dreadlock maintenance tips

Dreadlock Maintenance Tips For Fresh Locs

Dreadlock maintenance differs significantly from other natural hair hairstyles. Dreadlocks shouldn’t need to be combed or trimmed regularly. Dreadlocks, like other hair’s natural styles, must be kept clean. Straight hair dreads with weakened tips will generally lose 20-40% of their length, and in certain cases more if the cut is very light / fine.

Clean dreads, contrary to popular belief, start locking up and stiffen quicker than dirty dreads. Dreadlocks require tucking stray hairs down into the dreading when they can dread up and force with the rest of the hair, whereas other organic hairstyles demand brushing to put flyaways back in place.

You’ll also find that your dreadlocks improve with time. They get tighter and smoother as they age, requiring less upkeep. Your dreads’ maintenance schedule will differ depending on their age and the type of dreads you have.

How Often Should Dreadlocks Be Washed?

It’s not good to wash dreads too often or too infrequently. Dreads are divided into two categories:

New Dreadlocks
When you have fresh new baby dreadlocks, let them air dry for at least a week before cleaning them. After that, wash them whenever your scalp becomes oily. It might be once a week or even less frequently, but monitoring sebum production is essential after dreading it.

If you have an itchy scalp, you should wash your dreads gently. After a wash, new dreads can become a little messy and curly, but nothing out of the ordinary. Leave it alone because being carefree was your first thought before attempting to dreadlock your hair.

Mature Dreadlocks
At least once a week, mature dreads should be washed. Wear a bathing cap to preserve your dreadlocks from the dampness on regular shower days.

Most shampoo can be used once a week, twice a week, or once a month. The hair expert recommends rinsing your dreadlocks with cider vinegar or bicarbonate of soda before shampooing for best results. Apple cider vinegar rinse, for example, loosens oil, buildup, and dirt from the scalp and hair, making washing easier.

How To Wash Dreads?

The procedures to wash dreadlocks are whether you own baby dreads or older dreadlocks:

  • Soak your locs and scalp in water;
  • Use a warm rinse of cider vinegar or bicarbonate of soda, or soak them for a few minutes in the solution;
  • Pour the shampoo into your palms, add a little water, and work up a good lather.
  • Apply a tiny amount of lather to your scalp and massage it gently with your fingertips;
  • Using your palms, build a lather and apply it to your dreads. Begin with the roots and carefully squeeze each one until they are clean enough;
  • One more time, use lather, massage your scalp, and wash your dreadlocks;
  • Thoroughly rinse;
  • Use your hands to distribute the conditioner on all of your dreadlocks properly. Allow a few minutes for the conditioner to work;
  • Rinse once more;
  • Strain the water out of your dreads and loosely cover them in a cotton towel.
  • Hairdryers should be avoided.

How Often Should you Retwist Your Locs?

Now that we’ve talked about a wash schedule, we’ll talk about how often to retwist. The frequency of retwisting is determined by if you’re in the beginning loc phase or have mature locs.

Also, it depends on the nature of dreadlocks you have, the type of hair you have, and the method you use to retwist them. Starting locs should all be washed once a month or every six weeks. You can go six to eight weeks between retwists if you interlock.

How To Get Started with Palm Rolling Or Twisting For Loc Maintenance

Dreadlocks that have been created by palm rolling or twisting are fragile. The main risk would be that the strand will untwist before locking correctly. Its palm rolling / twisting procedure can become laborious and nerve-wracking due to this.

Many people postpone cleaning the scalp and hair for a month or more since it’s impossible to rinse the twists without them untwisting. Other issues arise as a result, such as itching or odd head scents. This could be the source of several dreadlock myths on how to wash or not wash them.

It’s more typical to wait two weeks between washings. You may get away with less frequent washing if your scalp is used to it, perhaps because it is dried, and the hair is light and highly textured, which is the optimum dreadlock texture.

It’s simple to keep the twists in place, especially between washes. It’s your responsibility to maintain them. While driving or watching television, your hand will search your head for dreads that need to be twisted. Twist them slightly as you become aware of them. Typically, you start by turning the wire until it is under very light pressure from the twist.

Then roll back and forth from your fingers or palms, ensuring it doesn’t untwist. This allows the hair’s “spirals” to slip into each other, allowing the lock to compress even further. Over twisting and damaging the hair is easy with textured hair types. Repeatedly rotating the same waves is not a good idea. It’s preferable to let them alone than to overwork them.

You’ll notice that the twists loosen with each washing. After each wash, some people fully retwist their dreads. After each wash, it is typically not essential to retwist. Strong hair growth can endure more retwisting, but there’s no reason to waste time if it’s not necessary.

It’s usually good to retwist after every other wash, especially if you can wash them carefully without disturbing the twists. Applying a nylon stocking cover while washing them is a good idea. This keeps the dreadlocks safe while they’re being washed. If you use this procedure, thoroughly rinse the dreadlocks because the stocking will make getting all of the soap out more challenging.

Retwisting your dreadlocks is a simple process. Twist the lock until it is under sufficient pressure to compress it while concurrently applying dreading cream immediately to the dread and massaging it out as you twist it back and forth, always clockwise. Finally, pin, tie, or connect the dread in a certain way to keep it twisted when you dry it, commonly done with a hairdryer.

Avoid overheating your hair because it will lead to destruction. If possible, let it completely dry, then sit for at least 3 hours. The dreads can then be released or unclipped.

How To Take Care Of Dreadlocks

Below are some pointers to help you take better care of your dreadlocks.

  • Avoid putting wax on the dreadlocks since it can harm your hair. This will bring you that deep shine for several days, but it will leave a greasy coating on your filaments that will be difficult to remove.
  • Heat shouldn’t be used on your dreads, then don’t use straighteners, curlers, or any other heating element.
  • Select hair’s natural oils instead of spray-on products if you want to maintain your dreadlocks protected from dryness and avoid scalp discomfort.
  • Only use clarifying shampoos: Only use clarifying shampoos. Dreadlock wash should guarantee that buildup is removed and that your strands’ natural luster is restored.
  • Don’t go to sleep with humid dreads: Make sure your dreads are completely dry before lying down. Because dreadlocks need time to dry, clean them first thing every morning to avoid mildew. We recommend using durags at night.

Conclusion

Hairstyles have a vital role in expressing an individual’s identity, either religious or cultural. When you’re new to the scene of dreadlocks-or locs, as they’re known-you should understand what you are getting yourself into before determining whether or not they’re the next step in your hair journey.

Dreadlock maintenance is essential for good hygiene and the short and long term health of your hair. How clean and styled your hair is reflected in how you portray yourself to the public. Dreadlocks are a fashionable hairstyle. However, it is not for everyone. It might not be for you if you can’t handle awkward stares or stereotyping.