Yeah, don't think I haven't heard that before. And yeah, some people are content just letting them do their thing, but don't feel like that's your only valid option. Fact is, dreads don't start out perfect. More accurately, they don't stay perfect. They move, they change, they bunch up, they shrink, they expand. All the time! That's totally fine, and 100% normal. If you got your dreads started with me, I know you've gotten the palmrolling spiel and I've put the fear into you about not doing your homework... but we're just rolling into Fall around here, and for those folks who've neglected their noggins for the sake of sun and fun? It's time to pay the piper. (Psst - the piper is me!)
So, why do you want to come in and see me? (other than my sparkling wit and dazzling smile?) Root Maintenance is like the cleaning lady you only shell out for once a season. Sure, you're not getting out of doing the dishes or vacuuming - but it's nice to hand the heavy lifting to the pros once in a while, right? Maintenance is especially helpful to the newly dreadful, but I've got plenty of long-time clients who come in when they need to spruce up a bit. When I put in a set of locks, I recommend seeing that person once every 3-4 months for the first year, and as needed after that. When you come in, I'll be working in 3 key areas:
* re-sectioning dreads at the scalp and tidying up joins
* re-tightening undreaded roots
* re-incorporating loose hair at the scalp
These 7 year old dreads belong to Sylvia, who hung out in my chair yesterday. They look amazing (on the way to her knees!) and she maintains them well herself. She wasn't looking to reinvent the wheel here - she just wanted to clean up the sections and tighten up the roots. (We also touched up the greys on top, but that's a story for another piece.) So, a couple hours later, here she is - same dreads, just tidier and easier to maintain at home.
You don't have to "just deal" with messy dreads! So, if your boss is looking at you sideways, if you're a bridesmaid in your sister's wedding, if you don't wanna look like Sideshow Bob at Prom?
Come hang out in my chair! I'll leave the GameBoy out for ya.
Hi, I’m Kris. Nice to meet you! If you’re linking over from the website, then you already know a little bit about my rather… unusual job. For those of you who just stumbled in (yeah, i saw that) I’m a hairstylist who specializes in Dreadlocks, Extensions and Synthetics at the one n’ only Knotty Boy Lock Shop in gorgeous Vancouver, BC. (Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m used to the funny looks... Mom.) So, why would a fully trained and licensed hairdresser decide to turn to the dark side? Because it’s waaaaaay more fun over here! I'm not gonna exaggerate, this job rules - and this blog is where I get to rub it in.
Since we're just getting to know each other, I thought I'd spend this week explaining what it is i actually do. Let's begin at the beginning, shall we?
Dreadlocks! Awesome ones can totally be started at home by backcombing and twisting. But... you’re looking at about a year of daily palmrolling to achieve a mature and felted lock with this method. If you’ve got the time and patience for it, hells yes – go for it! I certainly didn’t. And it’s not the only way! If you’d rather do….well anything, actually… with your time, c’mon in and have a seat with me, friend.
These dreads here are about 15 minutes old. For reals! On average, they take about 6 hours (of watching Kurt Russell movies, Metalocalypse, and playing GameBoy Tetris.) They’re tightly sectioned at the scalp to keep them from joining, and to help as you get used to taking care of them. (That scalp becomes less visible, promise.) They’re totally customizable sizewise, and the ends can be blunted or tapered. I haven’t used any wax in these pics, though I recommend it in small amounts for maintenance. Above all, they look like dreadlocks! Right from the start! Totally naturally. Pretty cool, hey? Now you'll know what went into 'em when I post pics!
I gotta roll outta here - hair today, gone tomorrow and all ;)
