How-to for Jamaican Dreadlocks
The African derived hairstyle known as dreadlocks, is a way of wearing hair which is twisted and twirled in to locked pieces of hair. Dreadlocks, or dreads, became a Jamaican way of wearing hair in the post-slavery era of the country. An assortment of techniques and styles of dreads exist, with variations depending on the manner in which the dreads are created. In the simplest form, Jamaican dreadlocks are strands and sections of hair which are either tightly or loosely wound together to form the dreads. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Clarifying shampoo
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Dreadlocks or surf wax
- Shea butter or olive oil
- Small rubber bands
Instructions
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1
Wash hair thoroughly to remove all residue, dirt and oil. If you do not have access to a clarifying shampoo, mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 cup of water and gently work it throughout hair. Rinse with lukewarm water to remove. Use straight white vinegar to further remove additional residue and rinse hair again with lukewarm water. Do not condition the hair. Allow the hair to air dry.
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2
Comb hair and divide it into 1-inch sections. For each section, wrap a rubber band tightly at the top of the head as close to the scalp as possible. Work with one section at a time as you will need to create the dread and secure the base of the dread before working on the next one.
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3
After securing the 1-inch section of the first dread with a rubber band, twist and twirl the hair in to the base of the dread. Place a dime-size amount of dreadlock or surf wax in the palm of your hand and warm it by rubbing the palms of your hands together. This softens the wax, allowing you to manipulate it through the hair. Rub the wax up and down the hair shaft while twisting the hair. Secure the base of the hair, after twisting with wax, with another rubber band. Repeat the process until all hair has been twisted into 1-inch sections and secured with rubber bands.
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4
Do not wet or wash your hair for six to eight weeks. This allows the dreadlocks to lock and set into place. Everyday, apply more wax to each dreadlock and twist, turn and twirl the hair; resecure the bottom rubber band after every manipulation to keep the dreads separated and secure.
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5
Once a week, apply olive oil or shea butter to each individual dreadlock. This helps prevent dreads from sticking to each other. You want your dreads to remain separate so that over time they do not bunch together and form a mass of hair. Continue applying additional wax to dreads every week to help maintain the twisted appearance and rough texture.
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Tips & Warnings
For thin or straight hair, consider loosely braiding hair prior to twisting it into dreadlocks to add extra bulk and texture to the hair. Dreads work best with thick, ethnic or curly hair which better supports the twisted style.
Once you are done wearing your hair in dreadlocks, you will need to cut out the dreadlocks to regrow your hair.
References
- Photo Credit Polka Dot RF/Polka Dot/Getty Images
