Many factors contribute to the weakness of your Locs, starting from the products used in maintaining your locs to the maintenance techniques themselves. For example, It is advisable to reduce chemical hair products used on Locs because most of the chemical products used in maintaining your Locs hide in the shaft of Locs after a long period of use, which eventually weakens the Locs.
Just like several other hairdos, dreadlocks can get weaker in the long run without maintenance. Since one of the main aims of tightening your dreads is to have clean, long-lasting shafts, you will have to work on them to get your desired look.
Read on as I guide you on how to make your dreadlocks tighter and also prevent your dreads from getting damaged.
Tips On How To Make Your DreadLocks Tighter?
These are the different ways to tighten your dreadLocks.
1. Wash properly
Washing of dreadLocks makes deadlock weak. Do not wash your dreadlocks frequently. Use only recommended shampoo to wash your dreadlocks. Use shampoo every week to remove dirt from Locs. When washing the dreadlocks carefully use your hands to massage your hair gently to avoid adding tension to the Locs.
2. Refresh roots
Keep a clean hair scalp and a healthy fresh smell. Using a dry shampoo in between two shampoo hair wash will maintain the tightness of your Locs. Dirt and dandruff weaken the Locs in your dread. It is advisable to check hair regularly for dirt, wash and clean hair, protect hair from dust, and protect hair from chemical hair products to get a healthy tight Loc.
3. Use residue free-shampoo
To keep your dreads from drying out, use a gentle, residue-free shampoo. Dirty, unmaintained dreads often become fuzzy uneven, and weak. Whereas, keeping your dreads and scalp clean, helps them lock faster and keeps them locked in for longer.
4. Use moisturizing Oil
DreadLocks get dry and brittle. So, a good and recommended natural hair oil will keep your dreads soft and prevent hair breakage. Do not add the oil to your Locs alone. Use water-based moisturizer first before using the moisturizing oil. It is advisable to moisturize your Locs with water almost every day to avoid dryness and breakage.
4. Add Oil Sheen To Locks
After moisturizing your hair, use an oil sheen to make your hair shiny. The oil sheen maintains the appearance of the dreads and also prevents hair dryness. You can use the oil sheen to smoothen your hair and repair split ends. It avoids further breakage and looseness.
5. Go For Shorter And Softer Dreads
The weight and length of long dreadlocks can weaken the hair on the scalp. Make less structured styles that are easy to carry about. To get a short dread that is intact, occasionally, palm rolls each of the dread from root to tip for 30 seconds. This can make the hair lighter and hold it together for a longer period. Use soft materials to make dreadlocks. This will help keep it intact and neat.
How Long Does It Take For Dreadlocks To Tighten?
Dreads do not tighten and Loc from the first time it was made. They take maintenance, time, and deliberate effort to get tighter by the day. This solely depends on several factors. Some hair types, like curly hair, dread faster than others.
From the first week of making the dreads, it may look like dreads initially but it will suddenly start becoming loose after 2 to 3 weeks. This is not absurd because dreads mature and tighten from the inside out. It takes approximately 6 – 8 weeks for your dreads to be firmly in place.
How often should I tighten my Locs?
Now that we have established the fact that your dreadLocks can get loose with time, it is also important to know that you should tighten your Locs from time to time. Tightening of Locs depends on the stage at which your hair is currently- either the beginner’s stage or the mature stage.
It also depends on the type of dreadLocks you are carrying, your hair type (curl or straight), and the twist method for the dreadLocks. You can retwist your dreadLocks every 6 weeks. If you have done interlocks, you can tighten your dreadLocks after every 8 weeks. The processes involved in this routine had been explained above.
FAQs About Tightening Dreadlocks
The most common questions asked about tightening dreadlocks are;
Will I continue to work on my new Dreadlocks to make sure they remain locked?
You do not have to continue to work on your dreadlocks to make sure they remain locked. They are locked permanently from the beginning. All you have to do to make sure they stay locked is good maintenance, not twisting and locking them again. A good dreadlock is right and fixed initially but poor maintenance can get them loose.
What upkeeps are required for Dreads?
The upkeep required of you is simply practicing healthy tips like, using a good shampoo and moisturizer, trimming the disarrayed strands, keeping your scalp dirt-free, and relaxing and enjoying your beautiful dreads.
What do you use on your Dreads to keep it tight?
Make use of natural oil to keep your dreads intact and healthy. Use natural oils like olive oil and coconut oil. Diluted natural tea tree oil with antifungal properties will keep your hair neat. Also, go for water-based moisturizing oil.
You are also free to use water to soften your dreads to get your desired look. Saltwater in small quantities can work as well to help tighten the dreads. And hair experts recommend the use of coconut oil extract with lime for better and healthier dreads.
It’s Your Turn
Keeping your dreads tight for a long is totally dependent on your maintenance skill. The kind of products you use on your dreads, their moisture level, and the regularity of your maintenance matter a lot.
So, over to you! Now that you have acquired this new knowledge, how eager are you to practice the steps to keep your dreads tight?
