Dreads are like a newborn- 3 week update

Getting dreadlocks is a decision you want to discuss with your family, roommates, boyfriend, spouse or significant other. It takes hours to put them in (it took us over 40 hours) and it will take hours a few times a week to maintain them during the first month or so.  You want to make sure your cohabitants are okay with you standing - or sitting - in front of the mirror or on the couch playing with your dreads all evening long, or spending long minutes hair-drying them after you wash them for yet more long minutes. Now, I am talking from my own experience. I am a perfectionist and like the dreads smooth and put together, but I understand there are others who spend much less time attending to their dreads and are completely fine with the result. It’s really a matter of personal preference ;)

My hubby has been a champion at staying patient and supportive during these past three weeks (maybe because I agree to watch movies with him while working on my hair, and because I still cook for him). Here are the most time-consuming maintenance practices so far:

Crocheting & dread-balling: Tightening up the existing dreads and fixing up loose hair on their surface with a crochet hook. I don’t fix them dread-by-dread (holy guacamole, that would take way too much time) but I try to treat the fuzziest strands.

Waxing: I have about 40 dreads and making sure I wax, then melt the wax in, and afterwards remove excess surface wax on each of them can take hours if I do it properly. And it’s sticky!

Palm rolling: This is especially after waxing but also a good habit to acquire on a day-to-day basis for the first one or two months to help the dreads lock up and stay circular. Again, rolling 40 dreads for a minute each works out my biceps but takes a toll on evening reading time and other fun stuff you can’t do when both your hands are busy.

No dreading of work with dreads!

Drying wet dreads: I wash my hair every 2-3 days (i.e. about 2-3 times a week) because my scalp can’t stand the itching for too long. There is nothing wrong with washing my hair often because the dread soap helps them lock up and cleans up the dead skin cells, but the drying time is 4-5 hours in a non-air-conditioned, non-humid place (try to find that in Florida!) without using a hairdryer. With hair drying it’s about 20 minutes if I don’t care about having a few of them still damp. I would prefer not using any hot air on my hair but since I have longer dreads (about 15 inches/40 cm) and I have a job where I can’t come in with a wet head, blow drying them at least briefly is my only option. Fortunately, they are thinner so they dry faster than those phat conga dreads.

So yes, as my husband said, young dreadlocks are like a newborn. They require LOTS of special care and love. Love is important. I don’t want to yank them and be mean to them just because they take so much time to maintain. I put them in- now they are my responsibility. Just like with a baby! In the end all that care pays off. Just like with a child (or we would hope so).

Why dreads?

I’ve been considering dreading my hair for several years but I never had the proper motivation to do it. Perhaps with time I grew a bit more self-confident and free to try new things without minding what others may think. This was the first step toward this "dreaded independence". I also found that getting married gave me the extra push on this road to the pro-dread decision. The hubby became a big fan of the idea and encouraged me to give dreads a try**. I love that I can say that my husband has been my most faithful supporter on this journey. 

 2 weeks with a dreadhead. No regrets so far, and hopefully none to come!

Here are a few of the reasons why dreads seemed so attractive to me as a hair style alternative.

1)   My hair had been too long for too long- and I wanted to try something fun and new to do with it.

2)   I consider dreads to be a form of art. They can express one’s personality through the way they are treated, embellished and worn in general, and I thought if could be a great new artsy outlet for me.

3)   It’s less work! Eventually. After the first month or two (for some people who don't care much for perfectly straight strands even immediately) the hair maintenance time reduces significantly. No expensive conditioners or shampoos are necessary, and combing is minimal- basically only to stimulate the scalp. The washing in my case decreased from every other day to 2 times a week, with a non-residue shampoo. I might bring it down to once a week, but for now my scalp gets itchy very fast and I need to soak it more often.

4)   Dreads look, smell and feel beautiful if well taken care of! That is my aim- to make them a pretty crown, not a messy bird’s nest, a hairstyle that I can feel comfortable rocking at work, school and elsewhere in public. Thankfully I work in a university environment where there are plenty of open-minded people who like my hair. The reaction from my church friends has been equally very positive - which I thought was surprising at first. There is even a lady nearing her 50s who is considering getting dreads now that she has seen mine! And those who don’t like my hair stay mostly quiet :)

**Though this wasn’t entirely selfless on his side. He’s been frowning at all my fallen hair located everywhere on the floor, furniture, clothes etc. On top of that, summer in Florida accelerated my hair falling out, and it started annoying me as well. So dreading it became a practical solution for the household as well. Less hair falling out = less mess!