Before

So I want to make a timeline, but I’m also making one on dreadlocktruth.com. (the best dreadlock website!) where I can get more input and help from real dreadheads. My dreadlock journey begins July 7, 2012. I went to the Mountainland Applied Technology College to get my hair done. After my consultation I had to decide whether to spend $250+ on hair extensions (because my hair is so thin) or just get the dreadlocks in my natural hair and risk showing a lot of scalp for a while. After much research I decided to just get the dreadlocks because I know with a lot of time, patience, and care I can make them look good. My ultimate goal is to have dreads that look like these: Thin, neat, feminine, and not too messy. Of course, no two people’s dreads look the same. They all have a personality of their own. We will have to see how mine turn out.

Reasons for getting dreadlocks?

  1. My hair is extremely thin and there is no way to wear it in public without running an iron through it or putting it in an ugly ponytail.
  2. My hair is very damaged from repeated use of irons, hair dye, blow driers, and perms. (2/3 of it is actually frizzy from damage)
  3. I have not found any way to thicken up my hair. Biotin didn’t even work for me, it just left me with tons of acne.
  4. Dreadlocks bulk up and make your hair seem thicker and more full, which is what I’ve always wanted.
  5. I don’t think I’ll have the urge to change my hair anymore because you can put almost anything in dreads to decorate them and change them up all you want. Meaning no more damaging products – except the occasional hair dye!

Before

Hopefully these photos help give an idea of my hair type – very thin and straight-ish. This video (1 month before dreading) shows my hair after it’s been straightened.Β This video (3 months before dreading) shows how damaged, frizzy, layered, and thin my hair is. It also shows my lovely bum πŸ™‚

Advertisement

12 thoughts on “Before

  1. wow im so glad i came across this, i think its socool you decided to get dreads, i myself am also plannign on getting them (im a guy btw) Im digging your webpage πŸ™‚ quick question, i noticed the two pictures you put up with the two girls with dreads, which one is the one on the right ? it seems to me maybe she bleached her hair cuz it looks lighter than the left one, anyways, if you can reply back with her name that be awesome, sick timeline once again !!

  2. Thanks man! I wish I knew who she was because I’d love to see more pics of her dreads. But if I find out I’ll let you know! πŸ™‚

  3. Sarah, seeing your page has filled me with hope. I too, have terribly thin hair that simply will never look good. I’ve always loved dreadlocks, but read online a lot that your dreads wont look good if your hair is thin
    Seeing your page is encouraging. Regardless, we aren’t really loosing anything by taking the chance. I hope your dreads turn out beautiful.

    • Dreads will always look good if you take care of them properly πŸ™‚ And even during their weird stages they are fun to play with, so I say take a chance! Thank you! I’m sure they will be beautiful someday even if it takes a little longer than the average person.

  4. Sarah!! I’m so happy that I found you… I’ve always wanted dreadlocks in my head. But my fear of have few and thin hair has been a struggle for me. I got the same hair that you used to have. But I found your website and there is absolutely no doubt that I’m going for the dreadlocks. You look stunning!! thanks for sharing your experience and beautiful journey of your dreads.

    • Thank you Fernanda! I’m glad you’re going for it. I’ve never been so happy with my hair as I am now. You won’t be disappointed. Just be sure to have lots and lots of patience. If you need any advice, you can always ask me here. πŸ™‚

  5. Thanks Sarah, thats very kind of you. I have some questions for you πŸ™‚
    I was thinking of doing the dreadlocks in summer (now) but I have a very oily hair. So I don’t wont an extra oily hair in the summer… winter maybe it’s a pretty good idea to do it. But I wont them so much jeeee
    The oily hair helps the making of the dreadlocks or it difficults? πŸ™‚

    • Fernanda, oily hair will be difficult to knot up. Dry hair knots best. But if you’re looking to make your less oily I’d try using the method described here. My hair almost never gets oily these days. Good luck with your journey!

  6. Sarahhhhhhhhhhhh! I need some serious loc advice. Like you, I have very thin hair. I have been admiring locs for decades now and have been seriously considering them for about 5 years. I am so ready to take the leap… just wanted to make sure it is the right choice for me. I am currently looking for a professional in my area to start them for me, if I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna do it right!! I am no good with hair anyway, so there’s no way I can start them myself. Do you prefer crochet or twist-and-rip? I will be sure to follow your blog… thank you for your advice!! πŸ™‚

    • Now that I’ve had them for quite a while and done my research I do not recommend the crochet method. Many dreadheads have said that it breaks the hairs and creates weak dreads. I recommend twist & rip, backcomb, or natural. I’ve only done backcomb, which was extremely painful, but much quicker than natural/neglect. If I were to give it a try again I might do twist & rip. The only other thing I recommend is finding someone who will not put wax in your hair. You will hate it!! Most dreadheads end up starting over because they can’t get the wax out. But if you find you don’t have a choice (I didn’t think I did), you can remove wax with vinegar. Good luck on your journey and let me know if you have any questions! You can also check out http://www.dreadlocktruth.com, which has lots of great people who helped answer all my questions when I started.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s