No matter where you're going to get your dreadlocks created, or even if a friend is going to make them using my Art of Natural Dreadlocking course, it is vital to prepare your hair properly! Correctly prepared hair is so much easier to dread which means less time and less money spent! Read on to find out how to get ready...
The best state for hair to be in to have dreads made is: clean, but not squeaky clean, dry, not oily and chemical, product and residue free! So once you've booked an appointment to get your dreads made, you need to get your hair in the best state to lock with ease. While the Divine Hand & Hook method of dreadlocking can lock hair no matter what it's condition, we always recommend the following hair preparation procedure, because if your hair is in the best state for locking it makes the Loctician's job easier! And this means, your hair can be locked in a shorter time and cost you less. The new dreads also hold their lock much better!
FOR BEST LOCKING RESULTS:
- STOP using all non natural hair products and conditioner (even if it is natural) ideally for a whole month before your appointment. DON'T USE any unnatural shampoo, leave in conditioners, hair gel, spray, wax etc.
- Wash your hair with a 100% natural herbal shampoo for at least a week to assist in reducing any chemical residue from your hair.
- Your last wash should be about 4 days before the day of the appoitnment depending on your hair type. See below:
If you have an OILY hair type, you should wash it the maximum number of days before your appointment in which it won't get oily. Eg: If your hair gets oily every 4 days after washing, wash it 3 days before your appointment and then leave it.
If you have a NORMAL TO DRY hair type then wash your hair about 4 days before your appointment then leave it.
If you swim in the ocean in the NO WASHING time before your appointment, just rinse your hair with water. There's no need to shampoo it, but you do need to get the salt out, because contrary to online opinions, salt in hair hinders the locking process.
With THE DIVINE HAND & HOOK method we can lock any hair type in any state, however locking is easiest (and therefore cheapest) when your hair is in a natural, clean, residue free state. And feels dry, not oily.
REMEMBER, DON'T WASH YOUR HAIR RIGHT BEFORE AN APPOINTMENT! IT WILL BE TOO SQUEAKY CLEAN AND HARDER TO LOCK!
(These hair preparation instructions have been tried and tested on all hair types over a 16 year period. We have found that whenever someone doesn't take this advice the hair is physically harder to lock. This always adds a bit of time and raises the cost to the higher end of a quote. You should also apply this advice when getting dreads made using any other method!)
