Dreadlocks FAQ

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Twist and Rip Dreadlocks

Using the twist & rip method, yes you will, because the hair will be so damaged from ripping it.

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Twist and Rip
Your dreads will really decide if the bangs are in or out.

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There are many different products out on the market that say they are intended for dreadlocking hair, but that does not mean that they actually work. Any wax that has the ingredient of petroleum is bad for your dreads, it will make your dreads feel nasty and it will make your dreads fall apart. There are 3 waxes that are appropriate for dreadlocking hair:

 

1. DreadHead wax
2. Knatty Dread cream
3. Knotty Boy
1. DreadHead wax – This is the best of the waxes we have tested. Its strong points were its long lasting hold and its lack of grease.

2. Knatty Dread cream – This is the best loc cream we tested. It has necessary vitamins and nutrients for healthy locs and scalp and it’s not greasy.

3. Knotty Boy – this wax is pretty good over all. Decent hold. Its main problem is that it’s greasier than it needs to be and the hold, while long lasting, isn’t that strong. I also think the smell of their wax is a bit much. At first I was like mmm yummy, but after a few hours or so I was like sick to my tummy.

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Twist & Rip
While your dreads are new you will want to wax them about twice a week and not wash them. Once the dreads are about 2 weeks old you should wash them and once they are dry apply the wax. Once your dreads are locked up you will only want to wax them about once every two to three weeks to condition them and make them look healthy.

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Only a little bit every few days. Just enough to hold the hair together to give it a chance to lock up.

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I’ve had my dreadlocks for over 4 years now, and I still use wax for little loose hairs, frizzes, and to condition them so they don’t get brittle.

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Expect the wax to be firm and a little sticky. It might be a little hard to get off of your hands, since it’s waterproof, but you can use liquid Dawn to get it off or a product called Waxx Off that is specifically made for breaking down dread wax. You may find it a little different to work the wax into the dreads for the first time, if you do, get a hair dryer and heat the wax a little before you smooth it on the dread, then melt the wax into the dread using the hair dryer when you’re done.

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As often as you please. Some people will say that you can’t wash dreads at all, because they will fall out, but that is just another dreadlock myth. Dreadlocks should be washed at least once a week, just like normal untangled hair. Your dreads may feel a little loose after you wash them, but they will tighten back as soon as they dry. With new dreads you should be careful with them, the first few times you wash them, make sure to be gentle with them, after all, they are newbie baby dreads, and they are fragile.

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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.

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Twist and Rip
You could loose, 50% of your length or 30%, it could go either way, your hair chooses, how it wants to knot.

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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.

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Twist and Rip
This really is a completely by yourself method.

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It depends on the size jar. Probably two. You will probably use a jar when you first start your dreads, and then get another one after the third month, and that jar will probably last a year, if not more. Dread Cream is preferable to use with this method. Once your dreads are locked up you won’t need to use wax anymore and you can start using a dread moisturizing product like Dread Butta to keep your dreads soft and prevent them from getting brittle

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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.

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You shouldn’t really use elastics with this method because you will be rubbing it and ripping it and the elastics will get in the way.

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It’s not really a good idea, because the dread will start to unravel because the hair that was holding the knots together before is gone. You will have to wait for the tip to lock up again and it’s just a pain in the arse. But if you are going to do it the best way to cut it is like a flower, cut it at an angle and then put a rubber band around the tip and rub the tip against the palm of your hand everyday for about 2 days and then take the rubber band out.

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I tried it once, and I didn’t like the way my hair looked afterward, it looked really unhealthy and singed, a lot of the hair broke off, and it smelled so bad. The tips didn’t have the blunt look I was looking for either they just looked fried. If you are going to do it make sure you don’t have any wax or products in your hair, most hair products are very flammable. But I got the best results just rolling the tips in my palms.

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Of course, they grow just like normal hair. Your normal straight hair grows out of your scalp and then it grows into the rest of the dread.

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The best way to get round tips is to use the tip rounding technique where you rub the tip of the dread in the palm of your hand in a circular motion.

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The best thing to do is roll the tip of the dread in the palm of your hand. This will make nice little round tips. I rolled my tips for three months and now they are round and really nice.

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Dreads do get fatter with time, because the hair that would have fallen out, builds up inside the dread. This is what makes the dreads become hard after a while. But if you want really big dreads and you haven’t started them yet it’s easy to make them fat, just make bigger sections. And it’s pretty easy to make the bigger if the dreads are only about two months old or younger, just rubber band them together and palm roll them as much as you can. But once they are hard it’s really hard to connect them, you can still rubber band them together, but you take a chance of having folds or creases in your dreads.

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Dreads do get fatter with time, because the hair that would have fallen out, builds up inside the dread. This is what makes the dreads become hard after a while. But if you want really big dreads and you haven’t started them yet it’s easy to make them fat, just make bigger sections. And it’s pretty easy to make the bigger if the dreads are only about two months old or younger, just rubber band them together and palm roll them as much as you can. But once they are hard it’s really hard to connect them, you can still rubber band them together, but you take a chance of having folds or creases in your dreads.

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There are a couple methods for tightening roots

1. Crocheting– this really shouldn’t be used for tightening roots, you should only use it to get rid of loose loops. But what you do is stick the dread through the loop and pull it through; it’s kind of like sewing.

2. Clockwise Rubbing– In my opinion this is the best way to tighten roots, what you do is, rub the dread against your scalp in a clockwise motion. It has done wonders for my dreads.

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Use the clockwise rubbing method. Rub the dread against your scalp in a clockwise motion.

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There are two types of thick hair

1. Thick strands- usually Asian people have this kind of hair, it is harder for this kind of hair to actually lock up, but if you use the backcombing method with a good wax, you won’t have many problems. Neglect, and twist and rip will not work well with this hair type.

2. Lots of hair- people who have curly have usually have lots of it. The stands are usually thin or normal size, and the dread great. A person with this hair will have no problems getting dreads, with any method.

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Backcombing is probably the fastest way to get permanent dreads. Because the hair looks like dreads right after they are finished, there is also an estimated time of 3 months to lock up. This is the least amount of time out of all the methods.

The fastest way to get temporary dreads is probably the loomed dreads method. But you can only leave them in for a few days. So if your going with temporary dreads use the silky dreadmethod.

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Not really, but if you are choosing this method you probably don’t care about length because you loose about 50% of your length dreading with this method.

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Not really, but if you are choosing this method you probably don’t care about length because you loose about 50% of your length dreading with this method.

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This method will work on Caucasian hair if it is very thin or curly. Straight hair usually doesn’t stay knotted up and thick hair has a hard time staying in knots.

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It will probably take a year to a year and a half for the dreads to lock up. I have heard in certain rare cases with people with extremely curly or textured hair that the dreads can lock up in 8 months, but that was something I only heard from one person.

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Just washing the occasional waxing and the daily twisting the hair around and ripping it apart.

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It is when you rub all your hair in a clockwise motion and once you get a big nest of knotted hair ripping it apart into sections. To learn more about this method visit the Twist and Rip Dreadlocks page.

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I wouldn’t use the circular rubbing method if you hair is thinning or it runs in you family for hair to thin. Because you will actually be pulling the hair out and it will most likely damage your hair follicles.

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This method will work on African textured hair.

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It will probably be very hard to dread that hair type with this method. You probably will want to go with a method that has to lock up, like backcombing.

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It will probably be very hard to dread that hair type with this method. You probably will want to go with a method that has to lock up, like backcombing.

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You should probably have at least 6 inches of hair and no more than 12 inches.

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Twist & rip is a really good method if you have curly hair, you will have good results.

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You shouldn’t because when you twist & rip you are actually pulling out the hair, and it won’t be growing all in one direction anymore it will be random, so the curly hair will be random and it won’t have a chance to curl one way.

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While your dreads are new you will probably want to wear a swim cap, but after they mature you will not need one.

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The best way to tighten them is to palm roll them. Palm rolling has amazing affects.

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It will take a long time for the dreads to form. It’s really hard to get this method to work on short hair. I recommend trying a different method, or waiting until your hair grows longer.

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What should I expect when I start my dreads with long hair with Twist & Rip?

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Twist and Rip- it will take six months to a year to form dreads, and they lock up on the way.

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There are a list of salons with web pages in the links section there is also a list of salons in the methods section. But not many salons will help you make twist & rip dreads.

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You can try posting on message boards to see if there is a dread head in your area that would be interested. And if you are interested in helping someone out with their dreads email us and we will recommend you when people email us. But the twist & rip method is more of a do it yourself method. You can also check the salons section in the links section for salons in your area.

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Regular beeswax is very brittle, it will be really hard to put on the dreads unless you melt it and then put it in. But as soon as it dries it’s just going to chunk off, and leave little pieces behind, that will hold dirt and make black spots in your dreads.

Honey is very sticky and it is not very thick so it will just coat the hair like gelatin would and not help hold the knots together in the dreads. It also attracts bugs and dirt.

The only thing Aloe Vera can be used for in dreads is to condition them, but it will not help the dreading process when the dreads are new.

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Aloe Vera can be used in dreads to condition them, but it will not help the dreading process because it will coat the hair causing the dreads to have a hard time locking up.

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