A.J. Dugger (December 2013)
For the last seven years, I've been growing my trademark dreadlocks. My 'loc journey' has been an exciting one, but it comes with one major annoyance - getting asked the same questions over and over and over as if I'm in some endless Twilight Zone loop. I know some people wonder things about my hair but never ask. There are so many myths about dreads and it's time to set the record straight. Let's talk natural hair, ladies and gentlemen.
How long have you had your dreads? Seven years and counting.
Is that all your hair? Duh. This is seven years of growth. All natural. If you know me, you've watched my hair grow over the years. I don't wear fake hair. I don't see why people assume it's weave/extensions, but it's annoying.
Can you wash dreads? YES!! I don't know why people assume that dreads are a dirty style. I shampoo and condition my hair as much as the next person. And use a little common sense - look at my hair. If I never washed it, would it look neat and clean like this?
Do you smoke weed? No, I don't. I don't do any drugs.
Why do you wear dreads? Spiritual and cultural reasons.
Will you cut them? You sound like my dad. I'm not going to say I'll never cut them because every time someone says they'll never cut them, they end up getting it chopped off the next week. I may cut them one day but not in the immediate future. I'm not thinking about a haircut right now.
Can you get a job with dreads? It depends. Dreads are gradually becoming more accepted. It varies on the job. I'm a print journalist so it doesn't matter how I look - as long as my writing is great. I think sooner or later you'll see a news anchor or weatherman with dreads. You can wear them in professional ways and the style has been here for hundreds of years. It isn't going anywhere.
Let's take a brief field trip to meet the man who did my hair for four years. This is my interview with Loctician James Moss and his wife Kay in 2012. The accompanying article is here.
How long have you had your dreads? Seven years and counting.
Is that all your hair? Duh. This is seven years of growth. All natural. If you know me, you've watched my hair grow over the years. I don't wear fake hair. I don't see why people assume it's weave/extensions, but it's annoying.
Can you wash dreads? YES!! I don't know why people assume that dreads are a dirty style. I shampoo and condition my hair as much as the next person. And use a little common sense - look at my hair. If I never washed it, would it look neat and clean like this?
Do you smoke weed? No, I don't. I don't do any drugs.
Why do you wear dreads? Spiritual and cultural reasons.
Will you cut them? You sound like my dad. I'm not going to say I'll never cut them because every time someone says they'll never cut them, they end up getting it chopped off the next week. I may cut them one day but not in the immediate future. I'm not thinking about a haircut right now.
Can you get a job with dreads? It depends. Dreads are gradually becoming more accepted. It varies on the job. I'm a print journalist so it doesn't matter how I look - as long as my writing is great. I think sooner or later you'll see a news anchor or weatherman with dreads. You can wear them in professional ways and the style has been here for hundreds of years. It isn't going anywhere.
Let's take a brief field trip to meet the man who did my hair for four years. This is my interview with Loctician James Moss and his wife Kay in 2012. The accompanying article is here.
Great interview and story, A.J.! I learned a lot about the history of dreadlocks there. You said James used to do your hair. Who does it now? : I've been doing it myself on a permanent basis since late 2012. But I still go to James if I want a special style done. I generally just wash and re-twist.
How do you make dreads? People start their 'locs differently. There are different methods but I started mine with "two-strand twists." I had a large afro and got my hair twisted all over with these twists, which are two strands of hair twisted together. Over time, each twist will "loc" into becoming one permanent loc of hair. It took my hair almost a year to "loc up." It's frustrating for the first year because as they become dreads, they get really fuzzy and rebellious. But once they officially 'loc' they hang limp.
Your hair looks so neat! What do you do? What's the process? I wash it and re-twist my new-growth at the roots. I twist my hair as it needs it. I sit on the couch watching TV and re-twist my new-growth.
What products do you use? "Jamaican Manjo Loc and Lime" for re-twisting. I use different oils for my scalp and braid spray for moisture.
There's no perm in there? Nope. This is a natural hair style. No relaxers, no weave, nothing like that.
Why do people call them 'dreads?' It comes from slavery times when slave masters would say that they "dreaded" looking at African American hair. Our hair naturally 'locs' up if we don't comb it, so a lot of slaves had dreads, I'm sure. What I have is technically called "locs." But the word 'dreads' has been around for so long that it's become the commercial term for the style. But there's nothing dreadful about dreadlocks!!!
Are dreads a 'black' thing? No. Honestly, it's a freedom thing. Color makes no difference, although white and black people have to go about the process of 'locing' in different ways because we have different hair textures.
That sums up most of the questions I get. If you have any others, leave your question in the comment section below and I'll answer it if I like you. LOL!!! I hope you close your browser feeling educated.
How do you make dreads? People start their 'locs differently. There are different methods but I started mine with "two-strand twists." I had a large afro and got my hair twisted all over with these twists, which are two strands of hair twisted together. Over time, each twist will "loc" into becoming one permanent loc of hair. It took my hair almost a year to "loc up." It's frustrating for the first year because as they become dreads, they get really fuzzy and rebellious. But once they officially 'loc' they hang limp.
Your hair looks so neat! What do you do? What's the process? I wash it and re-twist my new-growth at the roots. I twist my hair as it needs it. I sit on the couch watching TV and re-twist my new-growth.
What products do you use? "Jamaican Manjo Loc and Lime" for re-twisting. I use different oils for my scalp and braid spray for moisture.
There's no perm in there? Nope. This is a natural hair style. No relaxers, no weave, nothing like that.
Why do people call them 'dreads?' It comes from slavery times when slave masters would say that they "dreaded" looking at African American hair. Our hair naturally 'locs' up if we don't comb it, so a lot of slaves had dreads, I'm sure. What I have is technically called "locs." But the word 'dreads' has been around for so long that it's become the commercial term for the style. But there's nothing dreadful about dreadlocks!!!
Are dreads a 'black' thing? No. Honestly, it's a freedom thing. Color makes no difference, although white and black people have to go about the process of 'locing' in different ways because we have different hair textures.
That sums up most of the questions I get. If you have any others, leave your question in the comment section below and I'll answer it if I like you. LOL!!! I hope you close your browser feeling educated.
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