5.1.4 – Risk Mitigation for Breaking Hair

WHAT THIS LESSON CONTAINS:

• Damage is inevitable, learn how to minimize it
Breaking hair is inevitable with any active maintenance method – exceptions would be free-from, neglect, or palm-rolling methods. This video will cover everything you need to know about damaging hair and minimizing that damage.

• Damage with aged hair
The older the hair gets, the more likely it is to be brittle and break when trying to crochet it. This is especially true for hair that hasn’t been moisturized or has split ends. Most of the work we do is focused on the hair near the scalp, which is the strongest

• Pulling bulbs out from the scalp
When working with the roots of the dreadlocks the crochet hook will be tugging on individual hairs which will sometimes pull the bulb of the hair out of the scalp. Obviously this is not an ideal result and some people seem to be more prone to this than others. Most of the time this isn’t much of an issue other than the client experiencing tenderness after the work is done. And typically the bulb grows back and produces hair growth again.

• Damage with processed hair
Bleach is absolutely horrendous for dreadlocks in the long term, and often problematic in the short term as well. Straightened hair is also chemically processed and more damage prone. The most ideal situations is to work with hair that has never been chemically processed. Obviously these situations are problematic and we highly encourage working with hair that has never been processed.

• Damage with specific hair types
Extremely fine hair is often more damage prone. Afro hair is also more damage prone. These hair textures tend to work better with much shorter strokes and smaller crochet hooks. We will elaborate further on this topic in future lessons.

• Damage with over maintenance
We’ve seen some clients learn a few things and take it to an extreme by doing it daily. Then we show up their next appointment and half their hair has broken off.. When it comes to healthy dreadlocks, moderation plays an important roll, whether that’s washing, maintenance, or products. Too much of anything is usually not a good idea so take it easy.. We often recommend monthly root maintenance as the most frequent schedule. Of course exceptions can be made for small random fixes. But the core of your maintenance schedule should be routine and moderate.

• How to know if you’re breaking hair?
The most obvious indicator for normal healthy hair is a distinct “snap” sound. However, really old and brittle hair will be far less obvious and you’ll have to visually inspect the hair. If you see nothing but loops you’re good to go. If you see short segments of hair sticking out you’re most likely breaking hair. The other indicator is if you see bulbs sticking out near the scalp.

• Difference in hooks
Some hooks seem to “scratch” or “drag” along the hair more than others as it pulls through the dreadlock. This is the signature “chicka, chicka” sound you hear. That sound is completely normal. However, in theory, the quieter the sound, the less drag is occuring.