Rumors and Facts about Dreads

taken from Deadlocks.com

Never has a hairstyle been so misunderstood and generated so many rumors. Who would have guessed that people would be so willing to put random house hold foods and products in their hair. You can infact, with a great deal of work and suffering, start dreadlocks in some hair types with honey and tree sap but like Chris Rock says, "You can drive a car with your feet but don't make it a good fucking idea!"

Rumor: You do not wash dreadlocks. Hair must be dirty to dread.
Fact: If you do not wash your hair it will stink. Dreadlocked hair needs to be washed regularly just like un-dreaded hair. You can wash dreads just as you would wash a sponge, by working the soap in and then squeezing and rinsing repeatedly to get all the soap out. Clean hair will actually lock up faster than dirty or oily hair. Because nearly every soap and shampoo on the market contains residues it was thought that clean hair does not dread quickly, when in fact it is the residues (conditioners, moisterizers, builders and fragrance holders) in the soaps that prevent hair from locking up. This is why we reccommend washing you dreads only in residue free soaps and shampoos.

Rumor: Simply not combing your hair is the only way to get nice dreads.
Fact: This is called the neglect method. Under some circumstances simply not combing hair will make it dread. The best example of this is African-textured hair. Left alone, African hair will eventually dread. Unfortunately the results, although technically called dreads, are usually less than pleasing to the eye. The hair forms giant matts at random all over the head. Some caucasion hair, if it is curly enough, will also dread by neglect but the same problem exists. It takes several years for the hair to lock fully and when it does it generally looks un kept, kind of like you might expect hair to look after not combing it for a few years. We do have tips in the methods section for caring for you dreads as you neglect them, but please note that the neglect method is not the only way to go about getting dreads and that the dreads you will get are rarely "nice" looking.

Rumor: Only black people can have nice dreads. Nice dreads are high maintenance.
Fact: While it is easier for black people to have nice smooth dreads it is completely possible for other hair textures to dread tightly and smoothly. Dreads are difficult to start and the first month is a pain, but as they tighten and mature they become virtually maintenance free. They look great all the time, all you have to do is keep them clean.

Rumor: Natural dreads are those that are made by neglect.
Fact: There are two types of natural dreadlocks. Those that are required by religion to be natural, and natural for you or I, which means non-chemically processed dreads.
If you are rastafarian or in some sects of middle eastern religions you are required to not interfere with the growth of your dreads. You have probably not seen many truly natural dreads as most of these religions also require that no one, not even your spouse in some cases, see your dreads. These truly natural dreads can be washed but they can not be cut trimmed or ripped in any way and no combing or products can be used to maintain them.

The second type of natural are those dreads that came to be without the use of any chemical proccesses. You can wash them, cut them, comb them, rip them, tie them and wax them as you like but they are started and grow naturally without any chemical dread perms or synthetic additions. This is what is commonly thought of as natural and what we reffer to throughout the site. All methods listed in our methods section are natural methods except for the dread perm. We belive that dreads should be natural and only natural products and methods should be used to care for them. For a list of natural dread products see our Products and Accessories section.

Rumor: Rubberbands break hair and can thin dreadlocks.
Fact: Rubberbands used correctly help roots and tips tighten, especially when dreads are new. If rubberbands are applied too tightly they can compress an area of the dread and cause a thin spot. However, proper tension will speed the locking proccess and prevent loose hairs especially when washing newer dreads.

Rumor: Dreads damage your scalp and can lead to thinning hair.
Fact: If cared for using the proper methods and products dreadlocks are actualy a very heathly hairstyle. Natural dreads do not require the use of any chemical processes making them better for your scalp than any hair style that requires your hair to be chemically permed or straightened. The residue free soaps that dreadlocks are washed in actually increase hair growth and cause hair to grow thicker and faster by removing residue from the hair folicles.


Rumor: If you decide you no longer want dreads you have to shave your head.
Fact: It is true that you have to cut dreads to take them out but you do not have to shave your head. You can usually leave at least 2" inches of hair when you cut the dreads, so your hair will be short, but not shaved.

Rumor: Mayonase, Honey, Toothpaste, Glue, Rubber Cement, Mud, Chewing Gum, Peanut Butter, Shae Butter, Candle Wax and Hair Gel all work great for starting dreadlocks.
Fact: People will try anything but there are products that do the job fast, clean, and with no danger to your scalp or furnature.



Rumor: Any product you find that says it works for dreads will work for starting dreadlocks.

Fact: Many products on the market that mention they work for dreadlocks are actually intended to add shine and fragrance and to make corn rows look neater but they don't acually help the dreading process at all. The majority of these shine waxes are made with petrolium as the primary ingredient. Petrolium is a lubricant and products that contain petrolium will feel greasy and cause your dreads to slip apart rather than holding them together. Petrolium products are better suited for African textured hair which has already been dreaded.