12 Lil Wayne Dreads: The Evolution of His Dreadlock Journey
Key Takeaways:
- Long matted dreadlocks define the Lil Wayne dreads with bleached styling.
- It was used in 1500 B.C.E but has been made famous up until this day by influencers like Lil Wayne.
- His dreadlocks mainly suit Afro-textured hair, but others can still slay the look with assistance from locs experts.
- The Lil Wayne dreadlocks are easy to do: section, twist, and grow!
When one says five-time Grammy Award-winning rapper, a name stands out from the rest: Lil Wayne.
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., or Weezy, started his career as a 12-year-old rapper with Cash Money Records, which was his record label until 2018.
With Carter Jr.’s prominence in music, the evolution of his locs also gained attention from the media and fans.
We’re aware it’s important for you to know Lil Wayne’s hair journey, so we’re giving you this article that will talk about his locs and more. Read through!
What is the name of Lil Wayne’s dreads?
Lil Wayne’s hair is called the Lil Wayne dreads as it embodies the dreadlocks or locs with different sections styled in multiple ways.
We can trace the dread’s existence to ancient Egypt, 1500 B.C.E, as it has been represented in sculptures of a female mummy in long dreads. [1]
Yet, it has been strongly associated with Africans. For them, the dreads symbolize strength similar to warriors; for some, it mirrors the representation of spiritual beings in the human realm. [2]
12 Lil Wayne Dreads – Evolution of His Hairstyle
Lil Wayne’s locs have varied from the beginning of his career to the present. To help you visualize his hairstyles, here are 12 Lil Wayne dreads you can try to imitate for yourself!
Lil Wayne Dreads 2022
To start off the list is the 2022 Lil Wayne dreads covered by a black bonnet. This look with ombré-bleached locs, from a light blonde on top to darker blonde at the roots, can be a go-to in formal and casual events.
Nonetheless, you can grow your own dreads in different bleaching colors depending on your reason or event.
Lil Wayne Dreads 2021
Recording music while holding onto his Bumbu Crème is a picture-perfect moment in 2021 from his Instagram, which garnered every favorable comment from fans and friends.
In this photo, it’s clear that Weezy has newly-grown roots in the middle, which could have been a result of male pattern baldness.
The said balding is a common hair loss condition in men characterized by thinning, falling, and a receding hairline because of strand-break from tight hairstyles. [3]
Lil Wayne Dreads 2020
In one of the 2020 NFL games, all eyes point on Lil Wayne as he takes the stage with dreads in deep gold bleach with hints of green bleach to show his support for the Green Bay Packers.
This combined bleach dreads style shows us that a person can mix different bleached colors depending on the event you are going into or your vibe for the day.
Lil Wayne Curly Dreads
Weezy’s hair variations bring a different vibe to the table, as with his curly dreads fashion. This hairstyle gives volume and texture and is easy to pull off when you have perm rods or other curling equipment.
Lil Wayne Braided Dreads
Before making it to the point of long and thick dreads, Weezy also sported braided dreads. With the proper technique and a styling gel or pomade, braids like french, fishtail, rope, and plait in dreads can be created.
Lil Wayne Short Dreads
Fully mature dreadlocks take time to develop, approximately one to two years. With this, everybody, including Lil Wayne, has gone through a short dreads phase.
As he wears this short-length cut, it provides comfort for the wearer because it’s much more beneficial for the scalp as its weight is almost half of a full-mature one.
This means lesser pulling and pressure on the head!
Lil Wayne Long Dreads
This dread hairstyle from Weezy surely screams healthy and thick. These fully matted dreads boost his overall look, as it becomes a head-turning piece, especially with a cap on.
Yet, we noticed the small hair at the side, which looks like he has cut some of the dreads. Cutting some of the locs is one of the ways of repairing damaged hair.
Lil Wayne Freeform Dreads
Freeform style is when you let your dreads grow organically, like Weezy. You can notice from the image that the matte is messy, which indicates its natural growth.
Lil Wayne Bald Dreads
With heavy dreads come traction alopecia, or hair loss caused by frequently pulling the hair from the scalp. [4]
As you can notice in the photos, he has patches of balding at the crown, which speaks so much of his condition. Nonetheless, aside from a bandana, he uses a cap to cover the thinning and falling hair while under treatment.
Lil Wayne Before Dreads
Before he transitioned into dreadlocks, Lil Wayne’s style emphasized his coils and waves in a short-cut and loose fashion.
Additionally, this style is low-maintenance and can be paired with any outfit for every occasion.
Lil Wayne Without Dreads
Have you missed Lil Wayne’s pre-dreads era? Well, here’s a photo of him in healthy shoulder-length thin braids.
These braids are the most convenient option if your daily activities involve sweating because this style is definitely frequent-washing-friendly.
Lil Wayne Black Dreads
Last on the list was Weezy’s pre-bleached age, with black dreadlocks and middle cornrows.
Dreadlocks and cornrows combined provide a healthy scalp, as the latter can easily be accessed in this style when applying hydrating products.
How to get hair like Lil Wayne?
We know you’d like to grow and style your hair in dreadlocks like Lil Wayne’s style. So, here’s a step-by-step guide for your convenience:
- Wash the hair with the Aveeno Apple Cider Vinegar Sulfate-free Shampoo and Pure Nature Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner
- Dry the hair with Luxe Beauty Essentials Microfiber Hair Towel or the Nition Negative Ions Ceramic Hair Dryer with Diffuser
- Comb and section with Goodofferplace Carbon Parting Rattail Combs and HH&LL Hair Clips
- Twist the sections using your palm, and let the growth of the dreadlocks begin.
TIPS: Notice that you can do a bleached look in two ways: before sectioning the dreadlocks and after the locs have settled.
How much are the Lil Wayne dreads?
The Lil Wayne dreads cost a minimum of $40 to a maximum of $250. It can go higher if you opt to get bleached hair.
FAQ
Lil Wayne started growing his dreads in 2002. Before that, he would sport short-length coils and cornrows.
He wears more than 20 dreads in the freeform style.
His dreadlocks undergo thinning and balding because his once-healthy hair has endured bleaching and constant pulling from dreadlocks, resulting in traction alopecia.
Final Words
The rapper and his styling undoubtedly inspired each generation across decades to do more and be more.
This impression is long-lasting, and we know you’d like to be recognized by recreating his tight locks.
After going through Lil Wayne’s dreadlocks styles, you can surely try one of them by following this guide!
Aida
Founder & Hair Beauty Specialist
I’m Aida and this is my blog where I write mostly about beauty and make up related stuff, but I like to spice it up a bit with lifestyle and photography posts. Or with whatever that comes to my mind. Hope you will enjoy the reading enough that we will ‘see’ each other more often!