How to Make Dreadlocks
So you want to be a dreadhead. Start forming those ropelike strands of hair today with these easy instructions.
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You Will Need
- Residue-free shampoo
- Rubber bands
- Dreadlock accelerator
- Teasing comb
- Dread wax
- Blow dryer
- Friend (optional)
- Patience (optional)
Steps
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Step 1
Wash your hair
Wash your hair with a shampoo marked "residue-free" and let it air dry.
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Step 2
Section it
Using rubber bands, secure your hair into 1- by 1-inch square sections at the root. When you're finished, spray them with dreadlock accelerator; it helps your dreads set faster, especially if you have straight hair.
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The sections should be a little slimmer than your target dreadlock width--your dreads will widen once they dry.
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Step 3
Back-comb it
Starting in the back, take one section at a time, remove the rubber band, and back-comb the hair toward your scalp, a half-inch at a time.
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It's helpful to have a friend help you with the hair in the back.
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Step 4
Secure it
Once each section is back-combed, wrap one rubber band at the scalp and one at the tip.
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If you can slide your fingers though the dread or spread it apart easily, you haven't back-combed it enough.
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Step 5
Wax it
Rub a pea-size amount of dread wax on each section and roll it vigorously between your palms for at least 30 seconds. When all the sections are done, blow-dry them on hot to melt the wax into the hair.
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As hair grows in, rub the root of the dread clockwise against the scalp to help this new hair dread.
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Step 6
Maintain
To lock in your new do, palm-roll each dreadlock 15 seconds every day, and wash them every three days with residue-free shampoo. Whenever the locks feel dry, work a tiny bit of dread wax into them to tame fly-away hairs. Refrain from removing the rubber bands until the dreads are completely set, about three months. Enjoy your new hairstyle!
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Floridian Asha Mandela set a Guinness record for longest dreadlocks in 2008 with her 8½-foot locks, with one dread measuring 19 ½ feet!
