How to Retwist Dreads
Pin away unnecessary hair., Gather hair at the base of the lock., Palm roll the dreadlock., Re-pin your hair and twist the next layer of dreads., Finish at the front of the head., Dry the dreads of product, if necessary.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Pin away unnecessary hair.
If you have to retwist an entire head's worth of dreads, you should start at the nape of the neck.
Pin away the upper dreads with clips to leave an inch (2.54 cm) thick row of dreads across the base of the neck.If you are only retwisting to firm up the locks of a certain section of hair, you may not need to pin hair out of the way. -
Step 2: Gather hair at the base of the lock.
Apply a little dread wax or gel to your fingers, then take a single dreadlock, and gather any loose hair at its base between your forefinger and thumb.
Twist this hair between your fingers so that it entangles with the main lock of already twisted hair.
While twisting, you should pull the hair away from the scalp toward the already twisted/formed end of the lock.
Use firm, steady pressure.
This may cause some discomfort.
If you feel hair snap while twisting, this is a completely natural part of the retwisting process.
By matting, breaking, and entangling the hair together, you'll reform the dread.
Dreads that have come out of their ropes/locks and are mostly untwisted might require you to re-dread your hair from scratch., After the lock has been finger rolled, it's ready to be palm rolled.
Apply a little dreadlock wax or gel to your palms, then gather the finger twisted hair between your palms.
Firmly roll the hair between your palms, sliding down the lock as you do.
For the firmest, tightest retwisted dreads, you may need to palm roll each lock several times.
Loose hair in locks can be stubborn.
In some cases, you may need to roll with extra firm pressure, but be careful not to hurt the person whose hair you're retwisting.
Dreadlocks that have been palm rolled can be pinned out of the way to keep finished locks from mixing in with those that are unfinished., Now that the base layer of dreads at the nape of the neck have been retwisted, you can remove your pins to release the next layer of hair you'll be retwisting.
The hair above this layer that's hanging in the way can be pinned off to the side.
Retwist the dreads one at a time with your fingers and palms until all dreads have been retwisted.
You should work methodically, at about an inch (2.54 cm) of scalp per row/layer to ensure no locks are missed., Continue to retwist your dreads in this fashion in inch (2.54 cm) thick rows until you reach the front of the scalp.
When you reach the front of the head, you won't need to pin any hair out of the way, and can simply retwist the final dreads. , Some waxes or dreadlock gels become set in place with the application of light to moderate heat after retwisting.
In most cases, the dreads will be dry in 20 to 30 minutes or less.
If a hair dryer is inaccessible, you can also allow your hair to air dry after it is retwisted.If any of the products you used on your dreadlocks are heat activated, you should consider using a gentle heat to help activate this feature. -
Step 3: Palm roll the dreadlock.
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Step 4: Re-pin your hair and twist the next layer of dreads.
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Step 5: Finish at the front of the head.
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Step 6: Dry the dreads of product
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Step 7: if necessary.
Detailed Guide
If you have to retwist an entire head's worth of dreads, you should start at the nape of the neck.
Pin away the upper dreads with clips to leave an inch (2.54 cm) thick row of dreads across the base of the neck.If you are only retwisting to firm up the locks of a certain section of hair, you may not need to pin hair out of the way.
Apply a little dread wax or gel to your fingers, then take a single dreadlock, and gather any loose hair at its base between your forefinger and thumb.
Twist this hair between your fingers so that it entangles with the main lock of already twisted hair.
While twisting, you should pull the hair away from the scalp toward the already twisted/formed end of the lock.
Use firm, steady pressure.
This may cause some discomfort.
If you feel hair snap while twisting, this is a completely natural part of the retwisting process.
By matting, breaking, and entangling the hair together, you'll reform the dread.
Dreads that have come out of their ropes/locks and are mostly untwisted might require you to re-dread your hair from scratch., After the lock has been finger rolled, it's ready to be palm rolled.
Apply a little dreadlock wax or gel to your palms, then gather the finger twisted hair between your palms.
Firmly roll the hair between your palms, sliding down the lock as you do.
For the firmest, tightest retwisted dreads, you may need to palm roll each lock several times.
Loose hair in locks can be stubborn.
In some cases, you may need to roll with extra firm pressure, but be careful not to hurt the person whose hair you're retwisting.
Dreadlocks that have been palm rolled can be pinned out of the way to keep finished locks from mixing in with those that are unfinished., Now that the base layer of dreads at the nape of the neck have been retwisted, you can remove your pins to release the next layer of hair you'll be retwisting.
The hair above this layer that's hanging in the way can be pinned off to the side.
Retwist the dreads one at a time with your fingers and palms until all dreads have been retwisted.
You should work methodically, at about an inch (2.54 cm) of scalp per row/layer to ensure no locks are missed., Continue to retwist your dreads in this fashion in inch (2.54 cm) thick rows until you reach the front of the scalp.
When you reach the front of the head, you won't need to pin any hair out of the way, and can simply retwist the final dreads. , Some waxes or dreadlock gels become set in place with the application of light to moderate heat after retwisting.
In most cases, the dreads will be dry in 20 to 30 minutes or less.
If a hair dryer is inaccessible, you can also allow your hair to air dry after it is retwisted.If any of the products you used on your dreadlocks are heat activated, you should consider using a gentle heat to help activate this feature.
About the Author
Janice Stone
Committed to making crafts accessible and understandable for everyone.
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