Life goes on

I haven’t disowned the purpose of this blog, I promise…

I’ll keep this as short and sweet as possible.

I realise I haven’t updated anything about my dread-journey for a while so I’m going to do it now.

Things to note from recent events.

1. I woke up with a dread sticking in my ear. Not elaborating on that.
2. It’s started to become uncomfortable lying down when they’re in a gogo/ bobble/ hair-band, which indicates to me they’re getting thicker (probably not the best word). The most annoying moment is when I’m in the bath. Yes, I could put them down but they’d get wet. I do own a shower cap actually but it’s either in my room or it’s not in arms-reach when I’m in the bath. So basically its my own fault, but thats not the point.
3. On this date: 29/02/12 someone spontaneously commented on my hair. Anybody who has/ had dreadlocks will know this moment, when the first person in your dreadlock history looks at your hair and instead of them going ‘erm, so, you got braidz?’ or not saying anything at all because they’ve already assumed you’re a scruff/ have messy hair [EMBRACE MESSY HAIR!], they actually say they look good. I mean, some people get these ‘instant dreadlocks’ with the aid of all these pissing dreadlock products, but I haven’t so it made my life when this person just went ‘sick dreads’ who I’d never met or even spoken to. I mean, thats a fucking good feeling.

Side note: they’re finally getting somewhere, my little dreadlings are growing up!

Can I just say when I say ‘instant dreadlocks’, I mean some people just have the hair for dreadlocks (and if you happen to use dreadlock products, thats fine it’s obviously your own personal choice what you do with your dreadlocks). I know of people that’ve had dreadlocks, whacked them in, never touched them and they’re 5 months old and bloody beautiful. Unlucky for me, I have naturally oily, thin hair that seems to like being in its natural state. However, three months in and it’s starting to calm down and just stay put. The PH balance of my scalp is fairly alright now and I’m not as itchy/ sore from the pulling etc of the locks being there.

I just want to mention something that many, many people told me at the very beginning of my dread journey. Elastic bands are a fucking nightmare. Yeah, they’re alright in the first 3 weeks or so, but anywhere passed that they’ve been awful for my locks. I have weak patches from where I’d taken my elastic bands out, not seen the back of my head/ felt them because the hair has grown over them, I’ve found them a month later, removed it and I haven’t a large lump in my dread. Of course that’s fine, it still looks beautiful, but it makes palm rolling really difficult. I’m not high maintence with my dreadlocks at all, so not only are my dreadlocks lumpy they’re also fair flat. However, the plus side of this are they’ve locked by themselves without my aid which means I don’t have to waste 2 hours or so palm rolling them, or doing it at all, because sooner rather than later they’ll be exactly how my dreads should be rather than me making them/ turning my locks into something that they’re not. I do have aspirations to have long, chunky dreadlocks, but we’ll see.

Basically, if you’re starting up, don’t be like me and get swarmed by advice from that many people you get confused with how to maintain/ start up.
1. Take advice from one, maybe two people who have/ had dreadlocks and know what they’re on about. After taking that advice, you’ll eventually figure out what your dreads want to do and how you want to look after them based on your lifestyle. I took that many peoples advice that I didn’t know what I was doing and in the first month they kinda fell apart. Just, stick to basics. My dreads will take longer to form as I’m leaving them alone due to my busy lifestyle, but thats my choice.
2. Elastic bands will be a pain in your arse. Anybody is free to tell me I’m wrong, but from my own personal experience they’ve now made my dreads lumpy and I personally don’t want my dreads to be… lumpy.

Tomorrow I’m having my first maintenance job on them.

This was anything short and sweet, but if you read all of this you’re either incredibly bored or you’re a really cool person. Enjoy the rest of your day/ night wherever you are.