How to Make Synthetic Double Ended Dread Locks

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

100% kanekalon jumbo braid synthetic hair
backcombing comb or a flea comb
Tea Kettle
Rubber cleaning gloves
Clothespin

Step 1

For this demonstration I will be using Zury brand in the color Gold.

Take the hair out of the package and decide what length and thickness you are going to make the dreads.

All the info given below = one packet of hair
To make that hair the length you want

For…
Long hair: Leave it the entire length that it is in the packet
Medium length hair: Cut the hair in half in the middle or where the hair is tied off at the top with a rubber band.
Short length hair: Cut the hair in half and then in half again.

Thickness:
For maker thick dreads you can get
2- Long = waist length DE’s
4- Medium = shoulder to chest length DE's.
8- Short = ear to chin length DE’s

For about pencil thick you can get
3- long length DE's
6- medium length DE's
12- short length DE’s

Divide hair into bundles accordingly to the numbers next to the thickness and length you want. Why this hair is so important for making dreads. Kanekalon is the fiber and Jumbo is the texture. As long as the hair fiber is 100% kanekalon that you have the correct stuff to work with. This fiber seals with hot water, which is important in sealing the dread. Jumbo Braid hair is best to work with cause of the texture makes backcombing easy.

For this demonstration I am making medium length pencil thick dreads.
Step 2

Clean your feet! This is what you will be using to hold the hair down to backcomb it. Also put on some comfortable cloths. I like work in my pajama pants and a t-shirt.
Step 3

Take your bundle of hair and step on the middle of the hair with your left foot (If you are right handed). Then hold the hair on the left side of your foot tight (Again if you are right handed). If you’re a lefty just do the opposite.
Step 4

Now backcomb the hair.
Place the teeth of the comb into the hair at a downward angle.
Step 5

Next push the comb down the length of the hair to rat it up. If the hair gets too messy or knotted at the bottom just pull the hair back up and comb again. Its good to start at the bottom and work your way up.
Step 6

Once that side is done do the same to the other side, but step on the backcombed hair so you can get all the hair backcombed. It should look something like this.
Step 7

You may find that the hair is longer that when you started (notice the very bottom of the picture showing the backcombed hair next to the cut hair). That is because when you pulled the hair while backcombing some of the hair pulled up from its original position. This is good if you want the hair to be a little longer or to layer the dreads. If you don’t like it just pull the dread apart and backcomb again.
Step 8

Now once you are satisfied with how the hair looks backcombed now you can twist the dread up.

Place your foot at one end of the backcombed hair. Then begin to twist the hair starting near your foot. Then place you right hand on the dread and twist then with your left hand in front of the right smooth down the dread with your thumb while you roll it. Twist it all the way to the top.
Step 9

Keep the dread twisted

Ok this can be a problem. I first used books at either end to pin the hair down to keep it twisted. It didn’t work very well. Then I didn’t keep I twisted after I spent time twisting it and that was a pain when it cam to sealing. So I stumbled onto this just recently and this work great.

First hold the end of the hair you just twisted tightly and then hook your other finger in the center of the dread and then grab the other end with the same fingers that are holding the other end and hold it up.
Step 10

Then unhook the finger at the bottom. Lay the dread down in a safe spot and move onto the next dread. This is a good way to store a bunch of dreads at once and seal them later. I store mine in plastic bags I get from the store.
Step 11

This is the one that I use.

This part of the tutorial details how to seal dreads using my special tea kettle method. In order for this to work you need a similar tea kettle to do it and it must be done on an ELECTRIC stove top or hot plate.

The tea kettle is the most important tool you have cause it is the one that seals your hair. Mine is extra special cause the lid does not fit tightly and the steam spews out of the side of the kettle. If you can get a kettle that does the same GET IT!!! Otherwise tip the lid slightly off so that steam can come out the side or modify the lid to do so.
Step 12

Now to seal your Dreads. fill your tea kettle with water and put on high on the clean stove with the lid on. I am showing the water level for the picture.
Step 13

While that is heating up get out a card table and set it up behind you and a clean towel on the floor underneath you. The towel is there if you have to re-twist the hair. Gather your stuff. You will need a pair of yellow cleaning gloves, a cloths pin, and the twisted hair.
Step 14

Very important steam can cause burns!

Once you see the kettle steam up put on the protective gloves.
Step 15

Position the lid so that the steam is coming straight out towards you but towards the spout.
Step 16

Hold onto both ends of the twisted dread and pull to stretch the dread out for sealing. If you need to re-twist it just re-twist it on the towel. Start in the center of the dread and lay the hair on the kettle directly in front of the steam.
Step 17

When you see the hair shrink up twist with you left hand counter clockwise towards the steam. This makes the dread. It keeps it tight and rolling it on the kettle while steaming it smoothes it out. This is a constant motion and is done quickly.
Step 18

You must move along the dread feeding the hair from the top of the kettle to the back of the kettle while steaming and twisting until the whole thing is sealed.

You must keep an eye on the water level! This is evaporating water and won’t last forever. You can seal 4 dreads with one pot of water in this kettle.
Step 19

Sealing the tips using a cloths pin: Take your cloths pin and clamp it down to the end of the hair.
Step 20

Lay the hair over the spout of the steaming spout of the tea kettle. Twist the hair up really fast since there is less hair than in the dread. You need to twist this hair a lot since it is so small. Once it is all twisted and steamed you are done. All you have to do is trim off the end.

So there it is hope you found this helpful!