Dreadlocks are ropy mats of hair that have been allowed to grow out over time. Sometimes, if hair is simply left ungroomed for a long period of time — particularly if the hair is naturally coarse and kinky — dreadlocks will form by themselves. If left alone for a time, eventually the dreadlocks will develop their own natural way of lying. Such neglect often results in dreadlocks that are irregularly shaped and matted together, affecting a disheveled and unkempt appearance. As they grow, locks sometimes may be "ripped," or pulled apart, depending on personal preference. The coarser the hair, the more difficult this process may be. Because naturally kinky hair has a tighter curl and can be extremely difficult to manage, once dreads have reached this point, it may be easier to simply cut them off and start afresh, to better effect.
There is, however, a more systematic means of obtaining dreads which results in a neater, far more polished appearance. For locks of fairly uniform size and neatness, those with coarse and tightly curly hair will begin the process by sectioning off the hair into small braids or tightly twisted tufts. As the hair grows, wayward strands will appear around the sections, which must be twisted regularly to incorporate the new growth into the tufts, which become dreads as they lengthen. With many people of indigenous African descent, this process of acquiring dreadlocks, sometimes called letting the hair "lock", refers to the tightly coiled, nappy hair naturally turning in on and spiraling around itself.
Caucasians, generally having straighter, finer, and usually oily hair, first may have to backcomb, tease or "rat" their hair. In order to help consolidate the hair into locks, wax is often used. Sometimes wisps of hair are actually sewn in, using thread or wool to wrap the locks, sealing in the shorter hairs. A crochet hook also can be a very useful tool in the creation and tidying up of dreadlocks, twisting sections of hair between the fingers, then hooking and pulling them through the dreadlock. With straight hair, this technique also can be used at the ends of dreadlocks to make them more rounded and prevent them from unraveling. Curly caucasian hair can matt and twist into dreadlocks without backcombing or the use of products, aided only by twisting and rubbing the curls with one's fingers.
The term dreadlocks was first recorded in 1960, so called from the dread they presumably aroused in beholders; but, for Rastafarians, "dread" (1974) also has a sense of "fear of the Lord," expressed in part as alienation from contemporary society. However, the style is not new: Egyptian pharaohs wore dreadlocked wigs, and Celts sometimes sported dreadlocks, which they moulded with mud. It may be said to be one of the oldest hairstyles, as dreads develop naturally over time, especially with curly or coarse hair.
There are many reasons for wearing dreadlocks. For some, specifically the Rastafarians, the dreadlocks are sacred, and their formation is a religious ritual. The dreadlock has also been linked with unstraightened hairstyles for peoples of African descent as a statement of racial pride. For many others, the dreadlocks are a fashion.
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Last updated: 10-29-2005 02:13:46
