Please can someone explain dredlocks to me

[RTKangaMummy]

Please can you satisfy my noseyness

How are dredlocks done?

How do they stay in place?

What happens when you wash the hair?

Thanks

thought u didn't wash dreadlocks?

That is one of the ideas I had

But does that mean when you washit they fall out?

have alook here til someone else comes along who actually knows what they are talking about

Thanks that is brilliant info

Dreadlocs are just bits of hair twisted and left, which then matt/fuse together. They are a long term hair style which once established can have layers cut into them, styled, curled etc, but not combed.

There are various methods to start them off, see mumofmonsters link ()

With people of African or/and Caribbean heritage, dreadlocs stay in place because of the curl pattern which African/Caribbean hair has. The curlier the hair the easier for dreadlocs to establish.

The difference between European hair and African/Caribbean hair is all in the curl pattern which is as a result of the hair follicle. European hair follicles are generally round, the less symmetrical the curlier the hair. African/Caribbean hair is curly to ensure the scalp is not burn in the sun, introducing moisture (eg sweat) would actually increase the curl and thus scalp protection.

Yes you wash your hair when wearing dreadlocs!! In fact the more you wash the hair the tighter the curl and thus the quicker the dreadlocs takes. One would just was one's hair normally.

Hope that is not TMI!

In contrast in the heat European hair goes lank if straight exposing the scalp to the sun.

(burnt not burn)

Caucasian hair also tends to get greasy if it's not washed but African hair actually gets dry & needs moisture added to prevent brittleness. I had to explain this to my (white) partner to prevent him washing our children's hair everyday. He said that his hair would be an oil slick if he didn't wash it for a few days, which is a totally alien idea to me . I think this tendency for greasiness adds to the difficulty in locking caucasian hair: need to not wash hair daily in order for it to lock but not washing it daily causes caucasian hair to get greasy.