F.A.Q.

Something else you think should be in here? Let me know about it!

Q). How long does my hair need to be for dreads?
A). Double-ended dreads can be braided into hair as short as 3". It just needs to be long enough to make a braid of a decent length. For falls, you'll need to be able to get your hair into two ponytails/buns.

Q). Will I have to dread my real hair?
A). Nope! The whole point of extensions is that you can have a different look without having to change your natural hair.

Q). I have brown hair but I want pink/blue/orange extensions. Can I do that?
A). You can, but to be honest it can look a bit naff. Your best bet would be to add a few dreads in your natural colour to help it look less fake. Saying that, some colours look great with some hair colours so just go with what you think looks good!

Q). What colors can I pick?
A). Just about any color you want, check out the Colour Chart.

Q). Why are yours so expensive? I've seen people selling them for like $30 a set!
A). Yep, some people will. When I was starting out, I did too and $40 or £25 probably won't even cover the hair and electric used to make them, let alone anything else. When you buy dreads, you aren't paying a lot for the hair - that's pretty cheap! What you pay for is the time spent making them, and unfortunately the way I make mine, they take a while. Lots of hair, and made one by one - there's no way I can make them in large batches. Also bear in mind exchange rates - US to UK is incredibly bad at the moment - another great reason why you should have a go yourself!

Q). There are loads of sellers out there - how do I choose one? I keep reading stories of people getting ripped off and I'm a bit worried about parting with my money!
A). And so you should be! I'm a buyer as well a seller, and I've also had money stolen by unscrupulous sellers. A good rule of thumb is to keep an eye on the various forums. How do sellers behave? How do they conduct themselves in public? Most people don's shop at stores where the staff are rude. The forums/LJ communities are also a good place to ask about sellers. Another good idea is to look at their site. Is it paid for, or free with pop-ups? Free sites come and go at the drop of a hat, but paid ones are likely to stick around. Also, look at the pictures they have. Can you see what's going on? Are there lots of different customers, or are they all on one person from one angle? Or even just a fake head? You aren't a polystyrene head, you want to see the dreads on a person!

Q). Can you put them in for me?
A). Probably not - I'm a busy chick! I suggest you drop a line to Emma of AngelEmma or Ceri of Snarl Hair - they'll do a better job than I could!

Q). How did you learn to make dreads? It's really difficult!
A). I came across Quinnsters site a while ago, and learned all the basics from there. That plus vast amounts of practice - it usually takes a long time before dreads start looking decent.

Q). Can you teach me how to make them?
A). Umm... not really. No two peoples dreads come out the same, it's down to individual technique. I don't do anything different to anyone else. If you're having trouble, try different materials, different sealing techniques, different backcombing methods etc. You'll get there eventually, but you have to practice!

Q). Come on - what's your secret? You can tell me...
A). I really don't have one! Just me, some hair, a brush, some scissors and a steamer. That's all there is, and nothing more. Except lots of practice. Wait, didn't I say that already...?

Q). Trade for anything else?
A). Not any more I'm afraid! I used to, but always seemed to end up giving things out and getting nothing in return.