Friday, January 21, 2011

Is it Opposites Day?!



Must've been, since I spent an entire day (and just a little of the night) taking out Lindsey's dreads -pretty rare compared to how often I'm putting dreads in. Removal services are always a bit of a wild card, since in most cases I have no idea how they were started, how they've been maintained, or what products I might find lurking in there. All that makes this service, more than any other I provide, one I can't begin to quote a time or price for. I charge an hourly rate, but Removals can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days, and every head is different.



Before I went any further, I needed to know a little history. Lindsey let me know her dreads are 8 years old, and she didn't use products to start or maintain them. All to the good (it's hella hard to take out locks made with superglue. Just trust me.) Knowing what I do about Removals, I offered Lindsey a few options to fit her budget:

1) She can purchase a Removal Kit from Knotty Boy (it's got all the same products I use) and tackle it herself using the instructions in the FAQ
2) She can book me for however many hours fit her budget
3) She can book me to remove just the hard-to-reach dreads at the back
4) She can book me for the whole shebang, however long it takes!

Lindsey (and her awesome mom) decided on option 4, so at 11 o'clock we got rolling. It's a pretty simple, but time-consuming and hard-on-the-hands process to remove dreads. (So it was extra cool that she pitched in and took out her own bangs!) We started seeing the light at about 6, and finished up with a trim of any uneven bits by 8. The first few days after removal, clients always have a bit of a Doc Brown vibe going on, but it relaxes after a few days of conditioning. Can't wait to see how Lindsey styles her new flowing mane in the coming months!



Removal is a tough one to sell people on - they straight-up don't think I can do it. In fact, as I was mid-remove on Lindsey, someone came in and was positive that I couldn't remove her dreads. Uh huh ;) It ain't easy, and it's a lot of work - but it can be done.

My fave is having Removal Parties - I show your buddies what to do and we all attack you at once, giving your dreads a proper farewell.
If you're interested in taking out your locks but aren't stoked on shaving your head, this is the only way to go!

2 comments:

  1. WOW, look at that length!! Amazing work, Kris! :)

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  2. Thanks! We made it through Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2 (which we graciously shared with Hugh who was getting his dreads combed out by Becca.) Removal-A-Thon!

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