The easiest way to sculpture dreadlocks is with the assistance of
beeswax, whether you have straight or curly hair. You will also need up
to one hundred small rubber bands, a strong comb and it wouldn't hurt to
have the help of a friend.
First, part the hair into a square section for each dreadlock, an easier
process if your hair is longer. You can create many small sections or a
few large sections about one or two inches wide. The thick dreadlocks
will progress and begin to lock without additional use of wax much
faster than thinner ones.
Having decided on your type of dreadlocks based on your length and
thickness of hair, start twisting or backcombing. Start at the back and
work your way forward. Fix the rubber band at the root of the section
you are working on, then apply a light coating of beeswax and start
twisting the lock until it is tight and begins to take hold. If the
dreadlock will not remain together, even with the help of beeswax, place
another rubber band at the tip so that there will be two for each dreadlock,
one at the base and one at the tip.
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For long straight hair, you will need to use the backcombing method. You
do this by applying wax, then inserting the comb one inch from the root
and sliding it toward the scalp. By packing the hair strands down
towards the root, you will create each dreadlock. As you go, roll the
dreadlock so that it comes out rounded. After the dreadlock has been
fully packed and rolled, place another rubber band at the tip to keep it
in place.
Keep a blow dryer handy to help soften the wax, which will slowly cool,
become firm, and strengthen the lock. The amount of wax you
require depends on hair texture and dreadlock size. The thicker the
hair and larger the lock, the more holding power it will require. You
should have just enough wax to feel it, but not so much that it looks
chunky or clammy.
When you have completed your process, you will have to maintain the look
by making certain every day that the locks are becoming mature and not
unraveling. The process of maturing could take anywhere from two weeks
to two months, after which you can begin removing the rubber bands to
see if the locks can stay in place. When the locks remain as they are,
you can remove the remaining rubber bands.
You can always wash your scalp and hair with the locks in place, being
careful not to disturb any remaining rubber bands.
