How long have you had your dreadlocks?

I started dreading my locks back in summer 2011. My boyfriend at the time spent most of the summer dreading them here and there and by august they were pretty much complete. I had a go myself when I came home from my travels with him and managed to get them totally finished by December. My current boyfriend, Ralph, gave his dreads a trim a few years back and kept the ends. I have since attached them to the ends of my own dreadlings so that they are longer, easier to tie up and so much more awesome! :P My own dreads are usually about 9 inches long, which is just long enough to tie but reallllly annoying to keep out of the way when I massage/hoop etc.

How did you make your dreadlocks?

used nothing more than some handy work and a crochet hook, with a little help from a metal toothed comb. I never ever touched my hair with any “dread products, chemicals or anything else for that matter. I used a twist and pull method to knot them, using a crochet hook to tighten any stray hairs. I occasionally massage almond or sesame oil into the roots and dreads to help them knot up and to keep my scalp healthy. I rarely wash them, unless I have really dirty or dusty hair from going to a party, event, festival etc. Then I will use water to wash them (usually immersing them in the bath with some essential oils) and apply oil to moisturise. I never ever use soap in my hair, as it is perfectly capable of cleaning itself using its own production of oils. Products strip the oils from your hair and then replace them with shite. Leave well alone. There is nothing better than time when it comes to dreads. If you want them to knot up faster then use a crochet hook. Be patient, dreads take a long time to look good. Unless you cheat and add extensions. Like me :P

How long was your hair before you dreaded it?

y hair was fairly short, just about touching my shoulders. I was really impatient and had it dreaded earlier than I thought. I hated having such short dreads so had extensions put on. Once my own dreads reach a good length I will get rid of the extensions and leave my hair to grow its own natural course.

Do your dreads become really gross?

Nope, not at all. Sometimes they might smell a bit so I just massage some essential oils I’ve blended up into the roots.

How do you maintain your dreads?

I use a crochet hook to tighten them up or get rid of stray hairs but to be honest I like the fuzzy nest on top of my head. I am not a fan of perfect dreads.As I said before, I also use nut and seed oils to keep my scalp and dreads healthy from time to time.