Nature vs Nurture

My nature-vs-nurture dreadlock test

I'm using my dreadlocks as a testing laboratory for the most controversial question in the dreadlocks community:  should you, or should you not, use wax to create or maintain your dreadlocks?

This is only going to be of interest to people who are thinking about getting dreadlocks, because as far as I can tell, if you've already got 'em, your mind is made up about it.  Either you think your method is the bomb, or you regret it completely.

Wax is the core of this test (which is appropriate since using it may be causing a buildup of the stuff in the core of my locks), but I'm also including other techniques and products, as illustrated in the picture.

Here are all my posts on this dreadlock experiment.  As one reader pointed out, this test is not entirely scientific because I started my locks by slathering goop all over the place, so the sample is kinda corrupted.  However, it has certainly kept me from getting bored with this hair, especially as it gets to that horrible length where it gets in my face but I can't really pull it back yet.

The test won't actually end when I stop applying product, because the long-term effects of wax and such on the locks is also an open question.  After my six months or so using on one side of my head, I will continue to monitor to see if there are changes over the long haul.