Reason #13: love (guest reason!)

Beginning with this post, I'm seeking out reasons for dreadlocks from other people who have them.  Honestly, I don't know why I didn't think of it before.  If I get bored of that, I can start asking them their top reason for not wanting locks . . . or ask the same two questions of people who don't have them.  And of course there's no reason why I should exclude people who used to have locked hair, but don't anymore.

Okay, now that I have pretty much ruined any chance of people clicking on this post by giving it a completely boring intro, let's move on.

Today's guest reason for dreadlocks is provided by Justin Holmes.  Justin is on his second set of dreadlocks, and for these he's going pretty damned natural.  "I rip some apart sometimes, or encourage a particularly stubborn one to do something different, but that's about it," he said to me.  Justin declined use of my metal comb ("I think I need something sturdier") and doesn't spend a lot of time paying attention to his hair at all.

Mr. Holmes is a computer programmer extraordinaire and the main force driving the Slash Root Tech Cafe, a storefront business which blends fair-trade coffee, freely-shared live music, and open-source technology into a platform for free thought and free expression.  If that explanation of the business doesn't suit, stop by their shop or just hire them to build you a web site.  You won't be disappointed.

Justin's reason for dreadlocks:  he's single and he says it improves his chances with the ladies.  Given his years of experience (at least four or five the last time he locked up), I have no reason to question him on that score.

Thought for today

Would dreadlocks be more acceptable if we called them "paleo hair" instead?

Crochet conundrum

I think that I figured out one of the advantages of using wax. For at least a week at a stretch, when the wax is in, I can't crochet my locks. For a fidgeter like me, you really need an excuse to stop fidgeting. The wax gives that. Since it's kinda addictive and almost certainly can do more harm than good when overdone, these little waxy breaks are a godsend.

Warnings of Waxy Worries

I had some warnings about wax given to me today, and they're so far the most credible ones I've heard.

The young lady told me that she'd started her locks with wax six years ago, and showed me that on close inspection tiny white specks could be seen on them.

"That's the wax working it's way out," she explained.  She'd stopped using the stuff after a year.

It stands to reason that if you use too much wax it's going to build up.  Some naturalists say that the so-called "residue-free shampoo" is designed to strip the wax out just to prevent that sort of thing.  Wax buildup leads to moisture buildup, which can lead to mildew or lock rot.

Not pretty.

So I still think that it's the misuse of wax that causes problems.  What I don't know is how much wax is really too much, and that's worth thinking about.  I've always been confident that I can detect the wax in the lock, but maybe I can't.  As I write this I note that my nurtured side is still moist from this morning's ablutions, but the natural side is quite dry.

Better still, I think my waxing hand has been getting heavier.  That's much more insidious.  Wax could very well be a wonderful locking agent, but if it's easy to misuse or overuse, well that would automatically make it inappropriate for American consumers.

Nature vs Nurture: Some visual differences emerge

I need to become better at taking pictures of my hair.  Close-up pictures that lets you see exactly what it is that I'm talking about.  But hey, if I can't paint a picture with words then the seas will rise anyway.

People, at least when they're prompted, say that they notice a difference between the sides of my head, and they can identify which side I'm leaving alone and which I'm futzing with.  I couldn't figure out how to embed the online version.

Here's a quick table laying out what I'm doing with each side of my head.

	Nature side	Nurture side
Lemon-saltwater spray	Yes	Yes
Wax	No	Yes
Palmrolling	No	Yes
Crochet hooking	No	Yes
Clockwise rubbing	No	Yes
Lock Pepa	No	Yes
Rubber bands	No	Yes
Split-and-twist	No	No
Dread Shampoo	Yes	Yes
Separating	No	Yes

Some things it's hard to do on just one side, like shampoo and the saltwater spray.  The latter (lemon juice and sea salt in water, spritz after bathing) is a replacement for a product, and the naturalists seem to like it so I'll stick with it.  The shampoo I'm going to use until it runs out, but I have ideas for a more meaningful replacement when that time comes.

I know there's an actual term for the technique I called "split-and-twist," but I forget what it is.  It involves parting the unlocked hair at the base of the lock and feeding the entire lock through the opening.  I'm holding off on doing this to tighten the bases, as I've heard that weakens the locks and I would rather look into that separately.

Speaking of separately, "separating" simply means cutting or breaking strands from one lock which get stuck in another.  I'm curious to see if my nurture locks will start to grow together.

PS - if you desperately need a fix about my dreadlocks and I haven't posted in awhile, check out the Dread Like Me YouTube playlist.  From time to time I'm in a visual mood instead of a writing one.