Anonymous asked: sorry i can't post the link. but 'knotty boy leave in dreadlock conditiong spray' and knotty boy cooling moisture spray'; good or bad?

Completely useless, & holy fuck expensive!

The conditioning spray is simply a scent, & it includes wax (that’s why the smell lasts…it’s literally stuck in your hair). It’s basically a bottle of residue build-up that smells nice. There is no reason why anyone would ever want or need that in their hair.

The cooling spray is just witch hazel, water, some essential oils & a lot of preservatives. It probably does offer a bit of relief, but really? $16.50+shipping & the added bonus of extra crap in your hair? No, thanks.

If you want to soothe an itchy scalp, get an empty (new- no chemicals) spray bottle, fill it with water, & dilute some tea tree oil in it. It’s tingly & refreshing & healing.

You can also make a sea salt spray by dissolving sea salt granules in hot water (it should taste about as salty as tears- the same as if you were using it to clean a piercing). The tea tree oil can even be added to this! Sea salt has an added benefit of helping your dreads tighten up :)

If you wanted too, you could even add witch hazel to these mixes, but due to the distinct odor of it & how drying it is, I wouldn’t.

If you’re going for a nice smell (besides the tea tree), you can add just a few drops of other essential oils- like lavender!

As for softening MATURE dreads, you can even just use a smidge of diluted conditioner on your ends every once in a while to no ill effect. Just rinse it really well (& make sure you’re doing your deep cleans periodically). for dreads of any age, you can always rinse or soak your hair in Apple Cider Vinegar. It’s very softening :)

Everything I just listed will cost you WAY less (especially because you will have the bulk to keep creating it over & over again), work better, & won’t leave anything nasty in your hair ♥

Oh, & everything I said about the KnottyBoy products goes the same for DreadHeadHQ’s version. Just stay away.

Anonymous asked: What's the best way to deal with dread itch?

I’m going to assume you are not referring to a specific malady (like dandruff or lice), so I’ll skip those.

Dreadlocks do sometimes pull on individual hairs (much like braids or tight ponytails do), which can cause a temporary itch. Usually shifting them relieves this- it is nothing to be concerned about.

When your dreads are brand new, however, itchiness is pretty common. When you first start dreads, they are very tight to your scalp, which pulls hairs & itches. It can even make little red bumps/sores around your hair line, just from the pressure! This goes away as your roots grow out (mature dreads have loose roots) , but it can be really frustrating in the meantime.

Tea tree oil can be heavily diluted in water & dabbed on itchy spots. You can also dissolve granulated sea salt in hot water (enough to taste like tears) & put it in a spray bottle to mist your head with. You can even add a few drops of that tea tree oil to your bottle, as well. It can be very soothing, & salt water can help your dreads lock up faster sometimes. I would make this mix fresh daily, or at least every few days (keep your bottle in the fridge in between).

Its also possible that your head itches if you aren’t washing it enough (dead skin flakes/etc are building up), or if you’re washing it too much (drying out your scalp).

Even at four years with dreads, my scalp still feels itchy for a little while after I wash my hair. It’s just from the weight pulling, though, & it goes away as it dries.