Today is my one year anniversary with this set of dreadlocks.
Non-dread people often think that the way dread-heads celebrate the passing of time by inflating the value of their knots is dumb. But when you have dreadlocks, your hair isn’t just a style. It’s actually a lifestyle. Weird, and probably impossible to understand unless you have them.
Dreadlocks are difficult to have, particularly on caucasian hair. There are a lot of misconceptions about their maintenance and so there is a lot of misinformation and cross misconceptions about how you get them, who has them and how you keep them. Socially, it can be difficult to be walking around with a full set of dreadlocks. Depending on where you live, you get a lot of strange looks. For me, this part of the process has been a lesson in self-esteem and self-awareness. I have learned to smile when people give me side-way glances or snicker. I used to crawl inside of myself, shrinking with the ick of personal rejection. Now I understand that the nasty or curious looks are remedied with a smile. No matter what your hairstyle is… everyone likes the way it feels to be smiled at.
It has been difficult to get through the taxing stages of hair knotting. This year I bleached my hair several times which helped it tighten. Since, I have experimented with color and have found a color that feels truly me. Through the year I’ve had a lot of loose hairs and dealt with some discomfort. Mostly the first few months were difficult. I considered cutting them off a few times. My hair shrunk A LOT! At the ten month point I began regaining a lot of the length that I had lost. I still have a few dreads that are super short (though I can’t tell you why.)
Many people believe in cell memory and that as the cells replenish we are somewhat renewed. Many people believe that you heal yourself and shed your experiences- both positive and negative. For people who have dreadlocks, we never shed anything. We carry everything around with us, via the hair on our heads that we do not lose each day.
And so, that one year mark that so many do not make is pretty meaningful. Dreadlocks aren’t just something that you wear. They are both socially definitive and a lesson in patience and self acceptance.
My hair is still pretty loopy. I really don’t do much to it beyond washing it. I sort of just let it be. I’ve never needed to palm roll much. I don’t put any goop in it. Though, I have been considering buying some chunky beads to combine a few of the dreads. Mine are really thin and I’d love to create some bigger, bolder dreadlocks!
I love my hair. I love it more than ever and I can’t imagine cutting the dreads out now. Here are some photos of my hair through the process!
