Lily Gets Dreads

[LewEllyn Hallett]

I have just had a fun education I thought I'd share. My daughter Lily is 15 years old and wanted dreadlocks. Actually, I suggested she dread her hair because it seemed so in step with her bohemian, creative personality--and because, unlike other teenage girls, she doesn't brush her hair. It's fine and snarly, and after four or five days of rock climbing, running and sleeping in the tangles, it becomes a big monster dread at the back of her head anyway. So as my manner is, I got into the research. I went online and started reading and watching videos on the how-to and the maintenance. Then we ordered supplies and got started. It is not a lazy hairstyle, at least in the beginning. They said it was a lengthy process but I had no idea. Lily wanted thin dreads, which means lots of them, and they're long. Mucho backcombing for me. The photo of the sectioned hair is my initial attempt--I had to redo it in sections about a fourth that size. We could not stand a nonstop dread-a-thon so we've been at it for almost two weeks and there's still a section at the back to be done. Then it will take time, rubbing and waxing for the dreads to "lock". But it is fabulous on her, I must say, and turns heads in the grocery stores in small-town New Hampshire (not sure that's good thing?). I've posted some pictures of my daughter's head undergoing the transformation--sorry they're not in order. When I retire to Puerto Rico to write my novels, maybe I'll have me some grey dreads. For now I have to live vicariously.

[Lenore Tavella]

My oldest son has dreads for the 4th or 5th time, he puts them in himself (I did help once). He loves them, but they are a lot of work. He goes back and forth between a Mohawk and dreads. Sounds like you're doing great! Tell Christopher Hi...