Yes, actually your hair will dread easier because the hair has been damaged, so it will hold knots a lot easier. You can use any method and the dreads will lock up.

Dread Perm
You shouldn't loose much length at all, but you could loose a lot, because a lot of your hair could break off.

Actually there are. Here are a few tips.

1. If you have really straight hair you can give it more texture by braiding it for a couple days before you dread or getting a cheep perm from Wal-Mart.

2. Don't use conditioners on it for at least a week before you dread.

3. Get the items you will need to dread a head of time; you never know what could happen at last minute.

4. Bleach or color your hair, but don't use the conditioner that comes in the box. This will make your hair holds the knots better.

You can ponytail, pigtail, or braid them. You can wrap them in hemp, ribbons, and string. You can dye them different colors. Wear a tam, crown, headband, bandana, toque, or those head wraps. You can put beads, peyote stitches, or Pyrex in too.

Elastics are really good for dreads, they help the dreads form the way you want them to and keep loose hairs in. And if you palm roll them while you have them in it will actually dread the hair.

When you use a Dread Perm you do have to cut your hair down to about 2 inches when you don't want them anymore.