Dreadlock Installation

Generally speaking, yes, you will see your scalp. However, this can be adjusted to your preference to some extent. Some people want their sections to be in perfect lines and visible where others want a more natural look that hides the lines of your sections. Each hair type varies but this can be adjusted on some level.

For the crochet method, yes, the shorter your dreadlocks are the more they’ll stick up. With medium length you’ll notice a “lift”, and for longer dreadlocks and extensions you shouldn’t experience any visibly noticeable lift.

The stiff look is only temporary however, if you wear a hat for the first day or wrap them for sleeping they will maintain the way they lay under your hat or wrap. Also, after a wash or two they will start to relax.

The amount of length lost will vary based on your hair type, installation method, and whether you want your ends open or closed.

For Kinky hair, you’ll only loose 1-3 inches in most cases. For Straighter hair with open ends you’ll typically lose 2-4 inches. When you close your ends you’ll typically loose 2-6 inches. And finally, for hair that is brittle or thinned at the ends you will lose more length.

We recommend once every 2-3 months. This time frame seems to be a happy and healthy medium where your dreadlocks will still look clean without over-maintaining. Maintenance that is done too frequently can lead to traction alopecia and we just don’t think it’s necessary in most cases. Maintenance that is done to infrequently will simply result in a messier look, or the possibility of your dreadlocks growing together.

99% of the time we would say no, with the exception of Kinky hair and African American salons, but many of those salons also cause problems even with Kinky hair because they care more about their paycheck than they do about the client. One example is over maintenance and traction alopecia, another example is using more product than necessary just so they can charge you more. And practically no salons understand how to work with dreadlocks in hair that is straight.. We’ve seen so many clients from all types of different salons and we end up fixing the problems that salons caused.

Followup maintenance for your dreads will depend mostly on the method and hair type. Some people choose zero maintenance to free form the rest of their dreadlock journey, while others prefer to maintain their dreadlocks every month. The most maintenance you’ll have to do to keep your dreadlocks looking clean is done in the first 6 months.

Yes, you can simply cut them off. However, taking the dreadlocks out without cutting your hair is not always possible. The younger the dreads are the easier they are to undo but the older and more mature they are the more difficult they are to remove. The method used for installation and maintenance also makes a big difference. Dreadlocks that are interlocked, especially with straighter hair, is often the easiest to remove. Dreads that are young and twisted would be fairly easy to remove as well. The hardest to remove is dreadlocks that are done with the crochet method, which is one of the only downsides of the method.

Yes, it’s very common for dreads to look shorter with a new dreadlock installation. The amount of shrinkage varies depending on your hair type and the method being used for installation.

For skinny dreadlocks the minimum length should be 3 inches. For thicker dreadlocks the minimum length should be 5 inches. Just keep in mind that if your hair is in fact this short you will experience your dreadlocks sticking straight up immediately after the installation.

The amount of time varies greatly, however most installations are completed within 8-12 hours on average. For undercuts and mohawks with thicker dreadlocks the time can be reduced to around 4-8 hours and with thick hair or very large amounts of dreadlocks (80-120 or more) the time frame may be beyond 12 hours.

Salons will charge anywhere from $300 to over $1,000 to install a full head of dreadlocks depending on hair length, hair type, dreadlock size, method, and reputation of the salon.

The amount of time it takes for dreads to fully mature varies greatly based on hair type and installation and maintenance methods. Generally speaking well maintained dreadlocks will fully mature in about 1.5-2 years, and dreads that are free-formed or neglected typically take 3-5 years to fully mature.

The amount of time it takes for dreads to lock up varies significantly based on hair type and choice of method. Also consider that the term “lock up” means to get knots established in your dreadlocks whereas the term “mature” refers more to when your dreadlocks are very well established and fully tightened.

Kinky hair types lock up the easiest whereas straighter hair types take more effort and care.

For twist and rip, backcomb, palm rolling, and free form methods you should expect 12-18 months to lock up and reach maturity.

Interlocking, in some cases never locks up properly for Kinky hair, which mainly depends on how skilled your stylist is with interlocking. For straighter hair types interlocking never fully locks up, it just creates a braided or giant knot effect in your hair that is not truly a dreadlock.

For twisting in Kinky Afro hair the timeframe is typically 6-12 months. Mixed races will experience a longer timeframe with this method. Twisting in Straighter hair types typically falls out within a day or two and is highly discouraged for straight hair types.

For the crochet method your hair is locked up on day one for any hair type! It’s literally instant. This method will also produce the quickest route to fully mature dreadlocks.

The awkward phase varies significantly in severity and length of time and is influenced by hair type, installation and maintenance methods, and the products you use.

With the twist and rip, backcomb, palm rolling, and free form methods you will experience the greatest severity and length of time dealing with the awkward phase. Typically around 6-12 months.

With twisting you will experience loose dreadlocks due to the fact that your hair is simply twisted and not actually locked up initially. The products used while twisting are important to hold the twist in place however they reduce the locking ability in many cases. Typically around 6-12 months.

With the crochet method the only awkwardness you’ll deal with is some fuzziness with certain hair types. But the crochet method is the most effective method to reduce or even eliminate the awkward phase. Typically 0-3 months, with proper maintenance.

Dreadlocks are generally a process. They evolve and shape-shift and change through their lifetime as they mature. Young dreads typically take the most work and effort to get started and they are often loose and messy resulting in what is referred to as the “awkward phase”. Fortunately with the crochet method most of the awkward phase isn’t any concern because your dreadlocks are locked up tight from day one! If you are interested in learning how we can crochet your dreadlocks click here.