IMPORTANT!

Our method works best with clean dry hair. Therefore, if your hair is wet, damp, or slippery at the start of your appointment we will not be able to serve you and you will be charged a compensation fee to re-schedule. By working with us you agree to have clean dry hair at the start of each appointment.

Dreadlock Preparation

Washing

Wash 24-48 hours before your appointment and don’t use any other products between this wash and your appointment with us. It is very important that your hair is squeaky clean, dry, and free off all product. If you’re getting a new installation you can use a stripping shampoo or one of the shampoos we provide through the info in the previous paragraph.

Shampoo

It is very important that you are using a good shampoo. Many new clients come to us using shampoos that are not beneficial to dreadlocks. We highly recommend using one of the shampoos in our online Shop or you can also read our Shampoo Guide here which also lists our top 3 recommendations. If you’re using Dr. Bronners or Dollylocks we encourage you to read our post on why Castile Soaps are not good for dreadlocks.

Deep Cleanse

For established dreadlocks we highly recommend doing a deep cleanse instead of washing with shampoo if you haven’t done a deep cleanse in the past 6 months. Most of our new clients have never done a deep cleanse yet it is very important to effectively strip out excess product and oils that accumulate over time so we can do our best work with your clean hair. Learn everything you need including a step by step walk through with our Deep Cleanse Guide.

Processed Hair

We recommend getting any processed hair cut if you’re getting extensions installed. The strength and integrity of Bleached or Relaxed hair is greatly compromised when it’s processed. We highly recommended attaching the extensions to unprocessed hair for the strongest hold.

*our Permanent Loc Extension Attachment Guaruntee is not upheld when installing extensions in processed hair

Hair Cut

For new installations it is recommended that you get any split ends trimmed. The more split ends you have the more your dreadlock ends will shorten and thin out.

For installation with an undercut or mohawk it is very important that your cut is fresh before we do your installation. Any tapers will make our sectioning very difficult, clean cuts always work much better. If scheduling at our York, Pennsylvania location you can get a professional cut by Rick, all other service areas do not offer cuts and you’ll need to go to your own barber in advance.

Accessories

Remove beads, rubber bands, wraps, etc. It’s recommended to remove any unnecessary items that may effect the work we do. If you’re just getting root maintenance you don’t have to worry about beads that are half way down your dreadlocks. This isn’t a requirement, we just recommend it so we can spend our time fixing up your dreadlocks instead of fiddling with beads or string, etc..

Hat/Headband

Crocheted dreadlocks typically stick up a little bit after installation or maintenance, especially when they’re much younger and shorter. It’s a good idea to have a hat or a beanie to wear immediately after your appointment to keep them weighed down if they’re short. However, this is completely a matter of preference to you.

Education

We highly encourage you to read our Aftercare Guide to fully understand how to take care of your dreadlocks with our methods.

We also encourage anyone with dreadlocks to fully educate themselves with our education center. We strive to give the dreadlock community the most accurate information we possibly can to eliminate inaccurate misconceptions, assumptions, and “bro-science” about dreadlocks. Our articles are based on scientific evidence, countless feedback from our clients, our own personal experiences having dreadlocks, and we will soon be working with a Cosmetic Chemist and Dermatologist to dig further into the truth and to further back up our claims. Access all of our Educational Content Here.

Appointment Preparation

Chair

If possible please prepare a low sitting chair, high chairs make our work difficult. Very wide chairs also make our work difficult since we’re forced to lean over very far. The best choice tends to be a standard computer chair. Many of our clients also use a small pillow to sit on for additional comfort. In some cases we can have you sit on the floor if necessary.

Lighting

Sufficient lighting is very important for us to do our work well. Some of us travel with our own lighting, but even then low room lighting can make things challenging.

Distractions

Please remove extremely hyper pets and/or children from the area. We have no problem if your pet calms down soon after meeting us. We just don’t want any animals bumping into us while we are doing our work. And we prefer if young children are accompanied by another adult to keep them occupied if necessary. Children that climb on our clients (especially with Mothers) while we are doing our work make things difficult due to the client moving instead of sitting still.

Entertainment

We love good conversation and would love to get to know you. However, it’s always good to have some background music or movies or shows available to watch. Or cats, cats are usually pretty entertaining 🙂

Food

For long appointments, especially ones over 5 hours, we appreciate having some time to rest and refuel. Many of our clients enjoy sharing a meal with us. We can discuss and coordinate a game plan around food before hand or during your appointment.

Payment

We prefer cash, however we also accept Venmo, CashAPP, or PayPal.

Further Questions?

If you have any further questions feel free to visit our FAQ page, search our site, or contact us personally.