It doesn't take much more than dreadlock wax and a lot of patience to give yourself dreadlocks.You can get dreadlocks at the salon, but doing them yourself is cheaper and more natural.If you have straight or curly hair, backcombing your hair is the best way to form dreads.Help them lock into place with daily care once you have made the dreads.Your hair will set after 3-6 months.
Step 1: You can wash your hair with a clarifying cleanser.
.The process goes faster if you make sure your hair is clean.It's better to start with freshly washed hair because the natural oils in it make it slippery.Once the hair is dry, brush it out.Don't use conditioner or any other products on your hair after you wash it.Before you start, make sure your hair is dry.You should dread your hair for at least 8 hours.The process can take a long time.
Step 2: Place your hair into squares.
Use a wide-toothed comb to cut your hair.Use rubber bands to hold the bottom left squares apart.There will be a dreadlock on each square of hair.For standard medium sized locks or for small locks, do 1 in 1 in squares.The plan is to make each dread the same size.The sections and rows in between the squares can be seen in the dreads.If you want to avoid a patterned look, fashion the squares in zig-zag or alternating formats.
Step 3: Wrap the hair around your finger.
If you have curly or textured hair, you can start your dreadlocks by wrapping it in 1 inch sections around your finger or a rat tail comb.If you have straight hair, hold a section of it up from your head.Use a metal fine-toothed comb to tease it down from your head.It will pack up at the roots if it is repeated several times.Continue backcombing the same section of hair until you reach the bottom of the hair.Use the other hand to twist the section you're working on.This helps with the backcombing process.Continue backcombing each section until all of your hair has been done.A friend helps speed the process along.Use the same care for each dread.You will end up with dreads if you rush through the last part of your hair.
Step 4: The dreads should be secured with rubber bands or elastic hair bands.
Each dread should have a rubber band around it.The dreads should be placed next to the scalp with a second rubber band on them.If you have African-textured hair, you don't need to do it because the rubber bands will hold the dread in place as it matures.
Step 5: A dread wax can be applied to the dreads.
Use a natural dread wax, a beeswax molded paste, locking gel, or tightening gel to keep your dreads from unraveling.Taking care to cover the whole strand, apply the wax or gel to the entire dread.If you choose to wax, only do it once every few weeks.Many people with dreads don't use dread wax or gel because they believe it obstructs the dreading process.You can use at your own discretion.Dread wax can be purchased from a variety of places.
Step 6: If you don't want to use wax, roll the dreads between your palms.
If you prefer a more natural way of making dreadlocks, skip the wax.Roll the dreads between your palms once you have secured them.This should be done up and down the dread.This will make the dread more secure.For people with African hair, this method works better.It will take more time to dread your hair without wax if you have straight or wavy hair.
Step 7: The dreads should be rolled once a day.
Roll the dreads between your hands to maintain their shape.Start at the top of the head.The ends should be rounded by smashing them against the palm of your hand.Rolling can make new growth dread faster or more neatly.The dreads will be more likely to break if you roll too much.
Step 8: The dreads should be moist to prevent them from breaking.
The juice and natural oil should be mixed like coconut oil or almond oil.If you want a scent, add up to 5 drops of essential oil.Put it in a spray bottle.It's a good idea to lightly mist your dreads every day.Try spraying your dreads in the morning to help them sleep.If you don't want to make your own spray, there is a special dread moisturizer that can be found online or at some beauty stores.
Step 9: It's a good idea to wash your hair once a week.
After your first set of dreads, it's a good idea to wash your hair.This helps keep them from collapsing.Next, wash your hair.The water will run down and clean the dreads if you rinse your hair.It is possible to cause the dreads to smell if you use a reside-free hair product.You should wash your hair in the morning to give it time to dry.If you go to bed with wet hair, there can be problems.
Step 10: Tuck in the hair.
Some hair may become loose as you grow it.If you want to grab strands of hair, use a crochet hook or a tweezers.Wrap the strands around the dreads before putting them in.
Step 11: Rub the roots to help with hair growth.
As your dreads grow, they begin knotting onto one another.At first, your hair may become loose, but it will grow into the dreads after a while.To encourage the growth to knot up with the rest of the dreads, rub the new growth section by section with your fingers.It is not necessary to rub the dreads often.The new growth on your dreads will grow about an inch from your hair.Since you may cause it to fall out, be careful not to overwork the hair at your roots.
Step 12: Once your dreads have locked, remove the rubber bands.
You no longer need rubber bands to hold your dreads in place.After 3 months, remove the rubber bands from the dreads.When your dreads are locked, they will appear tighter and less puffy.Your hair will grow into the locks when you have fewer loose hairs.If you put bands near the head, you may need to cut them out with scissors.
Step 13: Don't wash your hair once a week.
The hair may not be able to knot up with the rest of the dreads if it is kept locked up.The new growth needs to be kept clean and dry.
Step 14: Twice a month, wash the hair with apple cider vinegar.
16 ounces (450 g) of water and 8 ounces of apple cider vinegar are needed.After washing your hair in the shower, massage it in with the rinse.Before rinsing it out, wait a few minutes.
Step 15: It's a good idea to cover your hair while you sleep.
This will keep the dreadlocks hydrated.Silk night caps are available at beauty stores or online.Put your dreads in a bun and wrap a scarf around them.When you wake up, remove the cap and spray the dreads with your spray.