ADVICE: How to maintain natural dreadlocks without spending much

Dreadlocks. Locs. Dreads. Whatever name you choose to call this ropelike style of hair design, truth is it is probably the most trending hairstyle these days.

Dreadlocks are formed by matting or braiding natural hair although some people use kinky braids to make their dreads longer.

But do you know how to maintain your dreadlocks without spending much?

Shanx Tess, a hair specialist at Urban Salon Kampala believes so. She shares with us some of the tips one can follow to keep their dreads in shape.

1. Keep your dreads clean

It’s always very important to wash your dreads at least two times in a week. This helps to remove dirt from the scalp and hair thus leaving it good. Washing the scalp also helps to open skin pores which in return gives room for the skin to release natural oils that help in proper hair growth.

However, Shanx advises that it’s not good to wash your hair every day, for some hair tends to break during the process.

A bottle of hair good shampoo costs around Shs10,000, and it can take you for about eight months or a year if carefully used.

2. Apply leave-in conditioner

It’s advisable to always apply leave-in conditioner to your hair before it dries (after washing it). Since skin pours tend to open after washing the hair, it helps the conditioner to penetrate in the deep roots of your hair, thus strengthening the hair roots.

Conditioner contains vitamin E which is well known for moisturizing the scalp and preventing hair from breakage, leaving your hair looking smooth and silky.

A bottle of leave-in conditioner is about Shs8,000 and can be used for months

3. Apply gel or spray to keep hair moisturized.

Remember to always apply dreadlocks gel or spray into your dreadlocks at least four times in a week to keep your dread in a perfect condition.

Unlike other hairstyles, when applying gel into dread, it’s advisable to roll one dread at a time between your hands, to bind it in one position, thus preventing any chances of breakage.

Several kinds of gel like locking gel (it’s about sh35,000), Bees wax (Shs20,000) among others can be used depending on one’s wallet.

4. Right care treatment

It’s said that when we sleep, there is always a friction between the pillow and hair and in a process, some hair tends to break on the edges.

So it’s advisable to wrap the hair with a night scarf (Slick scarf) to shed the dreads from breakage. Plus wrapping the hair at night also helps the skin to produce natural oils that help in proper hair growth.

5. Avoid frequent re-locking of your hair

True, a fresh new look after doing dreadlocks repair is good but when done regularly, it causes breakage and thinning at the hair roots. It’s advisable to take at least two to three months before visiting a salon for a repair.