Maintaining Dreadlocks
Keeping your dreadlocks in tip-top condition is as easy as 1-2-3. Here's how...
You've taken the time to grow your locks, so it's important, and only fair, that you go the extra mile to take good care of them. The first and most pivotal step is to ensure that your dreads are clean, moisturised and given regular treatments to keep breakage at bay. Follow these three important steps to maintain your crown:
1. WASH
To keep dreads clean and odour-free, it's crucial to avoid product build-up. Clean locks become tighter and require less maintenance, while dirty locks can break and lead to hair loss. Wash your hair at least once a week to allow your scalp to produce natural oils. Gently massage the shampoo into your scalp and make sure to rinse it all out. Let your dreads hang down and squeeze out as much water as you can with a towel.
2. TREAT
You can choose between a conditioner or hot oil. A hair conditioner comes in a liquid, thick cream or spray form and is applied and rinsed off after a few minutes. It will help your hair grow healthily and strong, and improve the texture of your hair. A hot oil treatment is a deep-conditioning treatment that hydrates the scalp, improves the texture of the hair and helps minimise breakage.
3. MOISTURISE
Your hair needs to be fed, so make sure to moisturise, and then some more. To achieve great results with your locks, you have to spray, base and moisturise it with products such as Jabu Stone, Styling Dredz and Sta-Sof-Fro. Use the pads of your fingers to massage in the product, bit by bit.
1. NOT DEALING WITH BAD ODOUR
Nothing is as unattractive as bad hair odour. The number one culprit is sweating, which happens on a daily basis. The fluids get trapped on the outer layer of the scalp, leading to dandruff. That, alongside product build-up, leads to bad odour, which is then absorbed by the rest of the hair. You don't have to wash your hair every day to prevent a funky smell, but do use a spray shampoo at least once a week to maintain freshness.
2. CONSTANTLY PLAITING
We love dreadlocks that are styled neatly, but try to give your hair a break every now and again. When your hairline is under strain for long periods of time, it will disappear, bit by bit – hello njibaba! Make it a habit to advise your hairstylist to not pull your hair too tightly. Also, don't keep the same style for longer than three weeks, and when possible, let your locks hang loose to give the hairline a break.
3. OVER MOISTURISING
Yes, we did say you must moisturise your crown regularly, but don't overdo it. Using too many products at the same time weighs down your hair and clogs up the scalp, which leaves little room for it to breathe. The trick is to use single products that boost moisture in one go. If you prefer a moisturising spray, for example, then you don't need to apply a cream as well.