People have been trying to find out how to make dreadlocks that look and smell great for years. There are ways to do this but it does take some time and commitment on your part. The first step is to ignore much of the traditional dreadlock making tips that you may hear, since they often recommend using products such as egg whites or peanut butter and these can lead to massive problems down the road.
While many people may think that neglect is the key to making dreads, nothing could be further from the truth. You need to make sure that the hair you are dreading is clean and free of styling product residue. In fact, you want to make sure that you wash your hair shortly before you start forming the dreads. Use a residue free shampoo, and then let the hair air dry. You should stop using conditioning products about ten days before you start forming the dreadlocks so that the hair is not slippery and will bind together more easily.
Since getting the hairs to mat together a binding agent is essential to forming good dreads. Binding agents that are used by some people such as egg whites and peanut butter are very bad. Hair that has been formed into dreadlocks does not allow residue to wash out easily so if you put foods that can spoil into your hair, they can mold over time, which may cause you to need to cut the dreadlocks out. Products intended for hair are better such as dreading wax or cream, beeswax or pomades. When you make the dreads it can be a good idea to divide your hair into sections at the beginning so that you are only dealing with one clump of hair at a time. You need to comb or twist the hair and then apply some of the binding agent. Repeat the twisting or combing, and then use hair elastics to keep the hair from unraveling. Use this process on each of the hair segments until your entire head is locked.
Over time, the hair will grow and you will need some upkeep including raveling the new hair so that the lock goes the entire length of the hair from root to tip. If the original dreadlocking process takes a long time, relax. As you get used to combing or tangling the process of increasing dreadlock size will get faster.
Washing your dreadlocks is an important part of keeping them in good shape. You should use a residue free shampoo. This is important since dreads are harder to rinse thoroughly and you want to make sure that there is nothing staying in there that can hurt your hair. If you wash your dreads every three to four days, you can be sure that they will be in good shape.
Forming dreadlocks is not complicated but they do take some time and effort to start and maintain. If you want a hairstyle that is rich in tradition and history, try dreadlocks. You may find that you love the look and feel of them and they may suit your lifestyle to a tee.