Are Dreadlocks Dead Hair? Revealing 4 Myths About Locs
Are you getting bored with the current hairstyle and want to try some new style? Are you considering having dreadlocks but you still hesitate because of the rumors around that hairstyle?
This article will reveal the truth about 4 common myths and misconceptions about dreadlocks.
Are Dreadlocks Dead Hair?
Not only dreadlocks, but all the hair that you can see on your body is also actually dead. The only alive part is the hair follicle, which is located on your scalp.
Also, you should understand what dreadlocks are.
Dreads are rope-like clumps of hair, formed by matting, rolling, or backcombing your natural hair. As mentioned, dreadlocks are actually your natural hair but were designed to be a different style.
The major difference between these two types is the shedding. For people with natural loose hair, the hair when reaching the resting phase, even without any friction or outside impacts such as pulling or combing, will fall out.
For people with locks, the hair shed from the scalp won’t fall down but stuck to the locs.
Also read: What is the difference between Dreadlocks and Locs?
Are Dreadlocks Real Hair?
Dreads can be real and can be synthetic as well. Different types have different perks that is listed below:
| Dreadlocks | Real Dreads | Synthetic Dreads |
| Color | Is your natural hair color | Have a vast range of colors: black, brown, blonde, orange, etc. |
| Texture/Weight | Softer and more flexible | Light weight, a bit rough |
| Forming time | Can take weeks or months to tangle your natural hair into dreadlocks | Can be easily bought and attached on your natural hair |
| Lasting | Can be maintained for years | Can be maintained for several months |
| Looking | Look natural | Lack natural appearance |
| Washing | Can be washed frequently | No more than twice a week to avoid it from frizzing |
Depending on the purpose of having dreadlocks you can consider having the real dreads or to go with the synthetic one.
Are Dreadlocks Bad For Your Hair?
This is likely the biggest fear that stops people from getting dreadlocks. There are a Yes and also a No for this question.
Talking about the good points of having dreadlocks, your hair will be nice and moist since the natural oil (called “sebum”) produced by your scalp won’t escape easily. You can also save a lot of time and money spent on hair care and treatment since you only need to wash your locks every six to ten days.
However, there are also some downsides of wearing dreadlocks.
The roots are pulled too tight, the locs are getting too big and heavy, you’re using chemicals to dye your dreads, etc. are the common reasons that might cause hair loss.
What is more, when you want to go back to normal hair, it might take weeks or months to detangle the knots, but your hair condition will not be as good as the natural hair.
See also: Is Interlocking Locs Bad?
What Is Bad About Dreadlocks?
Besides the cool looking and the pride it brings to you, there are many mistakes and misconceptions about dreadlocks. Below are the 3 common ones that you might want to look at:
Easy to Catch Smell and Dirt
Now that your hair is thicker and denser, it is likely to easily catch the smell, dust or dirt. That might cause your hair to smell bad and look messy.
To protect your locks from these environmental elements, you might consider staying away from these polluted areas, or consider wearing the stocking cap.
Check out:
- 4 Ways To Treat Dandruff In Dreadlocks
- 4 Ways To Get Rid Of Mold In Dreadlocks
- 3 Most Common Methods To Keep Locs Clean
- 4 Things You Need to Know To Detox Dreadlocks
Time-consuming
Unless your hair is long enough for tangling into long dreads, you have to experience the bad hair days for three to six months, when your locs are in the baby stage.
Also, locks take more time to wash and dry than the normal hair. Your locks need to be completely dry or mold will develop and cause some types of scalp problems.
See also: How long does it take to get dreads?
Bring Uncomfortable Feeling
You might find it a bit annoying and uncomfortable to sleep for some very first weeks while having the dreadlocks. You should use a sleeping cap to cover your dreads while sleeping.
Also, your locs might catch a lot of unwanted attention, comments or even troubles from the public, be prepared for these.
In Short
Dreadlocks are cool to have, but it is not for everyone. Going through 4 points above, are you losing your interest in having dreadlocks, or you still want to have them?
Actually, there are solutions to deal with these problems. Let’s find them out in another article.
See also:
- 3 Straightforward Steps To Curl Dreadlocks At Home
- How to Bleach Dreads? 4 Things You Need to Know
- How To Remove Dreadlock Extensions: 3 Easiest Ways
Aida
