How to Make Dreadlocks at Home
Dreadlocks are a hairstyle that is created by separating hair into sections, both naturally through negligence, or by rubbing in wax, spinning, and rolling the hair. They look amazing with a boho style. Having beautiful dreadlocks and maintaining healthy hair takes time, patience and a lot of maintenance.
You'll need:
- Hair that is at least 7-8 centimetres long
- Gentle Shampoo
- Brush
- Small rubber bands
- Hair Clips
- Metal comb
- Dreadlock Wax (optional)
- Towel or cloth
Steps to follow:
Before starting doing your dreadlocks, wash your hair with a gentle shampoo free from residue, but do not use conditioner. Baby shampoo or natural shampoo are good choices to use. After washing let your hair air dry completely.
Separate the hair into sections the size of a pencil. Create sections on both sides of the head. You can do this whether in a spiral motion around the head or a pattern of layers so that the lines are spaced out on the head. Use rubber bands to secure each section.
Remove the rubber band from one section at a time, and use a hair clip to secure the rest of your hair again. Start from the root and comb your hair backwards. Work towards the ends, to entangle hair. This process of back combing is time consuming and can be painful, as you are basically pulling your own hair. A metal comb works best because it will not break when the knots are tightened further.
Rotate the cylinder-shaped section, and back comb again. Now you can decide whether you want to use wax or not. Wax will leave the dreadlocks smoother and they will look better.
If you want to use wax, open a jar of wax and use the tip of your nail to remove a small amount of product. Remember that less is more, work the wax into the dreadlocks, from the root, twisting your way to the end. Clean your hands on a towel or cloth to remove excess wax.
Take the newly formed braid between both palms and turn it hard back and forth. This movement is similar to rubbing your hands to keep warm on a cold day, and the friction created by this movement will help lock in the dreadlocks. This is commonly known as the "palm roll" and is an important step in achieving well-formed dreadlocks.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Make Dreadlocks at Home, we recommend you visit our Beauty & Personal Care category.
Tips
- Having someone to help you get started can make the process easier and faster.
- If you have used wax, you can use a hair dryer to melt the wax in the newly formed dreadlocks, to help them keep their shape.
- Turn dreadlocks with palms constantly, even after being created. This will help maintain a uniform fit and healthy appearance.
- The whole process of creation and closure may take several hours.
- Depending on your hair type, it can take anywhere from three weeks to three months of regular maintenance to fully tighten and form dreadlocks.
