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Dreadlock Maintenance
Sacred Locs uses solely the crochet method to create and maintain locs in
all hair types. Our signature crochet method is detailed and gentle, with intentional focus on weaving and knotting your new growth and stray hairs into the roots and lengths of your locs.
Schedule maintenance periodically to energetically cleanse your locs and reinforce your roots. Maintenance stimulates your hair follicles and your nervous system, promoting release of stagnant energies and healing.
Session Time
A regular root maintenance session usually takes around 2-3 hours, unless your locs are severely grown together or you have several inches of new growth from many months without maintenance.
Roots-to-tips maintenance usually takes 4+ hours.
*1.5 hour minimum.
Root maintenance every once in a while is important. Each of your hairs will eventually fall out and entangle within your locs, including the hairs that are currently anchoring it into your scalp. Oftentimes your new growth hairs need to be pulled into the base of the dread to become new “anchors”- to keep the dread from thinning and potentially growing and falling out. This is more of a concern for thin and straight, super soft hair. To keep the dreads tidy, I suggest a maintenance session every 3 to 6 months (at least once per year if your hair grows slow).
*It is helpful to keep your dreads separated in between maintenances, to prevent matting and growing together. This will also help cut down on your maintenance session time.
Preparing For New Dreadlocks...
**Please read this information prior to requesting an appointment for new dreadlocks. Dreadlocks are an investment and require specific care and are generally not a good impulse decision.**
New Dreadlock Creation
How Long Will It Take?
A full set of new locs can take anywhere from 5 to 20 hours. Please contact us with clear photos of your hair down, from behind, and tied up, from the side- so we can reply with an estimate.
Investment?
Your monetary investment reflects an equal energy exchange factoring in physical and energetic labor, time, knowledge, skill, and demand. Investment cost is by donation (mandatory), cash only, and non-negotiable. A non-refundable deposit is required to secure your appointment, but this is not an additional charge and will be deducted from your total at your appointment.
In many cases, full sets of new locs will require at least 2 appointments. Appointments will not exceed 6 hours for one session, as the nature of this service is physically demanding. Proper measures must be taken to avoid injury (carpal tunnel, arthritis, etc.) so that Sacred Locs may continue to serve you for years to come.
Please be prepared to answer these questions before we start...
-What size/thickness of dreads do you want? (i.e. pencil, sharpie, jumbo sharpie, etc.)
*Please send me any pictures you may have of dreads that inspire your future dread style.
-Do you want paintbrush or blunted tips? (Do you want the end of the dread to be rounded into a knot, or loose and flowing?)
-Would you consider your hair to be thick, thin, or medium? Does is knot easily, or is it very soft and fine?
Things To Be Aware Of…
It is a misunderstanding that dreadlocks must be cut off if you change your mind- they can be removed by combing/picking them out, it just takes a lot of time.
Don’t be misled, dreadlocks do require regular care and attention. Dreadlocks are a commitment that require a bit of patience, due to the stages they will naturally go through. It is a lengthy process to achieve straight and cylindrical (tube-like), smooth looking dreads. However, there are ways to speed along the process (read on...). Most factors determining how your locs will look when mature, depend on your hair type.
Generally, dreadlocks begin to mature around 6 months to 1 year of age...so up until that point it should be expected that they will be fuzzy, slightly fluffy, and a little messy. Over the next few months they will gradually become slightly lumpy and bumpy, signs that they are beginning to lock up and solidify further.
A “perfect” tube shaped, solid dread won't occur until around 4 or 5 years with proper care, and this of course can vary depending on the hair type. However, a gentle crochet session through the length of the dread can speed along the process, as well as smooth some bumps and tame some frizz. Some people advocate for palm rolling, while others find it useless, or even counterproductive. You and your loctician will need to do a little experimentation to find what works best for you and your hair type.
While you are waiting for your dreads to “lock up” you will go through many in between, sometimes awkward, dread phases...and honestly, if you're super picky about your hair, they can be a little frustrating. You will deal with a considerable amount of frizz and loose hair in the first year or so, but as time moves on they will start to get less frizzy.
Please understand that a little loosening of the dreads is in their nature, and just another part of the process. The hairs within the dread need to move around to create friction, and this is what ultimately causes them to lock up.
The best way to achieve the neatest possible locs is to wash 1-2 times per week and schedule maintenance every 3-6 months. 1-2 root-to-tip maintenances is recommended in the first 6-12 months.
We realize that not everyone is going for the “perfect” dread look. Some people prefer to have their dreads started by a professional, and then leave them to do their own natural thing. We love and respect all dreadlock styles, and are here to help you decide what route is best for you and your hair type.
Shrinkage & Thickening
The term “lock up” is a reality. As your dreadlocks begin to mature you may notice a little or a lot of shrinkage based on care. Natural friction from daily movement causes the hairs to knot together tighter and tighter, causing some shrinkage to occur after several months to a year. The amount and timing of shrinkage can never be predicted as hair is very unpredictable, and is based on a variety of factors including hair type and care/maintenance of the dreads. The crochet method is the best way to avoid the most amount of shrinkage, as crocheted locs start out tighter and more solid.
Extensions typically do not shrink.
Twisting is Different...
Palm Twisting is a method typically used to begin and maintain dreadlocks in Afro hair types (more appropriately termed kinky or coily hair types). A twist is most often created using products, generally beeswax and/or “locking gels”. The product is applied to a section of the hair and then the hair is twisted into a tubular shape and clipped or pinned to “set”, oftentimes under heat.
Twists are not dreads, however, twists can be used to gradually start a dread that will form over a long period of time and many twisting sessions.
While twisting the hair may be seen as an appropriate method to begin and maintain dreadlocks in kinky and coily hair types- straight, wavy, and curly hair types need much more attention to begin and maintain dreads. Unfortunately, sometimes twisting is attempted in these hair types anyway, and in most cases begins to fall out hours or days after the twisting session. One drawback of twisting, regardless of hair type, is that it needs to be done more frequently for best results. Also, the use of locking gels, wax, and products can trap moisture in the dread and attract dirt, and could contribute to mildew and mold growth, AKA dread rot.
Dreadlock Care
Things You Will Need...
Besides a little patience, a residue-free shampoo is the only requirement for your dreads. Please note that just because a shampoo claims to be residue-free on the bottle does NOT mean that is a suitable shampoo for dreadlocks. Please visit this link to find a list of suitable shampoos: http://ragingrootsstudio.com/shampoo-list/
You can also visit the following link to read about the science behind choosing an appropriate dread shampoo: http://ragingrootsstudio.com/shampoos-soaps/
Keep in mind that there are many products out there claiming to be dread safe or that are even manufactured specifically for dreads, which actually do leave a residue. It’s best to stick to the list to be safe, rather than sorry. Dread rot often cannot be removed from the dread and in many cases the dreads would have to be combed out, cut off, or lived with.
Washing...
Contrary to popular belief, washing your dreadlocks is actually a very essential part of their care! A clean dread is a healthy dread that will lock up much more quickly than a dirty, oily dread. That being said, over washing can over-dry the scalp and
cause irritation. Older, more mature dreadlocks take longer to dry, and over washing can leave excess moisture inside the dread creating an environment conducive for mold growth.
I suggest washing one to two per week. This can be done more or less based on personal preference, level of activity, and age of your dreadlocks. Many people prefer to wash more frequently if they tend to sweat or spend a lot of time outdoors, or exercising. Others will protect their dreads when doing potentially dirty activities and wash only a couple times per month. If you find your scalp getting itchy, it may be time for a wash...or time to cut down on wash frequency. My best advice for washing is to listen to your scalp and body.
Recommended Once-Per-Year Deep Soak/Build-up Removal...
Please see the following link to read more on this topic:
www.ragingingrootstudio.com/diy-dreadlock-shampoo/
DON’TS...
**DO NOT USE WAX NO MATTER WHAT YOU READ/HEAR. EVER!**
You don’t (and nobody around you) wants to deal with moldy dreads. It is never worth the risk. Wax and product can retain moisture in your dreads and create a breeding ground for mildew and mold.
Water and soap alone will not remove wax. Have you ever spilled a melted candle on carpet?
Moisture + Warmth = Mildew and mold growth!
Do not sleep on, tie up, or put a hat over wet dreadlocks. Make sure your dreadlocks have plenty of time to dry before bedtime. When in doubt, use a blow dryer.