My Dreads are growing together at the roots! - Dreadlocks FAQ's

Dreadlocks will always want to grow together and combine at the roots. New dreadlocks are notorious for "hooking up". As they mature it will occur a little less, but any time that hair from one dread ends up locked in another, you're going to see some serious dreadlock PDA.

 

Preventing It

 

There are two main things you can do to prevent these dread relations. First, while they are new, having a rubberband at the roots of each dread will help keep them apart. There are other advantages too, check out the maintenance section for a page on using rubberbands. The second thing you can do is pull loose hair at the roots into your dreads as you discover it. A Loose Hair Tool is the easiest way to do this. Hair that's pulled in to the right dread can't attach to the sexy dread next door. The more loose hair you have the more promiscuous your dreads will be.

 


 

Fixing It

 

Sometimes two dreads are so attracted to each other they find a way to combine when you're not looking. If this happens -and you don't approve of their union, the best thing to do is rip them apart. Grab one in each hand and pull in opposite directions. R-I-I-I-P. You get used to it, I promise - but others don't - so it will probably freak them out. Good times. =]

Rip them apart without using scissors. You'll do less damage to the hair this way.  You'll create some loose hair when you pull them apart. Pull it into the correct dreads with a Loose Hair Tool and you should be good to go! If you don't pull it in the dreads will likely attach to each other again using the same hair.

 

Tip: The two most likely times for dreads to start combining are during showers and clockwise rubbing. When clockwise rubbing be sure to pull the other dreads away from the dread you are rubbing and make sure that loose hair from the other dreads is pulled away as well. Otherwise it will get caught up in the fun and you'll discover the dreads are joined later. Something about showers seems to alway attract dreads to each other. When your dreads are dry after a shower take a minute to feel around up there and see what's going on. You'll usually find a couple dreads have hooked up. Ripping them apart now, before things get more involved will be easier and create less loose hair.