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Dreadlocks - Protips, please.
Luthz
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Good day, all. I'm heavily interested in getting dreadlocks, but unfortunately don't know much about them.
I plan to get them done by a professional, in a hair styling salon, if at all possible.
Currently, my hair is slightly longer than shoulder length, from what I've read on the internet, its possible to start dreads at any length, but is there a preferable length?
Another thing that I'm not really sure about is where I can get them done, does your average hair stylist have the skills necessary to create quality dreadlocks, or will I need to go to a specialty stylist? If anyone happens to be in the greater vancouver area of canada, a tip on a location would be very much appreciated.
Does hair type have a bearing on whether or not dreadlocks will look decent? They seem heavy enough that the waviness of my hair may not actually affect the overall style.
How difficult are dreadlocks to maintain after they have been successfully "locked"? Do I need any hair care products?
Thanks, any help is appreciated.
I plan to get them done by a professional, in a hair styling salon, if at all possible.
Currently, my hair is slightly longer than shoulder length, from what I've read on the internet, its possible to start dreads at any length, but is there a preferable length?
Another thing that I'm not really sure about is where I can get them done, does your average hair stylist have the skills necessary to create quality dreadlocks, or will I need to go to a specialty stylist? If anyone happens to be in the greater vancouver area of canada, a tip on a location would be very much appreciated.
Does hair type have a bearing on whether or not dreadlocks will look decent? They seem heavy enough that the waviness of my hair may not actually affect the overall style.
How difficult are dreadlocks to maintain after they have been successfully "locked"? Do I need any hair care products?
Thanks, any help is appreciated.
Luthz on
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From experience.
But if you must, you're hair isn't long enough yet. You'll look like Hermes from Futurama if you manufacture a full on dread now.
The fact that you're asking questions about maintenance, creation, etc I think shows that you're not exactly sure what dreads are.
You can create dreadlocks with bees wax. Relatively quick and easy. You don't maintain dreadlocks becuause you never wash your hair, which is the usual way people go about getting them. Never washing their hair and basically twirling their dirty ass greasy ass hair in their fingers every night to tangle it and make a dread.
Oh, and when you get tired of them, and you will, you have to pretty much shave your head.
Dude, what the hell are you on about? http://www.dreadheadhq.com/make_dreadlocks_maintain_washing.php
Dreadlocks are hideous.
If you're linking to that then I'm sure you've noticed the long process involved in washing and drying dreads.
If not properly done they unravel and break.
Hence why most dirty hippies don't bother. Hence how they get dreads in the first place.
Stay the hell away from my poptarts you sonuva bitch!!
This is key.
On some people they can look ok.
Of those people I have seen in my entire life with OK-looking dreads, exactly 0 of them have been white.
A. Jump
B. Dance
C. Sing sweet soul music
D. Make dreads or fros look good
E. All of the above
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This is pretty ideal.
There are guides on how to do it around the internet. It basically involves sectioning your hair into 1 inch squares, applying wax, and backcombing it. Make sure you resist the temptation to braid the hair! The dreads will look more cohesive at first, but they'll take much longer to knot properly.
Thicker/curlier hair = better and easier dreads.
You'll want to roll them between your palms every few days. Washing your hair with sea salt will help them lock up faster, and they sell specially formulated dreadlock shampoo that you can use. The idea that dreadlocks have to be dirty is a false stereotype.
edit: Don't listen to the prick neckbeards. If you want dreadlocks, get dreadlocks. It's not like you can't cut your hair down to an inch or two if you change your mind.
I'm sorry, do I look like a neckbeard? Living in Portland, Oregon I see a ton of white boys with dreadlocks, I've also dealt with them while bartending at various venues around town, and 100% of them look like tools and act like tools. Do not get mixed up with that. Or maybe OP is a tool and would fit in? Who knows? In that case, go for it!
He asked specifically for advice on where and how to get dreadlocks. Your opinion is irrelevant.
Hey, I'm just trying to save the guy from the embarrassment he's going to endure. Though all the guys I've met with dreads were generally too dumb to actually register this, so maybe ignorance is bliss?
His opinion is unasked for. It's still extremely relevant. The answer to "How I mine for dreadlocks" can still be, "You don't, that's a terrible idea."
What is the cultural background for dreadlocks, and what would drive a PA user to want them, aside from an urge to avoid being clean and/or attention from other people?
Still, white guys CAN'T pull off dreadlocks. I've never seen a non-black dreadlocked dude that didn't look like a silly poser.
In general, if you're white, it's not going to turn out well - but there are some white dudes who can have dreads and not look like posers. It depends a lot on looks, but I think also partly on the person's personality.
Once settled (after about a year), you can wash dreads as easily and often as normal long hair, they won't fall out no matter what you do, and they need maintenance about as often as you would normally go for a haircut (less if you don't mind them looking untidy). Special wax/shampoo is unnecessary and usually a bit of a rip off. You can get away with regular stuff if you know roughly what types to avoid.
Before then they will take a bit of care and work to keep, but its still nowhere near as bad as all the retarded myths would have you believe.
I have full sleeves and neck tattoos and I have a way better chance of getting a decent job than someone with dreadlocks. Seriously, don't do it. Dreadlocks have and will always have a stigma with dirt and filth.
How can I be prejudiced? I am covered in tattoos. I'm speaking from the experience of living and working in a VERY dreadlock heavy city?
The Help/Advice is that he is very likely going to screw himself and look like an idiot if he dreads his hair.
OP, what field of work are you in/looking for? How old are you?
I could live in New Orleans and still be racist, location don't mean jack shit.
Tattoos =\= Dreads last time I checked.
You obviously didn't understand what I said. From experience of seeing what sorts of jobs folks with dreadlocks do and do not have (in a city where LOTS of people have dreadlocks), his future isn't so bright in that regard. Many, many, many dress codes I've seen forbid dreadlocks.
And no, I get everyone from old ladies to businessmen fawning over my tattoos. No one ever asks to touch or says positive things about anyones "nappy dreads".
If you have thin, straggley hair, I would advise against dreads because they wont lock as easily, and you'll end up with those untidy looking whispy locks. Thin hair will also mean that your scalp will probably show (think: white chicks with cornrolls) and your pasty scalp will look unappealing and if you get sunburned will be vulnerable.
I've seen some white/mixed guys with tight, neat dreads, but generally they had thick afro-like hair before going into it. If you have a white-fro, dreads can be a lot healthier than straitening it by chemicals or heat (the reason I chose afro/twists over perms, though Im black and its more accepted). Consider also that is you want to get rid of them, you're going to have to cut them completely off. Its a quick change if you can live with super short hair. Dreads can be clean, look nice, and be healthy, If you are willing to take care of them, go for it.
..and that black people didn't just invent and patent dreadlocks one day. Ignore the haters.
I wasn't aware dreadlocks came to be through dirty hair. Though looking like Hermes Conrad would be pretty awesome
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Kinkier hair = easier dreads. I did them in college, but they never quite knotted up like I wanted because my hair is so straight.
The 'dirty hair' thing is just a stereotype.
I had dreadlocks until recently and plenty of people said positive things about them/wanted to touch them.
This site has some decent info on dreads it seems.
My advice would be to talk to a professional about dreads to really make sure you want them. Having decent looking dreadlocks takes a lot of care/time.
As for your questions...
I had a decent sized 'fro when I got mines done, I think as long as you have decent length hair you can start them. Although I imagine it would be easier for the stylist if your hair is a bit shorter. I was doing mines was a pain in the ass.
Mines were fairly easy to take care of but I doubt our hair is anywhere near the same. After they are locked I used a non residue shampoo on mines, and had someone someone retwist loose hairs with beeswax.
I'm at work so I can't get good photos, but GIS "Jeff Walker". He's the lead singer/bassist of Carcass. For a long time he had long dreads, but around the mid 90's he started just having normal straight long hair and I've always been curious about that, since I'd always heard you had to cut them off. Obviously that's not always true, in his case, but what would affect that? I believe he had them for at least 8 years.