Are you at that awkward length where your dreads keep sticking every which way? All you want is just for your locs to drop faster, right? There are a few ways to go about doing this, and this article is the perfect place to start. You’ll learn all the tips and tricks to getting your locs to drop faster. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to go about dropping those locs and living life free of “Alfalfa” moments.
How Long Does it Take for Dreads to Hang?
The answer to this question depends on where you started your loc journey from, what type of hair you have, and how you started the base of your locs. If you started your locs on really short hair, it might take longer for your locs to hang. However, the length of your locs doesn’t matter as much as you may think.
Part of the dropping process depends on if your dreads are heavy enough to hang in the first place. The longer your locs, the more hair they have, and the heavier they are. Another factor that plays into your dreads dropping is your hair’s texture. Typically, looser texture hair falls and hangs easier than if you have a courser texture like type 4, which is known for its extreme volume.
Also, the way you started your loc journey matters. Did you get starter locs, or did you just let your natural hair mat up into a locked state? With starter locs, a simple retwist will get them to hang; however, if the ladder describes your loc journey, you might have to wait until your dreads grow out or try different methods to get them to hang.
The size of your locs matters as well. The thicker they are, the more it might take for them to hang, but smaller locs hang quite easily. Normally, if you’re starting from zero, it takes about 15-17 months for your dreads to hang. But, again, there are several contributing factors.
How Long Does Your Hair Need to Be?
Honestly, if your hair is long enough to lock, it’s long enough to hang, so about 5-6 inches of hair will do the trick. When getting locs on short hair, if you want them to hang immediately, get smaller-sized locs. However, no matter what sized dreads you get, they will start to hang as they grow out.
You can also add extensions to your locs or do different styling methods to get them to hang. Sometimes all the methods in the world somehow won’t get your locs to hang. In that case, you’ll just have to grow them out, and, of course, you’ll want to expedite the process.
How Can You Make Your Dreads Grow Faster?
Dreads already make your hair seem as though it’s growing faster than normal because it’s a low-manipulation, protective hairstyle, but there are ways to get your locs to grow even faster.
Use Oils Regularly
Oiling your scalp regularly stimulates hair growth and promotes healthy hair growth. Using oils like coconut oil, argan oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil strengthens your strands as they grow out. Strong strands are less likely to go through breakage, which leads to more length retention.
Adding a 5-10 minute scalp massage to your oiling routine also helps with stimulating blood flow to your head, increasing hair growth.
Coconut oil is a great oil to use for growing healthy locs. Coconut oil has hair loss prevention, moisture-retaining, heat protectant, and breakage-preventing properties. Coconut oil has tons of fatty acids in it, which allows it to penetrate your hair deeper than other oils. In turn, this leaves your locs soft, shiny, and moisturized.
Argan oil is also beneficial for your hair as it contains vitamin E, antioxidants, ferulic acid, and fatty acids. Argan oil not only has heat protectant and moisturizing capabilities but also acts to reduce frizziness.
Castor oil contains many strengthening and stimulating properties such as antioxidants, vitamin E, proteins, and minerals. Castor oil is great for preventing split ends, hair loss, scalp infections, and dandruff. Another benefit of castor oil is that it leaves your hair naturally smooth and shiny.
Jojoba oil is perfect for more sensitive scalps. Jojoba oil most resembles your scalp’s natural sebum, so your scalp is more likely to accept it. Its benefits include adding softness and shine, deeply moisturizing strands, and treating dandruff and dry scalp.
Olive oil is not only great for cooking, but it works wonders for the growth of your hair. It’s rich in vitamin E, acts as a heat protectant, and adds a natural shine and softness to your strands. For the best results, do scalp massages with stimulating oils, such as these, at least three times a week.
Develop a Good Sleep Routine and Diet
Have you ever heard the saying “what you put in is what you get out”? Well, it is so true! Taking care of your body internally will reflect itself externally. Making sure you get enough sleep at night can significantly reduce the amount of stress you’re experiencing. Limiting the amount of stress in your life can lead to an increased hair growth rate, and that all starts with a good night’s rest.
Also, developing a healthy diet full of vitamins, proteins, and fatty acids can lead to faster, healthier hair growth. Vitamins can increase the amount of hair that grows from your scalp every year and make your strands stronger. Proteins also strengthen the integrity of your hair and prevent hair loss. Fatty acids add natural shine and softness to your hair, making it look beautiful and healthy.
Create a Steady Hair Care Routine
Coming up with a steady hair routine can do wonders for your hair. Having a routine that you allow your hair to get used to can help you make sure your hair stays clean, moisturized, and healthy. Having a frequent routine makes it easier to spot changes and recognize when your hair needs a trim.
Also, coming up with a consistent hair routine allows your hair to get into a habit of behaving in a certain way. If you wash your hair once a month for a few months, then switch to once a week, then back to once a month, you might notice that your hair is getting oily faster than it used to. This is because you’ve trained your hair to adapt to being washed more frequently, and now that you’ve switched routines, your scalp still believes it needs to produce more oil to stay moisturized.
Getting dreadlocks to hang is definitely a process, but I promise you don’t have to wait as long as you think. There are all sorts of videos on YouTube showing you different ways to get your locs to hang at any length, so don’t think it’s unachievable. I hope this article was able to help you come up with a plan to get your dreads to drop quicker. Good luck on your dreadlock journey, and have a great day!
