza bien piojosa!" (Translation: You will have a head full of lice.)
Me: *scoff* What? That's not true! It's MY head anyways, I'll do what I want!" :3
thanks man, listen im from isreal and we dont have Dreadlocks hairslones..
my hair is like a Velcro its forming knots by itself.. i think about make it a dreads but there is a problem in the back of my head my hair is curly and i mean all of my back scalp .. and in front its kind of straight becuse of my ponytail.. im afraid to make mistakes since im joining the army next year and i love my annoying hair..
what can i do? do the Twisting method is effective?
Wow, I feel 50 times better. Im pretty sure I can do it now.
yea, that does help, It's actually mentioned in the next vlog (part c). You can stop using conditioner sooner, it's really the last week or two that makes the biggest difference. If you can use a residue free soap for the last week it will help. 5 inches is good. The length of the dreads will depend on your section size, bigger sections, shorter dreads, on average you can figure you'll loose about 30% of the length. There's some good info on this in the faq at [dreadheadhq] [dot] [com]
no, if the chlorine levels are ok for you and your eyes, your dreads should be find. Light Blonde hair can turn green in heavy chlorine but other than that..no worries :)
It's Supa Clean... WOOT! :)
thanks man.!Im a Asian...Im planin' to grow dreadlocks..but I still think my hair is too short, but my question is..are Asian's hair condition harder to grow a dreadlock..or it is pretty much the same..?
yea newton has awesome dreads!
thanks man...I don't really get crap but I've notice people who party tend to trust people with dreads right off....
dreads are simple after they mature... just keep them clean and put some loose hair in now an then. When they are new it's a good idea to maintain them...working on them then will help them mature faster and you'll get to the point where you don't have to work on them sooner. You can also just neglect them, which is simple...but if you have a job or a reason you can't completely ignore social standards (can't look like a caveman for months) backcombing is prolly a better choice :)
thanks mang :) I've got about 130...I've combined a couple of the smallest..
lol yea,have you seen the after pics on the DreadHeadHQ . com sight? Thousands of people who have obviously done something "very bad" to their locks. I totally agree that overusing and misusing wax is counter productive but the truth is that if you use it correctly it makes better dreads faster. So rather than debate this point I'm making a video about wax and soap residue and how to avoid'em.(please post wax comments to that video)
dreads are pretty tough if you take care of em, they could get ripped out in a fight though...honestly if you're going to do a lot of fighting short hair is best... just ask Edward Norton:
"Fight Club became the reason to cut your hair short or trim your fingernails"
best video over
..the wax can be removed with dread soap and hot water leaving nothing but tight dread behind. I'm working on a video that should explain it better and show how it works...and how it doesn't work if you over-wax or fail to get the hair clean or have other probs.
hey johnnny whuts up.. ur dreads r awsome. im gunna put in dreads soon and i was wondering if i should ude wax. ive watched other youtube vids that say wax can do harrible bad thing to your hair.
see now that's talent!
Your right that makes alot of sense.
My sections are 1/2"...if I did them again I'd go 3/4" no doubt. I talked Sloan into 3/4 inch and her's are lookin' tha bisnatch!
you had a fro ay? It depends....if you're sure you want dreads then you should look at how they've started to form. Unless you're happy with the size and placement you'll prolly have to comb some out and make some adjustments...like if you have one that has a huge section and it's likely going to grow into Sr.MEGA-DREAD, a mean Mexican boxing dreadlock with unmatched strength, and possibly hold you and your family hostage....you're gunna want to separate that bad boy before he locs too tight...
how did you get yours so nice?
the only truly residue free soaps/shampoo's (besides the dread head soap) that I know of are sold for people with eczema. Many shampoos make residue claims but if you check them out you can feel and smell residue they leave behind. If you need something in a pich, J&J no more tears baby shampoo leaves little residue, not bad for temporary use. btw castle soaps (animal or vegetable based)all leave residue, it's why they make skin feel soft, the residue left behind is what gives that feeling..
Your family, your friends, your job "you're going to loose them all"...
;)
I have a djembe drum 14" I think, and have have a set of tabla (indian drums) that I'm borrowing from a friend :) I need to get sum beats in a video :)
np, glad to help :)
These are over 4 years old... The smaller the dreads the longer the time to maturity. Stick it out, they get so much easier as they mature :)
by the way, I would like to know how long my hair should at least be to be easier to start a dreadlock..? thanks
u got some raw ass dreads, i like them.
my dad dont like dreads im trying ta tell him dreads are not stupid wat should i do?
every thing or excuse or trying ta get him ta say yes. your the dread guru/proffesional. tell me wat i should tell him!
"You're friends, you're family, you're job...
YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE THEM ALL!"
lol ok so how do you convice a stubborn italian mother to let ger 17 year old daughter dread her hair?? i am soooo done with frizzy crazy hair...4 years ago i even chopped it all off to about an inch, no joke. so yea i really want dreads, skinny dreads, thought it through..more like obsessed, and yea so my hair is about 3 inches past my shoulders now. so when i dread it, how much shorter will it get? also another thing, i dye my hair alot and it always grows in like crazy, so what would i doo?
heh...well I think they look good, but it depends on if they "fit" you. Some people were just born to have dreadies :)
dhhq represent :) thanks for tha propz!
if my hair is already starting to form dreads on their own, should i just put wax on them, or brush them out?