Dreadlocks have been prominent throughout history all over the world. From the ancient Greeks in Europe to tribes in Africa, all the way to Asia, the style has always been a striking look that has represented different aspects of many cultures.
Today, the popularity of dreads is only growing, but who can pull them off and who can’t? Can you achieve dreadlocks with any hair type?
How dreadlocks are made
While the specific techniques used to create dreadlocks vary, the basic principle is the same: constant twisting and tying of your hair. You can purchase specialist lock gel and use it to hold your hair in place as you tightly twist it into place which will make the whole procedure more manageable. There are also specialist tools such as coil combs that can help to speed this process along.
From there, the key to growing long dreadlocks is an act of constant maintenance. This is why dreads are so difficult to achieve because they require a lot of discipline from the wearer. You have to be able to persevere for a long time and resist washing your hair more than once every 2-3 weeks. However, if you stick at it, hopefully, you will have a visually stunning set of dreads that will be the talking point of every occasion.
How your hair type will affect your dreadlocks
Since dreads are a highly sought-after style, people with every hair type have attempted to grow them. But can only certain hair types achieve dreadlocks? The answer is, amazingly, no! Literally any hair type is capable of being turned into dreads, it’s all just a matter of patience and commitment, and certain hair types are more suited to them than others.
By far the hardest hair type to turn into dreads is super straight hair. Straight hair is difficult to style normally at the best of times, but when it comes to dreadlocks it can be a source of unbelievable frustration. It’s not impossible though, you’ll just need to spend more time and potentially more money on products to get to the finish line.
The easiest hair type for dreadlocks in tightly coiled. This hair is already halfway there in terms of its texture, and when you twist it the strands are more likely to remain in position. From there it’s a program of management and proper maintenance.
The final word
The good news here is no matter which hair type you have, dreadlocks are possible. Unfortunately, the level of difficulty regarding certain hair types varies quite a bit.
There are endless tutorials on the internet and especially on YouTube that instruct you on how to form dreadlocks with all types of hair, and in terms of specialized products, the market is growing on a daily basis.
One thing is for sure, the next time you see someone with dreadlocks, give them the respect they deserve for sticking it out. These things are like a marriage, you gotta work on them constantly and always provide the right TLC.
Good luck!