Whole Head Dreads

New dreadlocks are an aesthetic transformation! You will look different afterwards and also have a different effect on people. Doing dreadlocks is not like going to a coiffeur or hairdresser. There, you’ll look your best when you walk out of the store freshly styled.

It’s a little different for us. When you come to us to get your dreads done, it’s the start or rather the birth of your baby dreads. The baby dread analogy works on several levels. With children, you can’t exactly wish for what they look like either. They are never exactly perfect, but they are still beautiful. Secondly, baby dreads don’t look as great as adult dreads in the beginning because it takes time and care. More information on this below.

There are several techniques on how to make dreadlocks.

Before the appointment, we each have a few questions for you to get a little better sense of what your hopes and expectations are.

Thickness of your dreadlocks: classification and number

Regular, professionally prepared scheduling is important to us. This guarantees that the dreadlocks all become about the same thickness. We divide your head into small squares. The larger the base of a dreadlock, the thicker the dreadlock and the fewer the dreads.

As I said, the dreadlocks are not a hairstyle that you can choose from the catalog. People are all different. Density of the hair and the size of the head (and the division) will determine how many dreads will be created. Some customers want dreadlocks as thick as a pen, a carrot or a chalk. Unfortunately, we can’t do it exactly that way. Likewise, when people show pictures, we can only take the idea. We cannot reproduce it exactly. It’s a bit like having children: you never know exactly what the children will look like.

Thickness categories

• Rather thin: that gives between 70 and 90 dreadlocks. We usually make rather thin dreadlocks.
• Medium thick: Between 40 and 60 dreadlocks
• Extra thin: 100 to 130. If you want extra thin, you should let us know early enough. The effort required for this is considerably greater.

Dreadlocks should not be too thin, because otherwise they will break. Likewise, we personally do not like too thick dreads either. Among other things, because afterwards they can not be repaired so well with the Crochet method.

However, it should be said at this point that if your goal is to have dreadlocks up to the back of your knees in ten years, then we recommend medium dreadlocks. Medium dreadlocks have more material and therefore break less. If you want more of a filigree style, and you are also satisfied if the dreads “only” go up to your butt, then we recommend rather thin dreads.

Sometimes there are requests for the pattern of division, for example, that instead of squares, honeycombs. Or it is desired that the lines do not run along the vertex. Since a very good division is important to us and the above-mentioned requests bring technical problems (the division does not open), we unfortunately do not want to respond to them.

Tips: open or closed?

Closed tips have a blunt end.

Open tips run out at the bottom, almost like a brush. In other words, at the end of the dread, the hair is not dreaded.

It is important for you to know that the decision whether the tips are open or closed is not set in stone. Open dreadlocks can be closed, closed dreadlocks open every now and then.

The reason why the closed dreadlocks grow faster than the open ones is as follows: the open dreadlocks tend to erode at the ends. Closed dreads are more like rope with a rubber cap over the ends and therefore do not stretch out.

People with short hair, we therefore recommend to close the tips. For customers with longer hair, the decision is more aesthetic.

Leave fringes open?

Something you can also consider is if you want to leave the front part of your head, the fringe, open. Certain clients and customers appreciate this stylistic element.

Here is also true, it is easy to make additional dreads than to remove existing dreadlocks again.

Photos of other dread heads

Sometimes customers bring photos of other dread-heads. This helps us to get an idea, depending on the case. We cannot duplicate a dread head. Partially, the dreads in the photos are all different thicknesses, as they may be Natural dreads, which may still have “S-curves”.

Therefore, it is important for us that you come with an open mind and surrender to the process with as little bias as possible.

For the mountain goers:inside, the dreadlocks are like an extra cap and scarf, which provide extra warmth and protection in the harsh alpine winds. Sometimes I also tied the dreads under my chin.

If you ever travel to the tropical rainforest, you won’t like your dreadlocks very much. In a hot and humid climate, the dreadlocks are not so pleasant. Personally, I then have to hide them under a dreadlock cap. On the one hand so that they do not get stuck everywhere in the rainforest and my neck remains free. Otherwise, my head overheats.

Adult dreadlocks give less work than if you have long normal hair. Normal hair needs constant straightening to keep the hair from becoming dreads. Baby dreadlocks need a little more affection in the beginning. But after that you have less to do with your hair than before. The dreadlocks are also fixed in the morning. Hair tie in or knot, et voilà, the hairstyle for the day is ready.

Likewise, you are free to have your dreadlocks crocheted by yourself. If you are motivated enough to do this yourself, you won’t have hairdresser costs anymore.

With dreadlocks you stand out from the crowd. This can be positive, but also negative. Many dread-heads appreciate the effect of looking a little different. Nevertheless, it may also be that certain employers:inside are not so happy. In general, I feel that if you’re a dreadhead in the working world, you have to perform well so people don’t see your dreads. Anyway, I, as an elementary school teacher think it’s pretty cool that I’m standing there in the classroom with my dreads. And since I do my work solidly, no one cares about my hair. There is a tendency for the acceptance of a dreadlock hairstyle, whether it is the whole head or just in places, to increase greatly. Our customers work in all kinds of fields. That’s exactly how it should be, the accomplished performance counts, not the hairstyle on the head.

Or maybe not the whole head after all?

If you are not sure if you want to dread the whole head, you can also considerdreading only the top of the head(Top Head Dreads) or only the back of the head (Backhead Dreads) into dreadlocks.

In the beginning, the dreadlocks do not grow so quickly. The reason is that the dreads still contract and mat. However, there comes a stage when your dreadlocks grow faster and eventually gain length even faster than a person with open hair who wants to grow the hair as long as possible.

There are many different good reasons why people want to make dreadlocks. Over the many years that we’ve been doing dreadlocks, we’ve met a lot of people from a lot of different backgrounds. And so are the reasons why they decided to take the step of transformation.

Some do it for spiritual or religious reasons. Others because they like it and want to identify with a group. The Anders or the expression of an alternative thinking, is also sometimes expressed with dreadlocks. Social media serves as inspiration for people looking for transformation.

The meaning that the dreads have for someone grows and also changes over time. If you asked me a good 20 years ago why I wanted dreadlocks, the answer was much different than when you ask me today. There is no need to verbalize the reason. When you feel it that you want dreads, it is a good moment.

Lice – Do I have to cut off my dreadlocks

No, you don’t have to cut off your dreadlocks if you have lice. Take a few deep breaths and read our blog article through or watch the video on YouTube.

If I don’t want the dreadlocks anymore, do I have to go bald?

Dreadlocks accompany us through our stages of life. And there comes a time when we want to let go. Many people cut off their dreads when a transformation is about to take place in their lives. Or simply when you no longer “feel” it.

If you don’t want the dreads anymore, you don’t have to go bald. It is best to let the dreads grow for a while without re-crocheting them. After that, you can cut them off, resulting in a short hairstyle. You can also shorten the dreads to a length of 10 to 20 cm and then “comb” them up using a thick needle. This will take a while and your hair will not be as thick at first as it was before the dread was created. Don’t worry, after a while it will all return to normal.

Will I be checked more often by the police with dreads?

As a dreadhead, you tend to be suspected of illegally consuming plants more often. The fact that the legislation in this regard is ignorant, arrogant, ridiculous and discriminatory does not need to be elaborated on here.

Fortunately, the laws have relaxed, at least in Switzerland. It’s already not like you’re constantly being nagged by the police. But statistically, you get checked a little more often.

In the meantime, there are several Dreader:innen in Switzerland. When I started in 2008, Dreadlocks-Artesanal was the only address. Competition is good for business, so that’s a good thing.

More than 33 years of dreadlocks experience! That’s how much experience we have when we add up the activity of all the team members. No other provider brings so many years of expertise to the table.

We’ve had all hair types in our hands and pretty much all dread emergencies in our chairs. We know what we are doing.

We stand for efficient work in which the quality is in the foreground. We work efficiently and are known for our pleasant atmosphere at the appointment and that it is exciting to chat with us.

Surely we are not the cheapest providers and maybe you don’t live just around the corner either. Possibly you could find some person who works cheaper and near you. Just when someone offers much cheaper prices, sometimes the cheaper comes more expensive. The way to us in Zurich, Basel or Weinfelden is certainly worthwhile.

We are well organized when it comes to scheduling, for example. Of course, we make mistakes too. Nobody is perfect. But in the vast majority of cases, we are straight to the point. Punctual, professional, reliable.