Anyone with dreadlocks?

ive been growing my hair out for almost a year and a half now and its finally ready to start dreading. I ordered some stuff from knappy dreads and it should be here this weekend and Ive got my gf and her friend who is a hair stylist helping me.
Is it really going to take 4 hours or so just to get them started?
Did braiding help?
How many months until your hair stayed in dreads and started growing in dreads by itself?

i think dreads are tight
had a subsitute at school and asked her all about it

my parents wont allow though

I have had my dreads for more than a year now. I used Dreadhead HQ products.

A friend of mine did them....It took us a whole weekend 5pm-2am each day. Now I am not saying that it will be the same for you. I had chin length hair too.

*Oh and when backcombing the roots in the beginning.....watch out I found it very painful*

Now a good friend got hers done professionally. They permed her hair first and skipped out on doing the roots. It took them 6 hours for her and she had chest length.

I have over 40 dreads while my friend has about 25....

Well, my 25 year old son has dreads. He uses Dreadhead product in his hair. He has really thick hair that is wavy. He went to a dread-y stylist who first permed his hair and then dreaded it. For the first few months he went back every 4-6 weeks to have her split apart the conjoined dreads and knot them up at the scalp and back comb. He has dreads now for a couple of years and hasn't gone to the stylist in ages. The dreads are at the middle of his back~ some are fatty ones and others are just chunky! I love him in dreads; looks really good. In fact, he has the same facial structure as Bob Marley and so get the "you look so much like bob" all the time. He's a cool kid. He's got cool dreads. I'm a lucky mom!!!
Edit: I forgot to add that braiding your hair isn't exactly the way to do it and depending on your hair type you could go with Brasilian dreads, African dreads, Jamaican dreads....

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Originally Posted by starmom

Edit: I forgot to add that braiding your hair isn't exactly the way to do it and depending on your hair type you could go with Brasilian dreads, African dreads, Jamaican dreads....

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I didnt know there were different styles of dreads, just thought there were different ways of doing it, so thats cool. Im not neccessarily going to braid it, was just wondering if it helps. Ive heard of 2 ways to braid. 1. Braid the night before to 'crimp' hair, pretty similar to a perm i guess. 2. braid it then back comb. Whatever the girls would rather do is probably whats going to happen since theyll be doing all the work

I want dreads. But being a union carpenter, its not allowed.

I had hair down past my shoulders too. Would have been a good start.

I always thought you start with shorter hair and never brush it or wash it, and rub sheep dung in it until it's long and dready. Is this an authentic way to do it or have I been mistaken my whole life?

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Originally Posted by PythonWallace

I always thought you start with shorter hair and never brush it or wash it, and rub sheep dung in it until it's long and dready. Is this an authentic way to do it or have I been mistaken my whole life?

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In order for dread to lock up effectively your hair needs to be clean. You even should use special shampoo due to residue that is found in scented shampoo. These residues will actually mold in the hair which isn't cool, obviously.

No you don't brush them (only the first initial backcombing) and it doesn't matter how long your hair is.

Lets just say keep up with my hair so much more than when I had my thin straight hair....crazy

Horrible stereotype....for dreads ;)

I had dreads for about 3 years and I miss them a lot....

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Originally Posted by Sasquatch Art

In order for dread to lock up effectively your hair needs to be clean. You even should use special shampoo due to residue that is found in scented shampoo. These residues will actually mold in the hair which isn't cool, obviously.

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Something gives me the feeling that all the hardcore Jamaican guys don't use special shampoo.