Maintenance

There is soooooo much information out there about how to look after your locks, what works best and what doesn't.  At the end of the day everyone is an individual with varying preferences. Locks come in all shapes, sizes, colours and textures...so what's right for one is not necessarily right for the other.  What IS cool is how dreadlocks have become so popular all over the globe and cross over so many racial, cultural, religious and social backgrounds....unity is a beautiful thing!  With that said, let's just keep this simple and stick to the basics of dread care.

GET BACK TO YOUR ROOTS

Nourish the scalp.  This is so often overlooked!  The skin of the scalp has a relatively high absorption rate - bad if you're using chemicals and petroleum based products....good if you use the good stuff!  Doesn't it make logical sense to take care of the roots in order for the hair to grow healthy and strong?  Willie's Scalp Treatment provides all the nutrients your scalp needs with cedarwood and geranium to encourage strong hair growth and overcome the itchy flaky problem that often comes with dreads and related styles.

RE-TWIST 'EM & KEEP 'EM TIGHT

Once you have locked your hair, no I'm afraid the new hair growth won't already be locked!  You need to keep the process going by re-twisting the roots. Scrape a peanut-size amount of Willie's Dread Wax from the pot using your thumbnail.  Warm and soften it in between your fingers then work it into the base of the dread picking up any stray hairs along the way and twist twist twist until the new growth is bound tightly.

COMPRESSING each dread by PALMROLLING is very important (especially when starting out) to keep them knotted tightly and eliminate fuzzies.  This needs to be done more frequently in the first 6 weeks or so of having dreads.  Once they're mature, you'll find its more about re-twisting the roots and conditioning the length to avoid breakage and excessive dryness.  The Conditioning Spritz and Caribbean Bliss Hair and Body Balm are great for long mature dreads.

WASH WEEKLY

There's definitely a perception out there in general society that dreads are dirty, smelly and unhygienic.  Let's start changing that - because that does not have to be the case.  In fact CLEAN HAIR WILL LOCK MORE EFFECTIVELY as the natural oils produced by your scalp can hinder the process.  HOWEVER - these oils are beneficial for general scalp health and constantly stripping them isn't the greatest, so it's a delicate balance. Shampooing them weekly is often enough without over-doing it.

Washing tips

  • Make sure to give your scalp a good rub and the shampoo will flow through your locks by itself, which you can squeeze gently through the length.
  • Rinse thoroughly and repeat if necessary.
  • Drying them properly is VERY important. Wrap them in a NON-FLUFFY towel and squeeze gently to absorb excess water. Now just let those locks free-up in the fresh air to dry or use a blow dryer if you need to (be careful not to scorch them).
  • Whatever you do, don't roll them up in a tam while still damp!
  • When dry, assess if they need a tidy up and grab your preferred Willie's Dread Wax to twist and palmroll.  If your scalp is irritated apply your Scalp Treatment. Or maybe they just need a hint of moisture so then some Conditioning Spritz will do the trick.  Once done, you're good to go.

AT NIGHT

Get yourself a doo-rag or a bandana to wrap your hair before sleeping - especially if you've waxed your locks in the evening.  This will help all the goodness in the products to penetrate your scalp and hair instead of rubbing off onto your pillow.  It can also prevent any fluff from bedding getting into your locks.

PROTECT THEM

It makes sense as many of us Kiwi's are hands-on out-doorsey types. Whether it's your job in construction, you're a nature lover, or you're into gardening and DIY around the house, then please please please cover your hair with a tam, doo-rag or wrap.

DON'T HAVE TIME TO WAX?

Yep, it can take a while especially if you have long glorious locks.  So if you need a quick moisture boost and freshen up then the Conditioning Spritz is the answer!  Choose from either Dark or Light to match your hair colour and spray through your hair from the scalp to the tips.  This light-weight spritz contains all those essential fatty acids with nutrient rich oils of hemp, walnut or macadamia to soothe and condition the hair.