A dread perm can be one of two things: 1) a very kinky perm given to straight or non-afro hair to make it more frizzy and nappy - hence, easier to dread, or 2) perm solution that is applied to hair that has just been dreaded to fry the hair into the dread and keep them from coming apart. Dread perms are a tricky thing. If done correctly, they can give you instantaneous, good lookin’ dreads, but if done incorrectly, well, you can read a couple horror stories we’ve been sent below.

Basically, the bottom line is, do your research. Before you get your dread perm, ask your stylist tons of questions, ask for before and after pics, testimonials, how long they’ve been doing it, where they got their training etc. We have first hand knowledge that the fine folks at HairPolice do a great job with dread perms, so it’s a pretty good bet that those trained by HairPolice can be trusted with your locks.

However, its always a gamble when you’re playing with chemicals. Here is a quote from an email we received from a not-so-happy dread-permee:

"I got a dread perm 5yrs. ago and at this point, my dreads are getting super thin and brittle. They aren’t dreading at the scalp because my hair is sooo fine and a few of them have fallen off because they are hangin’ by a few strands of hair. I want to keep my dreads but I am very concerned at this point..."

SO, the decision is yours to try a dread perm or not... but we do know that you can have wicked dreads for a fraction of the trouble, damage and cost if you just get a friend or two to help you do them right with Knotty Boy Dread Wax. Hey, that’s what it was made for — locking up without having to use anything else! If you think your hair needs some kinkiness to help it lock up better, you can braid it wet the day before and then take the braids out and brush it so it's really frizzy before you lock up — that will help a lot, too.

Here is another story that might help you decide whether to try a dread perm or not.. this Knotty girl doesn't want her name mentioned, but be sure to read her story!

"I fell upon your website whilst surfing. I spent hours reading with great interest. It certainly has wetted my appetite for trying to dread my hair again. I read something about dread perms in your

I have been wearing braids for the last five years. Only, last year, springtime, two weeks after taking out my braids I decided that I wanted to do something with my hair that I have been thinking about doing with it for years: dreadlocks. I had found a trendy American dreadlocks and tattoo salon in Amsterdam. I didn't use chemicals in my hair for the length of time that I had been braiding it and wished to keep it that way but I was told that because my hair was both long and soft, a dread perm would help the locks to set properly. I still wasn't totally convinced, but okay, the stylists were the experts...

I was in the salon for a total of four hours. Come six in the evening, I was more or less hurried out the door because the guy who was doing my hair had to meet up with some friends for a night out and he didn't want to be late. My hair was still wet, I resembled a mongrel dog just in from the pouring rain. But, I was assured that, by the next day, my locks would look fine and within a week they would have settled but that I must twist them regularly. This I did, everyday without fail. And, my locks did look fine for the first week. Then, the second week, the perm fell and my hair started to take on a matted appearance. By the third and fourth week, the hair on my hair frontline started to break off and look dull and hard. It took the patience and hours of time of my husband and my former braider to undo and comb out all those matted locks. I looked awful. My beautiful shoulder length head of soft afro-carib curls had been reduced to a dull, broken and uneven mass. I was so angry, disappointed and felt a fool for allowing myself to say, 'yes' to putting damaging chemicals onto my scalp and hair.

That was a tough lesson. Shortcuts can often end in long cuts instead. FAQ page and would like to relate to your browsers of the experience I had with a dread perm.

I find that natural dreadlocks are simply a beautifully versatile and natural way of wearing hair and, it is chemical free."