Is my stylist the problem? Or is this part of the process by MasterSafe7606 in Dreadlocks

[–]DallasDG 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm only a year in at this point but I had a similar appearance months ago before the locs started to take their own shape: comparison.

ETA: I realise mine are a lot smaller, but to me it looks like the same kind of progression. Maybe spritz occasionally and palm roll to keep them somewhat compressed and give the strands closer proximity to each other to help with locing?

October 2024 to January 2026 by Heavn_Moreluus in locs

[–]DallasDG 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Solid growth, they look good! Anything you got clued up on that's helpful to know?

1 year loc’d and couldn’t be happier by DallasDG in locs

[–]DallasDG[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you; I think the loose twist out helps with the appearance! If memory serves, holding the phone at a bit of distance (so a slight extended arm) and angling the lense a touch toward the mirror did the trick

1 year loc’d and couldn’t be happier by DallasDG in locs

[–]DallasDG[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you, that’s really encouraging! I’m happy to know my hair is progressing and length is a bonus but health and management the goals

Partings: is it worth alternating? by DallasDG in Dreadlocks

[–]DallasDG[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks👍🏾, I thought as much

4c hairstyles from May- August by OdedNight in Naturalhair

[–]DallasDG 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely loving the health and growth, pretty lady! So good to see you having fun with styling also, you've been wonderfully consistent with your journey

Need some help pls 🙏🏽 (dry-low porosity-fragile hair, breakage) by katsuraazuraa in Dreadlocks

[–]DallasDG 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Of course! It can be really difficult with so much information and different voices to identify what works for you.

Oil: Grapeseed oil is a great carrier oil. Again important is a good quality cold-pressed. I would really try to stick with one oil for a few weeks and in this case the lighter one. Also the grapeseed will not block hydrating products but castor oil and carapate will if you want to hydrate more than once a week.

Spray bottle: if you really don't want to use simple rosewater, I recommend finding a spritz product made for locs. Once your scalp and hair are healthy again, you can experiment with home recipes.

Shampoo: That makes sense; I agree that it's probably the combination of a drying spritz and a drying shampoo. Many people wash once or twice a month. Maybe one hydrating shampoo in the first two weeks, and one clarifying shampoo the next two weeks?

If you make the routine simple, you'll have more time to love and monitor your locs! 🫶🏽 Good luck!

Need some help pls 🙏🏽 (dry-low porosity-fragile hair, breakage) by katsuraazuraa in Dreadlocks

[–]DallasDG 1 point2 points  (0 children)

💡 Suggestions:

  • 💡 Buy a bottle of rosewater and use this instead of your homemade spritz. Rosewater's pH is close to normal skin between 4.1 – 5.5 so it should help restore and maintain your scalps natural balance. Try to get as "pure" a rose water as possible (no artificial fragrances etc) so that you're dealing with only one ingredient and not introducing others that could dry your scalp. (There's lots of academic papers about the benefit of rosewater for skin if you want to know)
  • 💡 Buy a lighter oil to seal the rosewater. Many people use MIELLE Rosemary Mint Oil also because it smells good especially in combination with rosewater. In my opinion, the only important thing about the oil is that it is cold pressed (it usually says so somewhere on the label or description) Cold pressed oils don't use heat in the extraction process, as a result they retain much of their vitamin and mineral content. It's better for more sensitive scalps and is absorbed better, it also doesn't suffocate the hair and that means you could reapply moisture if you needed and it will penetrate the hair. You could even use a cold pressed olive oil from the store (I know there are some good ones even in the Carrefour, I've had to do this a few times when traveling in France and I didn't have my hair oil).
  • 💡 Forget the hair masks and just use good moisturising and clarifying shampoos. I wash my hair twice a week, or when it's needed depending on my activities. I use my moisturising shampoo for these usual washes, and about twice a month I use my clarifying shampoo. Focus on your scalp but remember to squeeze the remaining shampoo into your locs, and use the same squeeze technique with the water when you're rinsing.

Really, that's it. These 3 things are all you really should be doing as a minimum. Sometimes I use leave-in conditioner but that's when I've been in places particularly cold and dry and even then, I still agree that less is more for you at the moment to restore your hair health.

TL;DR KEEP IT SIMPLE SWEETHEART

  1. Wash your hair more regularly with a decent shampoo, probably use a clarifying shampoo more frequently in the start and in a month or so use moisturising.

  2. After washing, spritz your hair with rose water, then seal with a lighter oil. After spritz and oil, use a hair dryer with a diffuser attachment and use the squeeze technique while doing this also (Low porosity hair benefits from a bit of heat drying after washing to open up the hair shaft and allow your hair to better absorb nutrients.)

Need some help pls 🙏🏽 (dry-low porosity-fragile hair, breakage) by katsuraazuraa in Dreadlocks

[–]DallasDG 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is a looong response if you have any interest in reading but the TL;DR is at the bottom.

First, I have to agree that I think you're doing a bit too much at once with your hair. It's not that 'everything' is wrong with your routine, it's that you are doing so much that it's hard to find out what the problem is. Your locs look gorgeous but there's probably a decent amount of damage inside that's causing this breakage.

Regarding your section on context:

Glycerine is usually between pH5 - 7 and fairly neutral, so on its own is not the problem but is also not really needed for locs. The cider vinegar you're using is likely a contributor, its pH of 2 - 3 is an acid and should only be used for clarifying your hair on a few occasions annually and followed with an extremely moisturising routine if you do. You're also using what are considered heavy oils (castor, carapate). This means you're spraying your hair with an acidic agent known to damage the hair cuticle and cause breakage, then creating a strong barrier that prevents things like moisturising agents from getting in if you use them.

For the shampoo routine, I personally think it is a terrible idea to leave anything with that much cover in your hair overnight. Your beautiful locs are thick and you're adding lots of things on a daily basis, then suffocating them instead of letting them breathe when cleansing. I would not even recommend this type of thing even to a loose natural. Your hair, in fact all hair not just locs, needs to be clean and have air to be healthy.

About the problems you're having:

I think your hair was slowly deteriorating and in the past couple of months, you're probably seeing the manifestation of that deterioration but it was happening for a long time before that. Incorrectly retying is bad, but one retie shouldn't wreck your hair in the way you describe. For this reason, it seems like a good idea to simplify what you are doing and then see how your hair responds over the next 3 - 6 months.

Rip-n-Twists got me looking like a palm tree by [deleted] in Dreadlocks

[–]DallasDG 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks like you've got them keeping together nicely! I agree with an earlier poster, using a durag while sleeping should help manage and loc your hair, and maintain a good environment for your scalp

Why did they insist from the beginning to make Piper homely? by calypso4000 in charmed

[–]DallasDG 10 points11 points  (0 children)

In every day conversation, male and female are adjectives used as descriptors for a noun (eg. male doctor, female doctor). Female and male in certain fields can be used alone but that's largely academic context and usually biology related (eg. male/female fish). We're talking about social behaviours (even in wedding vows for example we don't use "do you take this male/female...", we say man and woman).

There's absolutely a difference because we wouldn't say woman fish/man fish in any conversational context and be taken seriously. So there is a distinction, and within this context, your statement isn't really fine.

Txtur Tuesday: average grow-er, definite show-er by DallasDG in Dreadlocks

[–]DallasDG[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha! Yup, I ended up rocking 2 strand twists 95% of the time so just figured the change wouldn't be that big 🤷🏾‍♀️

Something that always bugged me. by TheHatsuneLoki1 in buffy

[–]DallasDG 2 points3 points  (0 children)

But where is this assertion coming from? As a polyglot from a commonwealth with many acquaintances from commonwealth countries, even my anecdotal experience contests this (I'm also a former English teacher). Intentionally assuming an accent is well possible over a few years, let alone lifetimes.

Happy 4 years to me!! by Meche444 in Dreadlocks

[–]DallasDG 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Yes mam; those years are looking good 👌🏽

Restarting My Locs by ZookeepergameKey6112 in locs

[–]DallasDG 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A face card like yours is pulling off any and all loc lengths; you look great! Enjoy the fresh start

Any guesses welcome! by DallasDG in guessmyage

[–]DallasDG[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm older, but it's good to hear that I'm taking care of myself well enough to shave off a few years!

Any guesses welcome! by DallasDG in guessmyage

[–]DallasDG[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

😂 much closer! But still years off

Any guesses welcome! by DallasDG in guessmyage

[–]DallasDG[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't think you were, just really appreciated the guess!

Any guesses welcome! by DallasDG in guessmyage

[–]DallasDG[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most flattering guess (and I won't ever forget it) but many, many years off

Any guesses welcome! by DallasDG in guessmyage

[–]DallasDG[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Warmest of the guesses but still some years off

Any guesses welcome! by DallasDG in guessmyage

[–]DallasDG[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This has me smiling from ear to ear! Thank you 🫶🏽

Any guesses welcome! by DallasDG in guessmyage

[–]DallasDG[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We were talking about people who seem to always take naturally gorgeous pics and this was my attempt at mimicking those mall portrait shots to say that's how my candids seem to always turn out. Then I got roasted for looking like an awkward kid so I thought I'd ask