Oppose to commonly-known myths, dreadlocks are meant to be kept healthy and clean! Educate yourself on how to maintain dreadlocks to sport the look the right way. Also called "locks" or "dreads", this hairstyle dates back to the times of Ancient Egypt when untamed hair naturally knotted together to form mats. Aside from Rastafarians, dreadlocks are used in many other religions and backgrounds. Whether you've been inspired to grow your own locks by the legendary reggae artist Bob Marley or not, keep up with them using the hair products and remedies that are now available to you today. Depending on the type of hair you have, locks can be acquired by different methods and lengths of time.http://www.perfectdreadlocks.com/faq-3.html

The most important items needed to use this guide would be already locked hair, shampoo, accelerating gel, a nylon head cover, rubber bands, and micro-fiber towel. The more you get used to taking these steps to have well-kept dreadlocks, the easier it will get for you to do. This procedure can either be done by you or a friend. Be sure to set apart ample time depending on the length of your hair. Once you have gathered all of the products you will be ready to get started!

Dreadlocks need to be washed every 2 to 3 days or at least once a week. Using shampoo that leaves no residue behind and removes all existing gunk in the best to use.http://www.howtodread.com/dredlocks.html

Shampooing your dreads in the shower should be done by focusing on the roots and rinsing it out very well. Do not leave any soap on the dreads or on your scalp that can later lead to an unwanted, white buildup. Doing this through nylon with rubber bands at the ends will help prevent you from loosening your hair. The next, very important step is to dry your dreads out very thoroughly to prevent them from smelling bad, especially on tight dreads that are more water and mildew retentive. You can hang your dreads in front of you by leaning over and letting them fall forward. Then, you will squeeze as much water out of them as you can until it stops.http://www.dreadlocks.com.au/faq_maintenance.php Wrapping your hair with a dry towel that does not shed for about 10 minutes will help get any excess water out of your hair. Allow them to air dry or dry them with a blow-dryer as well.

Using a lint-free towel will avoid yourself from finding pieces of towel stuck in between your dreads. Micro-fiber towels are the best to use. If your hair has grabbed onto dust or lint, using an apple-cider vinegar dilution is a good cleanser to naturally remove buildup.http://www.curlyhairsalon.com/dreadlock-maintenance.html

To help your dreads tighten faster, apply accelerating gel to freshly washed hair. Allow it to sit in for 15 minutes wrapped inside of a towel and then let them air dry again. To further dry them, you could put them up in a tam or a dread band.

After they are clean, dry and full of accelerating gel, this is the best time to dread ball z, palm roll, and/or use the clockwise rubbing technique. Because of all the friction between the hair strands from doing all of the previous steps, the hair will easily knot and tighten lasting for about a week.

"'To Dread Ball Z:"' Gather loose hair between three fingers and start rolling them all together into a ball. Once you have created the ball, push the ball into the nearest dread. Then, twist the root clockwise for a few minutes to attach the ball into the dread even more. Snugly tie a rubber band around the root where the dread ball is.http://www.perfectdreadlocks.com/Tips/dreadball-zing.html

"'To Palm Roll:"' Holding a dreadlock between the palms of both hands with mild pressure, slide your palms in opposite directions to roll the dread. Reverse the direction and keep repeating these motions for 30 seconds to one minute.http://www.knattydread.com/maintaining-dreadlocks/palm-rolling.html

"'To Clockwise Rub:”’ This is the best way to tighten the roots. Grabbing one dread at a time, rub the dread in a clockwise motion against the scalp. Then, place rubber band round the root to hold the newly formed knots together.http://www.perfectdreadlocks.com/Tips/clockwise-rubbing.html

Only crochet the hair when you want to get rid of loops. Stop yourself from constantly rolling or playing with your dreads which will cause them to fray and break away easier. The best way to round off the tips would be to roll them against the palm of your hand in a clockwise motion helping lock up loose tips.http://www.perfectdreadlocks.com/Tips/tip-rounding.html

Avoid using any fabrics that pull on your hair. Sleeping on or in cotton or flannels may cause may cause your hair to pull against the material while you sleep. Silk or satin sheets will stop your hair from being pulled and getting stuck to your bedding. Those who do use cotton sheets should consider buying a silk night-time scarf for your dreadlocks for excellent maintenance.

Massaging the scalp is a common dreadlock maintenance step. By doing so, you are helping your scalp to release natural oils into your hair. This technique helps stop your hair from drying out and possibly breaking off. Avoid using wax on the hair because this can only lead to buildup in the long run.

Adding hair accessories to your dreads will give them more style. Tams are best to use for new dreads because of bad dread days. They can also be used to tighten dreads or just for fun.http://www.perfectdreadlocks.com/Accessories/tams.html Head bands are a great suggestion to cover up loose roots and hold your dreads back rather than a tam during hot summer days.http://www.perfectdreadlocks.com/Accessories/headbands.html

Adding a color, or many colors, to your dreads can be an exciting personality statement. Bleaching them also cause your dreads to tighten. Do not use the conditioning package that comes with many hair coloring kits.http://www.perfectdreadlocks.com/Accessories/hair-color.html