When it comes to a unique style, dreadlocks are maybe one of the most daring yet fashionable hairstyles a woman can wear. Unfortunately, they can become a nightmare quite fast if you don’t know how to give them the appropriate maintenance. Don’t be that one girl who had to cut off her long dreads because her hair was almost dead after a few months of sporting them. In today’s post, I’m going to teach you everything you need to know to keep your dreads healthy.
Ultimate Guide to Take Care of your Dreadlocks
1. How to wash dreadlocks
Forget about your regular shampoo. It doesn’t matter how nice it smells or how silky and conditioned it leaves your hair after a wash, none of that is useful when you have dreads. Your main objective when purchasing a shampoo, from now on, is to find the one that leaves the less amount of residue on your hair.
Once you have found your ideal residue free shampoo, or even a shampoo specifically made for dreadlocks, you need to wet your dreads very well. I recommend you to wash your hair using a recipient full of water. Why? Because wet dreads are heavy and you don’t want to put any more stress over your roots and shed more hair than you should.
Once they are wet, put a generous amount of shampoo on your hands, create lather with it and then spread it all over each dread and on your scalp. Be gentle when cleaning your dreads and take your time. To wash the shampoo off, rinse each dread to make sure it is product free. Then, patiently, squeeze the water off your dreads. Don’t twist them or you will be harming your tresses and your roots.
2. How to dry dreadlocks
Grab a microfiber towel and dry each lock individually. I know, you must be a little tired of having to put so much dedication into your hair, but the results will pay off. Your dreadlocks have to be very dry or they will end up smelling like wet and old clothes. And, as you know, humid and dark places are the perfect environment for mold to grow. The best way to avoid mold is by using a microfiber towel and then letting your hair air dry or blow dry it with cold air.
3. Massage your scalp
I have been recommending scalp massages to my readers for a long time, it’s one of my favorite tips to take care of your hair. Whether you use hot rollers to get amazing and bouncy curls or a hot iron, a massage is always good. But I have to highlight the importance of a good scalp massage when you have dreadlocks for the simple reason that it puts a lot of stress on your scalp and on your tresses. Take 5 minutes before bed to massage your scalp using your fingertips. It will boost blood flow and will also spread the natural oils from your scalp through your hair.
4. Sleep with a night scarf
Silk night scarfs are the best option to take care of your dreadlocks during nighttime. There is a lot of rubbing and friction involved in this hairstyle, and you don’t want any more of that for the sake of your hair. To avoid static and damage, sleep using a night scarf. If you can get a silk pillowcase, you will be doing your dreadlocks a huge favor too.
5. Alternate hairstyles
Another good secret to take care of your dreadlocks is to alternate your hairstyle. Have you seen how many people who wear dreadlocks have bald spots? Other people get their hairlines moved to the back. If you want to preserve the natural proportion of your hair, don’t style your dreadlocks in a particular way too frequently.
Instead of pushing all your dreads to one side to sport a left partition, flip them to the other side. If you like to twist your dreads and create a stylish bun with them, just don’t get used to sporting your hair that way often because that’s the main reason why people end up having bigger foreheads than they initially had.
Do you have any questions about how to take care of your dreadlocks? Let me know in the comments below if you would like further tips on how to keep your dreads healthy.
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