How to Maintain Dreadlocks

Dreadlocks are a popular and natural way to wear your hair. Anyone can wear their hair in dreads and maintaining them is no harder than maintaining a non-dread hairstyle. If your hair is short you can still wear dreads with extensions. Your stylist can either place natural hair extensions in your hair and then form dreads, or she can form dreads first with the human hair extensions and then place the dreads in your hair. Either way will give you a natural and stunning look.

Keep Them Clean

Once you have your dreads, you’ll need to take care of them. Dreadlocks form by backcombing and twisting your hair into dreads, or locks. The hair forms locks by binding together and keeping them healthy is easy with the right techniques and products. The first thing you need to do is keep them clean. Dreads are a very clean way to wear your hair, and if you cleanse them properly will last as long as you want to wear them.

First use shampoo made for dreadlocks. Regular shampoos have too many conditioners which can make your hair slick and not lock properly. They also have ingredients which are hard to rinse out of your locks. This can cau

se product build up and an itchy scalp. Your scalp is your main focus for care. Gently massage it while you are washing your hair and try not to disturb your dreads too much. The shampoo will run into your dreads and keep them clean.

Gently rinse your scalp and hair. You can squeeze your dreads to be sure they’re rinsed properly. Use a gently touch when you’re towel drying your hair. Only squeeze your dreads, don’t rub them. Make sure your hair is completely dry before you apply any styling or conditioning products. Since your dreads are so dense, they will take a while to dry. Not letting them dry completely before applying wax or tightening gel may give them a musty smell from trapped moisture and mildew that can form.

Keep Them Tight

About six weeks after your new dreads form you will need to apply some dread wax. This protects them and helps them to stay locked. Only use a bit, you can always add more if you need to. Inspect your dreads every other day and apply wax as needed. If you find your locks are getting loose, you can apply a bit of tightening gel. Once again, a little goes a long way so use it sparingly.

Twist your dreads as often as you think of it. This strengthens the locks and helps new growth form into locks. Have your stylist check out your dreads every four to six weeks and ask her which products she recommends for their care. If you take care of your dreads, you can wear them as long as you like and look great.