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Starting dreads, but just not sure what you'll need?

We've done the hard work for you by putting together the bare essentials for starting locks from scratch (and in larger Kits, a few fun extras), at a discount!

Incredible locks
in weeks, not years.

Create and maintain beautiful locks in any hair type easier, faster, and cleaner with Knotty Boy Natural Dreadlock Care products.

Pure ingredients, simple instructions and limitless customer support. Think Dreadlocks, Think Knotty Boy - the Original Since 1998!

Dreadlock growth timeline - three months

 

 

 

 

 

man with strangely aloof yet aware expression wearing dark blue turtleneck sweater thingy with slightly messy three month old dreadlocks

 

 

At three months, your dreads should be beginning to hold together on their own.

Shop-started locks should be well into felting by now, and you're probably going in for the first maintenance to reweave any new growth. (Michael here is clearly ready for a touch up.) No matter how they were started, this is a good time to start adding wet palm rolling to the routine - it gives you way more bang for your palm rolling buck!

 

 

Maintenance Techniques

Allow us to blind you with some science: hair is made up of long chains of amino acids held together by various chemical bonds. Breaking and reforming those bonds is how you change the texture of your hair, say from straight to curly, or vice versa. Every time you get your hair wet you temporarily break the hydrogen bond which, as it dries, reforms in whatever shape you've put it in. Palm rolling when wet will encourage the lumps and loose hairs you patiently roll back into the dread to stay where you put them. After you wash your locks, you'll want to towel off; this technique is best done on damp hair, not sopping wet. If you're using Locksteady Tightening Gel, add a little bit to each damp dread and palm roll. Yeah, it's that easy! When your locks are dry you'll notice that the dread is feeling tighter, and with time the lock itself will start to feel denser. When it's dried completely, your roots and ends will be much easier to work on!

 

 

Helpful Products for This Stage


 

 

translucent plastic jar with white opaque lid and mascot on a beach with the sea behind shirtless wearing a shell necklace knotty boy locksteady tropical tightening gel

 

LockSteady Tropical Tightening Gel

Easy to use (and easy to clean up!) Tightening Gel doubles the effectiveness of your palm roll!

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maintenance kit for new dreadlocks with 8 ounce tightening gel, 8 ounce peppermint cooling spray, shampoo bar, knot tea lasqui tea island chai, two round stickers, and natural cotton drawstring bag with blue logo

 

Knot-Tea Scalp Tonic

Running low on supplies? Check out the customizable Maintenance Kit to get everything you want in one swoop.

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TIPS

1. The Locksteady Tightening Gel is recommended for use on wet hair only. But maybe you want to palm roll more often than you wash your hair? In a spray bottle, mix some of the tightening gel and enough water to keep the nozzle from clogging. Spray away! Ask for help if you need it, and use your available resources!

 

2. The FAQs are a massive database of every question we've been asked and solution we've come across. Customer Service is always around to answer questions and help with any situation you run into, and we can hook you up with professional dread stylists should you choose to put your hair in someone else's capable hands. No matter how messy it gets or how hopeless it seems, call us before you decide that it's just too much work - every Knotty Kid has been there, even us. We're here to help!

 

 

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