One of the worst false stereotypes about dreadlocks is that they are aesthetically messy, dirty, and hard to maintain.
It is a vile stereotype meant to demean and diminish the pride of black people.
Dreadlocks are the world's most ancient hairstyle. The first documentation of dreadlocks occurred over 3,521 years ago. But that is only the first recorded inference of someone writing about dreadlocks.
Humans have only been writing and chronicling their experiences for a few thousand years. Historians believe that modern writing as we know it was first developed in Mesopotamia over 5,400 years ago.
Since then, stereotypes about the value and cleanliness of dreadlocks have persisted.
But dreadlocks are hair - how can deadlocks be unclean or aesthetically unpleasant relative to any traditional hairstyle?
Dreadlocks will be as immaculately clean as you maintain them, just like any other hairstyle.
However, one common aesthetic complaint about dreadlocks is warranted - the frizziness factor.
Still, we want to point out that frizziness is a huge problem that people with straight hair deal with all of the time. People with straight hair or perms who encounter hot steamy weather have to deal with frizz all the time.
Our point is that no matter your hairstyle, there is no real way that you can escape frizziness. You can only learn how to maintain or reduce frizziness over time.
And unfortunately, dealing with frizziness is part of the deal when it comes to rocking dreadlocks. You will really never get to 100% non-frizziness when it comes to dreadlocks.
But we have some ideas about how you can come close.
Firstly, we have to discuss why dreadlocks are so naturally frizzy in the first place. And if you understand why dreadlocks are so naturally frizzy, you can learn how to maintain and reduce frizziness more effectively.
You will only find the best in vegan, organic, and non-toxic dreadlock grooming products at Lion Locs. Check us out today.
Related: Easy Twisted DreadLock Tutorial in Minutes
Why Are Dreadlocks Frizzy?
We have tips on how to help you maintain your dreadlocks and frizziness. You can even skip to the end of the column if you wish.
But we hope you will take the time to learn more about dreadlocks and how they naturally form with us. We believe that assumptions, misconceptions, stereotypes, and lies partially fuel the world because people believe what they want.
And that fact is especially true when it comes to dreadlocks. It's bad enough when it comes to uninformed critics or bigots fueling stereotypes about dreadlocks. But if you wear dreadlocks without understanding their history or how they form, you may end up wasting precious time and money.
And one thing that you should understand about dreadlocks is that you probably can't avoid frizziness.
Dreadlocks form when hair follicles cling, lock, and fuse together. If you could look inside a dreadlock, you would see a spiral structure of hair follicles locking and fusing together from the tip to the scalp.
When you began growing your dreadlocks, you had to twist them to get your hair to loc up. And you are probably twisting from the tip or end of the hair strand and towards the scalp. This incremental motion will cause the creation of a spiral scaffolding-like structure in the interior of the dreadlock strand.
We call this the "internal dreadlock matrix."
And the internal dreadlock matrix is created with twisted hair follicles. So, consider what is happening with your hair follicles as your dreadlocks form.
Stray hair follicles will always grow outside the dreadlock strand. The exterior of a dreadlock strand kind of resembles a rope. (And ropes are fuzzy.)
The twisting motion required to create dreadlocks can sometimes damage hair follicles, create split ends, or cause stray hair follicles to grow out between the crevices of locked and fused hair follicles.
An important point to remember when twisting dreadlocks is that you should only twist them daily or every other day as they are initially growing. But after that, and when your dreadlocks fully form, you could twist them once a week.
You also need to remember to twist your dread gently and never aggressively. If you twist your dreadlocks aggressively over the years your maintain them, you can develop traction alopecia.
That is just a fancy term for self-induced baldness caused by aggressive hair twisting.
You should twist your dreadlocks non-aggressively so that the hair at your scalp grows naturally without being damaged. The hair follicles at your scalp should be looser as they grow out and meet the newly twisted locs.
The point is that the hair on your scalp will naturally be frizzy. The exterior of your dreadlocks strands will naturally be frizzy, especially as they start developing.
Frizziness is part of the deal when rocking dreadlocks. And there is nothing wrong with that.
But here is how to reduce it.
Maintaining Frizzy Dread
You won't be able to eliminate dreadlock frizziness 100%.
But here are a few techniques that can help you maintain frizziness as much as possible.
Palm Rolling
After your dreadlocks grow to a length of six inches or longer, you could start to regularly palm roll them instead of finger-twisting them.
Finger twister is a beneficial technique in developing dreadlocks during the starting phase. But the longer that your dreadlocks become, the less effective this technique becomes.
Finger twisting with too much force could create pressure points and friction for stray hair follicles to break and grow outside the strand.
After drying your locs thoroughly, apply dreadlock locking or moisturizing gel to the strand. And then softly roll the entire length of each strand between your fingers. Palm rolling will help reduce frizziness.
Sleeping Cap
You may want to start putting on a satin sleeping cap, bonnet, pillowcase, head scarf, or tube cap before you sleep.
As you sleep, your dreadlocks are wedged between the weight of your head and the pillow. If you sleep without a cap, frizziness will just increase.
Interlocking
Let your hair follicles at the scalp grow out. Then take the tip of your dreadlock and then thread it through the loose hair follicles at your scalp.
Repeat this process as your hair follicles grow monthly.
Interlocking dreadlocks creates a layered and non-frizzy rope-textured aesthetic. But you must be careful not to force the technique if your scalp follicle has not grown out enough.
Forcing the technique will make your hair feel tight, damaged follicles, and possibly cause baldness.
Wrong Hair Products
Ensure you only use organic, vegan, and non-toxic dreadlock hair grooming products.
Many traditional hair grooming products contain toxic and harsh chemicals that cause hair frizz and damage over time, even when used correctly.
Check out Lion Locs today to find the best organic, vegan, and all-natural dreadlock care products.