DON´T PANIC. I have been through this one, having caught them off my little nephew a few years back. I was gutted, and tried several shop-bought remedies, only to discover that I would need to buy several bottles of the stuff to cover my hair, as dreads are very absorbent. Shop-bought remedies also require combing, which obviously you can´t do. Finally what helped me was a very cheap and effective solution I found online. I soaked my hair in a sink filled with ordinary white vinegar with a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. I then put a plastic bag and a towel on it and left it as long as I could stand it. I repeated this on day 7, and day 11, as this works most effectively with their breeding cycle and ensures you get anything that has hatched late (ugh, I know…). You might smell like a chippy for a couple of days but it should be worth it. Disclaimer: I can’t guarantee this will work for very severe infestations but it certainly worked for me!
This is probably just itching caused by the newly sectioned hair. Because you hair follicles are not used to lying in this new way, this can make your scalp sensitive and itchy. This should pass in a couple of weeks. If it does not, or you have dandruff, I would recommend washing hair with a residue free shampoo, then rinsing with apple cider vinegar mixed with water and a few drops of tea tree or rosemary oil in it. The tingly-ness really helps dampen down any itchiness and the vinegar should deal with the dandruff. You can also try moisturising your scalp with coconut oil, which is a natural conditioner. If you have no luck then there are products available from companies like Knotty Boy.
Personally, there are lots of specialist dread shampoos on the market, such as ones from Raw Rootz, or Dollylocks which you may want to try. These shampoos are residue free, which means if you are washing your hair very regularly then you won’t get a build up of shampoo residue in your dreads. Personally, if I wash my dreads once a fortnight or less I find that using a natural soap works well for me. If I’m washing more regularly then I use Raw Rootz which is one that I also stock in my salon. Finding the right products for your locks is trial and error, and involves working out what your own personal routine is, how your scalp responds to being in dreads, how oily your hair is etc.
A: Yes you can wash dreads. With new dreads, which are more delicate, I recommend a settling in period, and after this they can be washed regularly. To be honest dreaded hair doesn´t seem to get greasy like un-dreaded hair, and once you get into the cycle of not washing them everyday you will probably find your scalp prefers this. Some of the most smelly dreads I have encountered are ones which have been washed and not allowed to dry properly (often wax is involved). So always wash them in the morning and dry them properly to be sure of not smelling like a wet dog! Also I have been recommended to use micro-fibre towels as they apparently suck the moisture out of your hair so I’ll definitely be trying that one soon!
No I don´t, and with the technique I use you wont need it. Wax is a quick fix solution to keeping dreads neat; it will stick down all the loose hairs to give the appearance of it being tidy, but the greasiness of it actually gets in the way of the hairs knotting together, which requires friction. Wax can also prevent your dreads from drying out properly after washing, which can lead to all sorts of horrible things growing in there…
In a word: no. The natural dreads and permanent dread extensions are designed to not come out easily, and this is a mark of good quality dreads. However this is bad news if you are unsure about getting them, and don´t want to spend several days sitting there unpicking them with a bottle of conditioner or oil at hand. For anyone unsure about getting dreads I would recommend taking some time over your decision, or try some of my other options, like the Wool Dreads and Braids, which last up to 3 months. The Synthetic Crocheted Dreads are also a good idea for someone who wants temporary realistic looking dreadlocks, as they can be braided in.