Dreads.

People often ask me about my dreads. They wonder how I put them in, how I maintain them, why I got them, how I'm ever going to get them un-dreaded when I'm sick of them. I felt that it was high time to tell the story of my life as a dreadhead.

Q&A:
Why did you get dreadlocks?
I had a life-changing experience a few years back. I had been extremely depressed for many years and had hit rock bottom. My last hope was an intensive outpatient program in Colorado. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, I hopped on a plane and headed out to Buena Vista to try and get my life turned around. I met with a counselor for three hours a day for two weeks. When I wasn't in counseling, I spent my time watching late-night movies, eating ice cream and way too much pizza, and rock climbing with a wonderful Australian couple I met through the counseling center. I climbed mountains both literally and figuratively and I found a peace that passes all understanding. I began to notice changes in myself that I never thought possible. I was letting go of pain, anger, and stress that I didn't even know I had been carrying and I finally began to surrender my life to Jesus in a new way. When I came home, I felt like a new person (some people even said I looked like a new person... apparently I had previously looked like someone who was very depressed). Not only did I have a new set of tools to help me deal with intense emotions, but I also had a new outlook on life. A few days after I got back, I was on Pinterest looking at pictures of people rock climbing and I saw this picture:

Aren't her dreadlocks the coolest ones you've ever seen?! It was then that I knew I wanted dreads. I wanted an outward change to reflect the inward change that happened during my time in Colorado. The only problem was that I wasn't sure if I could pull off the look. I didn't know what other people would think or if I would ever be able to find a job. So, naturally, I went on Facebook and asked my friends to vote: Should I get dreadlocks? Why or why not? A friend of mine who happens to be quite a famous drummer said that I should. He told me that he would get a mohawk if I got dreads. I agreed and I've been rockin' the dreads ever since.

How long have you had them?
Exactly one year and five months. I started them on December 18th, 2012 and it took four days and lots of help (shout out and a big thank you to my amazing family!) to get them all finished.

How did you start your dreads?
Good question! There are several ways to start dreads. I did a TON of research and decided the best method was backcombing. If you are ever considering taking the plunge into the world of dreadheads, I HIGHLY recommend DreadHeadHQ.com for information on all things dreadlocks (they provide information on starting and maintaining dreads, sample letters you can give to your parents and employer to convince them that you NEED dreadlocks, and an online store full of awesome products to keep your dreads looking great). First you have to separate your hair into awkward little ponytails all over your head where you want each dread to be. Then you start the backcombing process. Backcombing, if you don't know, is exactly what it sounds like; instead of combing the hair from root to tip, you do the opposite, which creates lots of loops and knots. The tighter the better. When each dread is finished, you roll it between the palms of your hands until your arms feel like they're going to fall off to get each lock to tighten up. I also used wax from DreadHead HQ to help speed up the dreading process. I was fortunate enough to have lots of help from friends and family.

Does it hurt to put dreads in?
Yes. It feels like your hair is being pulled out. It is especially painful when someone is backcombing a lock and the comb accidentally slips and hits your scalp. Not only do you get whacked in the head with a comb, but you also get your hair practically pulled out. However, I knew it would be painful going in, so it wasn't that bad (mind over matter, mind over matter...). When it's all done, you can expect to have a sore spot at the root of each dread for a day or too, but hey, beauty is pain, right? Don't worry though, I would imagine it's about the same level of pain as getting a tattoo, if not less painful than a tattoo.

How long do you plan to keep your dreads?
I haven't decided. When I put them in, I promised myself and the ones helping me put them in that I would give it at least a year. Dreads change so much throughout the first year of having them and there are some phases where your hair looks just terrible. Loops and twists pop up everywhere, parts of dreads come un-dreaded, the dreads get really skinny and then really fat as the knots tighten, and you wonder what you've gotten yourself into. It took mine about 14 months to look how I wanted them to look. The thing I love about dreads is that I don't have to do much to change up the look and satisfy my need to try something different. I just put in a new bead or add some wool roving to color a dread or two and bam! A new hairstyle.

What are you going to do when you want to get rid of them?
I will probably (try to) comb out at least one dread, just to see how long my hair is. When you dread your hair, the dreads are only 1/2 to 2/3 the length of your actual hair, which makes sense if you think about it. Dreads are just a bunch of knots and loops in your hair so--just like if you had curly hair--they would be shorter than if your hair was straight. So, I'm hoping to comb out a dread or two because I'm sure I'll be curious to see how long my hair really is. I know it will be a lot longer than when I started my dreads because I haven't gotten a haircut in almost two years! After seeing how long my hair is, I will probably just cut my hair short--I want it to be about two inches long so I can spike it up. I think that would be fun too :) So I'll cut the dreads so they're about two inches long, then use a ton of conditioner and comb, comb, comb!

Do you ever wash your hair?
Yes! This is a very common misconception among non-dreaded folk. Disclaimer: some dreadheads would disagree with me, insisting that natural is the way to go and that dreads should never be washed. But I believe that for dreads to be as healthy as they can be, it's best to wash them at least twice a week, although I try to wash mine every other day. This is because oily hair tends to make the knots not want to knot (now there's a tongue twister for ya!). Think of it this way: if you had a piece of fishing line that you were trying to knot, it would be a lot easier to do it if the line was not slippery and slimy. It's the same way with hair; it doesn't knot as easily if it's not clean. But the thing about dreads is that they take FOREVER to dry because the hair is so tightly knotted. Mine usually take almost 24 hours (and that's if I blow-dry them for 20 minutes after my shower!), so if I want to shower the day after I wash my dreads, I have to wear a shower cap so they don't get wet again. If you don't allow dreads to dry fully between washings, you can get "dread rot" (I know, pretty gross...). Also, you have to use a special shampoo that doesn't leave residues in your hair like normal shampoo does. Most dread shampoo is made from natural oils such as tea tree oil, rosemary oil, olive oil, peppermint oil, etc. The reason for this is that if you have residues in your dreads, like ingredients designed to make the hair feel silky or smell good even after you have washed it out, you can get dread rot because the residues tend to build up over time and hold in more moisture.

How do you make the new growth dread?
I use a technique called clockwise rubbing. You take the dread put it between your pointer and middle finger about one inch from the roots and rub it against your head in a clockwise motion. Why clockwise, you ask? Simply because consistency is important. You don't want to undread what's already been dreaded.

What do dreads feel like?
They're kind of rope-like. Early on, my dreads were fairly soft, then they got pretty scratchy (to the point where my brother would hold his head as far away from mine as possible whenever he hugged me so they wouldn't touch his face... that habit hasn't stopped yet). Now they're starting to soften up again, which is apparently normal for dreads to do. In case my description isn't good enough and you want to see for yourself how they feel, just ask and I would be happy to oblige :)

Do you ever get weird looks or comments because of your hair?
ALL THE TIME. Especially from kids. One thing I love about kids is that they have no shame. They just stare blatantly. I usually smile and keep walking. Sometimes I tell them, "This is what happens to your hair if you don't comb it when your mom tells you to!" Other times, if they seem genuinely curious, I ask if they want to touch my hair because let's be honest, we've all wanted to know what dreads really feel like! 

One time a little boy took one look at me and then proceeded to point and scream until his embarrassed parents shushed him. I'm assuming it was because of my dreads, although I could be wrong, but I don't know what else he would have been screaming at.

Do you have dreads because you're a Rastafarian?
No, I am not a Rastafarian. And no, I don't smoke weed. If you don't know what a Rastafarian is and you're really confused about why anyone would ask me if I smoke weed, here's the Wikipedia link. I'm not going to try to explain it all on here :P

Is there anything you don't like about your dreads?

I don't like how long they take to dry. It can get really annoying to have wet hair for 24 hours every time I shower. I don't like that I can't headbang or flip my hair around because it hurts when my dreads (and beads) whack me in the face... Not that I did that very often before, but you often don't notice things until you can't do them anymore. I don't like that my hair doesn't smell good because I can't have any wonderful-smelling residues in my hair anymore, so it just smells like hair. Which is lame.

What is your favorite part about having dreadlocks?
Oh gosh, lots of things. I love the way they feel. I love to play with them; I can tie them in knots and they are really easy to braid. When they get long enough, I won't even need hair ties... I'll be able to just loop one around the others and tie a knot when I want to put them up! I like putting new beads in them. Especially ones that have a story. I have one bead that was made by a woman in Duluth who takes copper sleeves and covers them in powdered glass then fires them in a kiln inside her chicken coop to melt the glaze (C-Koop Beads, Duluth, MN).

How has your life changed since getting dreads?
This might surprise some, but getting dreads has changed my life in so many ways. I think they have made me a better person. I don't worry as much about what others think of me. Some people think I look like I have a mop/animal on my head, some want to comb them out, and some just think they look really ugly (yes, I have been told all of those things). I have learned that what others say of me is not important. What God says of me is what matters. He says I am beautiful, I am unique, I am valuable, and most importantly, I am loved by the Creator of the universe. Which, if you ask me, is pretty cool. Oh, and by the way, I'm not alone in that... He thinks you're beautiful, unique, valuable, and loved too! Pretty great, huh?

I have also formed a new definition of beauty since getting dreads. Pre-dreads, if you had asked me if I think dreads are beautiful, I would have said they're not. They're gnarly, intriguing, unique, and awesome, but I would not have said beautiful. Getting dreads has redefined beauty for me. I now believe that beauty is not simply physical attractiveness, but something deeper than that. It's a mystery, a puzzle that needs to be solved, a question that begs an answer. It's something more than what it appears to be at first glance. Beauty is something that has depth and purpose. Something that tells a story or reveals something. Like the way that facial wrinkles or gray hairs show that someone is full of life and has a long history of adventures and heartaches and memories. Or the way a painting shows the long hours the artist spent, brush in hand, writing down a story that could not be explained with words alone. Beauty is something that doesn't leave the beholder where they are, but transforms them in some way. With my new definition of beauty, I would say, "Yes, my dreads are most definitely beautiful."