Not sure where I've gone wrong

Post Reply
User avatar
misshexen
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 1:55 pm
Location: London

Not sure where I've gone wrong

Post by misshexen » Sun Feb 03, 2013 2:56 pm

Hi everyone, I've been trying different ways to seal my dreads as I don't have a steamer (yet) and my first ones came out great, I was really happy with them. My more recent ones, not so much.

They aren't quite sealing properly, and I'm not sure if it is my back combing, my sealing method (this was done with boiling water) or the dread being too thick. My first ones were about pencil thickness.

Image

They sort of have this corkscrewing thing going on, that's about the best way to describe it. When I finish backcombing they stand up ok on their own and I can lift the whole thing by just a couple of hairs. So any advice on where I'm going wrong or how I can save them would be wonderful.

User avatar
BambooPanda13
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:19 am
Location: Arizona
Contact:

Re: Not sure where I've gone wrong

Post by BambooPanda13 » Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:12 am

Make sure you're using KK jumbo braid and not the silky kind as it doesn't back comb as well. Try back combing more, it should look like a rat nest when you do, a huge tangled mat sorta, haha. Next, I never had the money for a steamer so this is what I do and I've never had a problem. On Ebay or some similar site or even a store near you, look for a cheap hair flat iron. I like one that gets hot to almost 400 degrees. Next, find a piece of linen or muslin, can be a scrap piece, at a yard sale or what have you. Next get a water bottle and fill with water. When you have your dread backcombed and twisted, and your flat iron is nice and hot put your piece of material over the dread. Spray the material that is over the dread until it is wet, almost dripping. Take your flat iron and clamp it (not too tight or you'll flatten the dread) over the linen and dread. This will create steam which will sizzle and seal your dread! Just make sure to watch your fingers. I find it to be very easy, I got a flat iron on Ebay for $8 including the shipping and it works great. You just let it reheat between each dread so after you seal one start backcombing the next and by the time you seal that the flat iron will be nice and hot. Just repeat. It's cheaper than a steamer and works great! It also is easy to get those perfectly sealed tips! You can use a pair of pliers at the very end and then just seal the end like you do the rest of the dread and the heat will make the extra fly away bits just melt off and have a nicely sealed tip. =)

User avatar
misshexen
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 1:55 pm
Location: London

Re: Not sure where I've gone wrong

Post by misshexen » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:07 am

Thank you so much, I was using a flat iron but thought I'd give the boiling water a go, think it's time to go back to the flat iron. Will have to get myself a better one though as mine is on it's way out. I did buy silky once, and never again!

Never though about using pliers on the ends though. I did seal some last night and they are looking much better. When I've finished my set I'll post a photo up.

Post Reply

Return to “Synthetic Dreadlocks”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 20 guests