Dreadlocks in Newcastle by Charles Nicholas Hairdressing | Hair Extensions Dreadlocks | Newcastle, Australia

Dreads FAQ

What Method is used to create my Dreadlocks?

Your hair type will determine the how we lock your hair. The dreads are created using either the 'natural' crotchet/needled method or the 'perm'.

The natural method is a technique in which your hair is sectioned, crotched, needletapped and twisted. During your consultation, we will decide if this is the best way to begin your dreads and discuss the pros and cons.

Here are some of the ways your dreads will be created. Using one or a combination of back combing, interlocking, natural crochet, twist-and-rip, felting, re-wrapping, or the five-point pull-through method (if not performed correctly, holes can be created – our stylists are properly trained to prevent this).

How long should I grow my hair before it can be dreaded?

If your hair is non-afro it is best to have a minimum length of 15 centimetres. If you can put your fringe hair into your mouth , it is about the right minimum length for a dreadlock perm. Too short a length means the dreads will be dread sprouts, and run the risk of unravelling. Afro or very curly hair can be successfully dreaded at shorter lengths.

Will my hair look frizzy?

A small amount of frizz will be present after a dreads especially after the first time they get wet or are washed.This frizz is helping your dreadlock to form. Even though the beeswax can assist the dreadlock in forming, too much beeswax too soon can hinder their formation. Beware inferior products that claim to aid your dread formation, our wax and other products are tried and trusted. Upon getting your dreads, we will roughen the hair surface and group the hair into fat, thin or medium sized dreads in one application.

Will my hair look dreaded immediately?

After the dreadlocks are made your hair will look like dreads but they are not solid like rope at this early stage. The young dreads are still soft, so swimming or letting water run through your hair in the shower in the first week after getting dreads is not recommended. Letting water run through the fresh dreads in the first week after may cause them to unravel slightly.

We recommend that you return to our salon three months after getting your dreads for maintenance. Maintenance is important to make sure you are caring for them properly and to re shape your dreads so they continue to form nicely.

To wax, or not to wax?

You will hear the age old question of "Should I use wax in my dreads"? You've probably heard all kinds of answers like "I'll never use wax again" Or "wax attracts lots of dirt" or "my dreads are too oily when I wax". These are all legitimate problems, though they can be avoided if the CORRECT wax and application is used during only the early stages of your dread formation.

A very small amount of hard wax is great on some hair types to water proof them in the early stages to ensure they grow and set tidily.

How do I care for my dreads at home?

Our stylists will teach you how to wax and roll your dreadlocks at home. You will mainly be doing this after a shampoo. Yes you need to shampoo for a few reasons:

1. We recommend a fresh smelling shampoo to stop itch, such as the tea-tree anti-inflammatory shampoo. This keeps the dreads smelling fresh and stops itch at the scalp. Once a week is the usual.
2. If the hair is oily by not shampooing, this oil will work against the formation of the dreads.
3. We agree that after a shampoo your dreads may look a bit frizzy or fluffy but it is a necessary step to ensure your scalp is healthy. Remember, people who scratch their scalp and have dreadlocks will notice that people around them will move away from them.

But I love surfing!?

If the surf is so good that you can't stay out of the water in the first week after having a dreadlock perm, you will need to tape on your mum's shower cap! This will keep the dreads semi dry. It is not the water but the water running through the dreads that can cause them to unravel in those early days. Once the dreads harden like rope, you can surf all day no worries. Dreads will become more solid with time. The beeswax also acts as a semi waterproofer for the dreads. This is good protection.

Mega fat dreads, Sprouts and Worms... What the..?

Fat dreads and mega fat dreads (huge) are best formed after normal sized dreads have become solid. Normal sized dreads are about finger sized in diameter. If too big an area at the scalp is used to form a fat dread it is more difficult for that dread to form close to the scalp. Thinner dreads will form closer to your scalp than fatter dreads. Sprouts are dreadlocks that are short and stand upright. This is very difficult to achieve on non-afro hair in a permanent way. Worms are thin dreadlocks that look like worms. Afro hair is again the most suited to this look. More rolling of the dreads is required by the client at home than normal dreads even on the afro hair.Twisting and rolling every night with out overuse of the beeswax is best.

How do I get rid of wispy ends?

Our stylists fold the wispy ends onto the dread and poke it with the dreadlock needle until it disappears into the dread. A string tie can assist here as well. Cutting is not normally recommended but our stylists know when this can be done.

How do you join dreads together?

To join dreads together, our stylists weave them together , this makes them look like a braid. Then they are poked with our special dread needle to take away that braided look, resulting in a fat dread that looks the way it should.

What is a String Tie?

A string tie is a piece of special string tied in a special way around the dreadlock. A string tie is usually done down near the roots to correct loose or scrappy hair that is not in a dreadlock. However a string tie can be done further down the dreadlock or on the ends to secure them. Our special string is very strong,textured , colourcoded and will not rot with water.

My dreads need help! They have loose hair and wispy ends.

The answer is shampoo, wax and roll. Our stylists can help by doing a string tie and some needle work on the dreadlocks. A crochet hook can help pull loose hair through the dread and the needle will rough it up to keep it there and make the ends disappear into the dread.

Can I cut my loose hair off?

This is not recommended.

By cutting off the wispy ends of a dread you could make the dread unravel unless it is very solid like rope. Our stylists can assist in judging this situation. By cutting the loose hair off near the roots is very bad because this hair is needed to strength the dread at the base. Cutting it off only makes the hair stick out all the worse as it grows back. Remember that dreads will have normal shed hair stuck in the dread .This shed hair would normally be brushed out or go down the sink. So after a period of time dreads will become thicker and fatter and therefore heavier. This is why the new hair at the roots must be added into the dread to support them.

My scalp is itchy, scaly and/or flaky!

We work closely with De Lorenzo's Tricho team ("trichologists" are hair and scalp specialists) and endorse Tricho scalp shampoos. These are residue-free, anti-inflammatory, deep-cleansing and itch-deterring, balancing the health of your scalp while hardening your dreads.

How much cost is involved?

Our stylists will charge you $88 per hour for dreadlock maintenance. Be that needle work, string tying etc. So regular half to one hour sessions are better than expensive long sessions done infrequently. The dreadlock perm cost is price on application. We will give you a quote and check your hair is long enough for the service. Thin dreads are more work so they are slightly more expensive than normal sized dreads. Thick and or long hair will cost more in a dreadlock perm. A rough guide would be $350 to $550 for a dreadlock perm as a starting point, but it could be more. A quote is recommended.

Ridding your dreadlocks...

When you want to change your look and get rid of your dreadlocks you don't have to shave your head. Although that is a fast alternative. Instead of maintaining the roots, let the dread grow down a bit from the scalp and then cut it off. Keep the dreads because if your circumstances change, our stylists can add then back on to your hair at a later date. You will obviously have a short type of haircut but not necessarily shaved. If the dread in not fully hard like rope ,you can split the dread longways and try unravelling with a strong comb or kitchen fork.