Will backcombing over several days hurt the dreads? - Dreadlocks FAQ's

If I have to stretch the backcombing over multiple days will it hurt the dreads? Can I wash my hair and dreads before the backcombing is finished and wax is added?

It's not uncommon for backcombing to stretch out over a few days, especially when only one person is backcombing and the hair is long. Sometimes your schedule may only permit an hour or so a day. Continue to take your time. The only way to make it go faster is to add more hands =] The good news is that doing them over time isn't a problem and waiting to wax will not hurt anything if you have bands on the roots and tips of the backcombed dreads. You'll likely need to wash the dreads again before you finish. That's ok too. (much better than aggravating the scalp by not washing) The bands should prevent you from loosing knots. Just be gentle with the unwaxed dreads and try not to mix the undreaded hair up in the dreads. Make sure the bands holding the sections are on tight enough that they don't slip off in the shower.

If you notice more straight hair at the roots after washing, go ahead and create some knots in this straight hair with a little clockwise rubbing. This is great practice, you'll need to be comfortable with clockwise rubbing as your new growth begins to grow.