Do Dreadlocks Damage Your Hair
Dreadlocks are a protective hairstyle that locks in moisture and protects the hair follicles. Contrary to popular misconception, they do not damage the hair. However, neglect or improper maintenance may lead to hair breakage and subsequent damage.
Do Dreadlocks Damage Your Hair
To ensure your locked hair remains healthy and damage-free, consider the following key factors:
- Over-maintenance: avoid over-maintaining your hair. Yes, there is something called over-maintaining the hair. Too much of anything they say is wrong, and that saying is just as valid in this case. Overly twisting your hair to get the perfect loc, especially in the early stages of your loc journey, can be detrimental. If your hair has fully locked in, excessive twisting could lead to scalp tension and break hair follicles.
- Frequent washing: Another form of over-maintenance is washing your hair too often. This could cause your hair to lose essential oils that naturally moisturize it, which would consequently lead to drying out.
- Drying: locked air experiences air shortage that can result in moisture build-up and the growth of Mold, known as dread rot. This harmful growth could eat into the skull and cause a severe infection. So, if you must wash your hair frequently, thoroughly dry it to prevent these issues.
- Manage length: If you are all about the size, you might find this tip disappointing, but it is essential. Long and heavy (thick) locs can put tension on your scalp and root, potentially causing follicular trauma and consequently leading to hair loss. As such, you must find a balance by trying not to make your locs too heavy by being too long.
- Avoid chemical treatments: Hair treatments such as bleaching, perming, or straightening with chemicals have proven to be high-risk and damaging to the hair. While you can lock relaxed hair, it is usually ill-advised. So take factors like these into consideration before embarking on your loc journey.
Finally, you must be firm in the decision to lock your hair, as changing your mind can lead to more significant hair damage than if you hadn’t started at all. This journey is and should be free from the chemicals mentioned earlier.
Changing your mind and reverting to chemical treatments can severely damage your hair. Just like switching to dreads after having chemically enhanced hair will initially be tough, changing your mind would mean you will have to cut your hair slowly until your dreads are all gone, and you can start afresh.
