Dreadlocks have always been associated with the reggae music and the heavy metal bands since a long time. Nowadays there are many people including kids and models sporting this hairstyle. They will have this hairstyle in different colors, lengths and variations. Dreadlocks will always grow in stages, and it will take nearly six months for the dreadlocks to mature. They look fabulous, but you must know how to take care of dreadlocks.
Here are some simple steps on how to take care of dreadlocks.
- Start with washing your hair, leave it uncombed so that it gets well knotted. After your first wash, you will have to wait for at least one or two weeks and meanwhile continue to palm-roll your dreadlock. After this waiting period, wash your hair only once in a week. However, make sure that you wear a shower cap the remaining six days whenever you are having a bath.
- After the first six weeks of locking up, sit down and check the locks after every couple of days, just to make sure that are holding well together. If you notice that some are falling apart, twist, backcomb or use a little wax to get your hair back in the line. Whenever you are applying wax always remember that less is more. Use your judgment and apply wax as much required, but make sure that you don’t use it in excess.
- Once you have applied wax on your head, you will feel a little sticky and tacky up there. However, as your dreads start maturing and they are not soft anymore, they will start drying out a lot. Once they start forming in normal locks, which will happen anywhere between two to six months, then you can start using the wax less frequently. If you notice that over time, the hair is falling loose, then use very little wax to put them back in the main lock and occasional grooming will work fine.
- Once you reach the stage of maturity, the wax will last for only a day. You will still have to use comb for backcombing the loose hair back in place. If this does not help, then you can use a tightening gel for increasing the lock-acceleration or simply palm rolling. Try whatever method works best for your hair. However, always remember that you must never use wax on wet dreadlocks. Doing this will seal the moisture on the inside. This will result in the growth of mildew and mold growing in your dreadlocks.
- You can apply gel on wet or damp hair or you can mix it with water in a proportion of 1:3 and spray this on the dry locks for some tightened locks. Try this method twice in a week or use very little gel on the damp hair and dry them properly.
- A good way to sleep after you have just waxed your hair is either on an old pillowcase or pinning an old towel on the pillow. If you have long hair, then you will have to tie them or wrap your hair in nylon stocking to keep them away from your face when you are sleeping. This will also avoid them to rub against one another and will make them less frizzy.
- Anytime you think that your dreadlocks are dirty, just go ahead and wash them. If you have just used a wax then do not wash your hair for the next one week. After a week, you will not have anything to worry about. Once you have washed your hair, you can easily re-wax your hair again to put them back in place. Remember that washing them regularly will help them to develop faster, as washing will remove the natural oils from your hair, which causes the new knots to slip out.
- Whenever you have a hair wash, make sure that you give your scalp a nice scrub. Always remember that you must never use the normal shampoos available at the drug store, as they will detangle and soften your hair and not knot them up. Do not bother about washing your dreads, as the soap water running down them will clean them properly. Make sure that your scalp is clean because that is the most important part in dreadlocks maintenance.
- Another important part in dreadlock maintenance is drying them. After you have washed your hair, gently squeeze the dreads in towel, or they will stand up and destroy your look. Another method to remove all the extra water is head-banging to one of your favorite tunes. Use any method, but make sure that your dreads are completely dry after every wash. If you wash them or swim frequently and fail to dry them properly, they will start smelling musty. Mildew will actually start growing if you always leave them damp. Make sure that you wear a hat whenever you are cleaning anything, because you don’t want your hair to stink.
Dreadlocks can look healthy and good if you pay attention and take good care of them. Visiting the salon for professional maintenance will cost a lot. Doing it yourself will mean putting in a lot of efforts, but it will be worth it.
Related Tags: how to soften dreadlocks, soften dreadlocks, how to soften dreads, how to take care of dreadlocks, waxless dreads, restoring dreadlocks, how to take care of mini dreads, How to take care of locks
Related Content: