Various Facts and Myths

There's a lot of stuff that is believed to be universally true about dreads due to exploitation of them in media. Television has slandered dreadlocks since they became popular in the U.S., and probably since before then as well. The people making these assumptions and generalizations have never had dreadlocks, and, like the yuppies they are, like to have something to complain or talk smack about because they feel empowered from it. Well don't believe everything you hear. Many people have decided not to get dreads because they believe in these negative connotations that are widespread about dreads. My goal is to change that. If you want dreads then get them, because they're not as bad as people make them sound.

Myths
Dreads are dirty and those who have them are dirty/dreads cannot be washed.
WRONG. Dreads to not have to be dirty. Many are but it is not a necessity. Granted, having your hair be dry and residue-free is a necessity for the day you dread it, but they don't have to be dirty. If they are dirty before you dread them then yes, it will help them lock up, but it's not crucial to their completion. Dreads CAN be washed, but it has to be done right otherwise the residue will damage your dreads in various ways. This rumor got started likely by the hippie movement. Hippies had a very bad reputation when they started to become known in the 60's due to the U.S.'s inability to understand them. They were associated with dirty homeless vagrants, and thus, dreads were as well.

One cannot have dreads unless he/she is a hippie or Rastafarian.
WRONG. This is a straight up generalization of races and lifestyle. Who says someone can't style they're hair how they want to? It kills me to hear people say things like this. It's prejudice and racist. People need to relax and let people be themselves. If they don't like the freedom of expression here in the U.S. then maybe they should live somewhere else.

Dreadlocks symbolize drug use.
Who the fuck started this rumor? I can't tell you how many times people have thought I was a junkie because I have dreads. This myth is down right ridiculous. Just another example of judgmental people.

Weaving dreads through themselves at the base is a great way to keep the roots tight.
This has to be the biggest problem I have ever encountered with dreads. I used to do this when I was a teenager because I thought that it was true. I cannot stress enough that you should NEVER do this. At first it may look like it's doing them justice but it is not. It rips hair out at the root, and it makes dreads permanently thin, twisted, and fragile. It is impossible to repair the damage this does to dreads. This technique alone is the main reason I started this blog, because some idiot out there thinks that this will help people and he/she posted a tutorial on it on the internet. I learned the hard way, so you don't have to.


Wax, gel, shampoo and conditioner are great for dreads
Again, this is a load of crap. What do all these things do to dreads? they make them develop MOLD within them. Wax especially. Once wax is put in it is nearly impossible to take out. Take for example a rope, or a carpet. Now melt a candle into it. Now try to take ALL of the wax out. It's not happening, is it? The wax WILL mold, it's not like you'll get lucky and it won't. It will make your dreads heavy, and smell terrible. Gel, shampoo and conditioner leave residue. Residue creates mold. Never use these. Some people say to use salt water or lemon juice to help dread them up. These people are wrong as well. Salt water: just makes a salty mess in your hair. Lemon juice: just makes a sticky, potentially moldy mess in your hair. Soap will even leave residue in your hair. Shampoo and conditioner defeat the purpose of dreadlocks, because they are used to get knots out of hair and leave the hair silky and shiny. There does exist residue-free shampoo, but I would definitely not recommend this. I'll make another post on how to wash dreads, you haven't heard the last of this topic.

Dreads can never be combed out.
Honestly, this myth has some truth to it. It depends on the degree of locking your dreads have. I know some people who took out their dreads without much problem or pain and ended up with nice, un-dreaded hair. It's possible, but it may take some work. Tutorial to come on this.

Just neglecting and not washing dreads makes them lock up.
For a few people yes, for the majority of people no. For those who this does work, you will find that you will still have to roll them into shape. Knotted hair may happen naturally, but perfect dreads will not. Not washing and neglecting your hair will likely just result in disgusting hair. The grease that naturally forms on your face, on your hands and on your scalp is what prevents it from dreading. It will just get greasy and slimy. Have fun with that.

Facts
I use the word "facts" loosely here. I can't lump the body-workings of everyone into one big category and call what I say true. These have been proven to be true through my experience. They may be different for you but I imagine not by much. If you feel I am way off then leave a comment, otherwise here's some cool info:

Once you've dreaded your hair the dreads will be shorter then your hair was.
Yes. This goes without saying. Dreading hair is compressing hair. Take a rope and tie it in a knot, the rope is shorter. Here's a general guideline to use if you want to know how long your dreads will be: Once you've dreaded your hair it will be 1/2-2/3 of it's original length.

Dreads do not itch.
Dreads may itch upon the initial dreading of the hair, but after they they do not itch. Getting used to having dreads may take a while, but it will not constantly bug you. If they itch an abnormal amount then you probably have bugs or a skin condition on your scalp.

Dreads grow fast.
This comes as a surprise to many, but yes, dreads grow rather fast. Un-dreaded hair grows an average of .5" a month, 6" in a year. Dreads will not grow this much, but they will grow faster then normal hair does. Dreads will grow about 4-5 inches in a year. Yes, this is not as fast as un-dreaded hair, but think about this, if it were un-dreaded the hair would have grown around 10 inches in a year, which is more then normal. How does this happen? The weight. Dreads are heavy because stray hairs do not fall off your head, they stay suspended in the dreads. The weight of those hairs that would otherwise fall out, along with the weight of the dreaded hair itself, and possibly beads and other decorations, makes for a much greater amount of weight for the hair follicles to support. This weight stimulates the hair follicles and forces them to grow more. I'm guessing you think this makes your hair weak at the root from the stress, right? Nope. It makes the hair stronger and usually thicker. The longer and weightier your dreads are the faster they will grow (to an extent, you don't want to go and attach dumbbells to your hair or anything, and yes, the growth will eventually plateau).

Dreads keep you warm.
Dreads are very warm indeed. That and they cover your ears which produce most of your body heat. They are great to have in the winter time, and can be tied back in the summer time to avoid over-heating.

Dreads are comfortable.
Yes, very. If they aren't then you have too many beads in them.

If you have lice, spiders, or other bugs nesting in your hair you DO NOT have to cut them off
You heard right, you can get rid of those bastards without losing your locks. There are many methods of doing so. You can submerge your head in near-boiling water to roast em, rinse your hair in mouthwash, or bleach your hair. People will suggest some crazy stuff when it comes to getting rid of bugs; like spray-paint, mayonnaise, and other such nonsense. Stay away from all that toxic and mold-causing stuff, that's what destroys your dreads, not the bugs.

Dreads can be dyed/bleached
it's very easy to dye or bleach dreads. I've done it many times. Dreads are still just hair and can be dyed and designed how you like. I'll post a tutorial

Dreads can be extended.Oh hell yeah they can. This is what I love most about dreads, and also something I have learned to master over the years. I invented my very own methods of doing this since the internet offers no help on how to do this. You can naturally weave them in, or sew them in. You can make dreads out of severed human hair, use pre-made dreads off someones head, or use dreads made out of animal fur. A detailed tutorial on this is soon to come, my friends.

All hair types can be dreaded.
curly, straight, greasy, thin, thick... It can all be dreaded. Greasy hair may encounter locking problems, but it will happen eventually. Thin hair will make thin dreads, so if you have granny hair then try to make bigger, sturdier dreads.


You don't have to dread ALL of your hair
Damn right you don't. If you only want a few dreads then do that. If you want to make some test dreads to see how you like them them go for it. There's more hairstyles then just a head of dreads for those of you interested in getting dreadlocks, or for those of you who have them and are looking for a change in style.


Did I forget anything? Probably. If I ever think of things to add to this post, which I will, I'll throw them in. For now, enjoy the info.

...Living dreads indeed^