Dreadlock Creations
HOW TO GET DREADLOCKS
Preparation before you get Dreadlocks
What a huge exciting decision to wear dreadlocks, to wear them proudly and bringing fun to your world! So to get the best out of this new adventure its best to get prepared for your new dreadhead life.
Start to get used to washing your hair less! I believe this is such an important stage. When i had regular hair i washed it every single day! Lavishing it with heaps of conditioner and crap! So slowly say goodbye to the hair brush, your lavish conditioner and wash less, weekly if possible. And use a more natural clarifying shampoo, maybe a TeaTree one or one that wont leave your hair all silky and soft. Dish wash liquid is great!
The day before your appointment make up a salt water mixture and cover your hair with this mixture. Allow to dry without rinsing out. Its a couple of table spoons of table salt or double if pink in hot water, let it cool then spray or pour it over your hair, again dont worry about rinsing out. Or jump in the ocean for the perfect result!
Welcome to the Dreadlock Community
So now that you have amazingly dreadlocks, you'll be leaving the studio feeling uplifted and anew. Sometimes you may even feel abit daunted by looking so different and your scalp and head may be quite sore. This will all pass, and as soon you get used to wearing locs and seeing your new appearance and you'll feel truly unique!
Please don’t wash your new dreads for at least 4 weeks or longer possibly 6 weeks or more if you can bear it. Give them a bit of time to settle.
When its time to shampoo use a Tea Tree or natural style shampoo or even Dish Wash LIquid for best results. When washing, gently pat the shampoo into your dreads and scalp – none of that big hand-motion-lathering-up washing motion that you might have been used to in the past as this will pull out loose hair and make them fuzzy.
Here’s a STEP BY STEP WASHING GUIDE…Take your time washing dreads is a process and takes upto 20 minutes… long gone are the days of a quick hair wash! Wet them thoroughly do a first wash I call it the SCALP WASH use tips of fingers and work between and around the Dreads really massaging the scalp to help remove and skin build up and getting those suds up. Then rinse.
Second wash the LENGTH WASH please take your time grab sections of dreads say upto 6 locs and scrunch the suds through the locs all the way up and all the way down the loc. This will take some time. Then rinse and rinse really well.
Your done yes it takes time but the cleaner your Dreads the better. I think of them as a sponge and they absorb life like crazy so get that out!
Then,
Use a salt spray on your dreads every few days after i have made them and after every wash. Mix up about four tables spoons of sea salt in hot water, if using table salt much less and if using pink Himalayan use much more as all have different content levels…then let it cool and add your favorite oil, cooling peppermint or some tea tree (about 20 drops). Put in a spray bottle and spray being careful not to get too much on your scalp as it may make you itch. If you find you are itchy after using the spray then water it down and keep it away from your scalp as much as possible.
This is when you PALM ROLL. Just think whenever your dreads are wet roll! Roll vigorously you should be able to feel the knots reshuffling inside the dread. this keep them nice and neat and helps everything track down along the dread.
If you do have an itchy scalp then try some aloe vera straight from the plant and keep a leaf or two in the fridge for an extra cooling effect, or make up a cup of green tea, yep tea!
Please come back in after your first hair wash and we can do a session of maintenance, check them over and see how you and your scalp is coping and changing to your new dreadlocks.
Depending on your hair type and how you are looking after them your dreads will take 6-12 months to mature. This means that they will plump up on their own and become ‘real’ dreads naturally.
During this time they may get looser before they tighten, or they may just tighten. They may develop the odd lump (don’t panic this can be fixed, or you might even like the odd lump), or they might stay smooth. Its impossible to know how your dreads will develop, but washing them correctly and being gentle with them especially in the first couple of months will be giving them the care they need.
How your dreads will form once your hair starts to grow from your scalp depends entirely on your hair type and also how you are looking after them.
Enjoy the journey and if in any doubt or have any questions feel free to just ask. ;-)
On going care LOVE those Locs….
Now you have Locs its best to keep them in the best possible condition, dreads love to be washed and loved apon particularly in their first year of life…
Washing, Salting and Palm Rolling your Locs
Washing loc is quite different from regular hair. We like to use a non residue type shampoo, something simple and non conditioning. I also like to dilute the shampoo so it is more runny and put in a squidgy funnel type bottle rather than an too open opening.
Wet the hair add shampoo and massage into the scalp and roots and along the dreads in a more patting motion. Take time! this is a weekly job so enjoy it take care to work on every loc.
Now rinse well really well, like crazy well! its the best key ever!
Thats it now pop them up in an old towel not a new fluffy one it needs to be really absorbent. potter around to 30 mins, let them down and salt spray.
Now Palm roll!