How To Make Natural Dreadlocks in 8 Simple Steps | Loccessories (2024)

So you’ve made a decision to embark upon the awesome journey of self-discovery that is dreadlocks. And even amidst the peer pressure that’s so pervasive in our trend-chasing, microwave culture of instant gratification, you’ve further decided to go about cultivating your dreadlocks naturally.

By naturally, we mean that there is no advancement of the locking process by artificial means like chemicals or fake hair extensions. You’re going about it au naturel. Time and patience will be your steady companions.

You can start dreadlocks yourself at home or with the help of a trusted professional by seeking a highly recommended loctician in your area.

Either way, once begun, the process will unfold as it sees fit. While you can guide the process, expect that your hair will have a mind of its own and will definitely surprise you along the way.

Generally speaking though, hair that is left to its own devices will matte and lock on its own eventually.Think your hair is the exception?Try not brushing your hair for a week and see how many twists, tangles and knots it forms.

All types of hair can form dreadlocks. It’s just a matter of how long it takes and how they are actually manipulated to encourage the locking process.

The main variance affecting how fast dreadlocks form is your hair texture. Hair textures will matte and lock at different rates so the process and timeline will vary from person to person.

When it comes to your loc journey, although it can be similar to your peers, it will actually be 100% individual and unique to you. And since it’s also possible to have different textures on your one head, even your own set of locs may mature at different rates.

For example, you may have locs that tighten and compress very quickly around the sides and back, but the top always seems to unravel.

It’s totally possible.

But let’s get back to the how-to. This article will presume that you are forming your set of natural dreadlocks yourself, DIY style.

With that being said here are the basic steps of getting natural dreadlocks:

Step 1:Allow your hair to grow at least 2-3 inches or more. Let your hair grow out naturally during this pre stage. The more hair your have to work with in its natural state, the easier it will be to start your locks off. And the straighter your hair, the more it will shrink when you install your starter locs.

Step 2:Decide roughly how thick your want your dreadlocks to be. This is totally a matter of style preference. Pick out some images (or take pictures of friends) with dreadlocks that you admire and examine their size. Keep in mind that the longer you let your hair grow out in Step 1, the larger the sections you can achieve.

Step 3:Wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo. Dreadlocks form faster on hair that is clean and dry. There is a persistent myth that hair must be dirty in order to make dreadlocks. Although we don’t really know how this rumor got started, it’s simply not true and needs to be permanently squashed. In fact it’s quite the contrary because oils and residues actually delay the locking process.

Step 4:Part your sections and keep consistent. A long ended rat tail comb is really convenient for this step. Create a pattern that alternates from row to row. Think in terms of brick laying, where the bricks are staggered from row to row, as opposed to, stacked right on top of each other. This will allow you more versatility in styling once your locs are mature.

Step 5:Choose your starter method for your dreadlocks:

• • For Afro-textured hair: Afro-textured hair has the most versatility in starting natural dreadlocks. You can use the crochet method, double strand twists, braids or comb coils to start your locs. If you want very fine, micro dreadlocks then Sisterlocks is a trademarked method that many people choose.
  • For Caucasian hair: Backcombing is the most common method for straight hair. It involves using a finely toothed metal comb (a.k.a. dread comb) to tease the hair until it tangles on itself. The method includes backcombing a few strands at a time until the hair builds up into a tangled knot.

    You repeat this process of backcombing, twisting and compressing until you’ve made your way from the root to the tip of that section. Once you’ve reached the end, you’ll then secure the end of the new dread with a rubber band and put another at the at the base (i.e. root) to hold it in place.
  • For Asian hair: Asian hair is the hardest to lock because it’s the straightest of all hair textures. Tangling and matting is not something this hair naturally wants to do. A lot of manipulation is required to form dreadlocks on Asian hair and thus the instant nature of the crochet method will probably be the optimal method here.

  • For loosely textured hair: You can use any of the above methods but unraveling will still be a concern. All in all, time and patience is key in allowing the hair to matte and lock.

At this point you may have noticed that we haven’t mentioned dread wax and therefore wondering ‘can you dread your hair without wax?’ Well, the answer is a resounding Yes! Although dreadlock wax is commonly used, we actually don’t recommend it. Yes, it will hold a fresh retwist or help compact a backcombed dread, but the long term effects are quite unhealthy for your locs. And here’s why…

It attracts a lot of lint and causes unsightly product build-up in the later stages. A preferred alternative is to use a natural holding agent made of aloe ver gel and castor oil or flaxseed gel. None of these products actually lock the hair though, they merely hold it in place for a little while…think of it like hairspray for your locs.

Step 6:Finish with a palm-rolling session. After you finish the starter loc method that fits your hair type, finish off with a palm-rolling session. With your first installation/creation of the individual dreadlocks, this will not do much in terms of speeding up the locking process.

However, it will help compact any loose hairs and start the cylindrical shape of the locs off right. Over time, each time you palm roll it’ll further set and help them keep their shape.

Step 7:Set the style under a dryer. Your hair may still be a little damp at this point, so go ahead and sit under the dryer for a bit to let the dreadlocks dry completely through. This will also help set them.

Step 8: Be Patient. You will probably experience some unraveling after your starter session. This is to be expected because you’ve merely formed the locks, they are not actually locked yet.

But don’t worry, if some of your dreads unravel, simply redo the method you used in step 5 to reshape them. You will be training your young dreads for quite some time until they begin to tangle and matte.

So what about maintenance? How do you take care of natural dreads?

Here are a few tips…

• DAILY: The challenge will be to keep your hair moisturized but dry. It sounds contradictory I know but you want to keep your hair dry so that the locking process can progress but you also need moisture to keep your hair healthy (more so a concern for afro-textured hair but still). A light spritzer of aloe vera juice with essential oil blend for healthy hair is recommended. If you have issues with itchy scalp, you can use a mix of distilled water and witch hazel instead of the aloe vera juice.
• WEEKLY:Clean hair locks faster than dirty hair. So establish a wash routine that best fits your lifestyle but is also consistent. Also, make sure to dry your dreads thoroughly. Having wet dreads lingering around increases your chances of mildew (a.k.a. dread rot).

  The longer they get, the longer they take to dry. Leaving your hair loose to air dry is best, but if you love a stylish updo or manicured style, then you should sit under the dryer until they are thoroughly dry so that dampness has no chance to linger.

• QUARTERLY: Your hair will naturally accumulate nasties from the environment. This is because dust and particles get caught in the dreads and can’t easily escape or be brushed away the same way it would on straight, loose hair. Depending on how much hair product you use, your dreads will attract lint and develop build-up from product residues over time too (i.e. shampoos, conditioners, styling products, etc.). So a quarterly Loc Detox is a good idea to get the gunk out. If your locs are looking dry and dull, won’t hold a curl, constantly itching or feeling heavy and limp, a loc detox is a good way to start fresh.

How to get dreadlocks fast? Well, to be totally frank, the fastest way to get dreadlocks is to buy them. You can purchase dreadlock extensions and have a professional weave them into your existing hair. On the other hand, if you want to achieve natural dreadlocks you will have to be patient. There is no predetermined timeline for how quickly your dreads will matte and lock. The locking process is unique to the individual and depends on factors like your hair texture, your maintenance regimen and what products you use. For example, kinky hair may lock in as little as 3-6 months whereas as straight hair may take 6 months to a year to fully mature.

It’s All Natural: The Dreadlock Growth Stages You Can Expect

While the exact timeline that your hair will take to lock will vary, here are the stages of the loc journey that you can predictably expect.

1. Formation stage: Specific to freeformers (a.k.a. the neglect method) the hair is left uncombed and starts to form its own sections, collecting into natural clumps of hair.
2. Starter stage (a.k.a. baby stage): Here the sections are set and after a few months little knots begin to form in the locs. This is referring to as ‘budding’ – i.e. when sections of the loc start to matte but the whole dreadlock is not completely matted. They also start to swell and frizz. Unraveling will still happen at this stage.
3. Teenager stage: Continuing to develop, the dreads will form loops, bumps, and kinks. Your locs will be quite rebellious and go through many changes as they find their own identity, this is probably why it’s called the teenager stage. The good news is that your dreads are finally tangling all the way through. They’ll become denser and more compact as a a result.
4. Mature stage: The changes in structure have started to level off. Frizz is no longer a problem either. What you’ll notice most of all in this stage is growth and length. The dreadlock is tight and compact and there is little risk of unraveling during this stage.

How To Keep Your Dreads Healthy, Growing & Thriving

Our recommended best practices for keeping your dreadlocks healthy with consistent growth is to:

1) Eat well and drink plenty of water.

Doesn’t it seem like that’s the answer for everything right? Ugh.

But it’s true, the first line of defense for healthy hair (and skin) is a healthy diet. And even though we can’t all be perfect (sometimes that Honey Bun just calls your name and you have to answer), we can do our best and make better choices to maintain a healthy body.

2) Don’t over manipulate your locs.

Excessive loc maintenance can cause your hair to weaken and thin out, or worse yet, cause a loc to break. You will probably be doing more maintenance in the beginning during the baby stages simply because the locs are more likely to unravel during this stage. But once they bud and locs truly start to form, set your maintenance on a regular schedule and only as needed.

3) Wrap your hair up with a satin scarf when preforming household or yard chores and at night when sleeping.

This will keep the lint bunnies, dust and debris at bay. It will also stretch the time in between maintenance sessions. We offer a dreadlock sleep cap perfect for this in the store. It’s a good idea to use a black microfiber hair drying towel when you wash your hair too.

You might be used to just grabbing any old cotton bath towel to dry your locs after a wash but those cotton towels are prime culprits in depositing colorful lint pellets onto your hair.

4) Opt for natural products whenever possible.

Barring any allergic reaction to certain products, use natural products whenever possible. They are typically kinder to your tresses and don’t cause issues. Keep in mind though that all natural products are not best for the hair. For example, even though beeswax is a natural product and provides a temporary hold, it causes nasty build-up and therefore not the best styling option.

So what method will you use to start your natural dreadlocks? Leave a comment below and let us know which method you chose.

Until next time…

Be Well.