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Dreadlocks

^ thanks, after reading through this and a zillion other threads I kind of realise what the "tribal" part is now..... whereas before, without any lookings into it, I had no idea about...

I was just curious as I have lots of friends with dreadlocks and none of them have done it for anything other than to look funky. I wondered what the other reasons were!


:)
 
whats the issue here with dreds solely being a "tribal/cultural" thing. Its a style that is more in-depth then just being a tribal or cultral thing.
People lock their hair for several reasons. Besides it being a normal right of culture:

Locks have been styled as also a way to spite corporate america from the norms of the typical conservative appearance in the workplace. (similiar to fellas having corn-rows/french braids, or ladies dying streaks of color in their hair, its to show that one's outside appearance doesn't always necessairly constitute their full mental capactiy. There ability to be EXTREMELY smart and brillant in their respective working field)

And also having locks for others has the very similiar meaning (which allot of people don't know) of having a spider's web tattoo defining entrapment within one's self or within an area.

So Ive listed 2 of many, but I'm just saying that there are much more in-depth/deeper meanings to dredlocks and the reasons people chose to have them.

me personally, I have locks for several reasons: Yes it is 100% in my culture & heritage (I'm half jamican & half african FULL blooded black male ;) ), 2nd I do spite the norm of the typical coporate america appearance in the workplace (I work for an engineering corp., so its very much more about my mental thinking & creative abilities and not my appearance), and lastly I'm a fuckin party person and my hair, my style, my overall appearance & being is my personal OWN and I love showing it off when partying & enjoying my life.

and another great thing about having dredlocks is that they are SO original on each and every indivdual. Regardless how many people with dreds you see in your lifetime, the styling & textures will almost always be different and unique and thats becasue the setup of a person's original dreds is based on thier genes (how thick, or thin, soft or hard their hair is, the texture of their scalp, how much their scalp breathes & sweats, body nutrions, etc.), how their hair was taken cared of, how much stress they have in their lives, and so many other factors.
I personally love seeing people with good dreds. I'm always jeleous of how original & good it looks and how it fits them well and they are like that with me as well with my locks. Its just a univeral respect (in my opinion) that we each indivduals have for one-another on the orginally we set for our hair in this tribal appearance.
 
^^^
I think it leaves too much residue...

I got some really good tea tree oil shampoo from the health food store that is awesome...

I'm not about the knotty boy.

and RE: DIAL soap... I'd NEVER wash my hair, let alone my body, with that crap.
 
Locks have been styled as also a way to spite corporate america from the norms of the typical conservative appearance in the workplace. (similiar to fellas having corn-rows/french braids, or ladies dying streaks of color in their hair, its to show that one's outside appearance doesn't always necessairly constitute their full mental capactiy. There ability to be EXTREMELY smart and brillant in their respective working field)
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Hell yes. And this fellow below me would agree as well

einstein.jpg
 
sugafist thats what I wanted to know from people; most say its a "spiritual" or "tribal/cultural" thing when I doubt that it's much more than a "style" thing.

your explaination is exactly what I was looking for -
I love showing it off when partying & enjoying my life.
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I don't think I've ever seen someone write that about why they have dreads before and although not the main reason, I'm glad you have said it is one of the reasons behind it.
 
glitterbizkit said:
If you leave your hair without combing or brushing it, sooner or later you get dreads. Unless you have really really fine hair. So it is perfectly natural, its the hairstyle everyone had before combs were invented.


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lol.
do u know anyone who has created his dreads by applyin this natural method u r suggestin?? i ll check it out 4 sure ...and it surprises me, i know ppl who never wash their hair , still they have no dreads =D yet...i ll warn em about it!!!
 
^^^
I know quite a few people who have made their dreads that way. It takes a few years, that's all, but eventually the hair begins to knot more and more, creating dreadlocks... because that's all that dreads really are, knots... I know one girl in particular who has quite straight hair, she went the natural way and after a while (don't know how long it took, but more than a year), she had a huge tangled mass of hair on her head that she had to tear apart into separate little dreads... owww...
I'm not saying it'll happen to just anybody, and I don't know if not washing your hair contributes to making dreads, coz that would make the hair oily in most cases, and oily hair doesn't knot as well. The main thing is about not brushing out the knots.


Check up on it, I'm sure you'll find info on this.
 
Yeah that's what I was thinking...my hair is very oily after just a few days...I can't imagine it dreading up, even after not washing it. That's if I could stand it--it itches after those few days as well :p It's also so thick/heavy that I really don't brush it...the tangles generally fall out on their own. I think it would depend on the texture of your hair, weight of your hair, etc. I really don't believe it would happen to everyone that left their hair alone. Some would just have some big tangled mass (think mountain man hair!) that wouldn't be all separated, or greasy, stringy hair (that would be me...ew...)

:)
 
now heres a great example of great locks (in my humble opinion) ;) =D AND added, what a cutie-boy too, haha =D
but yeah people post up your closeup pics. , lets see your wonderful looks with locks
DSC_6667.jpg
 
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glitterbizkit said:
^^^
and I don't know if not washing your hair contributes to making dreads, coz that would make the hair oily in most cases, and oily hair doesn't knot as well. The main thing is about not brushing out the knots.
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i "never" comb my hair , still i have no dreads, far from it...i think i wash it too much, i dont think u can actually create dreads this way and ok, i believe there are some examples of ppl who did, but how did that go?? i mean there must have been a very long period in between the "dreadlocks"and the non-dreaded period....durin that period u r hair probably looks completely ridiculous, not that i care bout that...i just think the natural way is very unrealistic, u can apply the natural way if u live in a forest in peace with nature, but not when ur tryin to survive in society...and to me everythin less than the natural method is fake
 
How is everything less than the natural method fake?
And yea, people that go for the natural method do have to deal with a complete chaotic mess on top of their heads for years. That's why I never even considered the natural method, I don't have the patience and I wanted locks that were as neat as possible.. but each to their own.

I'll say it again... it is perfectly possible to create dreads this way, I know people who have done it, I know people who have tried and failed, it depends a lot on the texture of your hair as fizzygirl said. But I believe that many people would end up with dreadlocks if they never combed their hair or added any oils or conditioners to them.
 
glitterbizkit said:
How is everything less than the natural method fake?
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well if it's not natural it must be unnatural or semi-natural, i don't believe in "in between" things ( that's just my view point ) --> you can't be half man and half robot, but i am sure that you can...hence to me there is no semi-natural.

so therefore i called unnatural or semi-natural fake, don't take it personal please. there's nothing wrong with fake; personally i prefer natural.
 
YEUX said:
i think im cutting mine off this winter.
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You'll regret it. I cried for days when i cut mine off. I felt naked and exposed and ugly. (not that a woman with a shaved head can not be beautiful at all - i know of many women that are) I just felt ugly within myself at the whole shock of it... man i have a whole story behind what dreads meant to me , getting them AND cutting them off

I'll link my journal entry to it in a bit if anyone is interested in reading it. I was so wrapped up in them but i learnt SO much from having them about myself.

Anyway i might have mentioned this before so i think i will re- read the thread seeing as it's been here a while and i can't remember if i've mentioned it.

Although hey you might be ready to cute them off and have had your time and growth with them but hun you will be cold if you do it in winter. If you want to cute them off ( and make sure your POSITIVE 100% when you do - unlike me) then at least wait until summer :)
 
This is my journal entry (i couldn't link it because i had to do the "show all posts" thing and i have over 170 and couldn't so copied and pasted it, havening draeds taught me alot and seeing as this thread is about dreadies i thought i would share if anyone has the time and interest to read it :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am finally over the loss of my dreadlocks

I'll tell you the story about my dreads girls and boys...

From my first doof i was just amazed by the whole scene, it totally sucked me in, the music, the art, the people, the whole vibe of the parties, what they stood for, where they were and just EVERYTHING about them. I had never felt so comfortable in a scene before ever and felt totally invited to be me and to live life to the full. Forget about fashion and material shit and realised there were so many other things in life to be worried about and concentrating on.

From my second doof i "understood and needed dreadlocks" hehehe a stupid as that sounds (well i was on my 1st acid trip too so that could have had something to do with it)

Alot of people at doofs have dreads. I have always loved dreads and always wanted them but wasnt confident enough to really get them myself because having dreads does come with alot of stigmas, people do look at you and treat you in a different way and it's something that you have to deal with. It's all part of having them i guess.

Doofs brought ME out however though so from my 2nd doof i started knotting up my hair and making dreads, big phat bright red ones and i was soooooo obsessed with them it just wasnt funny. They were "personality art" to me and it was me being who i am and basically saying to the world "this is me and if i want to have big knots in my hair so be it...if you cant handle it then thats your problem" and blah blah blah

It was me finally being creative with who i was (at this time my fashion sense started changing too. I didn't care for what was in style anymore but rather started wearing what *I* liked, so many clothes of mine were pulled out of the wardrobe, pieces that i had bought with gorgeous patterns and made from beautiful materials etc but i just never wore them because they weren't "in style" I was never a total fashion victim however though. I was always concise of what was in fashion but always had my own style to a point.

Anyway...i had my dreads for 9 mths total and like i said i was completly obssessed with them. Seperating them and dying them and waxing them and fixing them up so they looked perfect and what not to me.

Then one doof i was coming down really really badly from liquid acid where i started feeling paranoid that everyone there was laughing at me and my clothes, they were all whispering that i smelt and that i didnt belong there and just realy horrible insecure thoughts were going through my head that no one there was really my true friend and people just "put up with me" i actually broke down and cried to one of my friends who i know is a good mate to me and she calmed me down a little, told me it was just the rugs etc etc and i would feel better once i was at home.

I got home and had a shower, washed my dreads and just couldnt sleep (cos of the acid i guess) but my dreads were really anoying me too. They were always so uncomfortable to have, especially over summer (which was the main part of when i had them) it was like the dreads were trying to tell me something, (fuck i really eat too much acid )

I was looking in the mirror and i had all these thoughts in my head saying

"you dont desrve them"
"you didnt earn them"
"your not a true hippy"

stupid stupid acid thoughts really

so i went and got the scissors and thought i would just cut a few of them off .....one gone....two gone...three gone and before i knew it they were in a pile on my bathroom floor and i looked like a lesbian in cancer remission

I cried and cried for days and days over my dreads, i felt so naked and scared and didnt want to go outside and i was a mess, the thing is though TOO much of my personality was wrapped up in them. I keapt finding all these excuses to justify having them and basically i dont think i was maent to or ready to have dreads and what came with having them.

I know it sounds crazy and weird and anyone without dreads will be reading thinking i'm cmpletely bonkers (well i am ) but anyone with dreads i'm sure knows at least partly what i'm talking about.

i cut them off a week before i went and saw Infected Mushroom which was a good few months ago, my hair has grown quite alot and i have it dyed red and black and cut into this kinda pixie style, i really like it and everyone says it suits me much better then the dreads, my hair doesnt itch anymore and doesnt annoy me and i feel freer to be me actaully...tis quite funny.

The thing i thought i got dreads to me more expressive of who i was but i was in denial of why i had them. once i cut them off i realised that i had them because all my life i never felt accepted or that i belonged anywhere and once i stumbled onto the doof scene i found "home" It was wasnt me saying "look at me...im me" it was me saying "look what i'm willing to do to my hair to belong....let me be a part of this group"

I came to the conclusion that whatever hairstyle i have i will always be me and that i dont need to prove anything to anyone about wh i am and to be part of any scene. with or without dreads im a proud DOOFER

I still love dreads however and always appreciate other peoples, i would maybe like them back one day but i dount i will, i have learnt what i could from them, they taught me a valuable lesson about myself and my place in the world :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

^^ having said all that though i am growing dreads again. all diferent reasons now and all a part of my spiritual 'self' journey :)
 
I'd love dreads, just cos I think they're kind of.....me. I've got bright pink hair so they'd look kinda good.

Not getting them for any particular religious reason or stuff, so call me shallow if you want, but I do think they'd fit me really well.

Going to get them before I go to college. Still not sure why, they just feel like something I need.

Yeah yeah sounds weird, but bear with me. They'd make me feel like the person I am.

Drunk now. Should probably shut up.
 
What do you think about them ? Do you have them ? If you do have them how long did they take 2 get um ? Any special technikez ? How fat do you like um ? Lets see how many ppl have dreads, and what ppl think about them. Im getting some right now
 
dreadlocks are popular with 18 year old tossers who think they are being alternative. dreadlocks are the most pretenious hair style in the world and i fucking hate them.
 
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