Postpartum Hair Loss and Dreads

[aliwilli]

Hello All!  This is my first post as I am researching all things dreads before beginning the process.  I have long, straight Caucasian hair and am planning on using the twist and rip method.  I had one set about 10 years ago that I had backcombed and were awesome, but I didn't know enough about the process back then and combed them out when they came a bit loose after my first wash:(  

I am much more informed and prepared this time around but am a bit concerned about when to start them.  I would like to do it sooner than later, but I just had a baby 2 months ago and am prepared for some pretty serious shedding to start taking place.  With my 1st child I shed like crazy from about 3-6 months postpartum.  I would love to avoid all of the hair all over the place and was thinking that starting dreads before the shed begins could be a great way to not have to deal with it and keep some of that hair, but am also thinking it could hinder the quality of the dreads in the long run if I have thinner roots after the shed?  

Long story short, has anyone gone through postpartum hair loss with dreads?  Would you advise to start them before or after the shedding period?

Thanks for any input!

[morri]

I started my first set when my youngest was 7 months old so I had passed the shedding stage. Personally I'd wait, you could end up with thin roots as you said.

Good luck in your future journey

[aliwilli]

Thanks!! I am so conflicted, was hoping that dreading could help me avoid the annoyance of shedding and give me fuller locs in the end:/. But it worries me at the same time: Thanks for your advice!

[Ziggy]

Aliwilli, I started my dreads before the shedding stage and that's what I got...no shedding and nice full dreads. I haven't had an issue with my roots, and my hair was long enough that there were no paddles or anything, I've just got nice thick dreads on the bottom half. It was so nice to not have a shower full of hair. Also, for me, at least, those early months are a time when it's hard to pay attention to yourself, so having the burden of dealing with my hair lifted from me by letting it dread up was really helpful. AND I didn't give a damn how it looked during the worst parts, because I don't care about much those first tiring months, so I didn't really notice (I look at my timeline now and ugh!). I'm very glad that I chose to do it when he was a few months old.