How to Wash Dreads!
Washing regularly is key to growing a healthy head of dreads, as shampooing actually helps dreads lock tighter, faster by removing slippery, detangling natural oil buildup. Added bonus: they end up minty-fresh and sweet smellin’, too!
One to two weeks after starting your locks, begin carefully washing them once a week or so, depending on your need. Our How to Wash Dreads instructions below show how to give your scalp a good scrub with both the Knotty Boy Shampoo Bar and Liquid Shampoo, because they are both formulated specifically for dreadlock health, rinsing cleanly through your locks leaving no residue. (Most regular, even ‘all natural’ shampoos are full of softeners and waxes that untangle knots – exactly what you want to avoid!) Knotty Boy Dread Shampoos also help prevent, treat and cool with a minty tingle scalp any irritation or itchiness that develops.
See our Dreadlock Maintenance Tutorial for more info on treating itchy scalps. Wash on, Knotty ones!
DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1 {Lather}
Unwrap the Dread Shampoo Bar or pop open the Liquid Shampoo, breathe in the icy-fresh scent, strip down and hop in the tub.
Wet scalp and locks, and if using the Bar, get it wet, too. It becomes very foamy, so either work up a good, thick lather in your hands and scrub it onto your scalp, or you can rub the Bar directly on your scalp between the locks and work up a lather that way. (Some people like to use a corner of the Bar to get at itchy spots. Feels minty good, don’t it.)
If using Liquid Shampoo
, pour a small amount into the palm of your hand and spread evenly around scalp, using more as necessary. Remember, you won’t get a ton of lather, but it’s still working!
Step 2 {Gently Scrub}
Once lathered up, get down to the scalp with your fingertips and give it a thorough, gentle scrub all over. Let the Essential Oils sit and do their thing for 2-3 minutes.
Step 3 {Rinse & Repeat}
Rinse, allowing the Shampoo to run through the dreads, thereby cleaning them without handling them too much. This is the best way to clean new, still-soft locks without damaging all that hard work you’ve put into them.
Repeat shampooing and rinsing if necessary. You will be able to feel how squeaky clean your scalp is after it’s been rinsed, and where you need to shampoo again.
Step 4 {Drying}
The last step of the process is just as important as the rest – drying. It is critical that your dreadlocks are allowed to completely dry after each wash in order to prevent that musty, wet-dog dread smell.
Gently squeeze out as much water as you can with a towel (some of us like to alternate whipping locks around to a favorite metal tune with the towel-squeezing part, getting as much water out as possible). Air drying your locks is fine, but if they’re getting wet more than once a week, it’s also worth investing in a blow dryer and using it on ‘Low’ to speed things along.
Finish up with a little Knotty Boy Locksteady Tropical Tightening Gel (not Wax, in case there’s still moisture in there!) to palmroll those flyaways and frizzies back into place with, and increase lock tightening.
Et voila! Squeaky clean, groomed, salon-fresh locks that you did yourself right at home!
