Eight Weeks

Sorry I'm a bit late on this one. But, you know, Monday was a holiday. In which I did nothing but read a book and play Diablo III. And arm workouts, but that's not really relevant. Hey, you don't need to know my itinerary.

Anywhere, here is the picture.

This is like my new favorite way to wear my headband, cause it hides the roots in the front and makes me look a little more sporty and allows my dreadbabies a little more freedom.

Sooooo... I'm thinking about just yanking all the rubberbands, blunting all the ends, and letting nature take care of them. It's A week, so I won't have a hot rinse for another two. And the reason I am thinking that way is because the bands at the ends are starting to break. I didn't get the Pro-Elastics or whatever is recommended, so I just have standard bands. Most of the ones at the roots really aren't tight enough to break. So I'll find a rubberband in the shower, or on the floor of the bathroom after I blow dry my hair (still haven't found what that went to). And I don't want to put new ones in.

It's about two months, the time when Jonny Clean said they'd be about ready to blunt. I know by feel that some of them probably aren't... But the idea of doing it is tempting.

Only thing I'm really worried about is family vacation in about two weeks... including swimming in a lake and/or pool. Probably not conducive to newly-blunted ends. If it was salt water... I wish we had salt-water around here.

But yeah, thinking of pulling the tip bands and then maybe the root bands after the A weeks is over and I've made sure to clockwise rub all of them real good. And then pray.

No, seriously, I've been praying, "please God, heal my dreads." 'Cause if he can heal people, why not hair? Not saying they're all bad, just a few that feel like they could still benefit from rebackcombing, but I don't think I can stomach any more of that. Some people's hair does this naturally.

But, 'til next week. When maybe I'll have an awesome picture of blunted band-less dreadbabies going on. See yah.

(Rawr! Can you see my lower fixed retainer from there?)

Seven Weeks

Nothing much to report at seven weeks. I'm trying some therapy on straight spots before I put the wax in for this next B week. I dislike B week.

On an unrelated note, we went down for my sister-in-law's graduation, so I was exposed to a large number of people who hadn't seen my hair before. There was the usual gamut of questions, such as "So you don't wash your hair at all, right?" and "Is that your real hair?" and "Now, are those braids?"

I washed my hair yesterday.

I also had someone in Wal-Mart be like, "Ma'am? I think you're hair is really cool." That was fun.

I wouldn't want to go through the backcombing and starting phase again, and I've already stated I wouldn't if I somehow lost my dreads... but it's getting to the point where I might try and find a salon to put them in. I am falling in love with my dreadies.

My mom emailed me at some point telling me that Studio X in Ames does dreadlocks. Their website is less than informative, more like a website that exists just to have a website, and the phone number included. I haven't checked them out yet to see if they do dreadlocks the backcombing way, but I'm tempted to call and see if they do dread maintenance. Then maybe I'll have them clean up my dreads and take care of some of the slacker ones when I'm ready to get my bands out. Like a dreadlock checkup.

I have also obtained two new beads. Collecting beads for my hair is my new hobby. But anyway, these beads are heavy metal nickle-colored ones and they were on a hatstring for my little sister-in-law's cowgirl hat. The hat broke, so she gave me the beads. I probably won't wear them much for a while, until my dreads are a little more solid. Also, I'm going to try and avoid washing them, as I don't know what metal they are made out of. But still fun :)

Six Weeks

Going to have to make this a quicker post, as we are supposed to be leaving for the in-law's house soon. More creassult on the way.

But anyway, I put wax back in and palm rolled them this last week. Today I washed them really good twice to hopefully get most of that wax out.

Honestly, I'm rather worried about them. Some seem to be maturing fine, and I even tried my hand at blunting a few of the tips (though I should have waited until after this shower I suppose). I only did it with a few that were pretty hard right above the rubberband. It was actually difficult to try and pull the tip into the rubberband. And those look pretty good and dread-like. Others don't seem like they've matured at all since backcombing and others seem to think their goal in life is to make me despair of them ever dreading. I honestly don't know what to do. I'm stumped. I'm starting to think I'll do everything according to schedule until the end of three months, then just take all the rubberbands out. Maybe the problem ones will dread themselves eventually.

The pictures aren't the best (although the first one makes my eyes look like they are deep red... which is kind of cool) because I haven't had time for maintenance right after the shower, so there should be a lot of loose hair.

This picture down here is trying to show you some of the blunted dread-like ones.

I am attempting to join DreadHeadHQ's Facebook-like thing (called Dread Family) and maybe I'll get some more input there. I hate going running to Jonny Clean every time I get worried. He's lucky I don't have his phone number, or I'd be texting him all the time.

But I'm still holding out. Because I love my dreadies.

Something Week Dreadiversary!

I think it's... five weeks? I must confess, I didn't take a picture today. It's dark out and I didn't think to earlier. I was waiting to post until I did my B Week duty of putting wax back in my hair... not really happy with that. My dreadies were all fluffy and touchable and now they are... stiff. Not terrible stiff and I think I got most of the wax off the surface, but there is a difference. Even Jonny Clean hates wax in his hair and he markets the stuff. Just cause it doesn't feel good doesn't me it doesn't help. I guess I can't wait for next week... A Week again!

Speaking of Mr. Clean, he saw what I had to say about Super Soap there, and has his own opinion: "I read your post about the knotty boy soap. The knotty boy soaps are traditional soap formulas made with saponified oils  - they leave behind residue/soap scum like any other Castile soap. The fragrances they use may not cause an issue but the soap itself certainly does. For more info you can google soap scum, soap residue and how soap works. I have a page on soap residue with lots of info here: http://dreadheadhq.com/residue"

I have to admit, I rather suspected. He makes a good point about soap leaving soap scum (in the link), but I haven't tested the Knotty Boy stuff...

Heck, I never know who is right. And I don't want to take chances with my dreads. That's if I believe the DreadHeadHQ people in the first place (referring back to the Dreadlockssite people). Did you notice I included a link to them? It's not because I agree with them (I committed a cardinal sin by putting wax in my hair), but because I think they are actually a resource if you wanted to start neglect dreads. I barely have the patience for this method, I could not go for months upon months of my hair looking like I forgot to brush it for six weeks. If my hair would even dread in the first place on it's own. Does that make me unworthy? In their eyes, I'm sure. In my opinion, it's a hair style and means to you what you want it to mean to you. It's not fair to tell some people they can't do something with their hair. It's their hair.

But whatever, I already washed my hair today, so I do not need the soapbox.

By the way, I got my tam from Knotty Boy today. The lady at the office who receives packages is like, "How do you get your hair to do that?" and asked me to keep her updated when I explained it wasn't done. On the list of people to talk to is the hair stylist who put in my braid sections. I'm waiting until I at least get the bands out. Rubberbands are so tacky. But I got the tam, and as suspected, I do not look as cute as the girl in the picture. My dreads are not as long, not as thick, and I don't have bangs. Not a bangs person in the first place, and in the second place it seems incomplete. Also, I think I need my tams to have brims.

But, pictures. If not today, then recent.

I make a fairly awesome biker chick, if I do say so myself.

Hats don't fit me like they used to.

Clean Dreadies

Rebackcombed a few more of my babies. I'm not happy about it, but even more I hate finding ones that are like limp noodles with few more knots and a pony tail.

I almost wish I was being oversensitive about it and that they actually were knotted... but they aren't. Can't blame the backcombers... much. These are thin dreads and David actually talked me in to letting the really short ones at the base of my skull grow out more, because some will just refuse to stay knotted. That's the worst, ones that have been backcombed, rebackcombed, and still won't hold a knot.

Hopefully, I can cover them up until they are long enough to do something with.

In other news, I washed my hair really really good yesterday, trying to get most of the wax out. Lots of loose hairs afterward, but now some of my dreads are so fluffy and springy... I don't want to put wax back in them. It feels like they are actually doing something.

It's really hard to get back of my head pics with a camera phone I'm attempting to operate myself.

The pinch rubbing didn't last through the shower, but to really try and get it to last, I was supposed to put wax in it and I didn't. Now I'm trying to decide if I should wait for the end of this "A Week" to do so, or just do it now.