softening up stiff HH dreads?

[[Phexxie]]

im not sure if this is the right place, but my dreads are made with human hair... if this should be elsewhere please shift it on over

ive been making some HH dread extensions for myself out of my old loose HH hair
all i have done is backcomb, rip/twist and crorchet and they are MEGA stiff

how do i go about loosening them up a little? i like the fact that they look super tidy but not the fact that they stick straight out if i hold them horizontal from the 'root'

what do you naturalyl dreaded folks do when this happens? ive probably crotcheted them half to death which i think is the likely cause, im only halfway through so if anything different needs to be done then i can when i do the rest of them

thanks in advance!

[Gracey]

It does happen with extenders too, just to reassure you.

Personally, I find washing them will work to soften them up, and I'm also inclined to condition mine.

[NirvanaMarie]

After a dreadperm mine were super soft!






We have tutorials on dreadperming in our tutorial section!

[[Phexxie]]

thanks gracey, ill have a go with a wash and condition, they need some dye coming off them anyway... they were meant to be blue and theyve gone dark purple >_<

i did wonder about dread perming after a quick google, but i have neither the required equipment nor the funds to get it!

[Gracey]

A mild relaxer would do the same job as perm lotion, and can be an awful lot cheaper. Personally, I've never had much luck with dreadperming human hair; it has fried it more often than not. but I know some people swear by it.

To condition human hair that's not on a head, wash it then smother it with the best conditioner you have. Stick it in a plastic bag and leave it to sweat in the airing cupboard/steamy bathroom for a while before rinsing.

Hope it works for you.

[CandySecretion]

OT but doc your dreads look lovely! is the top of your hair loose?

[NirvanaMarie]

OT but doc your dreads look lovely! is the top of your hair loose?

Yes! It's a dread weave, so there is actually loose hair extensions mixed throughout. The top is left out to backcomb and use to cover the top weft. It makes for a bit more natural looking installation than a typical dread install. Since it's sewn in, it also lasts up to 3 months!