Why a Dread Detox is crucial for healthy dreadlocks

 

No matter how clean you think your dreadlocks are I guarantee that there is plenty of residue buildup inside. Even the best shampoos that claim to be “residue free”, including shampoos designed for dreadlocks, often leave residue behind. In this section you’ll learn why doing a routine Dread Cleanse/Dread Detox is crucial to deep cleaning and removing buildup in dreadlocks!

 

1. Baking soda absorbs oil and residue

Residue buildup is mainly due to ingredients in shampoos that don’t wash out and the accumulation of sebum from your scalp. Sebum is an oily secretion of the glands on your scalp which may sound gross, however it is a very natural part of having a healthy scalp. Sebum production is only a problem when it builds up inside your dreadlocks.

Soaking in baking soda water will leave you with a fresh scalp and lighter, healthier dreadlocks by removing buildup!

 

2. ACV rinse balances the pH levels

Apple Cider Vinegar keeps your scalp at a healthy pH level, which contributes to a healthy amount of sebum production.

More on pH levels in the “MUST KNOW” section below!

 

3. Prevents mold, mildew, lice, etc.

Apple Cider Vinegar contains acetic acid which is a powerful antimicrobial that kills bacteria and fungus. I’m sure no one wants anything to do with these problems.. Do I have to explain more?

 

4. Even more benefits of using ACV!

There are many benefits of doing a Dread Detox with ACV rinse for your dreadlocks. Here are a few to boast:

• Softens rough feeling dreadlocks
• Tames frizzy and fuzzy hair
• Stimulates hair growth
• Can help prevent hair loss
• Reduces split ends and breakage

Dread Detox guidelines you MUST follow

There are a few key details you must do correctly to avoid damaging your dreadlocks which I have outlined below. This is a MUST READ if you’re doing to do a deep cleanse!

 

1. You MUST follow up with ACV

Although baking soda is very effective at removing excess oil and shampoo residue, it is VERY harsh on your scalp! In this section I’ll explain some basic information about pH levels and how that applies to our dread cleanse.

The importance of following up with ACV mainly comes down to pH levels. According to Wikipedia, pH is a numeric scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. In layman’s terms it tells us how acidic or alkaline a water soluble substance is on a scale from 0-14.

A healthy scalp will range between 4.5 and 5.5 on the pH scale. Baking soda, on the other hand, has an extremely alkaline rating of 9. Apple cider vinegar has a pH rating of around 4. To put things simply, baking soda is very harsh because it creates an imbalance with the pH of your scalp. Following the Baking Soda soak with Apple Cider Vinegar will neutralize and dilute the Baking Soda and balance the pH of your hair and scalp back to the healthy level that it loves.

 

2. Only deep cleanse 3-4 times per year

Using too much baking soda and/or using it too frequently may contribute to stripping too much oil and sebum from your hair and scalp. This excessive stripping can lead to an overproduction of oils because your scalp is trying to balance and replace the oils that you strip with baking soda.

Using baking soda in place of shampoo is not recommended for this reason.

Alternatively, you can still ACV rinse locs after your normal washes on a regular basis. But I recommend only using baking soda for deep cleaning purposes a few times per year.

 

3. Be aware of Hard Water

I’ve recently moved to an area with very hard water and it has really been taking a toll on my scalp and my dreadlocks.

Instead of using water from the tap I use drinkable water from a large 5 gallon jug. This is recommended to avoid the minerals that are present in hard water that reduce the effectiveness of shampoos and this deep cleanse.

 

4. ACV Soaking vs. ACV Rinsing

If you’ve followed along with the information above it may have raised a question in your mind asking “will a simple rinse actually penetrate my dreadlocks deep enough to neutralize the effects of the baking soda???”

This question raises the debate of soaking with ACV versus simply rinsing with ACV.

I personally think that soaking in ACV water would be far more effective from a theoretical standpoint, however my personal experience has always given me better results doing a rinse.

Feel free to remove the water after your baking soda soak, replace it with new water and apple cider vinegar, and try a soak instead of a rinse. However, you do not want to soak for more than 3-5 minutes in ACV. It can loosen your knots which can lead to your ends coming open, or just general loosening. 3 minutes is perfect.

How to do a Dread Cleanse

STEP 1 – Gather your necessities

STEP 2 – prepare your water bottle

STEP 3 – Place your towels

STEP 4 – Fill your wash basin

STEP 5 – Add baking soda

STEP 6 – Soak for 15-20 minutes

STEP 7 – Squeeze your dreadlocks

STEP 8 – ACV rinse your dreadlocks

We hope your Dread Detox went well and hopefully your water wasn’t too dirty! We highly recommend using one of our top rated shampoos to keep that water a little clearer for your next Dread Cleanse.

Different types of Rubber Bands for Dreadlocks

 

Before we get into the “why and how” portion of this post we must explain that there are two main types of rubber bands you are likely to find.

Neither of these two types of rubber bands are better or worse. Each type is just different and has different pros and cons associated with Dreadlocks.

Dreadlock Rubber Bands Guidelines

 

1. Don’t make the rubber bands too loose or too tight!

Elastic rubber bands that are too loose are ineffective and tend to slide off, which is just a waste of time. However, elastic bands that are too tight (especially at the roots) can inhibit the locking process, restricting hair movement to form the knots needed for dreadlocks.

Standard rubber bands that are too loose are sometimes effective due to the “grippy” nature of the rubber itself, which holds onto the hair better than elastics. However, when these rubber bands are made too tight it can also restrict hair movement therefore restricting the locking process.

It’s good to find a middle ground. Experiment with different tightness until you find a happy medium where the hair is held in place without being too tight to restrict hair movement within the dreadlock itself.

 

2. Do not leave rubber bands in dreadlocks for too long.

Leaving standard rubber bands in dreadlocks for an extended period of time may lead to the dreadlock “eating” or “absorbing” the rubber band into the dreadlock. The hair simply starts to cover and consume the rubber band. This will result in making it very difficult, almost impossible to remove the rubber band later on. It also leads to the rubber band to decompose which will form into a sticky gooey mess within your dreadlock. This gooey mess is very difficult to remove later on and is something you want to avoid entirely.

Leaving elastic rubber bands in for too long that are also too tight will lead to the “hourglass effect”. The hourglass effect is when a dreadlock is constricted with a rubber band or string at one spot for too long. The dreadlock grows out and the area constricted by the rubber band or string does not knot up, leading to a weak section that may break off as your dreadlocks get older.

 

3. Only use rubber bands if you have no other choice.

We recommend not using rubber bands at all. First of all you simply don’t NEED rubber bands to have dreadlocks, and second they aren’t effective enough to outweigh the cons of misuse. We say just don’t even use them at all. In some cases you can use dreadlock beads in place of rubber bands which will give you the same, or even better results, without the problems caused by rubber bands.

Why use Dreadlock Rubber Bands?

 

1. To form clean sections during a dreadlock installation.

This is the best use for rubber bands, and it’s the only time we EVER use them.

You simply section off your hair and make small pony tails with tiny rubber bands. Doing this gives you clean and neatly organized sections before you proceed to your installation method.

 

2. Keeps the loose hair around the roots neat and tidy.

I see this being the most common use of rubber bands in dreadlocks. Since not all the hair that grows out from the scalp is contained in the dreadlock this is a logical way to hold the loose hair to the dreadlock.

While this may be a solution, it’s not necessarily a good one. We’ll talk more about this later in the post.

 

3. Keeps the tip of the dreadlock closed/blunted/rounded.

Some people use rubber bands at the tips of their dreadlocks to help keep the hair contained and prevent having loose/wispy/open ended dreadlocks.

 

4. To combine two or more dreads into one dreadlock – aka Congo.

Combining dreadlocks is done by simply gathering two neighboring dreadlocks and grouping them together with a rubber band directly at the roots.

The idea is to hold the dreadlocks close together at the scalp which to encourage them to grow into each other. Over time, as they grow out, they will form one dreadlock.

 

5. Holds a permanent dreadlock extension nice and tight.

Some people think that using rubber bands where their extensions are attached will keep them tighter for longer. Although this may have some truth to it there is a much more effective way; use beads instead.

By sliding a very tight bead over the connection of your extensions you will have a much tighter result without having to worry about other rubber band issues. We always recommend using beads over rubber bands for dreadlock extensions.

Pros and Cons of Rubber Band Dreads

RUBBER BAND DREADS SUMMARY:

 

We recommend avoiding Rubber Bands in Dreads for all of the reasons listed in this article. We simply don’t believe there is any need for rubber bands if you use an effective method from the start. Alternatively, if you need something to tighten your dreadlocks we suggest using beads as a much better solution. We hope this information will save you from the problems associated with Rubber Band Dreads. Be sure to help your friends out by sharing this post with anyone you know who uses rubber bands in their dreadlocks.

Crochet Dreads – what exactly is it?

 

Crochet Dreadlocks is a method that uses a very, very small crochet hook to install or maintain dreadlocks. This method is not to be confused with latch hooking, which we will explain in greater detail within this post.

Although this method has been around for well over a decade, it has not been widely recognized by the hair industry as an effective way to install and/or maintain dreadlocks. Therefore you shouldn’t expect to walk into an everyday salon to get your dreadlocks crocheted, almost none of them have any idea what crocheting dreadlocks actually involves.

The majority of our clients come to us after a horror story from visiting a salon and we always manage to fix those problems for the short term AND the long term with this method. Hence, our conviction to crocheting dreads.

Despite the lack of this method in salons, it is growing in popularity and we’re very pleased about that. There are several reputable salons and individuals across the United States that crochet dreadlocks on a highly professional level.

Pros and Cons of Crocheting Dreads

Different variations of the Dreadlock Crochet method

 

From what I’m aware of, there are two main variations of the crochet method.

• *Micro Loops
• *Crochet Wrapping

*These are unofficial terms we’re using within this article simply to identify each variation 

Crocheting is NOT the same thing as latchooking!

 

Be warned! Most salons consider interlocking (aka latchooking/rootflipping) to be the same thing as crocheting dreadlocks!

The reason salons mistake this term is because the latch hook is considered a crochet hook, however these methods are entirely different.

DO NOT allow a salon to “Crochet your locs”, no matter how confident they seem to be, unless you show them a video of the method and you explain yourself fully. Most salons have absolutely no idea what crocheting is and they simply misinterpret your request as interlocking.

Crocheting dreadlocks is a very refined skill that takes weeks to understand and years to master. So, if a salon has never crocheted dreadlocks but make you all kinds of promises I would recommend running in the opposite direction, which leads me to my next point.

Dreadlocks falling off because you crochet dreads!?!?

 

This is one of those controversial topics and I’d like to clear it up right now.

CROCHET HOOKS DO NOT MAKE YOUR DREADLOCKS FALL OFF! If your dreads fall off and you’re using a crochet hook that means YOU are the problem, not the method. You’re doing something wrong!

Saying crochet hooks make dreadlocks fall off is the equivalent of saying that forks make people fat. The problem is not the method or the tool used for that method, the problem is the person using the tool the wrong way!

If you want to learn to crochet dreadlocks, we highly recommend buying fake hair to practice on first. You’ll want to intentionally break hair and listen for the distinct “snap” so you know what breaking hair sounds like. And although that’s a great start, you can still damage old or brittle hair without hearing that distinct snapping. As a rule of thumb for crochet newbies, I recommend learning on fake hair first and then only crocheting your roots every 2-3 months. That’s a great way to avoid 90% of the damage you could otherwise incur.

How to avoid damage with the crochet method

 

1. Use the right size crochet hooks

Using hooks too large can actually cause more breakage than anticipated, yet using hooks too small can be frustrating for people just starting out.

We typically use 0.4mm and 0.5mm crochet hooks for the work we do on our clients, however starting out will be easier with a 0.6mm crochet hook. And we also recommend using the soft touch crochet hooks over the skinny ones because of the ergonomic grip, and you have greater control over the direction the hook is facing, which is important.

2. Avoid crocheting bleach or aged hair

The most brittle hair is bleached hair and old hair that hasn’t been moisturized. This hair is the most prone to damage and therefore should be avoided.

Young healthy hair is much stronger and far less prone to breakage. The new growth at the roots is almost always the best hair to crochet since it’s strong and healthy.

 

3. Practice on fake hair first

We always recommend to learn the crochet method on fake hair first. Doing this can really help you prevent damage to your own dreadlocks.

You’ll want to intentionally break some of this hair so you’re more familiar with how it sounds and feels.

Another thing we recommend is vigorously washing the extensions you make with the fake hair. Washing vigorously will show you if you’ve been effective or not. It’s very easy to make a dreadlock look good, but whether the tightness lasts or not is a different story.

We walk you through the process every step of the way teaching you How to Crochet Dreads for Beginners here.

 

4. Seek out a professional

This is easier said than done for most people. It’s virtually impossible to find a salon that is thoroughly experienced with this method.

We offer our crochet services to Washington DC, Baltimore, Northern Virginia, and the metropolitan areas surrounding these locations.

Visit our Dreadlock Service Page to learn more and to get set up with an appointment!

Will the Dreadlock Crochet method work for my hair type??

 

Yes! 99% of the time it works as long as you can find a properly trained or experienced veteran of the crochet method.

South African Dreadlocks are my personal favorite dreadlocks to work with. The tight kinkiness of the hair works so well with our crochet methods and it is very easy to find bulk hair to match if we ever need to strengthen or re-attach Afro Dreadlocks.

In South Africa the crochet method is common and abundant. I’ve been told stories of crochet shops that compete with each other on the same street, and some people even grow out their dreadlocks just to sell them for profit. This shows the high demand for crochet dreads in South Africa.

Unfortunately, this method is much more scarce, forcing South Africans to struggle to find anyone who crochets dreadlocks the way they get it done back in their homeland. Many resort to twisting or interlocking methods which lead to their dreadlocks thinning out and breaking off. We’ve re-attached many South African Dreadlocks as a result.

We love our South African clients and hope to prevent many of these problems in the future!

Our entire business is based on finding a method that worked best for Caucasian hair types. I myself am Caucasian of German descent and after dealing with backcombing and wax with my first set of dreadlocks I knew there was a better way! So I did as much research as I could and started crocheting my dreadlocks. This was EXACTLY what I was looking for and I haven’t looked back since.

The crochet method will prevent or fix just about any problem you are likely to encounter with Caucasian Dreadlocks. Learn more about How to dread straight hair here.

Asian hair is among the most difficult to form dreadlocks with. The silky texture of Asian hair makes it completely impossible to use the twist/re-twist method or twist and rip, and it can be extremely difficult to backcomb as well. This leads us to crocheting, which is by far the most effective method for Asian Dreadlocks!

Latino hair types can also vary quite a bit, we’ve had hair types that cooperate very well and then we’ve had a few that have been almost impossible to work with.

Hispanic hair types tend to be very diverse, just as Caucasian hair types are. Therefore, the crochet method is almost always the best solution since other methods rely on specific hair types to work well.

Mixed Races

 

We’ve crocheted just about any mix of hair type you can imagine, including:

• Puerto Rican/Native American
• Japanese/Guam/Italian
• Korean/African American
• plus many more!

 

Almost all of our mixed race clients have the same story, they go to a salon for a re-twist or interlocking, and have problems later on that they hire us to fix.

This is an unfortunate trend that we see all too often, but at least we can fix their problems with the Crochet method that we use!

My completely BIASED rant as a dreadlock professional after working with ALL hair types:

 

• I believe that crocheting is 110% absolutely the BEST method
  • ALL hair types can be crocheted
  • Practically any problem can be fixed with crocheting
  • There is no need for ANY product, in fact products are discouraged when crocheting dreads
  • Tight dreadlocks are created almost instantly, especially for kinky hair
• I’ve been crocheting my own dreadlocks along with our client’s dreadlocks for over 5 years
• We’ve fixed many problems due to twisting and interlocking countless times

CROCHET DREADS SUMMARY:

 

Although this method is gaining in awareness and popularity, and it’s being sought after more and more, I’m still surprised at how rare it is for a salon to use this method.

I’ve been using ONLY this method for years because I learned very early on that it is hands down the most effective short term AND long term way to maintain dreadlocks for EVERY SINGLE HAIR TYPE!

There’s a reason I have such a high success rate with my clients and I have never had anyone unsatisfied with the work I’ve done by using a crochet hook.

I believe this method will slowly become accepted as the best way to maintain dreadlocks and Dreadlock Central is focused on helping to move the dreadlock community closer to this acceptance.

If you’re seeking professional help crocheting your dreadlocks you’ve come to the right place because that’s exactly what we do! To hire us to crochet your dreadlocks please visit our service page, select the service you want, read the page and fill out the form and we’ll respond with a custom quote!

Interlocking Dreads – what exactly is it?

 

Interlocking Dreadlocks is a maintenance method which involves pulling the end of the dreadlock back through the base of the root. This method tightens each dreadlock by twisting the hair at the base of the dreadlock. It is also known as “root flipping” or “latch hooking dreads”.

Many salons consider “crocheting” the same thing as “interlocking”. This is because the Loctician will typically use a latch-crochet hook to pull the dreadlock through the root. To avoid miscommunication with a salon always ask “Do you use a “latch crochet hook to interlock” or if they use a “small crochet hook, without a latch, to create very small loops inside the dreadlock instead of interlocking”. Salons will also use the term “Latch Hooking Dreads” when they are referring to interlocking dreads.

Why do Salons interlock or latch hook dreads?

Pros and Cons of Interlocking Dreadlocks

My completely BIASED rant as a dreadlock professional after working with ALL hair types

• All of our clients who have interlocked their dreadlocks in the past have regretted doing so. They’ve all come to us to fix their problems!
• Salons usually don’t know how to deal with non-kinky dreadlocks and this is a quick fix they often use to deal with hair types they are not familiar with.
• It is very difficult, time-consuming, and often impossible to undo interlocking in order to fix the problem properly.
• I’ve seen plenty of damage and detached dreadlocks directly caused by the effects of interlocking dreads.
• Some of our clients wanted to avoid interlocking, so they brought that point up to the Salon. Since some salons consider interlocking the same thing as “crocheting”, the Salon proceeds to interlock their dreadlocks anyways! The client is frustrated by finding out later that the salon did exactly what the client didn’t want them to do!
• Alternatively, it seems to be ok in some cases as long as the dreadlocks have ALWAYS been interlocked. From what I can tell, most problems with interlocking happen when a dreadlock that is already established is interlocked and then not maintained for an extended period of time and left to lock up naturally again or with a different method.
• After all the problems I’ve seen it totally baffles me that this method is still used so widely.

One of many negative experiences of interlocking from one of our clients herself:

 

“Recently I moved to the United States from South Africa and I was having a difficult time finding a salon to crochet my dreadlocks the same way as back home. Then I found a salon that had promised to do my dreadlocks just the way I wanted. When I spoke with the lady I told her exactly how I wanted her to do them with a crochet hook. She started interlocking my dreads which was not what I asked for and it was extremely painful. I told her that this is not what I wanted but she said that this is how they start (by interlocking) then she will do them just as I wanted. Once the lady finished interlocking she moved on to styling my hair and I was not impressed with this at all.

 

I personally feel that interlocking my dreadlocks was the worst thing I could ever do! My dreadlocks had big knots from interlocking and I noticed they were also holding residue build up. At this point I just wanted to cut my hair but instead I decided to try to find a Loctician one more time. I told myself that if I don’t have luck this time around I would definitely cut my hair. After looking online I ended up in the right hands of Dreadlock Central. I was so impressed with how they crocheted my dreadlock just the way I was used to back home! No products used and no interlocking dreads. They brought back my faith in my dreadlocks, and now I don’t want to cut them anymore since I found what my hair was longing for. I am very happy with Dreadlock Central and will absolutely go back again to them for crocheted maintenance.”

INTERLOCKING SUMMARY:

 

I personally despise this method, and for good reason! Interlocking can lead to irreversible problems such as dreadlocks thinning out and even breaking off, residue buildup at the interlocked location. Also, it often leaves the dreadlock in a “braided” or “large knot” that can split the roots and prevent the dreadlock from forming properly.

Despite these long term problems, salons love to use this method because it’s fast, easy, and shows immediate results. But it’s just that; a quick fix which more often than not leads to long term problems.

And once it’s done it can be very difficult or completely impossible to reverse the effects of interlocking dreads.

We highly recommend avoiding interlocking your dreadlocks for all of the reasons listed in this article. In our opinion Crocheting dreadlocks is the superior method. Crocheting is the only method we use no matter what hair type we are working with. If you’re seeking professional help crocheting your dreadlocks you’ve come to the right place! To hire us to work on your dreadlocks please read over our service request page and fill out the form at the bottom! Or learn how to make dreadlocks at home with our educational courses! We strive to prevent ineffective methods from ruining your dreadlocks!