Dreadlocks are ropes of knotted hair. The sections to which the hair forms in to dreadlocks can be either naturally occurring (often called "patience" or "natural" style dreads) or persuaded by the wearer with methods such as backombing or twist & rip. (See "Starting Your Dreadlocks" below!)

The hair is held together simply by the way of tangled strands. The knotting over time is what creates the form and density of the locks - that's it!

Put away your comb, and stop brushing your hair. In time, it will section off and tangle up all on it's own, regardless of race or religion. Because of this we can generally assume that dreadlocks are as old as the human race and have been with us since the very beginning of our existence. This makes it nearly impossible to pinpoint exactly when or where societies began to wear these twisted locks of hair as a cultural or religious symbol, but we have found several examples of their existence throughout our history.

Dreadlocks in the Middle East
The biblical Nazirite hero Samson was said to have worn 7 locks of hair, which were his strength. When these 7 locks were cut from his head, he was finally captured. Nazirites cannot cut their hair as part of a vow to God, and it is entirely likely that dreadlocks were common among them. The tale of Samson is at least 3000 years old, meaning dreadlocks were probably a well defined cultural and religious symbol well before then.

Dreadlocks in India
The Hindu god Shiva was said to have protected the earth from the reckless flow of the ganges river as She (the river) fell to the earth. Ganga was trapped in Shiva's matted hair, and was allowed to flow gently from his locks. Shiva is also responsible for the creation and destruction of the universe as Nataraja. As he dances, his dreadlocks (or "jataa" as they are known in India) fall around him and dislocate or destroy anything they encounter. Stories of Shiva and his predecessors may date back as much as 3,500 years ago.

Sadhu and sadhiv are holy men and women who renounce a normal life in order to pursue spiritual enlightenment and liberation. Many allow their hair to become locked as a way of giving up their vanity, as well as their connection with modern society. Many are followers of Shiva (or one of his many forms) and are considered to be holy by many people...they are often asked to bless weddings and the sick or settle conflicts between individuals and families.

Dreadlocks in Africa
It has been rumored that the ancient Egyptians may have worn their hair in dreadlocks, and that mummies have been unearthed with dreadlocks still on their heads. Unfortunately, we have found very little evidence to support this. Egyptians may have indeed worn dreads, and many of their drawings and hieroglyphs seem to depict hair styled as dreads, but we cannot say for sure that dreads were common among egyptians.

The Baye Fall are a sect of the Islamic Mouride Brotherhood in West Africa, and they are known in part for their colorful clothing, and their dreadlocks which they call ndiange (strong hair). The Baye Fall were established during the late 1800's, and show their devotion to go through their hard labor.

Dreadlocks in the Americas
In Peru, mummies have been found with long, thick dreadlocks in the Cementerio de Chauchilla. These mummies pre date the Incan civilizationby several hundred years, and their culture is believed to be responsible for creating the hundreds of Nazca Lines scattered across the desert plateau.

The historian William H. Prescott wrote of Aztec priests wearing dreadlocks in his book, The History of the Conquest of Mexico in 1843. When describing human sacrifices, Prescott wrote, "On the summit he was received by six priests, whose long and matted locks flowed disorderly over their sable robes, covered with hieroglyphic scrolls of mystic import."

Dreadlocks in Europe
Although many other sites claim that Ceasar remarked that Celts had "hair like snakes," there is no evidence to suggest he ever said such a thing. However, there are roman coins dating back 2000 years that may depict dreadlock-like hair on Gaulish (celtic) figures, minted after the roman expansion into their territory.

Dreadlocks in the Caribbean
It is within this region that the actual term "dreadlocks" was developed. For many westerners, dreadlocks are most heavily associated with the Rastafari movement. The movement dates back to the 1930's, although it wasn't until the late 40's that people began to wear their hair in locks. The actual term "dreadlock" has several possible beginnings. One version has it that the term came to be because these matted locks of hair gave a "dreadful" appearance...yet another version attributes the term to followers who "dread" or fear God.

Dreadlocks in Modern Society
Dreadlocks have come to mean many different things to many different people. Some among the counterculture movements have embraced dreadlocks as a symbol of rejection of today's society. This is likely derived from both the Rastafari rejection of western "Babylon" society, and the renouncing of/separation from society and modern comfort by the sadhu. Many people see dreadlocks as a way to embrace their own spirituality, although there are a growing number of people who have embraced dreadlocks simply because they like the look.

Yes! Anyone can have dreadlocks regardless of their ethnic, religious, political, or social background - dreadlocks have been around for a long time and are not exclusive to any one group of people.

Dreadlocks can also form in any type of hair, from thin and straight to thick and curly without any extra, special attention. However, the length of time it takes for the dreads to fully mature may vary depending on your hair type and texture.

Yes, you absolutely can and should wash your hair with dreadlocks. Clean hair dreads best, as oils will coat the hair and make it too slick to knot properly. The general consensus will tell you to use a residue-free shampoo or soap. You won’t be able to eradicate residue or build-up through brushing like you normally do on non-dreaded hair, so it is fairly important to get a soap or shampoo that will not leave a nasty residue on your scalp.

Some people suggest avoiding the use of shampoos with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), which is a foaming agent that is believed to cause scalp irritation. But generally the same things that could clean your hair pre-dreads will work post-dreads, simply avoid conditioners or shampoos with conditioners and softeners added.

At least you should avoid conditioner with immature dreads. Conditioner leaves residues in the hair to make it easier to brush and remove knots, and is thus is an enemy of dreadlocks. As your dreads get older and more mature, you may find them able to stand up against conditioner and able to use it from time to time but it's generally best to wait at least 4 years or so before applying conditioner to your locks to avoid as much untangling as possible.

Not everyone agrees on which shampoos are best to use for dreadlocks. You just need to try different things and see what works for your body. Please check out our forum for shampoo suggestions and discussions!

The frequency with which you wash is entirely up to you and depends upon your hair type. Generally, you just want your hair to feel clean. As your dreads mature, you will likely find it less necessary to wash as often. Some people can go a month without washing, some need to do it every other day. Listen to what your body tells you and you should be fine. If your hair feels greasy and gross, wash it.

Most people with locks tend to go an average of 4-7 days between washes, but it's not uncommon for folks to wash more or less frequently. It's really up to your body chemistry, personal preference, and how long it takes your locks to dry!

No. Some websites and salons will tell you to put rubber bands at either the root or the tip of your dreads to keep the roots separate and encourage knotting. Rubber bands are a bad choice for this.

First off, the tightness of the rubber band at the root restricts the movement of the hair, this can seriously mess with the development of the lock for the same reasons as explained under "Should I use dreadlock wax?" above, except it's concentrated on one small area of the locks where the bands are.

Secondly, if the bands are left in the hair long enough it is possible for them to melt into your hair and you will be left with a gooey spot in your dread that is darn near impossible to remove. You can use rubber bands for the initial sectioning of your hair, but do not leave them in - remove them as you finish backcombing each section or once you have finished doing all of them.

The recommended length for backcombing is at least between 5-7 inches. You will initially lose a some length through backcombing, and if your hair is too short, it's less likely to work.

The shorter your hair, the harder it is too keep knots in. If your hair is very short, consider the natural method! Natural dreads can be started at any length. Many people believe that the best way to start natural dreads is from a shorter length, as the hair won’t go through as much of a noticeable the “shrinking” phase, and your hair will just grow out knotty.

Yes, you can! There are many people with thin or thinning hair with beautiful 'locks - it just means that there may be larger spaces between them than someone with thicker hair, but it doesn't affect whether you can wear dreadlocks or not.

Dreadlocks also gain a LOT of volume as they start to mature, so your hair will seem much thicker in a year or so anyway! :)

It depends on your hair type, but you will most likely lose at least a little length. Thin, straight hair tends to lose more length than any other hair type. In general, your hair will shrink a great deal in the first year as your dreadlocks mature and after that initial shrinking phase it will then quickly begin to gain its length back as your hair grows out more.

The most efficient way to get dreadlocks dry is to use a bonnet hair drier like you’ll find at a hair salon. Of course, not many of us have these in our living rooms so the more common options are:

Air drying. Airdrying is a totally viable way to dry dreads, though it can take a lot of time for a mature set of locks to dry completely depending on thickness (as much as a full day for thicker locks on a cool day!) and the climate you live in.

Towel drying. Use a towel to absorb the excess water from your dreads. Super-absorbent towels are a preferred option among many dreadheads with thicker locks.

Blow drying. Another good option is using a blow-drier, especially on a humid day where you don’t want that wet hair feeling.

It is best to first wring out the majority of the water several times before air drying, blow drying, or towel drying to speed up the process.

Not at all. There are incredibly inexpensive and natural alternatives to locking accelerators & tightening gels should you feel you want to try them out.

Aloe vera gel can be used to smooth out any frizzies if you have a special occasion for which you want your hair to look a little tidier. Aloe vera plants are very simple to grow and you can get pure gel from right inside the leaves. You can also buy aloe vera gel at a health food store if you don't have a green thumb. Unless labelled as 98-100% aloe, avoid the kind that comes in bottles advertised for sunburns, as they are generally full of chemical additives you may not want in your hair.

As for locking accelerators, most of them are just a salt water-based spray. These are really easy to make on your own. Combine water, salt, and an optional drop or two of essential oil or a squeeze of lemon and voila! A locking accelerator that you don't have to invest much in putting together. In fact, I'd wager a guess that most of us have salt and water already available in our homes. Also, if you live by the ocean or a salt lake, you can just take a dip in the water. No need to pay for shipping on chemical additives and salt water!

It is important to realize that no matter what method you employ for locking your hair, they will take approximately a year to look how you thought they would.

Dreadlocks are generally considered immature (babies) until about the first year, then partially mature at ages 1 to 3 years, and fully mature at 4+ years.

It is up to you to decide how you start your journey, but each path takes you to the same place in about the same amount of time. The differences are mostly seen in the development stages between the starting point and maturity.

For most people, it comes as a sigh of relief to find out that you do not in fact have to shave your head to remove dreadlocks. It is definitely possible to comb out dreadlocks, even very old and mature dreadlocks can be combed out.

You will however have a harder time combing out an older set of dreads. You will also lose a lot of hair and some length in the process, as the hair you would have normally shed in a day gets sucked into your dreads. With a sturdy and preferably metal comb, an economy size tub or two of conditioner, and a lot of patience, you can return to a head of brushable hair without shaving your head.

Another method of removing dreads, rather than taking the time to brush out the full length, is to cut them half or three-quarters of the way and brush out what is left.

For the most part, yes!

For specifics, please check out the "Modifying" category below. :)

It's important to know that it is absolutely not necessary to do any sort of tidying or maintenance to your locks, other than washing. Dreadlocks form perfectly well and healthily without maintenance and usually look more natural and charismatic. However, some people will want or need their dreadlocks to be neat and tidy.

If your dreadlocks are still very young (up to around 6 months), then some mess is inevitable for most people. You will likely have loose hairs coming from your roots and dreadlocks and some may try to join together at the root. Here's what you should (and shouldn't!) do:

• Loose hair

Many people worry about keeping loose hairs tucked into their dreadlocks. If your dreads less than roughly 6 months, the best thing to do is to forget about them for the moment. To do any sort of maintenance to dreadlocks, you first need a solid base of knots which you probably don't have when they're so young. Without this base of knots, any maintenance you do will most likely just fall out again quite quickly and look just as it did before. In this situation, people often think that more maintenance is needed but this is not true - the fact that it fell out is a sign that your hair is not yet ready for maintenance! Repeatedly maintaining your hair (especially if you're using a crochet hook or something similar) is likely to cause damage to your dreadlocks that you will suffer the effects of later.

If, however, you think your hair's ready for some maintenance then there are a few common techniques used. The most popular has been mentioned already: crocheting. A crochet hook is a fine, steel hook using primarily in knitting. People often use a crochet hook to pull loose hairs through the body of their dreadlocks. If you choose to do this, be careful! Do it gently and do your absolute best not to shred your hair. We generally don't recommend crocheting for this reason.

The better and safer alternative to crocheting is to use a sewing needle (you may need a slightly wider eye than a standard needle's). Thread your loose hair into the eye of the needle and pull it through the dreadlock in the same way you would with a crochet hook. The benefit of this method is that your hair is not at risk of being torn or shredded by a fine hook.

Palm-rolling is another popular thing to do when trying to deal with loose hair. Palm-rolling does give a temporary impression of neater dreadlocks but it has little, if any, lasting effect on the appearance of locks. Palm-rolling may cause your roots to weaken due to the stress of being twisted vigorously. If you do choose to palm-roll, be sure that you aren't doing it too roughly and do bare in mind that it may not have a permanent effect on the loose hairs.

YOU SHOULD NEVER:

Burn your locks, cut/shave loose hair, apply any sort of adhesive such as wax or glue or use a felting needle.  If you have heard of a technique not listed here and you're unsure whether it will be helpful or damaging, please ask on the forum - we will let you know if it is safe! :)

+ Not burning your 'locks seems really obvious, but some people suggest it. Seriously, why would you burn your hair?
+ Cutting or "shaving" loose hair from the length of your dreadlocks with scissors or a razor is damaging for your dreadlocks, because there will always be some loose hair. If you keep cutting/shaving it off, it will eventually whittle away to a very thin and weak dreadlock.
+ Wax/adhesives - see "Should I use dreadlock wax?" under the Starting Your Dreadlocks catagory above.
+ A felting needle is a barbed tool used to mat wool into a cloth-like material - human hair does not felt like wool! Attempting to use a felting needle on your dreadlocks will inflict extreme and permanent damage by shredding your hair to pieces.

• Loose roots

This is the next common worry, that new hair growth won't dread without maintenance. This is a myth is should not concern you. New hair growth will dread just as naturally as the rest of your hair and will be sucked into your dreadlock roots as it grows. Some hair between dreads may take longer to do this, but they will eventually either join the nearest dread or form a new, baby dread! If you want to keep the roots tidy, you can use a sewing needle as described above.

Don't worry about the root of your dreadlocks being loose. If your hair was dreadlocked too close to your scalp, it would be painful when you moved your head due to the tension. Almost everyone has an inch or two of loose, or looser, hair by their scalp for this reason. If you leave your roots to do their own thing, the hair will dread at a comfortable distance from your scalp.

YOU SHOULD NEVER:

Root flip. Root flipping is a technique that involves feeding a dreadlock through its root and pulling it through the opposite side. Doing this will cause a weak spot in the lock that is unlikely to ever properly knot up - it has no benefits.

This particularly affects young and developing dreadlocks, but is likely to occur throughout the lifetime of your dreadlocks.

You may find that some dreadlocks will try to combine and join together at the root as one. These are normally called congos and you can either separate the dreadlocks again or allow them to grow out as one thicker dreadlock with two tips. You may notice a thicker dreadlock will take slightly longer to dry, but there's no other advantages or disadvantages to either choice - it's pretty much entirely an aesthetic decision. Some people prefer to keep congos, others will prefer to stay on top of separating the roots.

If you do want to separate the roots, the most important advice is that you should never use scissors to cut roots apart! Using scissors will cause a weakened area where your lock may be thinner. The way to separate two dreadlocks is to rip them apart. While this sounds a bit vicious, it is in fact harmless and will allow you to keep your locks separated with no side-effects.

To do this, you take the dreadlocks that are trying to join together in each hand and gently pull them in opposite directions. This makes the knots causing the congo slip and untangle and you'll probably hear a ripping sound as you do this - but don't worry! As mentioned above, this does not inflict any harm upon your dreadlocks. If you have a particularly stubborn or well-formed congo developing, ripping is easier when your hair is wet so if you have difficulties it's often easier to wait until you next wash your hair to try again.

Yes, you can! Check out Katie's tutorial on combining dreads to find out how!

Yes, you can but it's slightly different to dying brushable hair. Check out this brilliant guide to dying dreadlocks by Lish - compunction.org/dyeing.txt

Yes, you can! Have a look at Katie's extension tutorial for more information.

• Beads

Beads are a great and easy way to decorate to your locks! Websites such as Etsy have thousands of unique beads hand-made from a variety of materials with holes large enough for dreadlocks, all by independent artisans.

If your dreadlocks are young (less than 6 months) then you should be aware that dreadlocks have been known to consume beads during development. This can happen when your hair is still settling and knotting up in the initial months after starting - it is possible for hair to knot around beads meaning that they are permanently trapped inside the dreadlock unless you cut the hair that has trapped the bead (which will possibly weaken the dreadlock at that point).

• Wraps

Another way to add loads of character to your dreads is to wrap them with coloured thread. To find out how to do this, read this guide to wrapping dreads written by Slang. :)

Unfortunately, many people don't find out the truth about dreadlock wax until after they've already purchased and used it. There's no need to panic though, removal can be done!

The most efficient method of removing dread wax, though probably also the most unpopular, is to simply brush out your new dreads, wash all the wax out (this may take several washings, depending on how much wax is used) and simply start over. Yeah, we're not too fond of this idea, but if your dreads are brand new, less than a few weeks, they can easily be combed out and your hair can be cleaned thoroughly. Like I said, this isn't the most popular method. But it is an option, and it works.

Now, another option is to melt the wax out of your hair. There is more than one way to do this. One way to melt it out is to wash and soak your dreads in very hot water, as hot as you can stand. You'll likely need to do this several times, but you should notice a definite improvement.
Another method of melting is by using a blow dryer. This takes a while because you have to work with one dread at a time, but I've read about other people using this method with fantastic results. Hold your blow dryer so that it blows parallel with your dread instead of directly into it, you don't want to melt the wax deeper into the dreadlock. Using a dry towel, rub away the melted wax as much as you can. Personally, I believe that using a combination of these two steps (hot water+blow dryer) would have the fastest results.

Of course, deep cleaning is also a very beneficial step in helping to remove all the dirt and debris attracted by the wax. Kyndmama's deep cleaning concoction really does work wonders for your hair. The before and after shot from one of our members really speaks for itself.


Check out the forum thread about the concoction here.

NOTE: Just as an FYI, dreadlocks do not attract lice or bugs any more than other hair types. If you are in close proximity with someone who already has lice chances are you can get them, regardless of whether you wear your hair in locks or not.

Community member Moonshyne has provided her anecdote (and antidote!) here.

We have provided an excerpt from her remedy here:

"This is cheap, effective, and does not require you to chop off all your lovely locks!

To start, pull your dreads up and try to bun them up if you can, or at least pull it into a high ponytail. Use about a half bottle of rubbing alcohol (70% or higher) or however much it takes to cover your scalp. Don't worry about soaking your dreads, because the fumes will kill them (the lice) as much as the alcohol itself. Tie a plastic bag or wear a shower cap tightly around your head for about 30 minutes. It'll itch and its annoying and stinky, but it'll kill the bugs. Rinse it out, and watch the bugs fall out.

Now, you'll have to do this again in about 3-5 days because the alcohol only kills the bugs, not their eggs (remember, most of the actual lice shampoos don't kill the eggs either...) so you'll have to do this process over again to kill any newly hatched critters, before they have time to reproduce. At this point you really should be lice free, though I would suggest you do it yet again in another 3 days.... just to be on the safe side.

This is a cheap, easy and very effective way to get rid of lice. It has never once failed us. Just make sure you do it in a well ventilated area (we don't need you passing out on alcohol fumes), and it helps to have a friend or relative to help so you don't accidentally pour the shit in your eyes. That shit ain't cool. Also, no smoking, as alcohol is highly flammable. (don't want you head to go up in flames, do you?) And ta-da! Lice free, for under 5 bucks, and without having you sacrifice your lovely locks! The alcohol rinses out with no residue, and it'll disinfect any wounds you have on your scalp due to scratching. It will dry out your locks if you have to do it very often, but not anymore so than any of those harsh shampoos would....this is nothing a little aloe wouldn't cure.

One more note... using tea tree oil in your hair acts as a lice/insect repellent. Dr. Bronner's makes a soap with tea tree oil, and that's what we use. You can also buy it as a fancy, overpriced spritzer to spray in your hair. I think you're better off with the soap, personally. We also use tea tree oil in the deep cleaning concoction. I've read that rosemary also acts as a lice repellent, though I've never used it myself."

Despite what you may have heard, dreadlocks require no more maintenance or special treatment than normal hair. You can wash them, dry them, dye them, and just about anything else you feel like doing with them. As dreads mature, they naturally require less washing. This is because daily brushing causes the scalp to produce extra oil with normal hair. Of course, with dreadlocks, you no longer need to brush your hair and this leads to less oil production, meaning that as long as your child isn't rolling around in the dirt, he eventually won't have to wash quite as much as he did pre-dread.

Excessive or daily washings can cause damage to mature dreadlocks, because they would be less able to dry completely. This can cause mildew and unpleasant smell, so dreadlocks are actually cleaner with fewer washings.

Actually, the DreadlockTruth.com community recommends that you DO NOT waste your money buying overpriced dread products. Wax and rubberbands can actually ruin newly forming dreadlocks if not used properly, and they do nothing to speed or help the locking process. In fact, wax can make dreadlocks sticky, allowing dirt and debris to collect in/on them and making hair difficult to wash. The companies that sell these products want you to believe that they are necessary, because this is how they make money.

If you find that your child has questions or is in need of assistance, our community is full of tutorials, advice, and personal experience....and we do it free of charge.

It has been a common misconception that an interest in dreadlocks must mean there is interest in drugs, namely cannabis. This most likely comes from the fact that one of the world's most well known dreadlocked individuals, Bob Marley, was also known to use and support the use of cannabis. These two things do not always go hand in hand - there are lots of people who do drugs who have never worn dreadlocks, and lots of dreadlocked folks who don't even use caffeine.

Bottom line is, dreadlocks or an interest in dreadlocks do not cause people to use drugs.

Although dreadlocks were introduced to mainstream America through the Rastafari movement, they have roots in many different races and religions and are worn by individuals from all walks of life now. The Rastafari religion is relatively new, dating back to the 1930's. Stories of twisted locs of hair can be traced thousands of years in biblical stories (the Jewish/Christian hero Samson had 7 locks of hair) and there are Muslim groups that started wearing locks well before Rastafarians. Hindu holymen and deities were also known to wear ropes of hair many hundreds or even thousands of years ago.

The members here at Dreadlock Truth come from all kinds of backgrounds and religions, and we respect that. There is no need to assume that a change in hairstyle means there is also a change in beliefs.

No, it is not necessary to shave your hair in order to remove dreadlocks. If your child decides to remove their locks, it will take some time but they can be brushed away with a little hard work and a lot of conditioner. However, if they wait and decide after 2 or 3 years that they no longer want locks, they may need to cut them off a few inches from the roots and brush out what's left.

Your child's hair will most likely be short, but they should be able to save a decent amount without shaving.

Oh yes, that is not a concern for most of us. It may prove slightly more difficult to work in places such as McDonalds, but generally, finding work is not a problem. If, however, you do find a problem with the typical teenage workplace, branch out and try something new. Your child may find it easier applying at book stores and health food markets, or any of the trendy clothing shops where having dreads might actually help your child get a job.

Whatever your question might be on this topic, "Will dreadlocks cause lice?", "Will my child have to shave his head if he gets lice?", "are dreadlocks more likely to get lice?", and any of the other questions associated with dreadlocks and lice, none of it is true.

If your son or daughter gets a lice infestation, it is because he's been in close proximity to someone else that already had them. Dreadlocks do not attract lice any more than any other type of hair out there. But occasionally it happens, and when an infestation occurs it can be very easily and cheaply treated without having to shave off any hair or using any poisonous chemicals. If you need more information on the treatment of lice, please visit this page for more details....and don't worry.