To the right is a photo of a backyard example of some DIY dreads. Scroll down the page to see how the Divine Hand & Hook method sorted these dreads out!  This is how they're made:

1. Hair is not always, but should be washed with, lock shampoo or natural shampoo to remove residue and dry it out.
2. Hair is separated into strands and tied with a band. Tiny elastics are better then large ones as used here. 
3. Each strand of hair is backcombed or matted up by hand.
4. Then tightly palm rolled with wax.
5. Owner must keep rolling a couple of times a week and wax again when they look like they're getting loose.
6. Owner must be careful not to wet dreads for at least a month or they will get very loose and fluffy.

**We have known some people who go the true DIY route, forget the locking kit and just go with beer, peanut butter, honey, ash and even silicon to stick their dreads together!

1. Hair sectioned & backcombed & rolled to form a loose dread.
2. A strong chemical called Glycerol Monothioglycolate (or perm solution) is added to each strand which is then wrapped with pipe-cleaners or strips of cotton to 'hold' the style. 
3. Wait 1-2 hours to let it 'set'. Often heat is used in this process.
4. The pipe-cleaners or cotton strips are removed and the "dread" is tightly palm rolled and coated with wax.
5. Owner must keep rolling and waxing a couple of times a week. This service can be done at the salon for a further cost.
6. Owner must be careful not to wet dreads for at least a month or they will get very loose and fluffy.

The end result is a style that looks somewhat like dreads, but the hair isn't actually locked underneath all that wax! It's the continuation of the rolling that will help the dreads to eventually lock. This generally takes at 6 to 12 months before the dread is tight.

**The perm solution chemical can cause long-lasting dermatitis of the scalp and other health issues. 

1. Hair is sectioned.
2. Strands backcombed or matted by twist & rip method.
3. The twist and rip method is a way of matting up the hair without using a comb. The strand is split into two and then each side is pulled backwards towards the head till it knots up. It can hurt.
4. In some salons, Locticians are catching onto the idea that hook work can be a good thing and a hook is passed through quickly. This is still quite rare though & can't be expected.
5. The strand is tightly palm rolled with wax (or lock peppa may be added before the wax is applied or instead of it) 
6. Owner must keep rolling and waxing a couple of times a week. This service can be done at the salon for a further cost.
7. Owner must be careful not to wet dreads for at least a month or they will get very loose and fluffy.

The end result is a style that looks like dreads, but the hair isn't actually locked properly! It's the continuation of the rolling and adding products like lock peppa, that will help the dreads to eventually lock up into tight dreads.

When Ema was living in Swaziland in Africa she met a local woman who made African dreadlocks. She inquired as to how she made dreadlocks in  African hair and continued inquiring with many other African dread makers. This is what they told her.

1. Hair is separated into sections, often by ripping afro apart (sometimes they section with bands).
2. A split and pull method is used to knot up each strand (like twist & rip).
3. Each dread is tightly palm rolled or twisted for a minute.
4. Wax is rolled into the dread and palm rolled again . (She mentioned some tribes use ash to roll dreads.)

 
Ema asked her if these dreads were permanent or if there was any maintenance and she said - "they will open if they get wet. They must not wet or wash their hair for 6 months and continue to roll each day, they usually wear a head scarf or bandana, to protect the dreads from dirt getting in and keep them sacred."
 
This fact was surprising as it is contrary to many westerner's beliefs that afro hair is super easy to lock. Even African hair needs a lot of work to become permanently locked using these methods! Most Africans' in Africa had their dreads made by family members and confirmed that they were often worked on daily for up to 6 months before they locked tight.