How To Do Dreads

How to do dreads is a question that is asked in the Thirsty Roots Community all the time by guys looking to loc up. Of course there are many answers to this question so we’ll try to simplify things. The methods of growing loc’s all depends on time, patience and of course money. This is a hairstyle that will definitely require some effort to get desirable results so keep this in mind as you move forward. Dreads can be started at home on a budget or in a salon with a loctician for more reliable results. Some DIY people have come out really well and others not so good trying this type of styling at home. Trust your own skill set and make the proper decision coming out of the gate.

With that being said here are the methods of getting dreadlocks.

	Braids, Braid Locks – If you have very soft and loosely coiled hair some small box braids is an extremely easy method to acquiring dreads. You will need to let them fuzz over. Afterwards the braids can be palm rolled to look like locs. All the new growth of the hair can be twisted up into traditional dreadlocks.
	Comb-Coils– A beautiful natural hairstyle and when left alone comb coils can form some wonderful dreadlocks. A hairdresser normally is involved in this method as it requires parting the hair and twisting it into sections using a small toothed comb. These new sections are neat but can easily unravel if they ever get wet in the beginning stage of locking.
	Finger Twists– Section off hair to be twisted around with fingers using beeswax, gel or a simple oil and water mixture. New groups of twisted hair are usually pinned together to hinder an unraveling situation.
	Freeform Dreadlocks (Neglect or Nazarene Locks)– When your hair is left uncombed and neglected without any conditioning over a several week time period it will loc up on it’s own. This is sometimes called Negelct Dreads as the hair is allowed to form dreadlocks with zero form manipulation or control. No separating (ripping) to prevent congas.
	Palm Rolled– The hair is rolled between the palms with gel after being sectioned. Palm rolling is normally done by a beautician but is the most likely to come undone in the early stages.
	Sisterlocks– Highly skilled locticians or beauticians know about this method of deadlocking hair. This method requires precision parting grids in your hair that result in about 400 easily styled locks. A specialized tool is used to place your hair strands into a tight locking formation.**NOTE** Sisterlocks do not require any waxes or gels.
	Two-Strand Twists– Just like it sounds this method in your hair’s natural state allows you to twist two strands of hair together and keep it twisted until the strands begin to lock. Most use gel to start the process twirling the hair at the end around the finger to coil or curl it up.

Something To Remember

Washing
– In the beginning of your dreadlocks journey you should NOT wash your hair often. Yes, this is your ugly stage setup! Your newly twisted up hair will unravel if it gets wet often. On a weekly basis it’s a good idea to dampen your hair for re-twisting. When the time does come to wash try to avoid a vigorous agitation of the new twist and use minimum amounts of soap. Dr. Bronners shampoo is a favorite amongst dread heads and you can also blot your scalp with a mild astringent like witch hazel. Removing dirt and oil that has been trapped on the scalp is vital and it will also keep your head smelling good.

Nice long dreadlocks will take years to achieve as hair only grows an average of 6-inches a year. Click the following links to see Men Dreadlocks Styles and Pics of Women Dreadlocks