Consider This...

     Welcome back to From the Desk of a Dreadhead, by yours truly. Today I will be focusing on how to prepare oneself for the beginning of a dreadlock journey. The action of starting, maintaining, and living a life with dreadlocks is often referred to as a journey because rarely does it end abruptly, it is an experience full of experiences. Even if a dreadhead decided to get rid of his or her locks, the journey would still not be over due to the process that is required to de-dread hair. It isn’t until your hair is 100% dread free that you can say that you have completed your dreadlock journey.

     So, maybe you saw an awesome head of dreads while out on a mid-day stroll… and you decided you’ve GOT to start some dreadlocks, because you’d look SICK (good sick, not flu sick) with that gnarly ‘do. I’ve got to stop you there, though. Much like any commitment in life, there are factors to consider before jumping in headfirst (no pun intended). Dreadlocks are definitely not for everyone, and after confronting the actual commitment at hand you may second-guess your desire to dread your hair. A few of these points may seem obvious to you but bare with me. Once you’ve gone through with the deed, you may realize, like many people I’ve spoken to with dreadlocks, you have no idea what you’re doing even though you began the journey with complete confidence. I am not innocent here either; the beginning of my dreadlock journey wasn’t the smoothest. Every day I learned something new and to be honest, if I knew then what I know now I would most likely start over completely. Although I would still have dreadlocks, my journey would have began in a completely different manner.

RESEARCH: The most important to-do before beginning your dreadlock journey is to RESEARCH. RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH! I can’t emphasize it enough. There are many more ways than one to begin dreadlocks, it’s important to figure out what works best for you before you commit to one way over the other. There is information all over the Internet and without researching it all a person with no dreadlock knowledge is likely to believe the first thing they hear, ESPECIALLY if the person on the screen has what appears to be nice looking dreads. Remember that there is always another side to dreadlocks that the outer appearance. You may not consider this at first, but the inner structure of your dreads is what allows them to stay healthy and become amazing. Some techniques work well for appearance, but horribly for structure. It is dire to understand what each process does to the hair inside and out. Some people do not care whether the dreadlocking process damages their hair in the beginning, but it is so important, even if you plan to shave your dreads off once you’re through with them, that you participate in the least damaging way to begin dreadlocks because this sets off your entire journey from beginning to end.

PRODUCTS: There are also hundreds of products on the market to “help” with the dreadlock process, and most of them are damaging to the hair and shouldn’t ever be used. You may ask why they exist, but the answer to that is money. These companies make these products, and rack in billions of dollars in profit, while you are crying over how to remove the gunk from your hair. Oh, no return or guarantee when it ruins the hair you say? Figures. Don’t trust big named companies. There are tons of household items that can be used to care for dreadlocks better than the “dreadlock starter kit” you can purchase for $60. My advice to any prospective dreadhead is to stick to all natural products only. Realize before you do this to your hair, you will have to make cleaning concoctions, and maintenance to your dreads may become more of a chore than you once thought but it’s all for better long-term results.

STEREOTYPES: As touched on in one of my previous blog posts, you will be instantly branded when you start your dreadlock journey. You will be placed in a stereotyped category that may or may not apply to you. It will discourage you, partly because negativity discourages any human with a soul. Also because when you begin your dreadlock journey, no matter how hard you try or what method you use, you will not appear to have dreadlocks overnight. In fact, you will not appear to have dreadlocks for months. This is something many people fail to acknowledge, and for the first few months you will never hear the end of how “those don’t look like dreadlocks” (usually accompanied by an extremely rude snicker or rude face). When the thrill of “I’m starting dreadlocks” wares off, and you are stuck looking in the mirror at a frizzy, fluffy mess it is almost always a heartbreak because you start to think everyone around you is right. You aren’t sure whether or not your baby dreads are suppose to look like that, you aren’t sure why it’s taking so long, and you consider turning back. Don’t be discouraged by uneducated people. Get educated before you begin your journey and remember that this is a commitment and you will have beautiful dreads with patience.

     The beginning of your dreadlock journey will be the hardest part. It is without a doubt the most important part. Once your dreads have been maturing for about a year or so, maintenance gets easier, and you fall into a routine of dreadlock care but deciding to just up and get dreadlocks may not make you a very happy camper when you realize how much work you will have to put into them. As time passes, you get to know your hair and your scalp and you learn more than you thought you knew in the beginning. With time, even your dreadlock haters will grow to love them. (my grandmother keeps a picture of my dreads in her wallet that she now shows to all of her church ladies). I just ask you to be patient, and realize what it is you’re getting yourself into, for your sake, or else your journey will be more work for you- and your poor hair will suffer the consequences.

     My page views on this particular blog are skyrocketing, yet- I've received no questions, comments, or concerns. Don't be scared! I'd love to hear from you if you are a prospective dreadhead. Especially if you have stories from your own dreadlock journeys!!!

Don’t forget to come back next Wednesday for more, and have a lovely day! :)