I always wondered how damaged dreadlocked hair would become.  A bunch of knots all over your head can’t be good…or can it?

I did a lot of research before I decided to take the plunge myself and I was very surprised by what I learned. 

Can dreads cause damage to your hair?

The short answer is no. It’s quite the opposite. 

Dreadlocks as a hairstyle actually help protect your hair. But don’t get too excited just yet! There are many factors that can destroy your hair, as we will discuss in this blog.

The good news is that if you take care of your locs, your hair should not suffer.

Let’s imagine normal, unlocked, or natural hair for a minute. 

The things we do to make our hair silky, soft, shiny, straight, curly, and colorful are unbelievably damaging. We often mask this damage with products.

There are thousands of products out on the market advertising restoration, hydration, growth, and everything else your hair could want or need.

Truth be told, most of those products are a waste of money. Of course they can have some positive effects but they’re not ideal. Obviously, I haven’t tried everything out there but I know that your hair wasn’t made to be overwhelmed with so many chemicals.

Before I got dreadlocks, my hair went through a lot. My ends were dead and parts of my hair were fried due to chemical dyes.

My straight hair had no volume whatsoever, so of course I had to use a hair curler to encourage some flow of movement. On the days when a strand of hair was out of control, I tamed it with the hair straightener. 

On top of all this heat damage, I washed my hair every day. Daily washing removes natural oils and moisture. The conditioner meant to make your hair silky actually added a lot of unwanted product buildup and weight.

On occasion, I used hair spray to keep my hair intact for several hours.

Anyway, you get the idea. From the excessive use of products and heat damage to brushing and consistently adding tension to my scalp for styling, my hair was never able to catch a break. 

Fast-forward to my dreadlock journey, my hair initially went through a good amount of damage because my loctician used the crochet and interlocking method. A lot of hair was ripped and pulled out in that process (all of which has grown back beautifully by now, yay!) 

Since I’ve had my locs, I only get them professionally maintained once a year. I wash my head once every 7 to 10 days with non-residue shampoo. I rarely use a blow dryer (I prefer to air dry my locs).

The main products I use on a regular basis are essential oils, lightweight carrier oils, distilled water, rose water, witch hazel, and pure aloe vera to encourage moisture, new hair growth, and a healthy scalp. 

A couple of years ago I brushed out several of my locs around the front of my face and that hair remained healthy and in excellent condition. All to say that if you take good care of your locs, you’ll never have to worry about hair damage.

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Continue reading because in this blog, I’ll discuss the main ways to avoid damage to your hair and baldness after you get dreadlocks.

Do dreadlocks cause hair loss?

Just like dreads aren’t inherently bad for your hair, healthy dreadlocks themselves aren’t the cause of hair loss conditions. 

With that said, there are several problems and bad habits associated with the dreadlock journey that may contribute to traction alopecia, bald patches, and inflammation of the scalp.

These are a few of those problems:

• Your roots are being pulled too tight
• You’re over-maintaining your locs
• You’re excessively scratching your scalp
• Your locs are too heavy
• You’re using chemical dyes on your hair
• You’re allergic to the chemicals in synthetic dreads

I’ll explain these issues in greater detail and how you can prevent further damage to your hair.

1. Your roots are being pulled too tight.

Tight pulling of the roots can happen just at the beginning of your loc journey (as I experienced when I got my dreads installed) or for extended periods of time.

This can be caused by over-styling your hair, pulling it back into ponytails or buns, and from maintenance when the hair is being pulled too close to the root.

If you sever these hair follicles temporarily, it is likely that your hair will grow back.

On the other hand, if the pulling is fairly constant, you may have thinner hair or no hair growing in those places. You should be extra cautious if your roots have been suffering this way for a long time.

HOW TO PREVENT AND REVERSE THIS: One of the best ways to cause less tension to your scalp is to wear your hair loosely. Stop styling your hair (for a while- not forever), especially the first few days after maintenance when your head is still sore.

For those who need to keep their hair pulled back because of work or other reasons, you should avoid tight hairstyles and use a headband or beanie instead. You can use anything that will not apply too much pressure to your roots.

To reverse some of the hair loss damage, I recommend gently massaging the affected area with a few drops of jojoba oil mixed with lavender or cedarwood essential oil. Do this once or twice a week.

In the event of severe hair loss, the best idea would be to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist who will be able to provide you with treatment options that are appropriate for your situation specifically.

2. You’re over-maintaining your locs.

Dreadlocks are neither a low maintenance nor a high maintenance hairstyle, they’re somewhere in between. Balance is key!

During the first few months of my dread journey, I was obsessed with keeping my roots neat. I always wanted to tame the frizz, loose strands, and new growth.

I quickly learned that twisting, rubbing, and fiddling with your hair too much can cause thinning and damage at the root.

Some dreadlocking methods (crochet, twist & rip, etc) can also have very damaging effects on the hair because if done too harshly, they can result in hair breakage.

HOW TO PREVENT AND REVERSE THIS: The best solution for this is to give your roots a break. If you are messing with them unconsciously, tell someone to point it out to you.

It’s so much easier said than done, but give your head some time to rest in between maintenance sessions and allow your scalp to grow hair normally. Maintain your locs and roots no sooner than every 6 to 8 weeks.

Resist the urge to tame the new growth right away. Instead, separate the roots gently to prevent the locs from joining (unless you don’t mind congos!)

There’s really no way to reverse over-maintenance but you can start changing habits now to ensure you have healthy hair and roots in the future.

3. You’re excessively itching your scalp.

Itchy scalp is one of the better-known “side-effects” of dreadlocks. Almost every person will have itchiness at some point in their journey but there are many ways to minimize it.

Excessive itchiness can cause inflammation and scarring on the scalp. It can also lead to permanent balding in the areas that are more frequently scratched.

HOW TO PREVENT AND REVERSE THIS: There are various methods that alleviate an itchy scalp.

First and foremost, hydration is super important. Skin is our largest organ and when we’re dehydrated, we may experience dry skin throughout our body, including our head.

Drinking a few more glasses of water every day should greatly minimize the itch if this issue is caused by dryness.

Tea tree essential oil can improve scalp health, so consider adding it to your shampoo. Also, 100% pure aloe vera applied to the scalp and an occasional apple cider vinegar rinse after washing your hair will help to reduce itchiness.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to reverse permanent hair loss, so if you notice yourself scratching your scalp way too much, do something about it now! For more ideas, read this post on how to moisturize your scalp.

4. Your locs are too heavy.

Long dreads can cause your roots to pull at your scalp, causing gradual hair loss as well as headaches and neck pain. Your locs can get really heavy when they’re wet and when there’s too much product build-up, specifically from wax.

The long-term strain on the scalp from heavy locs can leave you with a receding hairline.

HOW TO PREVENT AND REVERSE THIS: If the heaviness is due to long hair, you can reduce some of the weight of the dreads by cutting them down a few inches.

If you’re anything like me though and you love having long dreadlocks, then you can brush a few of them out around the frame of your face. Either that or you can brush out some of the tips and transform them into wispy ends.

The loose hair should make a difference, at least in preventing hair thinning around the scalp’s most vulnerable area.

One other thing you can try is a dread hawk, in which you would shave the sides of your hair.

I haven’t tried that style out myself but it looks amazing on the people I’ve seen it on. Usually they shave a design on the sides as well, so it adds another element to the style.

If the added weight is due to product build-up, do a deep cleanse on your dreads and use a residue-free shampoo weekly. If the build-up is severe, you may have to go to a professional loctician to have it washed off.

Once you have removed the majority of the build-up in your locs, discontinue using products that leave residue. Here’s a list of products you should never use in your locs.

5. You’re using chemical hair dye.

Dying your hair not only adds chemicals to your locs but also strips your hair of its natural oils and moisture.

Dying normal hair is damaging but dying dreadlocks is even worse because it’s nearly impossible to wash off the inner core of the dread completely. In other words, the dye may continue to ruin your hair long after you have colored it. It’s important to note that bleach is harsher than regular color dye.

I know several people who have dyed their dreads and instantly regretted it. Do so at your own risk.

HOW TO PREVENT AND REVERSE THIS: The only way to prevent this is by steering clear from chemical dyes completely! If you want healthy locs, embrace your natural color, get dreadlock extensions in the color you desire, or use henna.

Dyes are extremely damaging to your hair, it doesn’t matter who does it- whether it’s you or a professional. There is no remedy or reversal to this type of damage. Most people who don’t like their post-dyed hair end up cutting it off.

6. You’re allergic to your dread extensions

Dreadlock extensions made from synthetic hair are subjected to a chemical treatment that, if not cleansed initially, can lead to chemical burns whenever they come into contact with moisture or sweat on your skin.

HOW TO PREVENT AND REVERSE THIS: It is super important that you treat your synthetic dreads before installing them, even if the manufacturer claims to have done so already.

To do this, neatly hang the extensions in a hanger, this way they won’t get tangled. Then, soak them in a blend of boiling water and apple cider vinegar for at least 15 minutes. Rinse them thoroughly.

While they’re a completely different texture, wool extensions could be another option for you to try.

If you are allergic to both synthetic and wool materials, you might want to consider trying 100% human hair loc extensions. Even though they’re pricey, it might be worth it!

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In conclusion, dreadlocks aren’t inherently bad for your hair. Improper dread care, on the other hand, can have significant negative effects.

I hope these tips helped you pinpoint some of the most crucial aspects of caring for your locs. 

Have you overcome hair loss due to dreads? What are some of your hair growth tips? Let me know in the comments!