In celebration of my dreadiversary, I thought it would be fun to show you guys the progress and transformation my locs have undertaken during the past six years.

I hope you enjoy this pictorial dreadlock journey! 

Pre-dreads

When someone first meets me, they immediately wonder what I look like without dreads, especially because I have super straight hair naturally. 

I like to think I look almost the same but I’ll let you be the judge.

The beginning of my dreadlock journey

Day 1

My first dreadlock! (I know…my taste in winter fashion is horrendous. I don’t know what I was thinking either, haha!!)

Week 1

I knotted my first 4 dreadlocks by myself…can you tell?

I used the twist and rip method. Then I had a couple of friends do 3 more locs and realized I needed a professional as soon as possible.

I don’t count these dreads as part of my actual journey timeline because the majority of my hair was loose and my parting pattern was terribly miscalculated.

Let’s try this again…

Day 1

This was the result of 8 hours of non-stop hair crocheting. My head was sore for at least three days and my hair felt as stiff as wire. I’m not gonna lie, the process is literally dreadful – no pun intended! 

Welcome to the baby stage of locs, aka the ugly phase! 

Week 1

This is what my locs looked like after their first wash day. 

I waited one week before washing my locs. That was a long time for me back then.

I was really surprised that my hair didn’t start looking greasy. Before that, I had to wash my hair once a day.

The greatest challenge for me was taming my itchy scalp. Looking back at this process reminds me of how far I’ve come because my scalp is virtually itch-free now! (Huge sigh of relief.)

Week 3

My dreads were obviously thin at this stage. I got many strange looks but a compliment on occasion. I loved how long they were!

I was excited that they hadn’t shrunk at all…but little did I know then that the shrinkage phase was yet to come.

Month 1

Getting this far felt like a great accomplishment for some reason.

This photo is accurate:

but they really looked like this:

Month 2

I spent this whole month backpacking in Southeast Asia so I put my hair in a bun or ponytail almost every day.

I tried to maintain it by palm rolling it but I gave up because it was unbearably hot and humid. [I work up a sweat palm rolling my hair on a cold day- not to mention when I’m already sweating profusely.]

I did keep up with my weekly washing routine but that was about it.

My biggest regret was not being diligent about keeping my roots separated. Inevitably, they tried to marry each other and the result was this disaster.

Month 3

The first place I went upon my return to the US was my loctician.

She spent 5 hours tearing my roots apart (yes, it’s worse than it sounds!) and did regular maintenance on the dreads themselves. I’m forever grateful to her! 

Month 4

As you can see, some hair around my face is becoming loose. I love this look actually because it doesn’t make my scalp look as bald.

The dreads are somewhat distinct, but very messy-looking. 

Month 5

There’s not a significant change in month 5 other than shrinkage is starting to take place.

At this point, I learned that dreads have a mind of their own! If you can’t tame them, you might as well enjoy them!

Month 6

Can you tell that my dreads are getting fluffier and shorter?

This photo really encouraged me during this time because it showed me that I was entering into the budding phase! 

Month 7

I know what you’re thinking, “What in the friiickk is happening here?”

This picture looks like a major setback! But it really goes to show that awkward knots are just part of the process.

I stopped asking questions and let them do their own thing. During this time I used my hair up or covered the top part with headbands.

I must admit, it takes some courage to look like this in public! 

Month 8

Yay, more shrinkage!

It looks a little bit neater than the previous month, but still very messy.

A lot of the hair that was ripped off during the crocheting process on day one is growing back, hence why there’s a lot more loose hair all over. 

Month 9

More progress…kinda sorta?

Month 10

Not much has changed since the previous month but during this month I started making major changes to my maintenance routine.

I started moisturizing my hair daily, using essential oils, natural oils on my scalp, aloe vera, and witch hazel.

Before month ten, my scalp was very itchy and my hair was super dry. Within the first few days of changing up my maintenance routine, I started seeing (and feeling) amazing results! 

You can read my complete maintenance guide here. 

Month 11

I’m not sure that the changes I experienced this month are obvious in pictures but I can honestly say that my hair felt 100 times better than before.

It felt softer, looked shinier, and was healthier.

It was almost not itchy at all (on occasion I’d get an itchy spot, but nothing compared to the previous 10 months.)

My maintenance routine was such a game changer for me! I wish I would have done it sooner but you live and you learn.

Now I know what to do and more importantly what NOT to do. 🙂 

Month 12 (First year)

Yay! The first year is complete! I felt like I reached a huge milestone and my locs were finally entering their teenage stage.

You can see there are a lot of loose hairs all over the place, plenty of frizzes and my locs hadn’t started to gain length yet but all of this happens during the maturing phase.

Now, looking back, I would have never imagined during my first year the changes they would have eventually entered into or how they would evolve in their second year, third year, etc! 

Second year

My locs are still short here but they’re becoming fuller and more mature.

Third year

I’m finally gaining some length!

Fourth year

A few months before this, I had brushed out 4 locs at the front/ top of my head to create a softer look around my face.

Since year 3, you can also see they’ve gotten longer.

Fifth year

Again, growth is the most noticeable change from this point forward.

Sixth year

My dreads are well beyond their mature stage 🙂 It’s still the best thing that I’ve done with my hair and I’m very happy with my beautiful locs. 

In the coming months, I’m planning to brush out some of the freeforms at the top of my head to achieve a cleaner look. (The locs I brushed out around year 3 have formed into six or more tiny freeform locs. I love them but they look messy.)

I’m also debating trimming some locs to relieve the weight on my neck.

Based on the next picture, can you guess how heavy my locs are? I’ve only weighted them dry. Leave your guess in the comments!

Lessons learned during the loc journey:

• Everyone’s hair knots, therefore dreadlocks can work for any hair type.

• Dreads are not necessarily a low maintenance hair style, at least not during the first year. Starter locs require a lot of adjustment and patience. You have to take good care of your locs and not neglect the importance of healthy hair.

• Heavy products are not your friend…well, most traditional hair products tbh! Product build-up is your enemy. Stick to residue-free shampoo and natural products.

• Moisturizing your locs is a key factor in your daily routine! I use a lightweight moisturizer to keep them from feeling too much like velcro.

• Separate your locs at the root as often as necessary. New growth will try to merge with the nearby dreads unless you pull the roots apart before the individual locs start to become one.

• Locs were my best hair decision ever. Watching them change makes me love them more each day.

• The loc community is super supportive! I’ve connected with so many people as a result of having locs. 

• Keeping a month to month update helped me stay strong during the difficult times of my journey.

If you’re growing impatient during the early stages of your dreadlock journey, here are some tips that will help!

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I hope these photos encouraged you if you’re in the process yourself or considering to get dreads.

The journey your dreadlocks go through is a great reminder to reflect on your own life and make significant changes that may require a lot of time, whether that’s personal, spiritual, or physical improvements.

I have learned to enjoy the good and the bad days because I know it’s all working toward the end goal which I have yet to reach.

♥

This article was originally published on February 21, 2019. It has since been updated and improved.