When you start your locking journey with short, super curly
hair, there comes a time when you have transitioning from twists to dreadlocks. For some people, this is something they are not prepared to do and they will bypass this period by adding extensions. What happens during this time and why should anyone want to put themselves through it is what we are about to discuss!
Unlike straight hair, there are certain types of curly hair that will form a curl even when it is only half
an inch long. I prefer the hair length to be at least three inches when starting twists for dreadlocks because you have something to twist. The challenge here is to do it so the person still looks like they have hair. This usually means doing the twists so thinly, they look like millions of tiny dreads. Making them suit the person’s face is a plus. You may have to make some adjustments for hair loss or a different structure of the hairline.
The objective here is to make sure the person can face friends and relatives with a whole new look.
If friends, relatives or acquaintances are used to seeing the person with lots of hair, the reception will not go well. If your client does not have the strength to withstand any criticism, they will abandon the “journey” in the early stages. I have had people who I felt would not make it but they surprised me and went on to have long dreads. Staying this time almost seems to strengthen or build people’s resolve.
The transitioning period I find usually takes about three
appointments from normal hair. There were a few times where the person’s hair was so curly, we did it in two. Those with curly (4C) hair maybe a bit longer. At the third retwisting appointment, the hair feels stiff and does not pull apart on the part you twisted before. The roots on the other hand, get puffy and has this thin pointy hair on top. You have to carefully wash it so it stays together but you want to clean the scalp because you want no junk caught up in the new dreads.
To make joining the twists easier, I try to make an even
amount of them at the beginning. Therefore, when I join two twists, they make that one bigger dread I want to have eventually. This is a skill I developed over time but when you do, it makes life so much easier having them side by side than all over the place. When they are joined, transitioning from twists to dreadlocks takes place easily as all you do from then on is crochet the excess hair.
By Paula Barker, Silkie Locks Hair Design
Call (613) 789-2179 For An Appointment If You Are In The Ottawa, Ontario Area.
Recent Comments