CHUNKS of DREADS... what to do!

[CarLiTa]

i washed my hair on Monday morning with some shampoo that i found laying around.

then i had to run to work, so i just kinda combed the to and put it in a bun and ran off to work.

i come back to work only to realize that the bottom part of my hair formed THREE chunks of DREADS.

I think to myself, oh im just going to cowash and get it taken care of...

next day, i cowash, and the dreads don't come apart.

a couple of days later, i do it again... and the dreads DON'T COME APART!

so now, it's almost a week.
this was my first time using this shampoo: Aussie Moist.

the thing is, i shampooed 3 times on monday b/c my hair was so dirty.
could it be that i overshampooed?

what can i do to get rid of the dreads?!

if i ahve to cut them off, i'd basically go from BSL to neck length... so i'll like to get rid of these crazy chunky dreads.

Help please!

 

[Qualitee]

omg (((((((((((((hug)))))))) I you get the right answer!

 

[hopeful]

Carlita have you tried soaking your hair in oil, maybe evoo? Are the dreads coming loose at all? Maybe sleep in conditioner/oils overnight? IDK, but you cannot go from bsl to nl. Please keep us updated!

 

[TexturedTresses]

someone in another thread said they used a nacidit cream rinse to get rid of matting. good luck.

 

[Tarae]

Carlita have you tried soaking your hair in oil, maybe evoo? Are the dreads coming loose at all? Maybe sleep in conditioner/oils overnight? IDK, but you cannot go from bsl to nl. Please keep us updated!

Yes, try the EVOO. Leave it on for a while. It's saved me a few times when I got lazy with some braidouts.

 

[Irresistible]

i washed my hair on Monday morning with some shampoo that i found laying around.

then i had to run to work, so i just kinda combed the to and put it in a bun and ran off to work.

i come back to work only to realize that the bottom part of my hair formed THREE chunks of DREADS.

I think to myself, oh im just going to cowash and get it taken care of...

next day, i cowash, and the dreads don't come apart.

a couple of days later, i do it again... and the dreads DON'T COME APART!

so now, it's almost a week.
this was my first time using this shampoo: Aussie Moist.

the thing is, i shampooed 3 times on monday b/c my hair was so dirty.
could it be that i overshampooed?

what can i do to get rid of the dreads?!

if i ahve to cut them off, i'd basically go from BSL to neck length... so i'll like to get rid of these crazy chunky dreads.

Help please!

yeah thats over shampooing without adding back any moisture (did you deep condition?) I would say get you a really moisturizing conditioner and lots of a natural oil and work on it little by little, you might lose alot of hair but its worth a shot to try to save it, its going to take time and work! dont add anything with protein to your hair, only oils and moisture

 

[Jade Feria]

What shampoo did you use? Try doing a hot oil treatment with maybe some sweet almond oil, coconut oil, EVOO, or jojoba oi, or any combination of those. Then deep condition your hair with a good moisturizing conditioner. Use a wide-tooth comb and start detangling....VERY SLOWLY!! Use a little water from the shower to help with slip. Take your time and start from the bottom of the hair and work your way up.

I hope that helps!!

 

[hopeful]

yeah thats over shampooing without adding back any moisture (did you deep condition?) I would say get you a really moisturizing conditioner and lots of a natural oil and work on it little by little, you might lose alot of hair but its worth a shot to try to save it, its going to take time and work! dont add anything with protein to your hair, only oils and moisture

ITA, work with it little by little and be patient, don't get frustrated and started yanking through it. Shoot if some people can undo locs, I bet you can undo this matting.

 

[jamaraa]

NO MORE WASHING and NO CONDITIONER for the mo!!!! Until they're removed, washing is only helping the dread lock up more. That's making it worse, esp. w/ the conditioner. Conditioner is only adding gunk (read waxes) to the dread since dreaded hair holds product residue. Many people use wax to start and maintain dreads, so using anything creamy or waxy is working against your goal. Go to the BSS or dollar store and invest in sturdy combs of varying sizes. Get a decent quantity of light oil...try jojoba or grapeseed even peanut oil...EVOO and the like are too heavy. Keep some water on hand to wet the hair when you need to...then get to work untangling them. Use the oil and water to lubricate the dreads as you work, but focus the oils and water (nothing else) on the locks themselves. Never work on a dry lock. You might need a friend to help since they are at the back of the head, but you can start by yourself.

You're definitely will lose some hair, but it's not as bad as you may think....certainly better tan cutting it all off.

I've removed dreads from someone's head just like what you describe....it takes time and patience but it can be done.

 

[jamaraa]

The Knottylocks forum has several members w/ pics that took out their SERIOUS dreads and keep all or most of their length, check them out: http://com3.runboard.com/bknottydreadlockforum.f4.t2100

 

[Divine Inspiration]

I would put a mixture of Porosity Control, jojoba oil, and a teeny bit of cheapie con in a bowl and mix it. Then slather it on all over and put on a conditioning cap for about an hour (no heat). After that, I'd grab a rattail comb and a Jilbere de Paris shower comb along with a cup of chamomile tea, lavendar candles and my favorite CD and slowly, gently work through the hair. After it's done, I'd rinse the product and the next day, I'd do a DC with heat with the most moisturizing thing I could find and maybe add a dollop or two of my favorite light protein.

Like the other ladies said, patience and an easy touch are the names of this game.

Good luck, hair twin!

 

[natieya]

Hang in there. Please let us know the good news when you have recovered. We're all pulling for you.

 

[CarLiTa]

Thanks so much ladies!

I'm going to try the various oils you've mentioned, because the conditioner only helped A LITTLE (the 2 times that i tried during the week)

This is by far the worst hair experience that has happened to me
this is what i get for being sooooo lazy with my hair the past month and a half.

I'm going to try again today, but since i have limited time, if it doesn't work out, i'm just going to wear it in a bun like I always do for the day and then try again tomorrow.

I am going to check out the dreads website. I just don't know where to search!

and also, if i have to cut my hair, the shortest i'd be willing to go is shoulder length. NOT neck!
i have just started transitioning again (but for real this time) so this relaxed hair will have to go, but NOT NOW!

 

[Keep1Belle]

Girl, we are in the same boat. i just poseted a question like this and then found your post. I am going to be right there with you trying to get these matted chunks outta my hair.

I just got to lax with my hair. ughhh.

 

[GodsGrace]

Carlita, I so feel your pain. I was in that boat just last week and it was horrible. I had those same chunks mostly in the back and some in the front. And they were not budging. It took me a couple days to remove them. Lots of conditioning treatments with EVOO helped dramatically. Yes I lost some hair, but after thinking about it, the culprit was I hadn't clarified in a while, so all the gunk just stayed on my hair until it knotted up. I learned that day. I hope all goes well with you. Let us know how it went.

 

[hopeful]

Girl, we are in the same boat. i just poseted a question like this and then found your post. I am going to be right there with you trying to get these matted chunks outta my hair.

I just got to lax with my hair. ughhh.

Good luck to you too. Keep us updated.

 

[*Happily Me*]

dreads are a part of life with my hair.

just gently detangle the hairs. no need for cutting.

good luck

 

[MariposaSexyGirl]

I hope you are able to fix it.

 

[Marand13]

Girl smother your hair in conditioner and oils, get yourself a wide tooth comb and work through it little by little...
Braid each section that is finished as you go...
Trust, I have been there many times, Always DC after a shampoo. And aussie is a pretty good one for me.

 

[Marand13]

Thanks so much ladies!

I'm going to try the various oils you've mentioned, because the conditioner only helped A LITTLE (the 2 times that i tried during the week)

This is by far the worst hair experience that has happened to me
this is what i get for being sooooo lazy with my hair the past month and a half.

I'm going to try again today, but since i have limited time, if it doesn't work out, i'm just going to wear it in a bun like I always do for the day and then try again tomorrow.

I am going to check out the dreads website. I just don't know where to search!

and also, if i have to cut my hair, the shortest i'd be willing to go is shoulder length. NOT neck!
i have just started transitioning again (but for real this time) so this relaxed hair will have to go, but NOT NOW!

Do NOT cut your hair! The longer you wait to get those knots out the worse they will be! It will take some time to get through it all and when done right you wont lose any length...

 

[jamaraa]

Girl, we are in the same boat. i just poseted a question like this and then found your post. I am going to be right there with you trying to get these matted chunks outta my hair.

I just got to lax with my hair. ughhh.

We'll don't worry....the locks can be taken out. Check out my post on page #1 and read the link I posted. The Knottylockers have successfully removed many sets of very mature locks.

Until you remove the locks...no more conventional conditioner and "product", just oil and water.

 

[jamaraa]

African textured hair will dread easily w/o anything (including water), don't forget this. It's ironic that people spend a ton of money on something that they can easily get free, but they want to control the appearance of the end result. The only thing that avoids or separates locks is separating the hair...ie combing it. Even if you're anti comb, comb thru it (wet/dry/however) every so often to keep the hair separated.

Since most conventional conditioners have wax in their make up (it's used for suspension issues and to keep the product creamy and consistent in texture), if you're experiencing this problem make your own w/ coconut milk or something as a base. Adding more wax to a problem created by wax will make your life more difficult. You can get the dreads out using conventional conditioner, but you'll lose more hair than you need to doing so.

Wax does NOT wash out...see the cut/broken off dreads started w/ wax as proof. Wax sinks to the middle to form a "core" of locks started w/ it, so it stays forever...at least some of it does. Nobody uses more apple cider vinegar than dread heads....so you will NOT wash these things out.

There are many misconceptions of people with intentional yet uncultivated dreads...the main one being they don't wash their hair. On the contrary, washing helps the lock dread up more. They wash often.

So if you are a natural, some separating of the hair every so often is necessary to avoid unintentional locks, IMHO (going against LHCF's "natural" conventional wisdom). If you are co washing, make sure you also clarify (and comb) every so often because of the build up of waxes on your loose hair.

 

[*Happily Me*]

thanks jamaraa. i didn't know that

 

[Menina Preta]

i washed my hair on Monday morning with some shampoo that i found laying around.

then i had to run to work, so i just kinda combed the to and put it in a bun and ran off to work.

i come back to work only to realize that the bottom part of my hair formed THREE chunks of DREADS.

I think to myself, oh im just going to cowash and get it taken care of...

next day, i cowash, and the dreads don't come apart.

a couple of days later, i do it again... and the dreads DON'T COME APART!

so now, it's almost a week.
this was my first time using this shampoo: Aussie Moist.

the thing is, i shampooed 3 times on monday b/c my hair was so dirty.
could it be that i overshampooed?

what can i do to get rid of the dreads?!

if i ahve to cut them off, i'd basically go from BSL to neck length... so i'll like to get rid of these crazy chunky dreads.

Help please!

You did overshampoo. Take some conditioner or oil (anything that will soften and lubricate the hair, making it slippery...not water though) and slowly detangle (Perhaps have a family member do it). Good luck!

 

[wonderstar]

I'm going to try again today, but since i have limited time, if it doesn't work out, i'm just going to wear it in a bun like I always do for the day and then try again tomorrow.

Try not to wait until tomorrow. 1 additional day's worth of shedding could cause major problems if your hair is already matted.

 

[CarLiTa]

updates!!!

i had 4 chunks, not 3

but guess what?!?!?!

3 down! 1 to go!
the last one i did was a looonnngg dread, and it took me a while.

the last one is a SHORT but THICK dread. It will be difficult, so I had to take a break.

I haven't lost THAT much hair... i think i have lost more than that before... maybe, but i have some breakage. It's alright though.

Oh, and I did it with water, olive oil, and my Jilbere shower comb, and a rat-tail comb.

I'm going to continue soon. I bet this last one will take me 1.5 hours

Thank you for all the help! i couldn't have done this with you ladies!

 

[jamaraa]

updates!!!

i had 4 chunks, not 3

but guess what?!?!?!

3 down! 1 to go!
the last one i did was a looonnngg dread, and it took me a while.

the last one is a SHORT but THICK dread. It will be difficult, so I had to take a break.

I haven't lost THAT much hair... i think i have lost more than that before... maybe, but i have some breakage. It's alright though.

Oh, and I did it with water, olive oil, and my Jilbere shower comb, and a rat-tail comb.

I'm going to continue soon. I bet this last one will take me 1.5 hours

Thank you for all the help! i couldn't have done this with you ladies!

YAY for you CarLiTa...now keep going! LOL

I forgot to say on page 1....my friend is Asian. She too had product build up and wasn't combing her hair in the back (for style purposes...she wanted volume). She too had 4 dreads like you....real Marley locks. They came out w/o much problems and no major loss. Length in tact!

 

[jamaraa]

You did overshampoo. Take some conditioner or oil (anything that will soften and lubricate the hair, making it slippery...not water though) and slowly detangle (Perhaps have a family member do it). Good luck!

You NEED water to keep the lock damp and help give the oils "slip". Without water, you'll have significantly more breakage.

What you don't do is "massage" the locks w/ water...ie washing. You simply use it to keep the lock wet to provide slipage for the oils.

 

[Saida]

wow im sorry to hear that, can't beleive Aussie moist did that to your hair, could it be also maybe that you didnt wash the shampoo out good? that makes my hair dry

 

[MonPetite]

Co-signing on oil. You may need to leave it one for TWO OR THREE DAYS to let it work into your cuticles enough.