Ness' New Set 4-5-16 (Curls -> Comb Coils -> Dreads )

[nessdeyali]

well my initial post got deleted when my laptop crashed it was much longer and more informative , I went to a loctitian and had locs started on Tuesday (4-5-16) its been two days and I wasn't happy with the initial results as I prefer the outcome from twist/rip & freeform methods but in just two days I have learned to love my comb coils. i'm just hoping that w/ my hair type and section size that I can achieve the thick locs (see robb banks image below) that I am going for . just looking for tips care regimen etc. The lady used Jamaican mango and lime which I know causes buildup so for future maintenance I will not be using that . is coconut oil okay ? also until my residue free shampoo gets shipped is OGX coconut or dr bronners (Diluted of course) ok to use ? or do those contribute to buildup as well ? I usually leave my hair down unless at work and have been sleeping with a silk scarf over my head. should I keep the starter locs tied up as the loctitian suggested? anyway below are photos hoping to hear feedback advice from anyone.

here are my comb coils & a better look at my sections

this is what im going for in thickness/size (see rapper robb banks dreads)

any loc experts that can let me know if this thickness  is achievable w my section size / original hair texture (below)

this is my original hair texture . curly 3a? I do not want microlocs, sisterlocks or pencil sized locs so any advice tips maintenance regimens etc on how to prevent that as my hair isn't too thick would be awesome !

ive been contemplating locks for years and finally took the step . very excited to continue on this journey.



just need clearer info on when is ok for first wash , whats good to use , I am a vegan / use all natural things for my body so suggestions along those lines are sought but all information is appreciated. let them get some rain water today / dry on their own , is that okay ?

thankhs in advance

will update as my journey progresses

[acidburn]

Good luck on your journey. BTW you have perfy hair so I can't see you having to do much other then separate.

[Dreadlocktruth]

Welcome nessdeyali. Firstly, let me apologise for the fact I'm far less knowledgable about your hair type than my own so I can't give you very complete answers, but we do have members who should be able to help you out from their own experience.

You asked about what size your dreads will grow to.... the maximum that they're able to will be the size of the section, and most dreads usually grow to be a little thicker at the root so they'll probably be a little thinner than the section size.

I'm not sure what the method used to put your locks in, was, but it all looks very tight.... looking at google images of the guy you mentioned, I think his dreads were probably formed naturally or twist and rip... they look loose and bumpy in a few of the pics I saw, even though he may have some maintenance done as his roots seem well defined in a few pics, too.

Given how your dreads appear to have been started, I don't think that they'll look a lot like his to begin with.... dreads usually fatten up as they shrink and mature but, honestly, I've no idea how that's going to go with your dreads as I've not seen that method n a timeline here before. What I will say, though, is that I'm sure they'll look a bit messier/thicker as they grow out.

Maybe someone else will be able to offer more insight but for now that's about all I've got!

[acidburn]

I don't know if I'm aloud to link another site. Just remove this if so. WWW.dreadlockshampoo.com makes vegan friendly shampoo. They are a nice company to deal with they treat you like a human not just a customer they add notes and samples to your order .

[Dreadlocktruth]

We're not selling anything so no problem linking to other sites.... no competition.

[HippyFish]

Hello :wave: I too am not familiar with comb coils (I've actually never heard of that method) but regardless of method your hair will dread. In the photos your hair looks very slick/moisturized, is that the Jamaican mango n lime you mentioned? Two things I've learned for dreads to be able to form optimally is they must be able to move (especially at night, I always think that's when the most "knotting magic" happens lol) and they should be relatively dry/clean, meaning little to no oils (natural hair oils or added ones) or conditioner... but that may be different for someone with incredibly brittle hair? Not quite sure. Ultimately, if you just let your hair do its thing, maintain separation, keep them clean and allow free flowing movement you should be good

I have super thin hair that would fall out and just blanket everything (hence dreads), and with my current set and my previous one I've had small thin starter dreads. Over time they do thicken, but if you're not happy with the thickness (or thinness) of particular dreads you have options... like allowing the littles to congo into a neighbor dread or depending on its size comb it, and split it between a few other dreads by threading it into them.

As for washing/shampoo, I'm definitely not skilled on that topic and still trying to figure out my best regimen. But I use to use Dr. B's exclusively in the past but I was also living in the desert using extremely hard saline water and it was a bad combination. Currently I've mostly been relying on the Baking Soda/ACV soaks which are great, but I may be adding something else in because my scalp needs some more moisture.

I'm sure some dread gurus will chime in and give you some better advice so hang in there and enjoy the process. I'll be interested in seeing how your set takes off and transforms!

[nessdeyali]

Apr 7, 2016 20:03:50 GMT acidburn said:

Good luck on your journey. BTW you have perfy hair so I can't see you having to do much other then separate.

thanks so much
nobody wants me to lock my natural hair up but I've had it curly all my life time to change !
considering allowing my hair to freeform into locs now that it's sectioned how I want .

[nessdeyali]

Apr 7, 2016 20:27:53 GMT Dreadlocktruth said:

Welcome nessdeyali. Firstly, let me apologise for the fact I'm far less knowledgable about your hair type than my own so I can't give you very complete answers, but we do have members who should be able to help you out from their own experience.

You asked about what size your dreads will grow to.... the maximum that they're able to will be the size of the section, and most dreads usually grow to be a little thicker at the root so they'll probably be a little thinner than the section size.

I'm not sure what the method used to put your locks in, was, but it all looks very tight.... looking at google images of the guy you mentioned, I think his dreads were probably formed naturally or twist and rip... they look loose and bumpy in a few of the pics I saw, even though he may have some maintenance done as his roots seem well defined in a few pics, too.

Given how your dreads appear to have been started, I don't think that they'll look a lot like his to begin with.... dreads usually fatten up as they shrink and mature but, honestly, I've no idea how that's going to go with your dreads as I've not seen that method n a timeline here before. What I will say, though, is that I'm sure they'll look a bit messier/thicker as they grow out.

Maybe someone else will be able to offer more insight but for now that's about all I've got!

well u seem knowledgeable enough to me =]
thank you for your reply it's really appreciated
I'm thinking of removing the Jamaican mango lime gel w/ several washes and allowing my hair to free form from there . The coils have loosened up as I let them get rain water today . Will update later as my head is currently wrapped for bed =]
Again I really appreciate your response as I learned a few things from it !

[nessdeyali]

Apr 8, 2016 4:58:29 GMT HippyFish said:

Hello :wave: I too am not familiar with comb coils (I've actually never heard of that method) but regardless of method your hair will dread. In the photos your hair looks very slick/moisturized, is that the Jamaican mango n lime you mentioned? Two things I've learned for dreads to be able to form optimally is they must be able to move (especially at night, I always think that's when the most "knotting magic" happens lol) and they should be relatively dry/clean, meaning little to no oils (natural hair oils or added ones) or conditioner... but that may be different for someone with incredibly brittle hair? Not quite sure. Ultimately, if you just let your hair do its thing, maintain separation, keep them clean and allow free flowing movement you should be good

I have super thin hair that would fall out and just blanket everything (hence dreads), and with my current set and my previous one I've had small thin starter dreads. Over time they do thicken, but if you're not happy with the thickness (or thinness) of particular dreads you have options... like allowing the littles to congo into a neighbor dread or depending on its size comb it, and split it between a few other dreads by threading it into them.

As for washing/shampoo, I'm definitely not skilled on that topic and still trying to figure out my best regimen. But I use to use Dr. B's exclusively in the past but I was also living in the desert using extremely hard saline water and it was a bad combination. Currently I've mostly been relying on the Baking Soda/ACV soaks which are great, but I may be adding something else in because my scalp needs some more moisture.

I'm sure some dread gurus will chime in and give you some better advice so hang in there and enjoy the process. I'll be interested in seeing how your set takes off and transforms!

That is the Jamaican mango lime . It's literally the worst thing in the world
It leaves residue ( in the form
Of a greasy feeling ) on my back shoulders and face !
When I let the rain water wet my hair earlier I could feel
It on my head like lotion . Anyways THANK YOU for your very informative response. .so appreciative of your help .

I want to allow my hair to begin free forming now that it's sectioned how
I wanted but unsure if I should wait to see how the coils progress before I stop them
All together .

Will be taking your advice washing once a week w/ residue free shampoo , allowing to airdry , and moisturizing my scalp w coconut oil .

When you say they need
Room
To
Move do you mean I
Should not cover for bed ?

[HippyFish]

I've never covered my dreads up when sleeping because I really do feel that's when the hairs have the longest opportunity to shift and knot up. Since you explained the mango/lime stuff, I could understand why you cover yours at bedtime, as I imagine your pillow/bedding would absorb it. Though, if your hair is that slick, there's no way it would be able to knot up easily or would take far longer to properly knot than if there wasn't product in the hair.

Overall, it seems you're a bit on the fence about which path to take from this point in your dread journey. I think the best advice I can give is to ask yourself what your main long-term goal for your dreads is in regards to appearance, texture, health etc., and then decide whether free forming or maintaining the coils will be the optimal method for you to achieve the look/results you want.

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2016 23:15:44 GMT HippyFish said:

I've never covered my dreads up when sleeping because I really do feel that's when the hairs have the longest opportunity to shift and knot up. Since you explained the mango/lime stuff, I could understand why you cover yours at bedtime, as I imagine your pillow/bedding would absorb it. Though, if your hair is that slick, there's no way it would be able to knot up easily or would take far longer to properly knot than if there wasn't product in the hair.

Overall, it seems you're a bit on the fence about which path to take from this point in your dread journey. I think the best advice I can give is to ask yourself what your main long-term goal for your dreads is in regards to appearance, texture, health etc., and then decide whether free forming or maintaining the coils will be the optimal method for you to achieve the look/results you want.

Actually, and I'll link acidburn here (although glad he is finally getting some results) um...i actually almost ALWAYS sleep with a cover. Not silk (as I have read is the best...tho for NOT knotting i think) but mine is usually cotton. Maybe this is how mine knotted up??? idk but so that is like opposite of what you said Hippy.

was this to me or nessdeyali, lol because I also use mango/lime! haha But yes, this actually discourages knotting, but since I have undreaded hair that I want to keep, it is good for this reason.


Sorry i still haven't caught up with this thread yet! I don't have your hair type either tho so idk...anyway, I WILL look soon enough though ok!

best!

[HippyFish]

@vacantalleyways, it was for nessdeyali, but that is interesting and reminded me that with my old set there were a few times I had slept with my wool tam when backpacking in colder months, though I can't say it had actually done much for knotting as it did for frizzy lol. I'm sure there are different variables, like hair texture, that determine whether some hair dreads more easily in a given situation. My hair is very thin/brittle and usually damaged with split ends, so it never really took much for my hair to accumulate knots as long as it wasn't oily. I also move around a lot in my sleep, toss/turn, so maybe that's another factor that has helped me? Idk, just my experience.

[acidburn]

If the gel is still on the hair I'd cover so it doesn't eat lint all night long. Once the gel is out it's up to personal preference/comfort your hair type will knot up on its own fairly easy freeform/neglect but I'd imagine sleeping without a cover will speed the process but will mean more maintenance/seperating.

[acidburn]

Apr 8, 2016 23:31:55 GMT HippyFish said:

@vacantalleyways, it was for nessdeyali, but that is interesting and reminded me that with my old set there were a few times I had slept with my wool tam when backpacking in colder months, though I can't say it had actually done much for knotting as it did for frizzy lol. I'm sure there are different variables, like hair texture, that determine whether some hair dreads more easily in a given situation. My hair is very thin/brittle and usually damaged with split ends, so it never really took much for my hair to accumulate knots as long as it wasn't oily. I also move around a lot in my sleep, toss/turn, so maybe that's another factor that has helped me? Idk, just my experience.

I sleep on a wool pillow from my personal experience it comes down to hair type as my hair looks the same as if I was to sleep on a cotton pillow.. My son gets massive knots over night on a polyester pillow but I believe it's because his hair is fine and lacks oil.

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2016 23:31:55 GMT HippyFish said:

@vacantalleyways , it was for nessdeyali , but that is interesting and reminded me that with my old set there were a few times I had slept with my wool tam when backpacking in colder months, though I can't say it had actually done much for knotting as it did for frizzy lol. I'm sure there are different variables, like hair texture, that determine whether some hair dreads more easily in a given situation. My hair is very thin/brittle and usually damaged with split ends, so it never really took much for my hair to accumulate knots as long as it wasn't oily. I also move around a lot in my sleep, toss/turn, so maybe that's another factor that has helped me? Idk, just my experience.

yes yes! same here, thin/brittle, split ends. Dry! hehe (I think I did share this on YOUR timeline)

Haha you toss and turn! (lately I have been) but usually, I just flip back and forth once or twice at most in the night.

nessdeyali, sorry for "spamming" your forum, but this just kindof happens sometimes here (I think, right guys?)

hehe (to the other post) your son's hair...I can totally picture that! I think my brother was that way? or idk, Kevin from Home Alone! haha 
but ok, yeah i've only used cott/poly blend pillows i think. wool is too hot for me so...