Page: ......
AdeSILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia


Posted:
does anyone have any tips or advice or anything to share about dying dreadlocks?

I've had mine for quite a few years, and, well, umm, redface I'm going a bit grey umm, and I'd actually like to dye that out.... but it's been soooooooooooo long since I've dyed my hair, and have never died dreadies, so... ubbloco any tips?

(sorry to the mods if this is in the wrong spot...)

ubbrollsmile

_Aime_SILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
4,172 posts
Location: Hastings, United Kingdom


Posted:
Something I've been thinking about doing for about a year.
Have had numuros wool wraps in natural colours, and people seem to love them.

So this morning I decided I was going to do it!
Found hair band, found nit comb - got dreading!

Have half a head at the momant as my arms a killing ubblol
But all will be finished by tomorrow cool


Now will just have to put up with fluffy dreads until payday comes along and I can buy some wax.

biggrin

jo_rhymesSILVER Member
Momma Bear
4,525 posts
Location: Telford, Shrops, United Kingdom


Posted:
ooh yay! Aimee's gonna be a dreadhead! biggrin can't wait to see em babes!! kiss

Hoppers are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.


SkulduggeryGOLD Member
Pirate Pixie Crew Captain
8,428 posts
Location: Wales


Posted:
Wax is bad, just keep rolling them and pulling any stray bits back in with a small crochet hook.

Feed me Chocolate!!! Feed me NOW!


alien_oddityCarpal \'Tunnel
7,193 posts
Location: in the trees


Posted:
wow update on my dreadlings..............


i've had them for some time now........had to re do them 3 times but each time i learned more and more.i think i'm throught the "fluffy dread" stage, now into " my dreads look like [censored]" stage BUT................ they are starting to tighten up and feel nice and firm all be it i have lots of loose ends.


one thing that is bugging me ( because they look bad) is the tips of my dreadlings............... i would like them nice and neat not spoikey tufts of dead straight hair at the ends of my dreadlings............whats the best way to sort this out???

jo_rhymesSILVER Member
Momma Bear
4,525 posts
Location: Telford, Shrops, United Kingdom


Posted:
Rave, what i did with my dreads because I had the same predicament, was to pour hot candle wax on them!
I don't advise it, but that's all i could think of at the time.
i also used glue and all sorts of crap in my dreads!

Hoppers are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.


SkulduggeryGOLD Member
Pirate Pixie Crew Captain
8,428 posts
Location: Wales


Posted:
Like I posted before, get a small crochet hook poke it into the dread futher up than the loose fluffy bits and hook those bits with it and pull them inside the dread. Then roll the dread to help it matt up. If you do regulally you will end up with neat dreads that aren't covered in anything that dirt can get trapped in. It takes time but it's worth it. Take a look at Sinjax, dreads if you need proof.

Feed me Chocolate!!! Feed me NOW!


.:star:.SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,785 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
If you leave your dreads alone and just wash them a couple of times a week, the fluffy bits will get sucked up into the dreads and they will sort themselves out with no intervention. Nice dreads take time, the more you fiddle with them, the longer they take to lock

knottylocks.tk has lots of good dreadlock advice

~Leah~GOLD Member
addict
584 posts
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia


Posted:
hey I could'nt get that knottylocks to work, signed up and everything. shrug

Never hold your farts in! They travel up your spine, go into your brain and that's where shitty idea's come from.


alien_oddityCarpal \'Tunnel
7,193 posts
Location: in the trees


Posted:
www.knottyboy.com


try that site leah biggrin

~Leah~GOLD Member
addict
584 posts
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia


Posted:
yeah, I know that site well. biggrin I used up my first jar of their wax last month. I was so proud of my dreadies!!!!!! ubblove

Never hold your farts in! They travel up your spine, go into your brain and that's where shitty idea's come from.


alien_oddityCarpal \'Tunnel
7,193 posts
Location: in the trees


Posted:
i have one group of people saying "use wax" and another saying " don't use wax"


i'm so comfused ubblol

.:star:.SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,785 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
Wax is really really really bad for your dreads. Its stops them knotting up properly, it stops them drying properly when you wash them, it causes all sorts of yucky dirt to stick to your dreads and it can make them go mouldy!

I was advised to use wax when I first got my dreads and stupidly I listened. I put wax on for the first month and all I had was waxy crappy dreads. I ditched the wax and started washing my dreads with residue free shampoo a few times a week and they knotted up so quickly, loosse hairs got sucked up into the knots and I didn't have to do anything except wash them.


 Written by: knottylocks



Mythbusters: What Knottyboy and DreadheadHQ didn’t tell you. (A short FAQ for those spoonfed by wax companies)

Too often, people join Knottylocks asking how much wax to use or if, perhaps, they are aren‘t using enough, or too much, or why their locks look like crap. Nine out of ten times, we tell these new members that they don’t need wax. Usually, about a month or two later, these are the same people complain about their locks looking like crap (looking the same as the day they first backcombed them). If you are one of these people, please listen to us! The only reason that Knottylocks.tk exists is because Knottyboy.com closed their forum due to people spreading the word that wax is unnecessary.
Knottyboy and DreadheadHQ will do just about anything to sell you their products. If you have just learned of knotty locks, then good. It’s not too late do dispel the myths they have been telling you. Mainly, that you need wax. This is their biggest lie. Many people were deceived into thinking that you NEED wax to make nice clean knots in your hair, when in fact this is not true. Locks have existed since the beginning of time, and these companies have only been making wax since 1998? (knotty boy).
The truth about these companies is that they just want to sell you some shitty wax that will stop your knots from forming. This causes people to panic that their hair isn’t locking up, so they use more wax. The only way to form REAL KNOTS is with (say it with me here) TIME. And anybody with real locks will tell you that. No amount of wax will give you some instantly neat and tight locks. Impossible.
Below are a few short quotes pulled from these wax companies’ websites and my response to them.

***following items in quotes pulled from www.knottyboy.com website***

quote:
the GOOD news is that Knotty Boy Dread Wax helps speed up the whole process of "letting them come together" in a BIG way, binding those locks together so they don't come apart in the soft, new dready stages, and lets them get a good head-start



That’s the biggest misconception Knottyboy and DreadheadHQ want to put out there. YOU DO NOT NEED WAX TO MAKE LOCKS. Wax simply acts as glue, holding your hair in the same place. Locks need to move to get tighter. Wax can only hurt new locks. You will get more progress using your own aloe vera gel, salt water, or simply nothing at all.

quote:
Knotty Boy keeps them together a lot better than if you were using nothing at all and just letting them mat up randomly over the years. And that's the good news!



Look around Knottylocks and see how many people wish they hadn’t used wax, or didn’t use wax and their hair turned out fine. In fact, there are a few pictures floating around here that shows a dread cut in half to show the built up wax that hindered the locking process.

quote:
Contrary to popular belief, using an all-natural product like Knotty Boy does not create ‘fake’ or ‘unnatural’ dreads - but rather, it utilizes the properties of natural, earthgrown ingredients to facilitate and speed up the natural process of dreading. Nothing unnatural happens when you use Knotty Boy - it just helps to make better dreads, faster!



Yeah because putting goop in y our hair helps make “better dreads, faster!”. The truth is that hair tangles up on its own. It’s an invention of mother nature and no amount of wax will help to create knots. Horses get tight locks in their manes on accident, dogs do, wild animals get them, anybody who doesn’t brush their long hair will get them eventually. They didn’t use wax emoticon

***Taken from the FAQ page (supposedly from somebody who used the neglect method):***

quote:
Hey, well, I think I've got a problem. I started to do the neglect method (my friend formed the dreads with some knots and braids), and what you said was going to happen pretty much happened. It's matting, kinda gross, and full of dandruff.



Yep. Because if you don’t backcomb your knots you’ll have gross hair and dandruff. If you believe that neglected locks look nasty or gross, then maybe locks aren’t for you. Click this link for cookie cutters : www.knottyboy.com emoticon

And if you think it will give you dandruff? Give me a break!


quote:
When you wash, give your scalp a really good scrub with the Knotty Boy Dread Shampoo Bar or Liquid Shampoo . Don't use regular shampoos from the drug store or salons - they contain conditioners and other chemicals that soften and detangle hair, not knot it up!



You don’t need Knottyboy’s shampoo, nor do you need HQ’s shampoo. They will do fine for your hair, of course, but what works just the same for a much much lower price, is Dr. Bronner’s bar or liquid shampoo. Any natural glycerin or tea tree shampoo will work. The only criteria for making a shampoo “dread friendly” is that it contains no conditioners, no SLS, and no residues.


quote:
You will need the following stuff :…(A jar o'Knotty Boy Dread Wax)



It’s been said before. You don’t need wax.



quote:
If I use a blow drier will that help set up and dry out the dreads after I've waxed? What about going to a hairdresser and asking to sit in the perm chair? Will that help the dreads set?
Yes, heat really helps melt the wax into the dreads and stick 'em all together. Try it with a blow-dryer, or sitting in the sun, and if you can sit in the perm chair, that's an even faster way of doing it. This isn't completely necessary for good locks, though, just another thing you can try to speed up the process.
Using a blow dryer right after you are all freshly waxed will also melt the wax right into your dread, realllly saturating it. This is also great if you can see the wax at all, or if it's making your hair look a little dull. Blow drying each dread till the wax melts will fix these probs easily!



DON’T USE A BLOWDRYER ON WAX!

It will only push the goop deep into the center of your “dreads” and create candles from the inside out. Candles are not locks.

quote:
We are pleased to announce the addition of our new (and lower-priced) recycled t-shirt dreadbands! Made right here in oh-so-environmentally-minded Vancouver, these nifty items keep your dreads off your face in a different, lighter style. Ideal for the active dreadie, they are available in various shades of green, blue, black, the VERY popular black w/ rasta stripe and now... brown! All are slightly different and unique!



So Knottyboy’s plan is to cut up some old shirts, sew them together, and sell them to you for $15? If you are really that hard up for an old shirt, go to goodwill or a thrift shop. Knottyboy sells their hats for as much as $45 plus shipping. If you really need a hat, there are many crafters on Knottylocks that can help you out with a hat for much much cheaper.


quote:
Can you tell me what Knotty Boy Dread Wax exactly does to get dreads all tangled up??
Knotty Boy Dread Wax binds the undreaded hair together really tight so that your new dreads get a good chance to knot up, rather than them just getting matted over time and after not washing for months and gross stuff like that. It lets them start dreading right away, plus it makes you look like you have dreads even if it's the first day you put the stuff in your hair. It's still just tangled hair for the first few weeks, but then those locks start getting tighter and harder, and that's when they're turning into dreads! Usually this process takes months, even years without anything in your dreads to help – Knotty Boy Dread Wax gets them going in a matter of weeks.




How would beeswax create knots? Simply by sitting in your hair it will make your hair knotted?

quote:
Believe it or not, we're not all about selling you dreadlock products! True, the products we've developed are, in fact, helping thousands of people out there achieve healthy, happy dreadlocks easily and naturally, and we would never, ever sell our customers a product that was all hype and no results.



Are you kidding me? emoticon

***following items in quotes pulled from www.dreadheadhq.com website***

quote:
For really severe lumps that you have to do something about you'll need to comb them out. Just start at the tip and comb the hair out with the dread comb working you way toward the bump. Comb it out and then redread it. Work your way back to the tip. Use a rubber band and some wax to hold the tip tight while it re-dreads. Some loops and lumps add character or at least I think so, dreads are not supposed to be absolutely perfect and symmetrical.



That’s a brilliant idea! Undo what time has done for you just to get rid of some loops! Retarted!
Loops are a natural part of having new locks, the more loops you have, the tighter your locks will be. Loops are simply the locks shrinking and getting tighter. This is definitely what you want your young dreads to do.

quote:
It's a good idea not to backcomb any more after the 2nd week or so. Rubberbands will hold it tight



Don’t backcomb after the first time. Any more than that is unnecessary, and in fact, will do more damage by untangling the natural knots that are forming in your hair.

The bottom line is that these companies will tell you anything just to get you to buy their products. Wax is unnecessary, as well as these overpriced, bloated wax companies that continue to spread lies about the most natural thing in the world. -Locks are a natural beauty, something that you don’t need to try to rush or goop up with wax.



But hey, don't listen to me. Go ahead and put it in your hair and get back with me in a few weeks. emoticon emoticon

Because im just emoticon



~Leah~GOLD Member
addict
584 posts
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia


Posted:
thanks for that star. At the mo I am still using wax to keep all my frizzies bound because I work at a big flashy resort that dosen't like dreadies and will fire me if I don't keep them as neat as possible. Good news is that I'm quitting that job soon so then I can ditch the wax!

Never hold your farts in! They travel up your spine, go into your brain and that's where shitty idea's come from.


alien_oddityCarpal \'Tunnel
7,193 posts
Location: in the trees


Posted:
hug thank you star your a jem hug2

i used wax the first time i attmpted to put my dreads in and they came out way tooo easy so i washed them with some funky organic shampoo i got from lush then had to re-do the lot.
i've since stopped using wax and taken on board all the wicked advice from here about washing my dreads to get them to tighten up etc. i don't always shampoo my hair when i have a shower but i do totally soak my dreads and dry them as best i can.



problem is now..................finding funky beads and things i can put in my hair ubblol dread jewelry costs a bomb on knottyboy, something like £7.50 for a few beads, i like people to find me things that fit my dreadlings as it means a lot more than some tat i bought .


so far i have 2 metal nuts, a few toggles from elasticated collars off fleeces and a mate thats recently had to shave off all his dreads is donating me his collection of dread beads clap

PyrolificBRONZE Member
Returning to a unique state of Equilibrium
3,289 posts
Location: Adelaide, South Australia


Posted:
eh well - I've seen a lot of dreads, and I think there is more to it than just use wax or not...its more like actually work on them and maintain them if you want them to tighten up and be neat, or dont and they might turn out ranging from ferral and funky to birds nest, to normal hair (but not neat).

I've asked probly 100 people about their dreads in the time that I've been either thinking about or actually having dreads, and I think the majority of people reply that there is certainly some maintenance involved, and very very few have said that they used the 'oh I just let them grow in naturally with no maintenance' method. I cant remember _ever_ meeting someone with neat dreads that didnt maintain / work on them, especially in the early years.

Using wax at least means you are working on them. I've seen many young dreads turn birds nest through their owners adhering to 'oh I'm just letting them grow in naturally'.

Not to say that it cant happen, just that the majority of Western hair isnt predispositioned to naturally dreading - and especially not neatly dreading.

I personally think that how the dreads are put in at the beginning goes a long way to making them neat/strong/etc. Rush the set, and of course they will fall out easily. Knot the crap outa them, and they wont fall out as easily - it stands to reason really.

Josh

--
Help! My personality got stuck in this signature machine and I cant get it out!


PyrolificBRONZE Member
Returning to a unique state of Equilibrium
3,289 posts
Location: Adelaide, South Australia


Posted:
Ps Rave - if you intend to grow your dreads long, make sure you can adjust the beads. Dont let em lock in while your dreads are short cuz they will turn lethal when your hair gets longer (especially the metal and glass bits). make sure you can keep moving them up so they dont smack you in the eyes or teeth (or someone elses eyes n teeth) as you are dancing.

Josh

--
Help! My personality got stuck in this signature machine and I cant get it out!


alien_oddityCarpal \'Tunnel
7,193 posts
Location: in the trees


Posted:
well ahead with you on that one josh, the beads i use slide on with a bit of effort but they slide up and down near the roots really nicely so i know i can get them off at a later date and i do change the dread my beads go on every now and then biggrin


the advice i'm getting off this thread has been awesome grouphug thank you

_Aime_SILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
4,172 posts
Location: Hastings, United Kingdom


Posted:
Indeed, some lovely information.

Even before reading here I knew knotty boy are out to get all they can.
Just the way the site is written and they way they advertise their products makes me want to stab forks in their eyeballs.

I've done alot of reading, and found dreadheadHQ to be much more agreeable....yet still a bit "Our products arnt essential to good dreads, but they make them look 10 tims better so buy them now".

I've spoken to alot of people about the wax on/wax off issue and it seems to be split down the middle.


Its been exactly a week since I've had mine, and I can already feel them getting tighter. Wax and shampoo will be here by wednesday..so untill then I'm going to see how it goes.

~Leah~GOLD Member
addict
584 posts
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia


Posted:
yay for week old dreadies Aimee! clap

Never hold your farts in! They travel up your spine, go into your brain and that's where shitty idea's come from.


alien_oddityCarpal \'Tunnel
7,193 posts
Location: in the trees


Posted:
mine are a few months old...........................do i get a clap and a yay leah?? biggrin


mine do look REALLY rough still, but with the use of funky beads i am slowly soting them out. my dreadlings are still very short though and i have read the shorter the dread the more work and upkeep they need

polaritySILVER Member
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom


Posted:
I got past the whole 'short and falling out' stage by crocheting the whole length of my dreads into wool extensions.

It took hours to get those extensions out when my roots were getting too long, but my dreads were locked up good from being underneath them for a few months, and just needed a bit more work with the crochet needle to get the roots knotty.

You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.

Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.


_Aime_SILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
4,172 posts
Location: Hastings, United Kingdom


Posted:
Week and a half smile

OrangeBoboSILVER Member
veteran
1,389 posts
Location: Guelph, ON, Canada


Posted:
they look AWESOME Aimee! really!

As for the wax/no wax debate...
I used was to begin with.. first six months or so. I found it a bit mess, but fine, generally kept the frizzies down. After that I didn't do much maintenance, excet for some root work (aka ripping) once in a while.

I think wax is good to hold dreads together for certain hair types until they start knotting up on their own, and can be used from time to time for de-frizzing. The beginning is always the worst, because they look great for a while, but when the process starts up, they can go a bit thin and what not...

What you HAVE to keep in mind with dreads is above all PATIENCE! You hair is not like everyone elses!It's going to be different! You need to experiment a bit and find what works right for your hair. There are so many different methods for this, and people will swear by one thing, etc.

PATINCE is KEY!!!

ubblove dreads
Vanity pictures!

wie weit, wie weit noch?
fragst mich, wo wir gewesen sind...
du fehlst hier


alien_oddityCarpal \'Tunnel
7,193 posts
Location: in the trees


Posted:
wicked looking dreadlings aimz, and wicked advice orange bobo grouphug

mine have just started to turn, they are starting to knot up so i'm not being too brutal with them at the moment but once they have taken hold the ripping will start and i might even put some more funky things in my hair to personalise my dreaddies a bit more

nixigloBRONZE Member
member
30 posts
Location: Langebaan, South Africa


Posted:
Oooh! Thanx for all that info Star!

I ordered the dreadheadhq supa dupa dreadkit 2 months ago and started my dreads that way. I must say that I really can't complain about the products and the way my dreads turned out. My hubby did them for me and it took 25 hours eek but they looked great from the start.

Some of them came undone when I washed them but I think I was just a bit rough in the beginning. (It takes some time to get used to.) I still use the wax once a week to get the fuzzies under control but I'm seriously considering ditching the wax after what I've read here. Not sure yet, cause I kinda like the wax. confused

Anyway, the dreadheadhq dreadsoap is awesome and your dreads feel squeeky clean after, I LOVE the soap! The locking accelerator is also cool, but I think it might just be bottled sea water. ubbloco hie-hie-hie!!

Anyway.... more info on dying dreads please!! I dyed my hair before I dreaded and it's growing out now so I really need to do it again. Would you say going to a salon would be safest? I can't imagine that salons in my area would actually be able to do it???? I live in a small town in South Africa for crying out loud!! ubblol ubblol

Life's journey is not 2 arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body,

...but rather to skid in sideways totally worn out shouting "WHAT A RIDE!!!"


alien_oddityCarpal \'Tunnel
7,193 posts
Location: in the trees


Posted:
well, my dreadlings are doing well, i went to lush and bought some organic shampoo (non residue) made from fruit oils and berrys ubblol


i've now started to use a crochet needle to sort out the tips (done 5 or 6 so far) asicly i do one per night and if it survives being washed and dried i know it's gonna stay in there.



oh..................i've also noticed i have natural blond highlights in my hair biggrin so i might see how they work out and possibly dye them rather than risk bleaching any of my dreadlings

OrangeBoboSILVER Member
veteran
1,389 posts
Location: Guelph, ON, Canada


Posted:
I hate to admit this, but...



I started the long combing out process a couple months back, and on Jan.2, I was completely dread free, and off to get my first haircut in two years. I love having normal hair again, it's so lovely to comb and brush it, style it, and wash it every day!!



Unfortunately, I find I miss my dreads more and more... frown



My hair is currently just past my shoulders... I'll be letting it grow in and thicken up some more, and then I'll probably be off to move onto my second set of dreads, just as I thought when I chopped them in half and combed them out. I'll go about it differently this time though. We shall see when it comes, though.



Once again, when I proposed combing out my dreads, I faced a relentless bias against the possiblity of salvaging my hair. Many people said it couldn't be done, and that there was no point in trying to save my hair, and that it would be extremely damaged.



I'm extremely proud to say that I PROVED THEM WRONG!! Haha, suckers! When I got my hair cut, the hair dresser was shocked and amazed at the excellent condition of my hair. So, for those who think it can't be done: if you take your time, keep your patience (which I'ce already mentioned is necessary for dreads from beginning to end), you can pull through it (in more ways than one!!)



Anyways, here's to the set that is gone (and still sitting in a bag in a drawer

redface) and here's to the set that is yet to come! beerchug angel bye ubblove
EDITED_BY: OrangeBobo (1171929387)

wie weit, wie weit noch?
fragst mich, wo wir gewesen sind...
du fehlst hier


~Leah~GOLD Member
addict
584 posts
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia


Posted:
ow, no dreadies. frown I'd miss mine way too much for that. So when are you getting your new dreadlings?

Never hold your farts in! They travel up your spine, go into your brain and that's where shitty idea's come from.


alien_oddityCarpal \'Tunnel
7,193 posts
Location: in the trees


Posted:
i've been toying with the idea of bleachng a few of my drealings wen they're a bit longer but i don't want to weaken the roots, is it possible just to bleach out sections?

~Leah~GOLD Member
addict
584 posts
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia


Posted:
I bought some stuff called sun in. It's a spray that lightens as you go out in the sun or blow dry it, it's the heat. Really easy to use and works great. I had really dark brown hair and now it's a nice sun blonde, not white like a lot of bleaches can do. It's better that dying the whole dread, it's just the outside. I just wish it came in other colours!

Never hold your farts in! They travel up your spine, go into your brain and that's where shitty idea's come from.


Page: ......

Similar Topics Server is too busy. Please try again later. No similar topics were found
      Show more..

HOP Newsletter

Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more...