Reconsidering wax

Last night a business associate whom I hadn't seen in a couple of months asked me if I had given up on the dreads.  I knew that some of them were feeling a bit loose, but it was a bit of a shock to have some think they were on the way out!

I have had a couple of changes in my maintenance routine of late.  I have

• stopped using wax
• not added new rubber bands to replace the old
• aggressively latch-hooked many tips with limited success
• stopped asking my wife to work on them
• run out of Lock Peppa

One or more of these changes have led to my locks loosening instead of tightening.  I don't think it's the rubber bands on their own, but they certainly keep the tips together while they're trying to lock.  It's not the latch-hook; that just pulls hair in, so either it's going to stay there or it's not.

I got frustrated with how much of a big deal it is to have someone else work on my hair - it's more like a hair appointment than just doing something together, and the other person isn't going to have my pain response to regulate the routine.  I know my wife is willing, but guys aren't built with any serious pain tolerance.  However, even though it's easier with someone else's eyes on my head, I don't think I am missing as much as I was back in April.  It takes me more time and it would be good to get the help, but I don't think it really is making my locks fail.

Is wax the best or worst thing for my dreadlocks?

The two products might be the variable to revisit.  The wax, in particular, gave me a set routine:  wax and palmroll one week, pull in loose hair the next, and alternate.  Once the hair is pulled in, the wax keeps it still for awhile, training it to stay there.  As the wax dissipates it has a chance to lock in and tighten.

It could be that the locking process will continue without wax, but much slower.  It could also be that my hair needs the extra help to lock up, and it's just going to get looser without it.

I understand better why wax is so controversial - it's difficult to tell if it's an impediment or an accelerant for the locking process. It's easy to understand how too much wax can lead to mildew and rot, but it's harder to determine if a moderate amount is the right choice.  I think it may have a lot more to do with the quality of one's hair than any other factor.

So I'm thinking of going back to wax, if nothing else.  I want to see this process through, and my months without wax just haven't seen the same progress as the waxen beginnings of the locky journey.

How long to dread?

Even though I've made up my mind to dread, I'm still pondering if my hair is ready or not.  In some ways it's readier than anyone's, but it may literally fall short, or come close.

Hair with texture, before shower

I've been washing my hair using a non-residue natural shampoo that I make at home, and instead of conditioner I use a vinegar rinse.  I avoid putting a hat on when it's damp, but I've worn my took throughout this long, cold winter.  When it got really goddamned cold, I put on hat on over it when I went out.  I haven't brushed my hair since last summer . . . I'm going to say certainly August 2010, but probably sometime in July.

I think it's safe to say that my hair has texture, as evidenced by these before-and-after-shower pictures.  In the first, I pulled my took off and simply photographed exactly what I saw in the mirror.  The second picture is after I have towel-dried my hair.

Hair with texture, after shower

Where I may lack is in length.  Most sources I find online suggest a 4-6 inch minimum for my hair, because while it has texture and definitely can dread, it lacks the kink factor which makes it possible to lock hair when it's as short as an eighth of an inch, so it's claimed.

When I was a young man, I had more than 18 inches of hair, and I pulled it back into a ponytail for about a week straight, discovering the natural method for locking hair.  I never completed the process, but it tells me that I can probably get away with something closer to 4 inches, and I'm reasonably sure I've got at least 5 all around.

The main advantage of locking the hair when it's shorter is that it will take less time for my dreadful friends to help me.  The backcombing process can take six hours for 18 inches of hair, and is painful and tiring.

On the other hand, it also means less time to practice, so there won't be any really mythic dreads.

On the other other hand, my hair is going to take more maintenance in the first months to get it to lock.  Longer hair simply stays put better.

Ultimately I like shifting most of the work onto my own shoulders, since I will also reap most of the rewards, whatever they shall be.