a quickie

I take a lot of pics of my dreads LOL

Ok, so, the last time I wore anything like this was probably the 6th grade. But, I figured "why the heck not!? It's cute :)"

a tuesday update

Here's the work hubby was able to get done in the short time he was home. I had him for one day, the Uncle Sam took him away again! So now, I won't have any more of the back done (again!) till Monday at the earliest.

sigh

My left side and back looks great! It's the right side that needs back combing and tending to. I feel a little lopsided LOL

(almost) wordless wednesday ~ phatty baby dreads

A view from the back after hubby was doing some work last Sunday night. Now he's in New York till Sunday the 14th though ... I have to work on the easily reached sections as I can, until he returns!

mondy monday

It's Monday, day 9, and I still have a ways to go. Back combing an entire head of hair is one sure way to make you realize just how much hair you have on your head! I just wanted to share a few pics of my baby dreadies comin along ...

some nice thick ones forming down my back ...

Have a good week!

week one in the books!

Well, it's been a week of learning, and loving my new dreads ... with a tad bit of irritation and frustration tossed in as I learn how to care for them. But I'm on my way to a long time of diggin the heck out of my new hair-do.

Washing my hair on Thursday changed my life! I have naturally dry skin so, a bit of itch is expected. I won't blame dreads for that. I do have some tea tree oil to apply by Qtip if needed to spots, but I haven't had to do that since before the shampoo.

Last night, hubby and I sat down with a 12 pack of Corona and the first 2 discs of the Blade television series and got some back combing done. We also re-sectioned the area where my "bangs" would hang from.

The stylist who originally worked on my hair twisted that area back so it wouldn't hang forward or even to the sides to frame my face. And the sections themselves made zero sense. We took care of that! Now I have smaller dreads around my face, and larger ones on the sides and back ... just how I want!

Fast forward to one finished case of Corona, and 2 vodka tonics later ... I was tanked (I'm a mom ok, I never drink!) And my head looks and feels 100% better than it did this time last week. My husband is really good at this dreading thing! You just never know where your hidden talents lay! We've got a lot more of my hair to finish the back combing job completely but hopefully we can have it finished by the end of the weekend.

it's like a whole new scalp!

haiku friday

thank goodness for suds
water and shampoo saved me
dreadheadhq rocks!

It's my first "haiku friday" for my dreadlock blog! I look forward to more!

day 6 ~ the itch

I haven't washed my hair since last Saturday. As I type this, I am waiting for my love package to arrive from DreadHeadHQ.

In my last post, I passed on the story about the stylist who I went to for my dreads, telling me not to wash my hair for an entire month. Well, unless you want to go around for 30 solid days of head itch, and crusty hair locks like this ...

... you're gonna wash your hair!

I had done research on dreads before I took the plunge, so I knew the 30 days without a wash was suspicious info. By Sunday, my gut told me not to wash just yet but to prepare for one sooner than 30 days away.

I ordered a maintenance kit and wax from DreadHeadHQ ... it's being delivered UPS today! I also called DHHQ on Tuesday (Monday was a holiday, yo) and asked for advice.

The woman who I spoke to was incredibly helpful and very nice! Her advice on new dreads was to wait a week before washing, then continue with any needed back combing. But after hearing about my flaky, dried up hair product being stuck to my locs and scalp, she said to go ahead with the washing on Thursday, using the shampoo I receive from DHHQ.

White, dried flakes is actually a common problem with cheesy cheap hair gels. I should've known better! I do know better! Bad Jamie! Anyway ...

Per my friendly, and I assume dread headed herself adviser over the phone, my dreads will look much better, and my scalp will feel much more healthy (and less itchy) by Monday.

Til my washing tonight, this will continue to be my style ...

there will be more ... there's always more ;)

#2 ~ the appointment / day one!

During the process ...

So ... the morning of the appointment, I was sure to enjoy washing my loose hair for one last time. I got to the salon about 1130, and we dug in. First, she shampooed my hair. Afterward she backcombed it some, and then set me under a dryer. Not only was a I slightly confused by the beginning of her "technique" but, I looked a lot like a hair band reject from the mid-80's. Anyway ... after my hair was completely dry, she started sectioning my hair.

I don't need to get into every detail since that would take up a lot of bandwidth ;) but over the next 5 hours, my hair was sectioned, back combed and twisted into the beginning of dreadlocks. (or so I thought?)

One thing I agreed to that I look back at now with a bit of regret is, I gave her the "ok" to use a protein gel on my hair instead of a wax. I said no to the wax because I didn't have any of my own to bring, and I had the feeling that the only wax she had contained petroleum ans maybe some other ingredients in it that I wasn't interested in having on my hair. Now though, I think I could have dealt with it. But more on that later ... She didn't want to risk my hair becoming too oily from the wax she had. Ok, I can appreciate that.

I didn't appreciate, but could do it if needed, that she told me not to wash my hair for a month. Yes, a month. 30 days. A whole freakin month without getting my hair wet for any reason. Clearly, I had some research to do when I got home!

On the way home, maybe an hour after leaving the salon ...
pulled back since I was in a bit of shock!

I didn't know it right away, but I know it now. If you look closely at the photo of my hair on the way home, it's twisted. For people with "black" hair, twisting is a common way to start their dreads. Black hair is drier and folks who get dreads have very little work to do as far as getting their hair to "loc". The hair just locs up with very little work.

A woman with "white girl hair" like me, who goes to a salon that isn't a place like Knotty Boy or Dread Goddess gets the same treatment ... and the outcome is not the same with Caucasian hair. You live and you learn.

And sometimes all you really paid for was to have someone section it for you since you have to go back and do the backcombing all over again yourself. hrrrm.

stay tuned!

post one ~ pre dreads

"This Mama" ~ my hair - pre 'loc

Prior to Saturday August 30th, my hair was long, wavy and delicious to touch and play with. Sometime during August of 2008, I decided dreadlocks was the way I wanted to go for my "white girl hair".

It was either dreads or the big chop! I love my hair short and boyish. My husband, on the other hand - not so fond of the idea. He was, however, excited that I decided to go the way of dreadlocks. (he loves women with "alternate" looks as opposed to chics who look like air brushed Playboy bunnies) Anyway ...

Living in Northern Virginia, so close to District of Columbia, I figured I could find a suitable place to get my hair did. After searching online and phone books, I actually came across more braiding salons than salons that had hair dressers who specialized in 'locs. Finally I found a link to what was called the "authority in dreadlocks" located about 30 miles west of home.

Well ... I called and made an appointment with the resident "dreadlock expert" there for a consult. I had thought maybe my hair was too fine to successfully dread. During my consult, the stylist agreed that my hair was good hair to go thru the process. We discussed products and technique she would use, and the price to go along with it.

I was comfortable with the stylist. She was very nice, had a thick accent, and shortie dreads of her own. Hers were a little unkempt but, it didn't sway me. I made an appointment for the following weekend to go thru with the 'locs!

Stay tuned for my next entry ... "the 'loc process begins aka day one"

gorgeous bead can be found @ Beady Bugs