How to Lock the Ends of Dreadlocks

Lock the ends of your dreadlocks with a crochet hook.

Unlocked ends are the bane of some dreadheads who prefer a neat, blunt tip at the ends of their dreads. Some hair types are more prone to natural blunting than others. African-American hair, because of its curly texture, blunts more readily than straight Caucasian and Asian hair. A crochet hook is the key to achieving blunt ends no matter what type of hair you have. Crochet hooks come in a range of sizes; to lock the ends of your dreads, choose a small-gauge, stainless-steel hook.

Things You'll Need

• Fine-tooth metal comb
• 0.6 mm crochet hook
• Dread wax

Instructions

1. Backcomb as much of the loose ends as possible by ratting your hair with a fine-tooth metal comb, just as you did when forming the dreads.

2. Roll the ratted hair between the palms of your hands. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 up to three times if necessary.

3. Insert the end of the crochet hook all the way through the dreadlock, approximately 1 inch from the end of the dread.

4. Catch a small piece of the ratted end in the crochet hook and pull it inside the dread.

5. Push the hook in and out of your hair rapidly, never pulling it all the way out of the dread. Continue catching hair and pulling it into the dread until the end is blunt, then pull the hook out carefully.

6. Scoop out a small piece of dread wax on the tip of your fingernail. Rub the wax between your hands to melt it, then palm-roll the end of the dreadlock.

References

• Life in KL; How To: Make Rounded Dreadlock Ends; September 2008
• Dreadhead HQ: Crocheting Dreadlocks

Resources

• Knotty Boy: How to Make Dreadlocks