Home Hair care Styling Dreadlocks? Beware

Styling Dreadlocks? Beware

by Evenes Ruth Mafupa

images (1)Hey Guys. I do not have locks, am not planning on having locks although I think it is a very good protective style if you can afford the maintenance. However, the reason for my post today is to warn you guys who wear your hair in dreadlocks. Don’t style them too tight. Pleeeeeeese.

You might be wondering why I am telling you this. Well, on Saturday I was in Randburg, in a hair supplies shop. This woman came along with her two daughters and she was looking for a certain type of hair food which the shop owner did not have. We got talking about hair growth oils and hair food and somehow I just asked her what happened to her and how did she get the bald patches all over her scalp. She was quick to say it was dreadlocks. She said, when styling them, she always had them very tight, giving her an instant face lift, (who does not want that) not having to re-style her hair too soon and she wanted to “feel” the style. She even gave the instruction to the hair stylist who did her hair that she wanted to feel the hairstyle. Little did she know that her hair was being pulled out in the process. Over time, (I don’t know how long. I did not ask.) she ended up with bald patches. She cut off all her hair and now she wears it very short hair and she is trying to grow it back.

style-dreads-1

This looks nice and smart. But when done too tight, may not be what you bargained for

locks 2

These look too tight. Look at the skin folds on the scalp.

traction alop

No one needs to deal with traction alopecia

So yes, I thought I would warn my locked friends out there that if you need to get your locks styled, be sure not to have them styled too tight all you maybe bearing the brunt of traction alopecia. Prevention is better than cure. Rather wear your locks loose or loosely styled into an up do that best suits your life style making sure every time that it is not too tight. The face lift is really going to cost you a healthy scalp and a full head of hair. I am sure you do not want that. Same goes for any hairstyling. Be kind to your hair follicles and stop the pulling.

Love your hair. It is good hair.

Love and blessings

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8 comments

Pauline 1 March 2017 - 20:01

Thanks for the tips on styling African locks

Ruth Mafupa 2 March 2017 - 09:10

Only a pleasure

Kael 26 May 2017 - 13:07

It’s definitely a good idea to get a pro loctician to get you started, and then for you to maintain your dreads from there… One of the good things about dreads is the amount of styles you can wear them in though!

Try out the crochet hook method and see what you think

Beatric Anary 11 September 2017 - 21:55

Hi thanks for sharing this.

Eve 15 September 2017 - 05:39

Only a pleasure

pee 14 May 2018 - 13:45

i am also dealing with bald patches. what’s the solution?

Evenes Ruth Mafupa 22 May 2018 - 09:16

If you have stopped the pulling and there is no scarring, then you can wait it out and hope the hair will grow back. Just sty to nurture the scalp, massaging with good oils like castor oil, hemp seed oil and even with Shea butter to fight the inflammation and rejuvenate the scalp to start growing hair again.

anton 26 February 2020 - 00:39

blessings sister, what a pleasure reading your blog. one Love

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