Bob Marley lives forever

Not true!! Dreadlocks need to be washed at least once a week.

Not combing your hair is the only way/best way to make dreadlocks.

This is called the Neglect method, this is how cavemen made dreadlocks, by just not doing anything to their hair. Thank the Lord we have found new ways to make them because this method take at least a year and the hair doesn't even look like dreads during the time, and many people who have made dreads this way have ended up with such severe dandruff cases they had to cut their dreadlocks off and start over, usually with the backcombing method.

Wax is probably the most natural product you can use on dreadlocks. It comes from bees that are from nature.

Backcombing is not natural.

Backcombing is just about the most natural way to make dreadlocks. Anyone who tells you this doesn't know much about dreadlocks.

Only black people can have dreadlocks.

Obviously the person who told you this has never see anyone who is Asian, Indian, or Caucasian with dreadlocks. Dreadlocks actually look very nice on Asian, Indian, and Caucasian. Many people believe that dreadlocks actually were first wore by the Asian Indians that crossed over from Asia and Europe to Alaska and Canada. Dreadlocks were also wore during Biblical times by John the Baptist and Samson. Dreadlocks were also worn in the 1400-1500's by Asian Emperor's.

Nice dreadlocks are high maintenance.

Most dreadlocks are not high maintenance. The only kinds of dreadlocks that are high maintenance are dreadlocks made from dread perms. Dreadlocks made with the backcombing, twist and rip, twist and pin, neglect, and brush rubbing methods are not high maintenance at all.

The neglect method is the only way to make natural dreadlocks.

Not true at all. There are many other methods that are natural, such as Backcombing, Twist and Rip, Twist and Pin, Twisting, Dread Braiding, and Brush Rubbing.

Rubberbands break the hair.

False. Rubberbands hold the hair together while the dreadlocks are forming to keep the dreadlocks from falling out. So many people and so many sites wouldn't recommend them if they didn't do such a great job.

Dreadlocks damage your scalp.

Dreadlocks do not damage your scalp. In fact your scalp never even knows you have dreadlocks, because the hair starts to dread about an inch away from the scalp.

You have to shave your head when you don't want dreadlocks anymore.

False statement. You don't even have to cut your hair when you want to take the dreadlocks out. Here are the ways to take dreadlocks out:

1. You can cut or shave your head if you don't care about your hair, this is the
fastest way to remove the dreadlocks.

2. Cut the deadlocks until they are about 3 inches long and then soak the rest of
the dreadlocks in VO5 conditioner and comb them out. This will leave you
with about 4 or 5 inches of hair.

3. You love your hair and want to keep it. Just soak the dreadlocks in VO5
conditioner and comb them out, it may take a couple hours but you will get to
keep your hair. Don't worry if you lose a lot of hair while you are combing
the dreadlocks out, this is hair that would have fallen out in the day-to-day hair
removal cycle. The only reason you still have it is because you had dreadlocks
and dreadlocks keep the hair all knotted together.

Mayonnaise, Honey, Toothpaste, Glue, Rubber Cement, Mud, Chewing Gum, Peanut Butter, Shea Butter, Candle Wax and Hair Gel all work great for starting dreadlocks.

Yea, if you want your dreadlocks to fall out, and want to suffer from nasty bacteria and mold growing in your hair. These products are not used or recommended for one reason, they don't work. They were not made for dreadlocks, and there is no reason to try to make them work, if your going to make dreadlocks do it right, get some DreadHead wax and shampoo follow the instructions and you will have great dreads.

Any products that mention or say for dreadlocks will work on dreadlocks.

False. Most products that say for dreadlocks usually aren't they are suposed to be used to condition African hair. If the product contains any petroleum then it is your dreadlocks worst enemy.

Dreadlocks are for rastas only.

It is a common misconseption that dreadlocks were started by Rastas and only Rastas should wear them. It is common knowledge that cavemen wore dreadlocks, not for spiritual reasons, not for fashion, just for the fact that the comb wasn't invented yet. It is ok for you to wear dreadlocks if you are wearing them for fashion, and it is ok for you to wear dreadlocks if you are doing it for spiritual reasons, hey, whatever works for you.

Making Dreadlocks

Backcombing

You will need:
Dread Wax
Residue Free Shampoo
Metal Comb
Rubberbands
I recommend the DreadHead Supa Dupa Dread Kit:It has everything you need and they guarantee your hair will dread.

1. Wash your hair with a residue free shampoo and let it air dry.
2. Section your hair into sections that are 1 inch by 1 inch. You can use
    rubberbands to hold the sections while you section the rest of your hair.
3. Start in the back of your head, remove the rubberbands and start teasing the
    hair towards your scalp. Only backcomb about a half inch of hair at a time,
    this will keep your dreads from forming loops.
4. Once you have finished backcombing the that section of hair, put a
    rubberband on the tip and one on the root. Add about an M&M's worth of wax
    to the dreadlock and palm roll it.
5. Do this to all the sections of hair.

Twist and Rip

You will need:
Dread Wax
Residue Free Shampoo
Rubberbands
I recommend the DreadHead Wax and Shampoo.

1. Section your hair into sections that are 1 inch by 1 inch. You can use
    rubberbands to hold the sections while you section the rest of your hair.
2. When your washing your hair rub your head in a clockwise motion.
3. Once you get out of the shower and your hair is dry pull your hair apart in the
    sections where the rubberbands are.
4. After you have pulled apart the sections add a M&M's worth of wax to each
    dread and palm roll.

Twist and Pin

You will need:
Dread Wax
Residue Free Shampoo
Rubberbands
I recommend the DreadHead Wax and Shampoo.

1. Wash your hair with a residue free shampoo and let it air dry.
2. Section your hair into sections that are 1 inch by 1 inch. You can use
    clips to hold the sections while you section the rest of your hair.
3. After you have sectioned off all of your hair, take one section down at a time
    and twist it, then put some wax on the twist and keep twisting until it the twist is
    twisting down into a ball on your head,

Twisting

You will need:
Dread Wax
Residue Free Shampoo
Rubberbands
I recommend the DreadHead Wax and Shampoo.

1. Wash your hair with a residue free shampoo and let it air dry.
2. Section your hair into sections that are 1 inch by 1 inch. You can use
    rubberbands to hold the sections while you section the rest of your hair.
3. Once you have sectioned off all of your hair, take one section at a time
    and twist it back and forth between your fingers, then put some wax on the twist
    and keep twisting it. The more you twist the hair back and forth the faster the
    dreads will form and lock up.

Brush Rubbing

You will need:
A soft bristle brush
Dread Wax
Residue Free Shampoo
Rubberbands
I recommend the DreadHead Wax and Shampoo.

1. Wash your hair with a residue free shampoo and let it air dry.
2. Get a soft bristle brush and rub it in a clockwise circular motion around your
    head. You will start to notice little dread balls forming.
3. Add a little wax to each dread ball.


Dread Braiding

You will need:
Dread Wax
Residue Free Shampoo
Rubberbands
I recommend the DreadHead Wax and Shampoo

1. Wash your hair with a residue free shampoo and let it air dry.
2. Section your hair into sections that are 1 inch by 1 inch. You can use
    rubberbands to hold the sections while you section the rest of your hair.
3. Once you have finished sectioning all the hair take one section down at a time
    and braid it. Once you have finished the braid add a rubberband to the tip and
    root. Then add a little wax and palm roll the braids. Do this to each section.


Neglect

You will need:
You do not need any products for this method. But if you use products your hair will dread faster.

Dread Wax (optional)
Residue Free Shampoo(optional)
If you use products I recommend the DreadHead Wax and Shampoo.

This is the real do it yourself no maintenance method. All you do is nothing. Maybe wash and wax your hair, just let your hair do what it's going to do and one day you should have dreads.

Dread Perm

You will need:
Dread Wax
Residue Free Shampoo
I recommend the DreadHead Wax and Shampoo for maintaining Dread Perms.

You have to go into a salon to make dreadlocks with this method. They will put a chemical on your hair that will pretty much ruin your hair so it will be in a state that will dread really easily.

Loomed Dreads

You will need:
Dread Wax
Synthetic Hair
I recommend the DreadHead Wax.

You have to go to a salon or hair store to get synthetic hair, you or your stylist can dread the hair using the backcombing method. Then just clip the synthetic dreads on your hair.

You should only wash your dreadlocks in a shampoo that leaves no residue behind. Some people say that you don't have to use a shampoo that removes residues or doesn't leave any residues behind, but most of the time, their dreadlocks look terrible and the shampoo is to blame. I recommend DreadHead residue free shampoo.

What do I do when my hair grows? How do I dreadlock it?

You can use the clockwise rubbing method on the DreadHeadHQ site to make your roots dreadlock.

If I get dreadlocks and I don't like them will I have to shave my hair?

You do not have to shave your head when you want to t o out the dreadlocks you don't even have to cut your hair. Here are the ways to take dreadlocks out:

1. You can cut or shave your head if you don't care about your hair, this is the
    fastest way to remove the dreadlocks.
2. Cut the deadlocks until they are about 3 inches long and then soak the rest of
    the dreadlocks in VO5 conditioner and comb them out. This will leave you
    with about 4 or 5 inches of hair.
3. You love your hair and want to keep it. Just soak the dreadlocks in VO5
    conditioner and comb them out, it may take a couple hours but you will get to
    keep your hair. Don't worry if you lose a lot of hair while you are combing
    the dreadlocks out, this is hair that would have fallen out in the day-to-day hair
    removal cycle. The only reason you still have it is because you had dreadlocks
    and dreadlocks keep the hair all knotted together.

Can I dreadlock my hair myself?

You can dreadlock your hair yourself using the backcombing, twist & rip, twist & pin, twisting, brush rubbing, dread braiding, and neglect methods.

What are natural dreadlocks?

Natural dreadlocks are dreadlocks made without the use of harsh chemicals.

What are the different methods you can make natural dreadlocks?

Backcombing
Twist and Rip
Twist and Pin
Twisting
Brush Rubbing
Dread Braiding
Neglect

How long until the dreadlocks look like dreadlocks?

The dreads will look like dreadlocks after you make them if you use the backcombing, twist and rip, twist and pin, twisting, or brush rubbing method. It will take about 3-6 months for the dreads to lock up completely with these methods. The dreads will look like dreads in about a year with the dread braiding and neglect method, and they will lock up at about the same time.

Can I wash my dreadlocks?

Yes, you can wash your dreadlocks. You should wash your dreadlocks at least once a week, but most people wash every three days. Make sure you use a residue free shampoo when you wash your dreads, it's the most important product you can use on your dreads. I recommend DreadHead residue free shampoo.

How often should I wash my dreadlocks?

You should get in the habit of washing your dreadlocks every three days, your dreadlocks will lock up fast and they will look and smell good at the same time. As long as you wash your dreads once a week you should be fine.

Do I have to stop washing my hair for a long time before I make dreadlocks?

No, actually you should wash your hair with residue free shampoo right before you make the dreadlocks and let you hair air dry.

Do I have to use a different shampoo when I have dreadlocks?

Yes, you need to use a shampoo that leaves no residues behind in your hair and removes residues that are in your hair. The reason using this kind of shampoo is so important when you have dreadlocks is because dreadlocks like to hold stuff. When you have normal hair the residues are free to fall out and fall out while you are brushing your hair, but when you have dreadlocks you don't brush your hair, and the hair isn't free to let the residues fall out. So the residues begin to build up, and after a while they can cause the dreadlocks to mold. The residues also lubricate the hair, so the knots can't tighten as much as they could if there were no residues there. I recommend DreadHead residue free shampoo.

Is wax good for dreadlocks?

Wax is great for dreadlocks, it helps moisturize them while holding together while they are new, and it is a great conditioner for older dreadlocks. I recommend DreadHead Wax.

Is Aloe good for dreadlocks?

Aloe is a good dread conditioner, but only use it as a dread conditioner, it can't hold new knots together at all.

After you wash them, squeeze the extra water out, then put them in a dry towel (one that doesn't shed) for about 10 minutes. Then let them air dry or dry them with a hair dryer. They also have these nifty hair dryers that have a plastic bag which fills with hot air and dries your dreads faster. These will leave your dreads tight and fluffy. I found one at Sally's Beauty Supply.

Only wax your dreads when they're dry. Dry and warm them with a blow dryer while you wax them if possible. This will help the wax settle into the dreads where it does the most good. More wax does not make them dread faster. Only use enough wax to hold loose hairs down. During the first 3 weeks you'll want to keep some wax on the dreads all the time. A little goes a long way, add small amounts at a time and work it in completely before moving on the next dread. Only reapply wax after it has been washed away, you won't need to re-wax every day. After your dreadlocks mature a bit and feel tighter they will need less and less wax. When your dreads start to feel dry work some wax in to moisturize them and prevent breakage.

One routine that works really well is to alternate your maintenance weekly.
Week A you wash, use the accelerator, then palmroll and clockwise rub for a few hours before adding wax.
Week B you wash, use the accelerator, then palmroll and clockwise rub as often as possible, but don't add wax. During the B week your dreads will be a bit frizzy, but frizzy is good for starting new knots. During week B the new knots form, and during week A they work on turning from knots to dreads."