Heh, she said “tool”

Here at Seattle Dreads, we heart dreadlock tools. Using a dreadlock tool is a time honored and super-super effective way to keep your dreads tiiiiiight—even at the roots. This technique is great, especially if you want to avoid wax or product or get lazy about palm rolling your dreads to keep them in shape.

Some folks refer to this process as  “crocheting” (using a crochet hook) or “latching” (using a latch hook, you know, the kind kids make craft rugs out of,) to tighten up dreads, and the process is pretty much the same as the dread tools we use—only a dread tool looks something like a giant, mutant, blunt sewing needle (see the Nappylocs store for a general example of what we’re talking about).

In fact, although we here at Seattle Dreads make our own dread tools (and will be selling them soon), we highly recommend the Nappylocs tool if you want to go high end. We make ours out of pure copper to keep the cost down, but Nappylocs are pretty little investments made of sterling silver—a nice treat for your hair (or a cool gift for the dreadhead in your life).

(For the budget conscious dreadie, though, our early prototypes were constructed out of wire we had laying around the house. We made a completely serviceable dread tool using nothing more than a needle nose pliers and a straightened out paperclip.)

Essentially, you use the tool to weave and pull hair through thin or weak parts of the body of a dread, and to pull the dread up at the roots to pick up any slack or looseness. We’ve also found the tool to be super useful to blunt the ends of dreads instead of using thread to “sew” tips in place.

Some things to be aware of: dreads that are tightened using a tool are tight—sometimes tighter, at least temporarily, than the parts of the dread that were backcombed and matured. The difference is noticeable up close, but in our experience, after using the tool, wash and dry them well, and in a few days, the tooled parts blend right in with the rest of the dread.

It’s hard to describe the process, although it’s really, really simple. We dug up a pretty good YouTube video done by Atlanta loctician Syde that does a good job of showing the process.

We’d love to hear your questions or comments about using a dreadlock tool. And stay tuned for the launch of our wee little shop where we’ll sell out version of the super tool (along with some other tasty treats).

To dread shampoo or not to dread shampoo?

That is the question…right? It must be. Clients ask me often if they should use shampoo designed for dreadlocks on their hair, especially right after the get new locks.
There are quite a few specially made dread shampoos on the market—I’ve personally used Knotty Boy’s dreadlock shampoo bar—that claim that they are the best way to cleanse dreads. Most of their claims are founded in sound common sense—Knotty Boy’s bar and most of the shampoos I’ve seen contain very basic, stripped down cleaning ingredients that don’t leave much residue in the hair. Knotty Boy’s also contains peppermint, rosemary, and tea tree oils which are good natural oils to cleanse the scalp and give relief from the itches that sometimes accompany new dreads (and smell really nice). The bar works really well, too, gives a nice lather, clean feeling, and having shampoo in a bar form really is convenient for travelling.
But are using these special shampoos necessary?
I think the answer lies in your individual hair and whether buying something special for your dreadlocks gives you pleasure. Dread shampoos are designed to really strip out as much natural oil from the hair as possible, as oil—your hair’s natural conditioner—can help new knots slip or loosen. If you have normal to oily hair, or you like special dread treats, then by all means, go for a dread shampoo.
But if you have dry hair and scalp, on a budget, or don’t live someplace where getting or ordering dread shampoos is quick and easy, then there are perfectly good shampooing solutions available on your local drugstore shelf.
If you have extremely dry hair or scalp to begin with, these soaps can actually make your scalp feel tight and uncomfortable—and if you had bouts of dandruff before you had dreads, they can actually seem to cause more flakes (they really don’t cause them, per se, but drying your scalp changes its pH and encourages flaking). For dry hair/scalp, I recommend using a baby or dandruff shampoo—any brand, really, as long as you buy the kinds that don’t say “conditioning” or “2 in 1.” When you shampoo, work the shampoo into your scalp and let the suds drip down your dreads for cleansing, then rinse well.
For the budget conscious or the dreadie who needs a local source, using a shampoo that says “clarifying” is usually fine. Really. In fact, I’ve used Suave clarifying shampoo on and off for years on my dreads (and it costs less than 2 bucks a bottle) and my dreads have done just fine. Clarifying shampoos don’t contain added conditioners and are usually gentle enough for every day cleansing.
Some dreadies swear by using a pure castile soap as a shampoo (Dr. Bronners is a common brand), and I’ve found that castile soaps, bar or liquid, are a great choice for those of us with sensitive skin , eczema, psoriasis, or some other skin condition that can be aggravated by harsh cleansers. Castile soap is gentle, cleanses well, and as a plus, can be used all over your body—not just your head.
No matter which shampoo you choose, the key to remember is to clean your scalp, rinse well, then rinse again. Clean dreads make healthy dreads.

Opening sale!

The website is still under construction a bit, the gallery is coming soon, and there is some content still in the editing stage, but…Seattle Dreads is now officially open!  WOOT!

To celebrate, we’re offering 25% off any service through December 15, 2009. Contact us at seattledreads.gmail.com to schedule your consultation now.