Starting Dreads is a big commitment, knowing you are mentally ready and that your hair is physically ready is a good place to start and means you are most likely to get them right the first time.....
Why start dreads
There is no one reason that people start dreads, everyone starts dreads for reasons of their own and no one persons reason is greater than another. Many people start dreads at what they feel is a changing point in their lives or some may just start dreads because they feel like a change of style.
"I started my dreads over five years ago as a teenager desperately trying to find my identity, now I wear them because I feel they reflect who I am on the inside on the outside - crazy, bouncy and a bit manic; not long and hairy! My dreads make me feel happy and comfortable about who I am and they make a bold statement to the world. I see dreads as a form of body modification which is something I am a large admirer of and my dreads and stretched ears represent a small homage to this'. Dreadworx Ltd Director on why he started his dreads
Are your ready for dreads?
The most important thing to realise when getting dreads is that they are not an instant hair cut; they take many months to come together (8-12months to fully develop). There will be days when your locs look immense and days when you just want to shave your head. Starting dreads is a long journey which you should not take lightly, but the good news is once you have fully matured dreads all the waiting and hours spent caring for them pays off!
You also need to consider how others around you will perceive your dreads, will having dreads compromise your work life or prevent you from getting the job you really want? Dreads are a very distinctive hair cut and a feature most people will remember you for, which in our experience can be both a good and a bad thing - you just have to make sure your personality shines through from under your hair!
Because you look at yourself every day in the mirror dreads are nothing out of the ordinary for a dread wearer, but they are to the rest of the public and you have to be prepared for all the annoying questions that you will have to answer time and time again! Fortunately after wearing dreads for a while you become oblivious to all the questions, dodgy looks and cheeky comments. It is just part of your daily routine ;-)
All this said dreads are one of the most rewarding, fun and stylish haircuts you can have that have been enjoyed by many different cultures, creeds throughout history and with our you can make and maintain dreads in absolutely any type of hair.
Preparing for the dreading
Learning to make dreads is a long process, the best thing you can do is round up some friends to help, get a ton of DVD's to watch, lots of nibbles to pick at and make yourself uber comfortable. It takes most dread beginners 10-15 minutes to make each dreadlock depending how long and thick your hair is so the more people you have helping the better, obviously though you do not want so many people helping that your friends are falling over each other so maybe you can arrange to take it in turns and bribe everyone with a free round of drinks or a home-cooked meal on completion;-).
Preparing Hair & Nesscary Products....
Despite what you might have heard, it is much easier to make dreads if they are clean and in top condition, we would recommend giving you hair a good wash with one of our many dreadlock soaps prior to dreading up - just make sure you dry them fully before you start!. This will make the entire process much much easier and quicker. Greasy hair is much harder to dread backcomb and will slip out of dreads easily, so this really is essential stuff.
You also really need a good comb! Plastic combs break quickly and easily, they simply can’t take up to the rough brushing required to make dreads and the last thing you need is plastic teeth breaking off in backcombed hair. We strongly recommend you invest in a good metal toothed comb that will see you through the full dreading.
Other products that will make the process easier include Dreadhead HQ Loc Peppa and Accelerator for making hair super knatty and wax to hold the fresh dreadage in place (essential for many hair types). You are also going to want some clips to hold dreads you have created out of the way of your back combing and also going to need some bands to help with the sectioning. You can reuse these on loose roots and flared tips after the dreading.
You may want to consider one of our dreadlock kits. Dreadworx proudly endorses and recommends the DreadheadHQ dreadlock kit. DreadheadHQ are would renowned dreadlock manufacturers and the business is run by a great couple that live and breathe dreadlocks. Their Supa Dupa Dreadkit is guaranteed to make hair in any head of dreads. So if your hair is grease free, you have all your friends, nibbles and dreadlock products to hand you can begin creating the dreads.
Onwards to the next part of the guide >>