Friday is basically a free for all. I plan on posting about things like Food, Fitness, Family, Fun, Festivities, etc. It doesn't have to be about "F" things, but look forward to me doing my best to make (ridiculous) links to the letter F.
Proverbs 17:22
A joyful heart is good medicine.
My F today is Frizzy! I have dread locks. Mostly dread locks. Some of my hair is still free. I haven't counted them...but I guess I probably have like 60. The bottom bit of my hair in the back is STILL undone, 4 months after the two week long process of slowly backcombing them in (it took me 2 weeks because I have FOUR kids! Ha! And I did it all myself here and there during the day when no one needed me, otherwise I could have busted it out in about 8-10 hours solid probably, but who has 8-10 hours?). I also undid the 2 at my ears because my glasses were just mutilating them and the 2 above those ones because they just didn't want to stay in. And my bangs are not done. I don't know when I'll finish up the back. Maybe soon, I hope. The distance between the bottom of the dreads and bottom of the undone hair is now about 4-5" and looks kind of silly. I usually wear my hair up in a big blob anyway, so it's not a huge deal.
I don't have dreads because I identify with that culture...in fact far from it. I have dreads simply because I like the way they look. I have a lot of hair. Unruly hair. Semi-wavy when it wants to be (usually on days I want it straight), semi-straight (usually on days I want it to be curly). I don't like using product to get it to obey...well, ok, my hair obeys WITH product about like a 2 year old, and without product about like a cat. It's just unmanageable. Except when super duper short. Which is cute, but I've always wanted it long and this seems to be the best way for me to have it long. Without dreads, it lays flat on my head at the top and gets all bubbly and yucky everywhere else, I can do ponytails, but they're just "eh". I've never been able to get my hair to hold an updo, it just falls out because I have a lot of fine hair. But dreads are awesome! I can do so much with them (when they don't need to be toned down a bit...they're trying to merge in the back right now and desperately need some attention...that I don't have time for at the moment), and when I can't do something cute, a simple wrapped up ponytail is still super cute.
I've had dreads before, actually about the same time of year last year (March to the end of June last year, this time end of February to now and beyond) and I tried doing the whole "un-poo'ing" thing with them, which is basically letting your hair regulate its oil on it's own and just washing with baking soda a few times a month. That didn't work for me very well, my hair was just too oily and too flaky at the same time. My husband was less than impressed, and I want to be pleasing to him. So I combed out my dreads (ouch) and went back to "regular" shampoo. Regular for us anyway. We use Avalon Organics Volumizing Rosemary Shampoo and love it. My husband likes it because it cleans all of the mechanic-y greasiness out of his hair, and I like it for the kids because the ingredients are free of things like sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate , and I like it for me because it takes away that oily feeling and keeps my scalp from drying out too much and getting flaky.
I've read over and over again that when you have dreads you should avoid common shampoos and not overwash your hair because the hairs will have a hard time binding together and you'll wind up greasy, but I have not experienced that this time at all. In fact, as far as binding, I'd say washing my hair 3 times a week (as opposed to 3 times a month, plus rinsing another 4 or 5 times a months last time) and using this shampoo has HELPED my dreads tighten up faster! And it's definitely doing a great job keeping the oily grossness away, and the flakes too. It's just awesome stuff. I have the complementary conditioner too, but I don't use that on my hair very often because I know that will untangle my hair and I don't want that. But pre-dreads, I did like it very much. Awesome stuff.
Heard about your daily link-ups via Joy Filled Living. Neat idea! I'll try to participate in them where I can. I do a Monday gardening link-up if you're interested.
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