Dreadlocks..
I mean I do have them and I use it as a basis of my blog life, but I haven't mentioned them for some time now. I think its time. My journey since first starting them in 2014 had ended and began again, so I feel I have learned quite a few tricks for dreading hair, although the locks that I am currenly wearing have no tricks and barely any organization. Though my first set of locks which had 70+ were handmade and hand measured. My new set was started off as such, but when I really started to think about it I knew I wanted them to do their own thing so as of right now I am around 30 with only 1/3 of my hair being locked which is the under part at my neck and some on the sides. Some of these dreadlings are quite tiny while others are around 4mm which is roughly the size most of mine were with my first set.
Though I would love to tell you some cute styles or easy up-dos for dreadlocks I am a very simple person and a bun works just fine for me. I mean I know some people have to figure out elegant types of looks for working but I am very lucky to say that I get to stay home and usually don't have to worry about how I look. Other than when I want to look nice for my husband. But simple styles is my go to no matter where I am going and I must say I am almost pro material for messy buns but I can pull them off so well now.
Along with letting my hair lock up neglect style I rarely do any maintenance, other than helping a few straggles of loose hair lock up with my crochet hook I haven't locked up any of my roots that have grown out since starting my locks. I also have wispy ends, which means I left around 3 inches unlocked at the ends to have a little extra length and I like it that way. My first set I tried the whole blunt tipped locks and really ended up hating them, so much so that I started brushing them out and realized halfway through I was only doing it because I hated the ends.
Cleaning and Maintenance
I'm sure if you have heard of dreadlocks then you've heard the whole "dirty hippy" nonsense that you either can't wash your hair or you don't. Well, it all rests on how you want to wear your own hair but I was my dreads at least twice a week, but that's my preference. Some people wash every other day and some wash only once a week, while others may only wash once a month. I have naturally dry hair always have and before dreads I would wash my hair only twice in one week so my washing habits did not change when going for this hairstyle, so yours don't have to either.
As far as shampoos, well you are going to have to research and figure out which shampoo is going to work with your hair instead of causing buildup. Buildup isn't something you want in your hair. But, if you do happen to get some I'll share with you my deep cleaning recipe. I usually deep clean every other month from spring to fall, well because of being outside doing yard work, sweating, vacations with sand, just more outside and dirtier kinds of things to be done. During the winter I might deep clean twice if I feel I need it, maybe even just once.
Now, like I stated earlier maintenance really is a personal preference and you don't have to do it. A lot of people don't and it is what suits them and their personal choice. I do light maintenance, such as helping new dreads starting out lock up and not look so fuzzy and huge. However, I do not to root maintenance which is that I just let my roots grow as normal without locking them as they grow. I may change and start locking them once they get a certain length but I also might just let my hair grow doing its own things, its just something that you grow with and figure out as you go. Were I to do maintenance on my dreads I usually take a .75mm crochet needle (here) and just push it through horizontally since I am just getting in loose hairs, and pull it half way through and kind of move it out a tiny bit as to make it let go of the hair and continue this way until all the loose hairs are inside. I know this may sound confusing, but there are a lot of youtubers who can walk you through with this kind of maintenance, I however do not have a channel and would not want to record myself. Once you see it and get the hand actions, its very simple to do.
Deep Cleaning Recipe
You will need a large bowl, or one of those inflatable bed shampoo pillows.
As hot of water as you can stand
Juice from half a lemon
1 Tablespoon of baking soda
4-6 drops lavender essential oil
3-4 drops peppermint essential oil
3-4 drops tea tree essential oil
apple cider vinegar in a pouring bottle
stools
Okay, so start off by filling the bowl with enough water to dip your hair into and it be fully submersed. Mix in the baking soda, lemon, and essential oils -- although I stated to use this aount in your water it all depends upon your nose and how much of these smells together you can handle, peppermint is a very strong essential oil and sometimes even I only use one to two drops in my water. Swirl it around, it may bubble but thats just the baking soda and lemon mixing and perfectly normal. Get your stools set up to hold your body and you lie with your head dipping into the bowl. Soak for at least 15 minutes to as long as you want. Once you've finished soaking, squeeze the excess out of your hair into your bowl and then rinse with ACV. After that you can either use a shampoo to "wash" your hair or just rinse the ACV out with water and go about your bath or shower.
Hope these help, I'll definitely try to make more dreadlock posts!
No comments:
Post a Comment