My Adventures and Misadventures of Starting Dreadlocks Hairstyle

Every decade or 2 or three I change my hairstyle. The last real change I made was back in the early eighties when I had Jheri curls.

In 1992 one of my fun electives was swimming that was where I found out that chlorine and Jheri curls didn’t mix or was it the bad perm that I had gotten. Regardless, I cut my hair really short so it was easier to handle.

When I finished the swimming class and by the time my hair grew back I went back to a regular perm, which I kept until about 10 weeks ago when I decided that dreadlocks was the way to go. I wanted a style that was VERY low maintenance.

Being the type who needs all the details before I do anything, I proceeded to everyone’s favorite internet search tool Google. I even checked with a co-worker’s hairstylist as I planned to conquer this style on my own. Mainly because I couldn’t afford the salon prices. When I thought that I had all the information I needed I got to work.

Off to the Beauty Supply Store I Go
Remember my co-worker’s hairstylist? She told me what I needed was beeswax and brown gel. I needed to mix them together and apply it on my hair to form the locs.

Who knew that beeswax was so hard to find? That weekend I went to 2 beauty supply stores before I found the beeswax. Next on my list was a shampoo that would remove all the years of build up on my scalp. That was another item that I didn’t realize was difficult to locate. Did you know that’s what causes your scalp to itch? It dawned on me that all those times when I had washed my hair only for my scalp to immediately begin to itch. Who knew?

Well my search for a shampoo that removed the residue buildup on your scalp was not to be a success that day. Being anxious to get started I went ahead and used my regular shampoo.

The Wrong Way to Get Dreadlocks
The next day I began my quest. Per the instructions from one of the websites I visited I dutifully parted my hair in quarters, secured them out of the way then continued the boring task of further sectioning the quarters into one inch squares. Anyway that was what I attempted to do. I kept each square separate with rubber bands. Did I forget to mention the rubber bands? Sorry.

One website I visited said that you should wash your hair every 2 or 3 days. So every 2 or 3 days I washed my hair and spent one and a half to 2hours re-twisting and reapplying the beeswax/gel mixture.

After about 2 weeks this began to get old as the whole idea behind me getting the dreadlock was that I wanted a hairstyle that was low maintenance. So after I’d washed my hair for the 6th time in 2 weeks I decided that a little more research was in order. This was when I came across yet another website that recommended that you NOT was your hair for the first 6 to 8 weeks after you’ve begun the dreadlocks process.

Duh, that makes sense. Washing your hair every 2 to 3 days meant that I was re-doing the beginning process every 2 to 3 days.

I lasted about a week and a half without washing because I kept playing with the twists which caused them to get thin which didn’t make them look very attractive. So I washed my hair again but this time I didn’t use the beeswax/gel mixture because by then I found out that you should not use any products containing petroleum/petrolatum in you hair.

I went back to the beauty supply store and came across Jamaican Mango & Lime line of products. So far I’ve tried the Resistant Formula Locking Gel, the Tingle Shampoo, and Protein Conditioner. And I love them all. The shampoo and conditioner have a very pleasing aroma while washing your hair but it does not remain after you’ve rinsed it out. Why is that important? Again one of the websites that I came across suggested that when a product leaves a fragrance in your hair it also leaves residue. Which is a no no when it comes to the locking process.

By then I had also come across the two strand twists method. So again I washed my hair and re-did it using the two strand twists method.

The Itching Starts
So now the itching starts which meant that I headed to find a product that would keep my scalp from itching between washings. To the rescue Jamaican Mango & Lime Island Oil.

I still kept playing in my hair so once again, you guessed it. I washed. And I also found out that you should never twist your hair dry. So far its been 5 days and out of sheer determination and putting my hair up in ponytail I have managed to keep my fingers away from my hair.

Now that I have told you my story, let me now tell you how it should be done. There are a number of techniques you can use to start your Locks.

Techniques for starting Dreadlocks the Right Way
Braiding
It is suggested that your hair is at least 2 inches long to use this method. Section the hair in the desired size locks. It is suggested that the best way to section the hair is in the brick layered pattern by sectioning your hair into the braid size you want over your whole head. As your hair grows out at the root use the palm roll technique to begin the locking on the new growth.

Comb Twists
This technique is used for hair that is very short. You will need a rat-tail. Use a locking gel or if you like Jamaican Mango & Lime Locking Gel on each section of hair. With the comb at the scalp, twist the hair downward using the teeth of the comb. Remember you can make the locks whatever size you choose. Depending on length of your hair you may not have to re-twist for several weeks.

Palm Rolling
It is recommended that your hair be at least three inches long to use this technique. Section the hair and put a small amount of gel or wax or Jamaican Mango & Lime Locking Gel on each section of hair. Take the hair in between the palms of both your hands and move your hands back and forth. A motion representative of trying to keep your hands warm. It is recommended that you seek the assistance of a professional stylist who specializes in dreadlocks styling for this technique.

Two-Strand Twists
It is recommended that your hair be at least three inches long to use this technique. Section the hair and put a small amount of gel or wax or Jamaican Mango & Lime Locking Gel. Double-strand twist the hair using a technique known as the Senegalese technique. The twists will look similar to a rope. This is a very popular technique that is used when starting dreadlocks. Hair extensions can also be used with this technique.

If I were to choose I'd choose the two-strand twist method. I forgot to mention about every 1 to two weeks or so it may be necessary to tighten up your locs a bit. Remember do not do it dry. Have some water in a bowl next to you while you're tidying your locs up or use a spray bottle.

Anyway, I've lasted a whole 7 days without "messing" with my hair too much, mainly as I said earlier, whenever I'm home I put it up in a ponytail.

One thing I forgot to mention and that is this "adventure" is from the point of a Jamaican meaning a person of African descent. Naturally those with different textures, namely that of Caucasians will need to follow slightly different instructions.

Until next time,

Happy locking!!

Lorna/