As a loctician, It is important to know how to combine dreadlocks and 

make them thicker.  As I always say, every head of hair is different.  It presents a different set of things one is required to do.   If the dreadlocks on your client is thinning, you have to figure out how to make them stronger.  Unfortunately, this will be time consuming, but sometimes you have to take one for the team!

 

It is not unusual for combining dreadlocks to take me

3 hours or more.  Dreadlocks combine naturally if you are not separating them regularly.  In the beginning they start at the root to about 2 inches down.  Over time, if they are kept together, they gradually join all the way down.  However, If your dreadlocks are long, this can take a long time to happen.

 

When I see multiple dreadlocks joined halfway the length, they remind me of the tail of a

whale.  This is most times the only part you see of said whale if you look away too long. The client gets frustrated because their dreads always look messy.  They do not know why it is this way so they cannot  explain the problem.  The person managing the hair is not able to help:

(a) they think it looks fine or

 (b) have not reached the level of experience to recognize the issue.

 

I use several ways to combine dreads.  They are:

 

  • Twisting together:  Use only if both dreadlocks are thin.  This might not work If they are thick on the length but thin at the root.
  • Crochet Two Thin Dreads Together:  This only works if one dread is thin and the other is thicker.  Normally, the thinner dread is shorter so it blends in before the end of the other.  
  • Braiding:  Usually used only if  (i) 2 dreadlocks combined still looks thin or (ii) the person has many thin dreads.  This is the only way to make them have a normal size for the amount of hair. 
  • Sewing:  Mainly used if dreads are thick on the length but thin at the root.  This can happen when the hair is now mid-back.  I also use this method on thin dreadlocks that are hard to penetrate so crocheting does not work.

Over time, you can learn how to combine dreads to make them thicker.  Only, take the time to make it look “professional”.  Help your fellow human not go to hell for judging.

By Paula Barker, Silkie Locks Hair Design

 

The lockdown should end the last week of January.  Sombre New Year!