I have dreads...Now What???
So you have dreads….how exciting!!! Welcome to the dread community.
Here are a few things to keep in mind now you are on your dread journey. Keeping them dry, clean and maintained are important.
Settling In
It is best to let the dreads/dread extensions settle in. Let them do their thing for about 2 weeks. The scalp and hair have been through trauma and need time to settle down. Do not tie them up with normal hair elastics, this will cause weak spots, use large soft elastics, scrunchies or a spirolock. Try not to bunch them up in the same place: messy bun look, ponytail in the same place, wearing hats/beanies as this will cause the baby dreads to buckle and bumps occur. For the settling in, keep them long and held softly.
Wash & Dry: Yes you wash dreads …
2 weeks after installation, wash dreads with a residue-free shampoo and no conditioner. Conditioner will detangle dreads and that's not what we want. From now on do not use conditioner.
Dreads take quite a while to dry all the way through. It is best to wash in the morning and avoid sleeping on wet dreads. Wet dreads can cause dread to rot and become smelly ( like a wet towel smell) and no one wants that.
Sitting in the sun and using a hair dryer is best after you have squeezed out all excess water.
I like to use Redwin Tee Tree Shampoo/ Coal Tar shampoo for dry scalps. It's cheap at supermarkets and protects your dreads from nasties like nits.
I also stock Dreadlocks Naturally and Dread Empire shampoo. Both Australian-made, women run small businesses. All these products are excellent quality and smell delicious.
https://lokktologydreads.com.au/collections/dread-empire-dreadlock-care
https://lokktologydreads.com.au/collections/dreadlocks-naturally
Wash when you feel you have the time to dry properly. I wash once a week. Other times I use an extra large shower cap.
When the dreads have nearly dried through it is a good idea to run your hands through the dreads and separate any that are linking together. Be gentle.
dreads will do their own thing, they will never be the perfect ones you had on day one. They will mature, thicken, kink and extensions can slip. That is where a good maintenance routine especially in the first year, is advised. Pic below is installed and 24 months later. Dreads are a journey.
Image courtesy https://sistasystem.com
dreads are fuzzy, my advice, learn to enjoy the perfectly imperfect and be friends with fuzz. All dreads have fuzz it's just how it is.
Maintenance: where the loose hair is pulled back into the dread at the base if done too often ( less than 4-week intervals ) only weakens new hair, causing breakages and creating more fuzz. You will see less fuzz the more mature the dreads become. Maintenance for new dread babies is recommended 6 weekly depending on how loose you like them. Maintenance can be pinchy to painful depending on your sensitivity.
To smooth and soften, use a small amount of dread oil on completely dry dreads. This also gives them dreads a gorgeous smell and can be used on the body and beard.
https://lokktologydreads.com.au/products/quench-conditioning-oil-for-dreadlocks-scalp-body
https://lokktologydreads.com.au/products/dread-nectar-oil-elixir
Dread Soak: Pampering those Dreads
2 or 3 times a year, for a full head of mature dreads, ( over 1 year old ) it is great to do a deep cleanse and soak. The dreads will soak in a delicious blend of bicarb, essential oils and Tea tree for half an hour. The colour of the water will have you horrified, but your dreads will love you for it, rid the dreads of deep build-up, and pollution, feel lighter, look longer, and smell divine.
Dreads are washed and rinsed with apple cider vinegar. This softens and balances pH levels of hair and scalp. Dreads are then dried off.
$90 1.5 hrs.
FYI:
Things to also be aware of, swimming in chlorine will loosen and damage dreads. wash after some time in the pool. River/lake water will hold more bacteria and wash well afterward.
Swimming in the ocean whilst the dreads will love the big salt hit, can dry out the dreads and will become brittle. So remember to wash after a big day in the water, or buy an extra large swimming cap.
Sleeping with a satin pillowcase or satin hair bonnet can help reduce fuzz and wear and tear whilst sleeping on dreads.
On non-wash days ( wash once a week ) use a shower cap so there is no moisture exposure to the dreads, especially if showering at night.
And if all else fails dreads can be brushed out. It is a long, long process, but achievable.
Most of all enjoy your dread journey, they are as unique and ever-changing as you are. Please contact me if you need any questions answered, maintenance, creations, extensions, and dread care.
Connie x