I see you have a dreadlocks section in the gallery so I thought maybe if people with dreadlocks join the forum they might like some info.
Dyeing dreads isn't the same as dyeing normal hair, for starters dreads drink dye like crazy so you need almost twice as much as you would for normal hair of the same length. Also with "ordinary" dyes dreads don't reflect the light so the colour doesn't always work out like the colour on the packet. I recently discovered that with Stargazer dye this isn't the case.
If you're going to use dye on dreads here's some tips for you:
1) Make sure your dreads aren't new - dyeing dreads before they're 6 months old can damage them beyond repair.
2) Double the amount of dye you would normally use for hair the same length as yours as the dreads need to have the dye worked right in which uses more dye than normal.
3) If you're going for a vibrant colour it's best to bleach your dreads first, again use twice as much as normal hair.
When you get to the actual dyeing process remember, it's gonna get messy! The best way to work dye into dreads is to "palm roll" them like you do when you're making dreads in the first place. This is exactly what it sounds like. You take a dread in your hand and roll it between the palms of both hands, this helps keep the dread rounded and also works in the dye really well. Personally I load up my palms with dye and roll the dread into it while squeezing tight to get the dye right in. This can cause your hands to cramp after a while if your dreads are long so be prepared.
Long dreads flick around like they have a life of their own so you and your bathroom are at risk of those little flick off drops, make sure your bathroom is as well covered as you are!
Don't forget the base of your hair. It's easy to concentrate on your dreads and forget the roots. Because the sections can be quite thick, depending on the size of your dreads, it may be difficult to work the dye all the way through to the centre section at the base but I use this chance to give myself a thorough head massage to get all the colour in.
I've always used standard dyes on my hair but I've always fancied being bright pink. Because of the lack of light coming through dreads, normal dyes looked flat and even the brightest ginger colors just looked like a dirty brown. I decided to be brave and use Stargazer "Shocking Pink" and my dreads are incredibly bright! I was so shocked at the results. I honestly expected a dark pink result, not the beautiful luminous brightness that I ended up with.
I love my dreads even more than I did before and I just wanted to say to anyone else with dreads that you shouldn't be afraid to try bright colour dyes. The right ones will work on your hair and if you check out the Beeunique dreadlocks gallery you'll see the results for yourself.
~ Matty xx
Posted : February 28, 2010 11:28 am
Link for Beeunique Dreadlock Gallery as mention in above guide:
Beeunique Braids/Dreadlock Photos
Well written and very helpful guide Matty - thanks x
Posted : February 28, 2010 11:32 am
I usually only work the dye in at the base, and just cover the rest of my dreads. While they soak up a lot of dye anyway, I never found it necessary to actually palmroll the dye in.
I would advice against palmrolling bleach in, as you can never be completely sure to get it all out again.
Posted : May 28, 2010 8:24 am
I would advice against palmrolling bleach in, as you can never be completely sure to get it all out again.
Good point! I scrape my hands down the lengths of my dreads with bleach but don't rub it in too well, i just make sure it's "touched" the dreads. When you pile them all on your head afterwards they tend to bleach each other that way anyway.
The only reason I need to palmroll my dye all the way down is because my dreads are quite long. At the moment they are down to my bra strap at the back and if I don't get the dye in all the way down it goes patchy.
Like with most things I guess it's down to the individual, how long your dreads are, how well your hair takes to the dye etc. This was just a quick guide coz when I went looking on the internet for help dying my dreads there was nothing that I could find that helped me. My methods are really the results of my own trial and error! lol 😀
Posted : May 29, 2010 5:36 pm
i dont palm roll mine either, i just coat them 😀
Posted : December 27, 2010 8:27 pm
I find this really useful =] although i only focus on synthetic dreads as i love my hair too much to dread xD i can imagine it takes forever to dry!
Posted : February 11, 2011 8:52 pm
Drying is a pain in the rear!
My dreads are long, almost down to my waist now and it takes about 8 hours to dry them, with frequent 20 minute blasts from my hairdryer during the day. Going outside on a warm and windy day helps to dry them but how many of those do you get at this time of year?
Drying dreads is essential as water can collect up on the inside which creates a bacteria build up. This means that the dreads are getting damaged on the inside but also it smells bad. So if you're dying your dreads... please wring them out after the wash, wrap them in a towel (I then wait 10 minutes til the towel is soaked and wring them out again and add another towel but that's because mine are so long) then blast them full on for 20 minutes with a hairdryer. After an hour I blast them again and keep doing this an hour after each blast if I can. If not I do it as often as I can and make sure I do it one last time before bed time. The last thing you need is water and/or dye leaking out all over your pillow so you wake up in a soggy bright coloured mess - which may have transfered to your face!
Posted : February 16, 2011 12:11 pm
my ffiend trimmed his dreads and found mould in the middle of them =s so now the other half is really paranoid when he washes, i think his are the same length as yours matty, maybe a lil longer. we deep cleaned them the other week and it takes so loooooooooooooong!
Posted : February 16, 2011 3:11 pm
Yeah it takes ages. I have got to a point now where I wash my hair only once between dying - basically one month it's dyed and washed, next month it's just washed, then it's dyed and washed again the next month. I use DreadheadHQ Dread Soap which is awesome stuff. It cleans like crazy, I wash, rinse, repeat and that's it! There's no smell to it at all which is a good thing coz it means it's left no residue behind.
When I put on perfume I always spray the air and walk into it anyway to make sure my dreads smell nice. ;D
Posted : February 16, 2011 10:33 pm
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270681270181&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
ryan uses thisvstuff
Posted : February 16, 2011 10:59 pm
Cool, there's no such thing as cheap dreadlocks shampoo though eh? ;D
Mine's about a tenner too. Thank goodness we don't use it that often. LOL!
Posted : February 18, 2011 10:14 pm
Lush Squeaky Green and Seanik solid shampoo bars are great for dreads and cheaper than DreadHead plus they last ages if you allow them to dry out properly between uses.
Posted : February 8, 2012 7:46 pm
oooo will check them out =) maybe a good valentines pressie...
Posted : February 9, 2012 12:20 am
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