Hair Emergency Please Respond (Dreads from Braids)!!!

[Libra08]

My friend really needs your help! She left her braids in for 10 months without re-doing them and now there are dreads all throughout her head! How do you get rid of them without having to cut them all off. Some pieces are close to breaking off. I put some conditioner throughout her head soften it up. Please respond ladies ASAP!!!

 

[msa]

All I can say is, leave the conditioner in for a long while...like overnight. Don't add any water. And then tomorrow take them out slowwwwwwwwwwwly with a small comb. And don't add any other stuff since you put the conditioner on. You could use a bit of oil on the comb when you're taking them out.

Do not add any water at any point. That will only make the tangles worse. Some may not come out though, so she may have to cut.

 

[lonelysky]

I agree. Lots of condish. I would even use something that is thin but blunt enough to start picking throgh them to unravel them. Go slow. Some hair may break off, but if you work slowly and try to get as much of it loose and separated from itself as you can, it shouldn't come out nearly as bad. Time consuming, but hopefully with minimal knotting and breakage.

 

[Beauty4Ashes]

I just want to co-sign with msa. I've had kinky twists for 2 months and they started locking up a few weeks ago. I got scared and decided to deep condition. Well, I fell asleep with the conditioner on and a shower cap and rinsed it out the next morning. All of the "locked hair" disappeared. I was relieved b/c some of my braids were starting to look as though they were going to break off.

ETA: I used LeKair Cholesteral w/honey - no water added. HTH

 

[Libra08]

I just want to co-sign with msa. I've had kinky twists for 2 months and they started locking up a few weeks ago. I got scared and decided to deep condition. Well, I fell asleep with the conditioner on and a shower cap and rinsed it out the next morning. All of the "locked hair" disappeared. I was relieved b/c some of my braids were starting to look as though they were going to break off.

That's exactly what is happening to my friend. Thanks ladies for the responses and PLEASE keep them coming!!!

 

[mscocoface]

I don't know how good of a friend you are but she will need some help taking this down like two or three days worth because it is going to require some patience and endurance.

Get you some fine tip tools like a safety pin, pointed end combs, etc. You will need all of these depending on how dreaded certain areas of the hair are.

Oil and conditioner should help you with this but it will take some time to get them all undone.

Best wishes to you both.

 

[vnaps]

i've done this a couple of times.....what i did was section the hair with my finger as best i could so i could work systematically. the smaller the section the better. it is a long process and the less hair u want breaking the longer the process

Slather on conditioner on each section.make sure its a moisturising con. u could also add oil like olive or jojoba.gently finger comb each section separating hair gently where they a stuck together. then comb with a wide tooth comb from tip to roots after that i follow with a small toothed comb but i now a denman brush (personal choice......some people dont like using them)

Make sure u hold the bottom of the hair that u r combing firmly so u dont tug at the scalp. when u r done with one section braid it up or use a scrunchy and move onto the next.

Another method i would try on my own hair (but hasnt been tested yet) is to

mix conditioner and baking soda. slather it on like a relaxer (avoind scalp), putting a shower cap on and leaving for a few hours. the baking soda should "degrease" the dirty clumps. rinse this out and chances are your hair will become really hard.....dont panic all you need to do is get your conditioner and work it in the hair.

(i would still do this even if i did the first method t clean the scalp and hair. baking soda is great for clarifying), do a proteing treatment then follow with a moisturising deep con.

I've written a handfull but i wish u all the best whatever you decide to do.

 

[LivingDol1]

wow.

smart to leave on the condish. you may want to try a detangler spray as well and leave that on for a few minutes before really getting into it. use a rat tail comb end to gently try to detangle.... obviously there is shed hair in there that is locked in with the rest. so some hair loss is to be expected....

this is what my braider would do when it was time to take out my braids. after 3 months, my nape would always always always lock up! i never lost a ton of hair back there, thankfully.

10 months is a very long time... best of luck with that!! let us know what happens.

 

[SimpleKomplexity]

This happened to me before LHCF when I had kinky twists. First of all I used lock gel like a dummy to put them in. ANYWAY. I put a LOT of motions conditioner and African Pride Oil in my head and gently comb out all the knots with a small tooth comb. It took me hours (4) to get through my whole head, and then I flat ironed it. After flat ironing I still had knots though. They were easy to comb out though because my hair was then straight.

 

[msa]

Why did she leave them in for ten months?

 

[scarcity21]

great suggestions ladies...also when she's ready to start taking down, spray detangler, mane and tail makes a very good spray detangler that works...hth!

 

[senznme]

I remember reading a thread with someone having this problem. There is a dread removal kit, I think it's called knotty boy.

 

[1babydimple]

I've worked through a couple of these heads. Someone asked are you a good friend, because if you help with this you will be. 10 months - man - that may be two full days of take down. Saturate the entire head with Con & evoo, massage it into each braid until foamy. If when you squeeze the braid you don't see it, you don't have enough. Get your rattail comb, toothpick, open up a paperclip (I used that once, it works)

Sit back, you're in for a bumpy ride. Good luck let us know how it comes out.

 

[Nonie]

I remember reading a thread with someone having this problem. There is a dread removal kit, I think it's called knotty boy.

I was thinking of the same thing. Hope this helps.

 

[Kayanna1212]

Why did she leave them in for ten months?

thats what im wondering?

 

[Libra08]

Why did she leave them in for ten months?

She does everything her mom says, and her mom wanted them to stay in for that long. I'm starting to think her mom doesn't like her hair because she is natural. Her mom wanted her get some more braids in today, and I kept telling her that was not going to happen even if you cut all of it off.

 

[Kayanna1212]

0h-0kay i see but dont ever leave them in that long and possibly 4-5 months at the most.

 

[LongiLox]

My friend really needs your help! She left her braids in for 10 months without re-doing them and now there are dreads all throughout her head! How do you get rid of them without having to cut them all off. Some pieces are close to breaking off. I put some conditioner throughout her head soften it up. Please respond ladies ASAP!!!

You need to go an get Mane N Tail Detangler. Then you're going to have to very patiently and slowly detangle her hair. It will take time. Good luck. You can also try using Kera Care humecto conditioner and hydrating detangling shampoo, both of which give a lot of slip and will help with the tangles. This is what has worked for me in the past.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

I have a question, have you asked your friend why did she leave the braids in her hair for 10 months? I am worried this is symptomatic of a larger problem. Is she okay in her life in general? Is she experiencing other problems with work, or relationships? I ask these questions because I find when people let things go like that, there are larger issues looming. I am just looking at this from a more big picture perspective.

ETA: I scrolled up and I see the possible answer. Wow if her mom let that happen to her

 

[Libra08]

She blames her mom for all of this. After all the dreads are out do I give her a protein treatment? The only protein I have is the aphogee two min and the Joico keratin reconstructor. I've detangled about 1/4 of the dreads. I'm the only one detangling because no one wants to touch her hair because it is very dirty and she hasn't washed it during the 10 months. I'm going to post pictures of what I'm working with and if you ladies have any suggestions on what to do after all the dreads are taken out please give me advice. Thanks!

 

[naijamerican]

She blames her mom for all of this. After all the dreads are out do I give her a protein treatment? The only protein I have is the aphogee two min and the Joico keratin reconstructor. I've detangled about 1/4 of the dreads. I'm the only one detangling because no one wants to touch her hair because it is very dirty and she hasn't washed it during the 10 months. I'm going to post pictures of what I'm working with and if you ladies have any suggestions on what to do after all the dreads are taken out please give me advice. Thanks!

Yes, I do think that you should do a protein treatment once the braids/dreads are out, and I think that Aphogee will probably be sufficient if she does it about once a week. I would think that she could then do a very moisturizing deep conditioning treatment, and frankly, given that she didn't wash her hair in 10 months nono: but I know I shouldn't judge ) she should probably sleep with the conditioner overnight. In fact, she might want to do that every couple of days for the next two weeks or so.

I really am trying not to judge, and I don't know how old your friend is, but to leave braids in for 10 months without washing or anything suggests problems that go way deeper than her listening to her mom all time. I just washed and deep-conditioned my braids yesterday and I even went for a ridiculously long time (like, 3 and half weeks or so). I couldn't take it anymore because my scalp was so itchy it was on fire. Leaving them for 10 months without washing is unfathomable to me. Having said that, you're a great friend to try to help her, and I hope that as it pertains to hair care she will consult you rather than her ill-informed mother.

 

[Liege4421]

I really am trying not to judge, and I don't know how old your friend is, but to leave braids in for 10 months without washing or anything suggests problems that go way deeper than her listening to her mom all time. I just washed and deep-conditioned my braids yesterday and I even went for a ridiculously long time (like, 3 and half weeks or so). I couldn't take it anymore because my scalp was so itchy it was on fire. Leaving them for 10 months without washing is unfathomable to me. Having said that, you're a great friend to try to help her, and I hope that as it pertains to hair care she will consult you rather than her ill-informed mother.[/quote]

ITA...next time, she an clean clean her scalp with baking soda and vinegar if she doesn't want to shampoo. I have a friend with dreads and even he washes every two days.

 

[Tami2shoes]

Get you some fine tip tools like a safety pin, pointed end combs, etc. You will need all of these depending on how dreaded certain areas of the hair are.

Oil and conditioner should help you with this but it will take some time to get them all undone.

Best wishes to you both.

i picked apart a friends dreads that had been in for years following this very method. it works. patience.

after all the picking is over the hair will need special care as you all have discussed.

good luck!!

 

[Miamori]

I took out my mother's 2.5 yr old locks in the summer using the conditioner+oil method. We used EVOO and Cantu Shea Butter Leave In. Lots of it, until foamy and slipper and gunky. I chose the Canrtu because it had protein in it.

If I could take out her dreads, which a stubborn and arrogant stylist had sister locked in some spots, you should be able to make it work if you listen to everyone's suggestions. Good luck.

Have her clarify too, I think? Make sure all shed hairs are out, first. I imagine with the 10 months of dirt, and all the conditioners and oils added, she will need a goooood strong shampoo.

I used the stick of a rat tail comb to pull a loop into each lock, or pull pieces out (they would come out in clumps of coils, but be tangled) then take the teeth and very slowly and patiently detangle bottom to top. Once I made it to the top I had to do it a few more times for each lock, or section the clump of hair and repeat, because there were a lot of shed hairs. to keep her hair from tangling and too keep track, I double strand twisted each (former) lock once I was done.

If she does not need to make public appearances, I also agree that you should have her sleep with the conditioner and a lot of oil in overnight. They key is slip, and then it isn't too bad.

I can't imagine the dirt, though. But again, good luck.

 

[yuriko]

i picked apart a friends dreads that had been in for years following this very method. it works. patience.

after all the picking is over the hair will need special care as you all have discussed.

good luck!!

Very true, I know someone who picked apart her dreads with the same technique, it definitely requires patience

 

[jerseygurl]

Hope you have on some gloves. Good luck

 

[Kayanna1212]

PS: is it possible you can post a picture of her locks im just so curious lol!

 

[msa]

She blames her mom for all of this. After all the dreads are out do I give her a protein treatment? The only protein I have is the aphogee two min and the Joico keratin reconstructor. I've detangled about 1/4 of the dreads. I'm the only one detangling because no one wants to touch her hair because it is very dirty and she hasn't washed it during the 10 months. I'm going to post pictures of what I'm working with and if you ladies have any suggestions on what to do after all the dreads are taken out please give me advice. Thanks!

What is wrong with your friend? There's no way to justify not washing your hair for 10 months...or leaving braids in for that long for that matter. I hope after you get her dreads out you get her to seek some help for whatever is wrong with her.

After you take the dreads out I wouldn't suggest doing a protein treatment. If she hasn't let water touch her head in 10 months then I'm sure it's seriously seriously beyond dry. Protein will just cause more problems. She needs to DC and keep her hair protected for a while. I suggest she get a wig, because her hair may be too weak to handle too much manipulation. I suggest Giovanni Smooth as Silk Deeper Moisture as a DC, it's main purpose is to moisturize but there's silk protein in it to strengthen as well.

 

[Mook's hair]

I don't know how good of a friend you are but she will need some help taking this down like two or three days worth because it is going to require some patience and endurance.

Get you some fine tip tools like a safety pin, pointed end combs, etc. You will need all of these depending on how dreaded certain areas of the hair are.

Oil and conditioner should help you with this but it will take some time to get them all undone.

Best wishes to you both.

Yes, this is exactly what I was thinking. I had to help a friend with this same problem years ago. 2 of us worked on her head for hours with safety pins and coconut milk. It can be fixed but it will take time and patience.

 

[Libra08]

PS: is it possible you can post a picture of her locks im just so curious lol!

I've posted some. Thanks ladies for all of your help! I've gotten 1/4 of it done, but that took four hours and I have an exam to study for so I don't know when I'm going to find time to do the rest. We've all suspected that there is something wrong with her, but we never thought too much about it until now. I suggested getting a wig, but I doubt she'll do it.