Making dreads like a real dreadlock requires nothing more than a little dread wax and a lot of patience. You can have your dreads done by the hairdresser, but doing them yourself at home will give you much more satisfaction and will be much less expensive. But plan to spend several months forming dreads and even more time keeping them in good shape. Here's how to get started.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Doing Dreads
Step 1. Start with clean hair
Clean and residue-free hair makes the process much faster. The natural oils that form on your hair make it slippery, so it's best to start work with hair that has recently been washed.
- Do not add conditioner or any other product after washing your hair with shampoo.
- Make sure your hair is completely dry before starting.
Step 2. Divide your hair into squares
Each square of hair will become a dread. It is up to you to decide how big or small you want the dreads. For a neater look, try to make the dreads the same size.
- Use a wide-toothed comb to part your hair and outline the squares. Keep the squares separate from each other using small rubber bands.
- A square of about 2 centimeters forms a medium sized dread. A square inch of hair creates small, sleek dreads. But remember that the more squares you form, the longer it will take you to finish the dreads.
- The sections and lines between the squares may be visible when the dreads are finished. To keep the texture from showing, shape squares in a zigzag or brick format, so that when finished, everything will look more natural.
Step 3. Comb back sections of hair
Keep a section of hair high above your head. Starting at about 2 centimeters from the scalp, place a fine-toothed comb in the section of hair and comb down towards the head. Repeat this "back-comb" technique on the same section of hair until it begins to swell and build up at the root. Continue combing the same section of hair backwards by advancing 2 centimeters each time until the entire section has been combed backwards towards the head. Secure the end with a rubber band.
- While combing with one hand, use the other to slightly twist the section you are working on. This will keep her in the right shape and help the combing process.
- Keep combing each section of hair back using the same technique until all of your hair has been combed. If you have a friend who can help you the process will be much faster.
- Use the same patience and care with each dread. If you work faster towards the end of the strand or after a few dreads, you will get uneven dreads.
Step 4. Stop the dreads
Each dread should have a small elastic to close. Put a second rubber band on each dread at the hairline. The two bands will hold the dread in place as it perfects.
Step 5. Wax the dreads
Use a natural wax or strengthening gel to prevent your dreads from fraying or puckering. Apply the wax or gel over the entire length of the dread, being careful to cover the entire strand.
Choose a dread wax or gel made with aloe or other natural ingredients for best results. Do not choose waxes or gels made with petroleum, which prevents dreads from forming
Method 2 of 3: Helping Fix the Dreads
Step 1. Wash your hair with shampoo
Washing your hair regularly will help your dreads stay tight and soft, a "fixing" process that takes at least 3 months to complete. Use a shampoo that does not contain perfumes or conditioners, which can get stuck in your dreads and give them a bad smell.
- When washing your hair, focus on the head. Do not handle the dreads too much, you risk them fraying.
- Wash your hair in the morning so your dreads have time to dry. If you go to bed with wet hair, mold and bacteria could form.
Step 2. Hydrate the dreads
Use a mix of oil and water to sprinkle your dreads every couple of days to prevent them from drying out and fraying. Use an essential oil such as a tea plant or lavender. Don't add too much oil, or your dreads may look greasy; a sprinkle every 2-3 days is sufficient.
- Don't use vegetable oil, olive oil, or other food-grade oils on your dreads. They would be absorbed by your hair becoming rancid.
- Online you can find specific moisturizing lotions for dreads.
Step 3. Put your hair down
Over time, some hair will inevitably come out of the dreads. Use a crochet hook or tweezers to put back the hair that has come loose in the dreads.
Step 4. Roll up the dreads and trim the ends
To maintain the smooth shape of the dreads, roll them in your hands periodically. Round the tips by squeezing them against the palm of your hand to encourage the hair to roll into the dreads.
- If you like thin tips, there is no need to trim them.
- Don't overdo the rolling, the dreads could come undone.
Method 3 of 3: Long Term Maintenance
Step 1. Remove the rubber bands
When your dreads are completely locked in, you no longer need to hold them in place with rubber bands. Remove the rubber bands from the roots and ends of the dreads after about 3 months.
Step 2. Massage the roots
As your dreads are refined, your hair will begin to naturally knot with each other. At the beginning, the regrowth will be straight and loose, so you will have to work a little to incorporate it into the dreads. Use your fingers to massage the regrowth, section by section, to help knot the rest of the dreads.
- It is not necessary to rub the dreads very often; over time, the regrowth will naturally tie into the rest of the dreads a couple of inches from the head.
- Be careful not to massage the hair too much at the root, it could make it easier to fall out.
Step 3. Continue washing with shampoo
Oils and residues that form on the head make the hair straighter, preventing knotting with the rest of the dreads. Keep the regrowth clean and dry, so it will become part of the rest of the dreads naturally.
Step 4. To make an inexpensive, natural cleanser yourself, use about 1/4 of baking soda on wet scalp
Gently massage. To remove dust and dirt from dreads, rinse them or soak them in a 3: 1 solution of water and apple cider vinegar. Once finished, rinse everything thoroughly to make sure there is no residue that might smell too strong.
Advice
- Various things can be done to decorate dreads. They can be colored and beaded to give more liveliness.
- To avoid the dreads stereotype of "wet dog smell", don't start dreads until your hair is dry or else it will smell musty.
- If you want to loosen up your dreads there is an alternative to the root cut. Some firms (Knotty Boy, for example) make emergency dread removal kits that deeply melt and soften your hair. Your hair will most likely need a trim to get rid of split ends, but the dreads will be removed.
- Don't worry, your hair will set without products or too much work. Sit back and let your hair work on its own.
- The whole process of forming dreads will make your hair look shorter. The average length will be about one third of your original length.
- Roll your dreads into your palms in one direction while they are still wet. Water is a natural gel / wax for dreads. After you have twisted them dry them and if you have worked well they will be tangled naturally.
Warnings
- Use only rubber bands to separate the sections. Remove them after combing your hair backwards. If left there, it will be very difficult to remove them.
- Don't pull your dreads after they've been on your hair for some time.
