Dreadlocks, whether they’re thin or thick, are a beautiful hairstyle (when they’re properly cared for, I should say). 

Way before I got the courage to get dreads, I already had an idea of what I wanted mine to look like.

During the locking process, though, I realized that my dreads were 100% unique to me and they would never look like anyone else’s.

Fast forward to now, nearly 6 years into my loc journey, I can say I’ve achieved the locs I’ve always dreamed of. But it came at the price of years of worrying and countless hours of research.

For a long time, I wondered if the thickening and thinning of my locs was normal or even healthy. In this article, I’ll teach you what I learned.

Throughout the stages in which dreads mature, they will get thicker AND thinner. The thickness and length will fluctuate a lot during the first year or two because the hair is becoming matted.

Healthy dreads should be a little bit thicker than when you started them once they’re fully mature.

How thick your locs get mostly depends on three things:

1. The size of your parts at the root
2. Your hair density
3. Your hair texture

There are some concerning factors, like health conditions, that can cause your dreads to get thinner over time. We will discuss this further, as well as how you can prevent thinning and hair breakage.

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Before I begin, I want to clarify that this article is purely informational. In no way am I suggesting what your dreads should or shouldn’t look like (as far as thickness goes).

Whatever you choose to do with your hair is completely up to you! With that said, let’s get into it!

Understanding the dreadlocking process

Dreads go through a beautiful and constant transformation.

During the initial stage (aka baby stage) your hair will begin to knot and tangle. Your dreads will adjust to the changes by shrinking, all the while becoming puffy/ tight in some spots and loose/ thin in others.

You should expect loops to appear all over. It’s likely that some hair will untangle and even come out of the locs entirely. Don’t worry if this is what you’re dealing with, it’s normal!

Each dread will go through its shrinking/tightening process individually, so you may have some dreads that are considerably shorter or longer than others.

Oftentimes times we freak out during the baby and teenage stages because we think our dreads need to look perfect by week two.

Depending on your hair type and maintenance, your hair can take up to three years to fully mature, so stay patient during the process. 

The changes your hair experiences are necessary for your dreads to mature! Healthy locs are all about time and patience, and they’re so worth the wait!

How thick will my locs get?

The method that you use to start your dreads, whether it’s twist and rip, backcombing, crochet, interlocking, two-strand twists, etc, will not necessarily determine the thickness of your locs.

If you’re wondering how thick your dreads will become, or are deciding how thick/ thin to make them, there are three indicators that will give you an idea.

Indicators of how thick your locs will get

1. How big or small your sections are

Whether you’re allowing your hair to naturally dread (freeform) or you’re getting a professional to do it, I recommend you part your hair at the root as evenly as possible. The more uneven the parts are, the more uneven your dreads will be.

If you don’t care about sectioning, then that’s fine too. Let them do their thing, but know that your locs will be uneven in terms of thickness.

For those of you who want all your dreads to be about the same thickness, have a friend or loctician separate your hair at the scalp. Once mature, your locs should be as thick as, or a little bit smaller than, the section you made. 

Larger sections will give you thicker locs for a fuller look, and smaller sections will give you thinner dreads for a more delicate look.

As a reference, my hair was divided into squares of 1”x1”. Most of my dreads are about the thickness of a pencil or marker.

Some became thicker and others a bit thinner (the ones around the perimeter of my face), possibly due to the amount of hair I have in that part of my head. 

How should I section my locs at the root?

I’ve seen locs parted several different ways.

Some section their locs in triangles. If you do this, the hair on the corners of the triangle might pull too much, and as the locs grow and get heavier, the constant tension can lead to permanent hair loss (aka traction alopecia) in those corners.

If you part your head in rectangles, the dreads might end up growing into a flat shape rather than round.

If you part your scalp in squares, you should get the most evenly rounded locs.

As your hair begins to grow out, the section parts will disappear until you re-twist them again.

The way to prevent your dread roots from merging is to separate the new hair growth.

How often you pull your roots apart could vary depending on how fast your hair grows and tangles. For some it could be every week after washing them, for others, it could be more or less often than that.

Can you combine dreadlocks?

Yes! It’s much easier to join thin locs together to form a thicker one, than it is to separate a thick one into two. This process is also known as congo or conjoining dreads. 

NOTE: Like I just mentioned, your dreadlocks will naturally congo at the root if you don’t separate them often.

During the beginning stages of my journey, I didn’t touch my scalp at all and my loctician had to forcefully pull my dreads apart. It left me with a headache for two days. Let this be a warning to you. Please learn from this mistake. 🙂 

Many people who started out with thick dreads and didn’t like them had to start the process all over by brushing them out and forming thinner ones. 

I read in a dreadlock forum that someone suggested cutting thick dreads in half as a way to make thinner ones. This is SO wrong!!

Someone else suggested tearing the dreads apart down the middle. Not only does this sound extremely painful (once it gets closer to the scalp) but it’s also very damaging. It’s best to get it right from the start. 

TIP: NEVER cut any hair (or frizzies) from your dreads. Some people have done this to make their hair look neater but ultimately this hinders the locking process because the hair strand is no longer complete. If frizziness is an issue for you, use a little bit of fresh aloe vera gel to tame it down. 

Ok, let’s move on to the second indicator of dread thickness.

2. How much hair you have (hair density)

Having a lot of hair will give you a fuller dread than having less hair. 

The average person has approximately 2,200 hairs per square inch.

A person with more than the average number of hairs will have a thicker dread. In the same way, a person with less than the average will have a thinner dread. 

Since we lose an average of 50 to 100 hairs per day, those dead hairs stay knotted inside the loc so they contribute to the thickness of each dread.

I’m not suggesting you count the number of hairs on your scalp because that’s tedious and pointless, haha, but keep this in mind as it correlates with the third indicator: how thick your hair is. 

3. The thickness of your hair (hair texture)

Hair thickness plays a major role in determining the future thickness of your locs. That’s why it’s an important factor to keep in mind when you’re sectioning your scalp. 

Someone with thin hair, like myself, would have a difficult time successfully growing super thin dreadlocks.

Why? Because I wouldn’t have enough hair at the dreads’ roots so my locs could have a strong foundation to grow. Any significant tension at the scalp at that point could easily cause the hair strands to break and my locs to fall out.

If more hairs are attached to the same loc, the tension is distributed among more hair follicles, and therefore the loc is stronger at the root.

People with coarse hair might not have as big of a problem with thin locs, however, extra-thick locs might weigh the hair down a bit, and cause quite a bit of tension on the scalp.

If this happens, you may have to occasionally style your hair up in loose buns to relieve a bit of the tension on the roots.

What causes thinning dreadlocks?

There are a number of factors that can cause your locs to start thinning.

These are the most common reasons:

Excessive maintenance

Twisting your locs too often can contribute to thinner locs since you’re not giving them enough time to puff up and move around.

Constant maintenance and trying to manage all the loose hairs will also create a lot of tension on your scalp, which also causes hair loss as we already discussed.

Tight maintenance at the root can cause a lot of problems, too. What I’m trying to say is that your scalp shouldn’t be sore for days after maintenance.

Finally, maintaining your locs in the wrong direction can disrupt the natural growth process at the hair shaft, causing potential breakage. Always go in the same direction as your natural hair grows when maintaining your roots.

Tight hairstyles

Because locs go through a long messy stage, I got used to pulling my hair up into a tight ponytail or high buns.

Over time, I noticed that the hair around the frame of my face was getting thinner. This is because our scalp can only handle so much pressure from the constant pulling it gets with tight hairstyles.

Styling your locs like this long term can cause too much stress on your scalp and lead to traction alopecia, which is permanent.

It’s a good idea to switch it up with different styles and leave your hair down as much as possible.

Dryness and lack of moisture

Hair, just like the rest of our bodies, needs moisture/ water. The result of chronically dry locs is breakage and thinning.

For the best way to moisturize your locs, I suggest you try any of my 6 easy DIY moisturizer recipes!

Excess buildup

Any product that you use on your locs has the potential to cause buildup. This is regardless of whether it’s made of chemicals or natural ingredients.

Too much product buildup, combined with environmental factors like dirt, can disrupt the locking process and can create points of weakness along the dread and at the root.

The most important thing to remember is that natural hair locs better than dirty hair. To keep your locs squeaky clean, you should be washing your hair weekly with a sulfate-free shampoo and doing a deep cleanse every six months.

Not protecting your hair at night

We toss and turn a lot during our sleep. The constant friction between our head and the pillow can weaken our hair at the roots of your dreadlock.

Be sure to protect your locs while you sleep with a satin sleep cap.

Stress

Stress affects every part of our body, whether we feel it or not.

When we go through a significant period of stress, our hair follicles “freeze up” and stop working as they should. This can cause thinning or hair loss.

Nutrient deficiency

According to the National Institute of Health, “Multiple nutrient deficiencies may result in hair loss. Nutrient deficiencies may arise due to genetic disorders, medical conditions, or dietary practices.”

In this article, I discuss the importance of a healthy diet and which nutrients contribute to healthy hair growth.

If you believe that your hair may be thinning as a result of a lack of nutrients, it’s best to get a medical screening and professional advice from a doctor or hair expert as to how you can find a remedy.

Genetics

Some people have naturally thin hair or might start balding at an early age.

How to make your dreads thicker

If your hair is experiencing weak spots or thinning, make sure to follow the following suggestions.

Let your scalp relax

Avoid causing unnecessary tension to your scalp, either by constant maintenance or styling.

You should be re-twisting your dreads every 6 weeks and definitely no sooner than 4 weeks. 

Hydrate your hair

If your hair feels crunchy, it’s too dry. Spritz your hair daily with a moisturizer.

You don’t have to moisturize with anything fancy or expensive.

My easy DIY recipe is this: In a spray bottle, mix distilled water with a few of your favorite essential oils. Here is a list of essential oils and their benefits for dreads.

Spray this all over your hair (lightly) every morning. Make sure not to get your hair too wet.

Stimulate your scalp

Strengthening your hair follicles at the root is very important for scalp health and new growth. 

Gently rub some natural oils directly onto your scalp before bed. Here’s a list of carrier oils that are amazing for growing thicker dreads.

Make sure you use only a pea-sized amount and only apply it to the scalp so that your hair doesn’t become greasy.

Wear a silk or satin head wrap

Silk and satin will protect your hair from nighttime friction. Protect your hair with a silk bonnet or if you’re not into that look, use a silk pillowcase instead.

This also prevents lint from getting stuck in your dreads. That’s a bonus!

Eat a balanced diet

If you’re healthy on the inside, you will be healthy on the outside.

Drink at least 8 cups of water a day and eat more nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, and protein. If you have a hard time incorporating leafy greens or other veggies, try putting them in a smoothie.

If you have any kind of imbalance or nutritional deficiency, consider supplements to make sure you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals you need.

Talk to your doctor about this first so you get the appropriate amount of what your body is lacking.

Meditate and exercise

When you release tension and stress, you are allowing your body to refresh and replenish itself. 

Talk to a doctor

If you suspect that your hair thinning could be associated with genetics, skin infection on your scalp, or another health condition, ask your doctor to recommend a new hair care regimen.

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Dreadlocks can become thick or thin over time, depending on the process they’re in or your physical well-being. I hope this article encouraged you, wherever you are in your journey. 

Taking care of yourself and your hair is vital for the future of your healthy locs, so if you’re doing everything right and still are not seeing the results you want, I just want to remind you that this too shall pass! 

Before you compare your dreads to someone else’s, remember your hair is unique to you so your process (and end result) will always look different than somebody else’s.

Learn to love the journey you’re in because there’s nothing like it!