Post by Dreadlocktruth on Aug 22, 2017 19:58:12 GMT
Is It Possible To Thicken My Dreadlocks?
You can achieve this via many methods, most of which involve the combining of two (or more) dreadlocks into one solid body. Rather than list them all, here are the two best techniques that we recommend to achieve a "you can't see the join!" effect:
'Moving In With a Neighbour'
'The Foot-In-Sock Technique'
Can I Bleach or Dye My Dreadlocks?
For the most part, yes! Many dreadheads use the same dye that they used before they had locks with the same levels of success. The main thing to consider is that getting the dye out at the end of it all is extremely important and involves lots of prodding, squeezing and kneading and so you need to be sure that your locks have matured enough to take that level of attention before going down the colouring route.
For an example of how having dreadlocks might impact the process, here's a timelapse video of evedreadss bleaching her roots and applying colour:
There is also a very thorough guide to colouring dreadlocks by Lish available here: www.compunction.org/dyeing.txt
What's The Best Way To Give My Dreads a Trim?
The thing you'll want to avoid and which many inexperience trimmers encounter is that 'snipped off' look. You know, the one that looks like your hair wasn't cut by choice. You can steer clear of this by either not cutting in one action but rather 'shaping' the cut as you go, applying a rubber band very tightly just beyond the cut-off point so that it releases at a less uniform length or combing out an inch at the tips after trimming. I'd also recommend doing a practise cut on the length that you don't plan to keep just so you know what to expect with your thickness.
You can achieve this via many methods, most of which involve the combining of two (or more) dreadlocks into one solid body. Rather than list them all, here are the two best techniques that we recommend to achieve a "you can't see the join!" effect:
'Moving In With a Neighbour'
- By far the easiest way to combine dreadlocks is to simply poke one dread through the root of it's neighbour. This will result in a characterful Y-shaped lock as they grow out into one body but, personally, this method has never failed and is easier than using a wrap or a bead for the same purpose.
'The Foot-In-Sock Technique'
- This one sounds a lot more complicated than it is. The end-goal is to re-home a thin dread inside a thicker dread so that the two roots and new growth will combine into one, thicker rope and the action to achieve this involves using a crochet hook to pull the thinner dread up through the root of the 'host' so that it slips inside the body (like a foot into a sock...). The thinner dread will be following the passage made by the crochet hook when you pushed it down through the body of the 'host' and, for this reason, you must pick a host dread that is thick enough to withstand a little alteration to it's insides. You can also make this process easier by pushing a thin screwdriver up through the root, creating the tunnel prior to the use of the crochet hook so that it passes through more easily and/or by cutting the thinner dread down to a few inches (with a loose tip to grab) so that it doesn't have to go as far into the host and poses less of a risk.
Can I Bleach or Dye My Dreadlocks?
For the most part, yes! Many dreadheads use the same dye that they used before they had locks with the same levels of success. The main thing to consider is that getting the dye out at the end of it all is extremely important and involves lots of prodding, squeezing and kneading and so you need to be sure that your locks have matured enough to take that level of attention before going down the colouring route.
For an example of how having dreadlocks might impact the process, here's a timelapse video of evedreadss bleaching her roots and applying colour:
There is also a very thorough guide to colouring dreadlocks by Lish available here: www.compunction.org/dyeing.txt
What's The Best Way To Give My Dreads a Trim?
The thing you'll want to avoid and which many inexperience trimmers encounter is that 'snipped off' look. You know, the one that looks like your hair wasn't cut by choice. You can steer clear of this by either not cutting in one action but rather 'shaping' the cut as you go, applying a rubber band very tightly just beyond the cut-off point so that it releases at a less uniform length or combing out an inch at the tips after trimming. I'd also recommend doing a practise cut on the length that you don't plan to keep just so you know what to expect with your thickness.
