Some websites suggest that you should wash anywhere from every 3-4 days and others say once a month. Everyone finds what works for them, but we recommend that you wash once or twice a week. We recommend that all clients wash once to twice a week for the first 12 weeks – 3 months of having their dreadlocks.
Rumor: Dreads damage your scalp and can lead to thinning hair. Fact: If cared for using the proper methods and products dreadlocks are actualy a very heathly hairstyle. You can usually leave at least 2" inches of hair when you cut the dreads, so your hair will be short, but not shaved.
With normal hair you can fix this rather simply by buying some Head and Shoulders, unfortunately Head and Shoulders is not a residue free shampoo and therefore not recommended for dreadlocks.
Dandruff may have several causes, including:
- Irritated, oily skin.
- Not shampooing enough.
- A yeastlike fungus (malassezia) that feeds on oils on the scalps of most adults.
- Dry skin.
- Sensitivity to hair care products (contact dermatitis)
- Other skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema.
All dreadlocks are dirty.
Dreadlocks are only dirty if you don't take care of them and wash them. Not washing dreadlocks is the best way to ruin dreadlocks. You should wash your dreadlocks at least once a week.While water alone is a premium way to moisturize your locs, a mixture of oil and water, or a lightweight, water-based leave-in conditioner, also makes an effective combination.
Use natural oils to keep your locs and scalp moisturized and healthy. Oils like coconut and olive will protect your locs from getting too dry, and diluted tea tree oil will help clean hair with its antifungal properties.
This residue-free shampoo is also meant to neutralize the effects left by the residue of other shampoos and conditioners. According to Neutrogena, this product, which is intended for all hair types, should be used once a week in order to rinse away any existing residue.
Use lukewarm water for your first rinse.
Warm water helps open up the outer part of each hair (the cuticle) so shampoo can get inside and best remove dirt and oil. This also helps conditioners and products work better.You can and should wash your starter locs before 3 months.
Following that, your regular washing routine should be between 10 -30 days. Shampoo removes some the natural oils from your hair and so washing too often will cause your hair to be dry and even cause dandruff.Too much oil can lead to build-up. [On occasion, you can make a deep conditioning treatment by warming up a little bit of coconut oil or olive oil and massaging your scalp with it for a couple of minutes. Cover your head with a warm towel for one hour and then wash it off.]
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR NEW DREADS
- FIRST RULES: Ideally don't wet or wash your new dreads for 1 month - just let your hair get used to being locked into dreads before you mess with them.
- AVOID WATER FOR A BIT: If you just can't go the 4 weeks without washing, then try to wait at last 2 weeks.
Dreadlock Care Using Coconut Oil
We recommend coconut oil for hot oil treatment for damaged, colored locs. This is because the oil will deeply penetrate the hair and bind to its proteins. Coconut oil will also prevent hair protein loss during washing. However, make sure your dreads aren't sensitive to coconut oil.Use a clear shampoo as opposed to a creamy one as it is better in keeping build-up at bay. Products: With locs, less is really more, as products can increase build-up. Avoid heavy products and stick to lightweight ones. The gels and oils should be light as creamy products can be too heavy for locs.
The Jinan Leave-In Conditioner can be used daily to help hydrate your scalp and locs. The leave-in conditioner contains coconut oil, avocado oil, and jojoba oil.
Dr. Kari: “A conditioning routine should be added to your hair regimen only after the locs have solidified. Conditioners soften the hair, and using them on starter locs or locs that are still in a development phase can interfere with the loc process and prevent locs from maturing.
The dreads themselves don't make your head itch but there are several reasons that people with new dreads experience itchiness. Healthy, happy, mature dreads do not itch. If your dreads itch it is probably due to washing them with the wrong soap, not washing enough or washing too much.
10 basic tips for healthy locs
- Be Patient! This is one of the hardest lessons I had to learn about my hair.
- Find a good locktician or natural hair stylist. This is important especially in your beginning stages of growing locs.
- Keep your locs clean. Locs thrive in a clean environment.
- Locs LOVE moisture!
- Massage your scalp!
A quick way to test this is to wash your hands well with the soap or shampoo in question. As they are drying see if they feel oily or "soft". After they have been dried fully, smell them and see if the fragrance remains on your hands. If so, it's obvious the soap or shampoo failed to rinse away completely.
Yes, you need to use a shampoo that leaves no residues behind in your hair and removes residues that are in your hair. The reason using this kind of shampoo is so important when you have dreadlocks is because dreadlocks like to hold stuff. I recommend DreadHead residue free shampoo.
Oils such as tea tree, coconut, and olive have been shown to reduce dandruff and can be massaged into the scalp, left overnight and washed out the next morning. The acidity in apple cider vinegar makes it hard for yeast to grow and spraying it on the scalp for as little as 15 minutes can also help reduce the problem.
