How Difficult It Is To Have Dreads

I love dreads. I really do. But they are such a hassle. They require so much care and maintenance, that is often hard to keep them looking good. I am starting my dreads, and already I am having a bit of trouble keeping up with the process of developing them. 

First of all, the time it takes dreads to grow is crazy. I have had them for over three months, and I cannot tell the difference in their length. It may just be my hair or the hairstyle altogether, but I know I am not alone on this. 

Sophomore Michael Jenkins agreed, “It took a year and a half [too grow it that long.]”

His hair was only just under his chin. I honestly do not know how he managed it for that long. He cut his dreads off in March of this year. 

Another thing about dreads is that they constantly need what is called re-twists. This requires people to get their hair done multiple times each week. When I get my hair done, the fresh look only lasts about two days before it becomes a fuzzy, annoying mess. I find myself being really embarrassed going to school looking like that. It is also frustrating to resort to someone else doing the re-twisting for me. I plan on learning, but I become impatient and ready to give up on them.

Probably the worst thing about dreads is that I am not allowed to wash my hair whatsoever. To me this is disgusting. If any water gets inside my hair when starting my dread,s it could easily destroy the twists. This is bad for many reasons. My hair becomes extremely smelly. I poke my finger in my head and smell my fingers and the smell alone shocks my nose. Even when I do wash my hair, I have to dig very deep to get the shampoo down to my scalp. 

Michael Jenkins also agreed, “The shampoo would never reach the roots of my hair.” 

Dreads are very annoying and I would recommend doing your research on the hairstyle before considering it. I do not regret choosing the style, I just wish I knew all of this going in. I plan on keeping it and advancing to the next steps.