Having dreadlocks is a blessing and curse at the same time. I am sure there are dreadheads out there who can relate. The headaches, the questions, the maintenance can be a struggle, but there are many lessons learned while having this hair style. To put this hairstyle in perspective here are common facts I have attained over the years that almost every dreadhead knows.
1. Getting your locks wet is a pain in the behind!
Shower time use to be so blissful before having dreads, standing in the hot water soaking the head with no care of how long it will take to dry. Not that dreads can’t get wet they just become heavy and time consuming. Dreads are kind of like sponges they absorb every drop of water so to get them fully dry one must squeeze the water out as much as possible.
2. Ignorant questions are right around the corner.
Do you wash your hair, are you vegan, are you going to have to shave your head, how much weed do you smoke? These are some of the common questions asked which mainly are just stereotypes. To answer these questions yes we wash our hair just not every day, eating habits are not associated with hair, there are alternatives to undreading, and just because we have dreads doesn’t mean we are Bob Marley. So stop asking these ridiculous questions it's just hair.
3. Patience, Patience, Patience!
The locking up process can take years depending on the type of hair. The biggest thing with dreads is to be patient they will come. There are so many myths out there that say will speed up the dreading process, but the best one is to just be patient. Drying the dreads, maintenance, and appearance all require patience.
4. Loose hairs will be the death of us.
The tiny hair on the back of the neck, poking out of a dread, or heck sticking straight up looking like alfalfa. These little pieces are always annoying and can get in the way of looking fresh.
There are many method out there to get these hairs back in the dread, but having stick straight hair it is almost impossible. Once again patience, palm rolling, and coconut oil can sometimes do the trick. Most importantly have patience and don’t give up! Loose hairs can get to the best of us. I learned the hard way so don’t cut them they will just grow back.
5. Fear is always within.
The dreadlock journey is so fragile and tragedies can happen quickly. Such as mold, head lice, odor, and breakage. Don’t live in fear, live with precaution. Take steps to prevent these evil things from happening to your dreads. Keep hair up in foreign areas, dry out properly, wash your hair as much as needed, and relax. Breakage happens it’s nothing to fear the dread will grow back. I am terrified of lice and mold it is a heartbreaking, but everything happens for a reason and dreads can always be re-done.
I hope this article hit home for you if you have dreads, and if you just read this out of curiosity I hope I put the journey into perspective.
