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Knotty Boy FAQs
.: Maintaining Dreadlocks
.: Maintenance of New Locks (0-6 Months)
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Maintenance of New Locks (0-6 Months)
Everything you need to know about your young dreads
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Can I go swimming with my new dreadlocks?
Swimming in chlorine or salt water actually helps dreads
tighten. Sitting out in the sun after that really helps them to tighten
up lots, too (just remember to rinse your scalp.) If your dreads are still very new they might fall apart a bit and, especially short hair, will still need a lot of backcombing and palm rolling to stick together again. But don't worry about them falling apart too much - palm roll them when wet, then just wax them up again, once they're totally dry.
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Can I wear a bandanna to cover my new locks for work?
Yeah – it’s a great idea, especially if they’re sticking straight out! If you’ve got a job outside, or in construction – anywhere dust and debris is a factor, really – we actually recommend wearing a bandanna or thick dreadband to keep your freshly waxed locks clean.
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How can I make my own dreadlock accelerator??
We don’t recommend DIY salt sprays because of the horror stories we’ve heard and the burned scalps we’ve seen. If you wanna dip your locks in the ocean, that’s awesome – but rinse off your scalp afterward. If you’re looking for tightening, check out our Locksteady Tropical Tightening Gel. It’s been extensively tested on the Knotty Family and determined to be most excellent!
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How can I prevent/get rid of loops in my dreads?
Palmroll, palmroll, palmroll! Palmrolling vigorously from the roots to the ends will prevent and cure most dreadlock issues. We recommend palmrolling once a week while wet after washing, and once again when 100% dry, at which point you can add wax if you choose.
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How can I protect my dreads at night from my tossing and turning?
Try wearing a hat or a nylon stocking over your locks when you sleep. The Knotty Boy Recycled T-Shirt Dreadbands work like a charm for this. Other than that, you'll just have to have patience until they grow a bit stronger and tighter, and use the wax to fix them up in the morning.
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How do I stop my dreads from getting flattened?
This problem of flat dreads is very common with new, soft dreadlocks. They are still really just knotted hair held together with wax, and haven't yet started developing into the tight, matted knots that make locks. So when they are still soft, they will get squashed and fall apart sometimes. The best thing for them is just patience and palmrolling to make them tighter. It's a pain, but worth it. It's just another one of those little tests of endurance that make you so glad it's all over...
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How do I wash my dreadlocks?
Well, you really only need to wash your scalp! So you can either rub the Dread Shampoo
bar directly on your noggin, or you can lather it or the liquid shampoo up in your hands. Give your scalp a good scrub with the lather. Then, when you rinse it out, the diluted shampoo will be plenty to keep your
locks clean. If you soap up your dreads themselves you will not get all
the soap out again, creating buildup. Really – they don’t need it.
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How often should I rewax?
Rewax “as needed”… helpful, right? Lemme try again. You only need enough wax to hold everything together, so it won’t be a daily thing. To check, palmroll a dry dread – does it hold together fine? Then you don’t need to add any more wax. If it’s frizzy and falling apart, it’s time to add more. Remember: less is more, and a little goes a long way. After 3-6 months, you'll switch over to Tightening Gel for your main maintenance product. You can still use the wax very sparingly...
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How often should I wash my dreads?
We recommend washing once per week. But that doesn't mean you can't shower as often as you like, just slip on an extra large shower cap!
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I think I applied too much wax. What can I do about it?
If your dreads start looking like candles, or start falling apart into stringy pieces, you’ve probably applied too much wax. You can start by washing your dreads thoroughly, then allowing them to dry. If after a dry palmrolling they still seem to have too much wax, wrap a dread in a paper towel and apply heat with a blowdryer. You should be able to blot out some excess this way.
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I wash my hair once a week, but there's still buildup on my scalp. Any hints?
When you wash your hair too often, you are stripping the natural oils from you scalp and encouraging the production of more oil. Most people wash their hair too often, so the transition to a once-weekly routine is a bit of an adjustment - your scalp needs to get used to the new production schedule! Also, your loose hair was constantly swooshing over your scalp distributing those oils - your dreads, not so much. All this to say, that plaque-y buildup is caused by an excess of oil with...
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Is my scalp going to remain so visible?
It usually takes anywhere from 2 weeks to a month for that ‘scalpiness’ to go away. All it takes is a little growth at the roots for the sections to puff out a little bit over their borders. Keep those sections clean though – you don’t want them matting together!
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Is the wax going to stay in my hair forever?!
Every time you wash your hair, you're washing out a little bit of the KB Dread Wax. Once you no longer need the wax to hold your backcombed locks together, you don't need to be applying after every shampoo - and that's when you'll start feeling the wax less and less. In a short while you'll be left with soft, clean, wax-free locks.
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My ends are loose. Should I cut them so they look blunted?
The ends sure do take their own sweet time to blunt up. Unfortunately, freshly cut hair is very tricky to reintegrate into the lock – we recommend against cutting it as it will most likely unravel a bit if your dreads are fresh, but it’s your call.
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My roots are growing in and I'm worried they won't dread. What can I do?
Regular palm rolling will encourage those roots to dread up with the rest of your hair. There’s always going to be a little loose hair, but if you want to add a little encouragement you can rub those root sections against your scalp to get them extra knotty. Make sure you are taking only one section at a time though, and follow with regular palm rolling.
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My scalp is really itchy. What can I do?
Itchy scalp is a really common concern with new dreads. Pulling your hair into little sections can stress out your scalp, and it can take some skin a while to get used to washing once a week, as opposed to daily. Try using the Knotty Boy Peppermint Cooling Moisture Spray – it’s formulated with peppermint, rosemary, and witch hazel to soothe irritated and itchy skin. While not necessary, you can pop it into your fridge for an extra burst of cooling. It’s great between shampoos, after...
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What are the red spots on my scalp?
Little red “stress bumps” are pretty common to newly locked scalps, especially around the hairline. They’re usually a skin irritation from having your hair pulled into tight sections and generally monkeyed with. Try using a little Cooling Moisture Spray to banish the itch – and DO NOT scratch them! If you don’t see them going down after a couple of days, you might want to consult your health pro – you may have an allergy or sensitivity.
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What can I do about my tips that won't dread?
Take the undreaded end and “backcomb” it lightly with your fingers – just push the loose hair back towards the dread (if you have a lot, you can use a comb.) Scrub the backcombed tip around in the palm of your hand until you’ve got a nice knot, and then you can wax and palmroll the whole dread from the root as usual.
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Knotty Boy Product Questions
Maintenance of New Locks (0-6 Months)