+ how to color dreads

+ by lish, crank@got.net

bleaching & dyeing dreadlocks is a slightly different situation

from coloring brushable hair, & follows with it its own set of tricks &

tips. it’s likely you won’t have problems if you follow this text;

however, be aware that everyone’s hair is different; what YOUR hair can

tolerate damage-wise can only be judged by you.

this text can also be used as a guide to dyeing brushable hair if

you disregard the obvious differences in application & such; everything

else remains the same.

+ a common misconception about coloring dreads:

it’s true that damaged hair will dread better, because bleach &

peroxide-based dyes (”box” dyes) will open the hair’s cuticle (outermost

layer of the hair strand). a strand of hair that doesn’t have a

shiny-smooth cuticle will rub more against other strands & become more

thoroughly knotted. however, though they sometimes don’t look it, dreads

are just made of single hair strands, & this doesn’t make them any

stronger than the individual condition of each strand.

what this means is bleach & other chemicals should NOT be left on

longer than they would be for brushable hair. if serious damage begins to

occur - dryness, breakage, hairs becoming translucent & elastic from loss

of protein - it can be even more difficult to recover from as it’s not

always possible to use conditioners on dreadlocks. (should you already be

in a situation where your dreads need help, there is information further

on about damage recovery, but for now we will assume you are starting with

VIRGIN dreads. bleaching black dreads to blonde or blonde dreads to white

are double- or triple-processes & are beyond the scope of this text.)

+ before you begin:

your dreads should also be cohesive enough to handle being washed

vigorously. most well-backcombed locks will be ready to go almost

immediately, but “natural” dreads (formed without assistance) may not be

able to handle the coloring process until several months down the road. if

your dreadlocks can survive a thorough washing without coming apart, you

should be fine to proceed; one thing you don’t want to do is leave a bunch

of hair dye residue inside your dreads, so don’t begin unless you’re

certain you can wash out all the dye.

if you are unsure of what your dreads can handle or what will

happen to them with regards to rinsing, damage they can take, et cetera -

first go through your entire process using only a TEST DREAD. if you have

to turn one destroyed dread into a threadlock, you’ll be a lot happier

than if you ruin your entire head of locks.

have the following things on hand:

- at least one pair of latex or vinyl gloves

- a non-metal bowl

- a cheap plastic shower cap

- a towel & clothes you don’t care about

- bleach & developer or box(es) of dye

+ getting started:

for those who just want to use a supermarket box dye on their

dreads to take their color slightly lighter or any amount darker, the

application & some other steps are identical to how bleach is applied, so

you can skip the “notes about bleach” & continue on after that.

for those who already have blonde or light brown hair & want to

use an obnoxiously bright punker color without pre-bleaching, you can skip

all of the chemical information below & head right to “using veggie dyes”.

if you have medium brown hair or darker & are interested in making

your locks (or some of your locks) blonde or an obnoxiously bright punker

color, you will need to bleach them first. bleaching is more damaging

than other processes & it’s easier to get it wrong, so pay close

attention. always a good rule of thumb: it’s better to do multiple

processes at lower volume than one higher volume process. (what’s that

mean? read on.)

- notes about bleach

hair bleach generally consists of two ingredients: the bleaching

powder and a developer (creme peroxide). all brands of powder are pretty

much the same as far as a novice is concerned, so feel free to buy

whatever’s cheapest at sally’s. (if you’re more experienced & your goal is

white dreads, some specific types of bleach are superior for this purpose,

but to go blonde or a bright color, it’s basically all the same.) the only

note with the powder is to be CERTAIN that the back of the package

specifies that it is suitable for on-scalp application. even if you’re not

bleaching up to your roots, chances are good that you will slop it all

over yourself & there’s one less thing to worry about if you know you’re

working with chemicals that won’t burn your skin.

you will also need to purchase a developer to mix with the powder.

developers come in creme & liquid form - the creme is far easier to deal

with, so we’ll stick to that. developers also come in various “volumes” -

this is a term used to describe the amount of lightening you will receive.

10vol is useless here, as it provides no lightening at all. 20vol is a

mild lift, 30vol gives more, & 40vol is the most. so why not jump right to

40vol? two main reasons: one, it is the most lift but also the most

damaging; and two, it is not for on-scalp application. it can burn your

skin & 40 makes it way easier to fry your hair, so stay away from it

unless you’re well experienced in both the use of bleach & how your

particular hair responds to chemical treatments. as i said before,

multiple processes at 20 are less damaging than fewer processes at higher

volumes, so buy a bottle of 20vol creme developer. any brand is fine.

bleach can cost from $2-$5 per packet; developer is around the

same price for an 8oz bottle.

- about box dyes

some brands are better than others, but it’s going to depend

mostly on your own hair’s reaction to them. i liked herbal essences &

clairol, & found l’oreal to not hold as well, but plenty of people have

the opposite opinions. make your own decision based on shade, cost, & your

friends’ experiences; if it doesn’t hold well, you can always try another

brand in a month. box dyes run from $5-$13 & you can often find free

coupons for new brands if you look.

+ preparing your chemicals:

you must perform a patch test before using any new chemical, &

it’s recommended you do a patch test EACH time, in case you’ve developed

an allergy since the last time you used it. the back of the box or packet

of bleach will explain how to do this, but you’re just going to mix a tiny

amount of product (try to keep the proportions right, but don’t sweat it

too much) in a non-metal bowl & apply it to your skin. (obviously this

requires that your chemicals are suited for on-scalp/skin application!)

let it sit for a half hour or so, wash it off, & wait twenty-four hours.

if your skin is acting normal, proceed. if not, STOP.

you may need multiple packets or boxes depending on how many

dreads you wear & whether you’re coloring all of them, just a few, or just

the tips, whatever. it’s better to have extra chemicals on hand than have

to stop with half your head done, so consider that before you start.

put on your gloves & mix your bleach or dye according to the

directions on the package. for dyes, it’s usually 2oz dye to 2oz

developer; bleach is usually 1 packet to 2oz developer, but this will vary

depending on consistency. (the bleach mixture will probably thicken as you

work, but you can add a little more developer to thin it out.)

+ application:

bleaches & dyes are not applied to dreads the same way as

brushable hair. with brushable hair, you can comb the dye through to make

sure it’s consistent throughout; dreads give many more opportunities for

missed spots & are more difficult overall. the trick is to thoroughly coat

the OUTSIDE of each individual lock.

box dyes come with a fine-tipped application bottle, & some people

are familiar with using a tint brush to apply color. i say forget both of

these & mix everything into your non-metal bowl. (some chemicals react

with metal, so use plastic or ceramics to mix. use this bowl only for

chemicals; don’t eat out of it later.) you can use a plastic spoon or your

gloved hands to mix.

i find it easiest to start at the nape of the neck & move forward.

you can use hair clips to hold your dreads out of the way, or just push

them aside from the one you’re working on. take some bleach or dye in your

hand (don’t forget your gloves unless you want really ugly stained nails),

take a dreadlock in your other hand, & coat it thickly. do NOT mash the

dye inside the dread - it’s only important to cover the outside of each

lock. after the dread is thoroughly & thickly covered, you can run your

hand down the lock & collect the extra dye back into your hand for use on

the next dread. you want to leave a good amount of dye on each dread, but

they don’t need to be dripping & sloppy. continue in this manner for each

lock. having multiple mirrors (or a friend) to watch out for missed spots

is helpful.

when you’re finished, cover your head with the shower cap. the cap

will help keep heat on your hair, which will help the bleach or dye to

process. in fact, bleach really needs heat, so if it’s cold in your house,

use a hairdryer on a low setting to help. keep it aimed at but away from

your head so as not to melt your shower cap. start your timer - you should

check bleach after 20 & 30 minutes & leave it on no longer than 40; dye

stays on according to the instructions on the box, but generally 30-40

minutes as well. do not leave it longer - the chemicals stop depositing

color after 40 minutes but the peroxide in the mix will continue to damage

your hair, so there’s no good reason to let it sit.

+ rinsing:

be prepared to stand under the shower for a long time. dreads

don’t rinse nearly as easily as brushable hair, & you definitely want to

get all the chemicals out. be sure to put on a pair of gloves first to

protect your nails. i find it easier to rinse bleach & dye out if you

start under the spigot where water hits your dreads more completely than a

sputtering showerhead. use whatever temperature you prefer.

for bleach, you can judge when it’s rinsed by the texture & smell

of your hair and by a lack of suds/residue at the drain. for box dyes,

rinse until the water runs clear AND your dreads drip clear water when

you’re not under the shower. & in either case, then rinse for another five

minutes after that. feel through your roots & down several of your dreads

to make sure they’re not still slick with dye. be very careful not to

leave dye in your dreads!

IF you are dyeing different dreads different shades, or bleaching

part & dyeing part, ALWAYS RINSE SEPARATELY. colored dye washing out over

newly blonde hair WILL discolor the blonde. sometimes it’s easiest to do

one shade at a time, & rinse between colors.

all box dyes come with a packet of stupid “color seal technology”

special magic goop that the box instructions will say you must use. don’t

bother; it’s all just fancy conditioner & isn’t necessary on dreads.

+ afterwards:

after your dreads dry, you can see how you did. if they’re patchy

or have a lot of missing spots, you suck at following my very clear

directions. if you missed a spot or two, count yourself normal. if spots

bother you, you can touch them up by hand or using a q-tip with dye/bleach

on it, but since dreads themselves are imperfect, most people aren’t

bothered by a dark or light spot here or there.

if you’re satisfied with your results, you can stop here. if you

were bleaching in order to turn your dreads crazy-bright-vivid, continue

on to…

+ using veggie dyes:

“special effects”, “raw”, “manic panic”, “punky colors” - these

are all semi-permanent conditioning vegetable dyes & are the only way to

get really insanely bright colors in your hair. since they don’t contain

peroxide, you can use them directly after bleaching without worrying about

damage to your hair. in fact, unless you’re using them SO frequently that

the metal salts in their composition get a chance to build up in your hair

(ie more than twice a month, perhaps WAY more, heh), you will never face

damage from veggie dyes.

the quality of these dyes ranges from extremely long lasting (SFX)

to “why even bother, it’s gonna wash out in a week” (MP). SFX costs more,

from $9-$14 per 4oz bottle, but holds MUCH better; raw is a decent

mid-price brand at around $10 per 4oz bottle. MP & PC are the lowest

quality, at $5-$6 for a 4oz jar. (some MP/PC shades tend to stick better

than others, but on the average, it’s junk.) i only use SFX.

there is one point of note with bright dyes used over bleached

hair: if your hair is bleached to yellow & you put blue dye on it, you’re

going to get green hair. very yellow hair will also discolor other shades,

but the effect is most obvious with blues. the trick to making blues come

out BLUE is to use a toner on the hair. a toner is a chemical process much

like bleaching that neutralizes the yellow tones & makes the hair more

white or ashen so that blues can be true. (the white SFX labeled

“toner/mixer” is NOT a toner & i have no clue why they call it that. it is

ONLY a mixer, useful for making tints of other veggie dyes. putting it on

yellow hair will not take the yellow out.) IF your dreads feel healthy

enough & you are versed with double-processing hair, you can buy a bottle

of blue-violet based toner (clairol makes a good one), mix it according to

the directions, apply to your dreads as detailed, & leave it on for 15-20

minutes. do NOT attempt this unless you know what you’re doing, & never

within two weeks of another chemical process.

so, contrary to what the bottle says, application of veggie dyes

should be on dry hair. wet hair makes application easier, but the color

deposits better if you start dry, as you’re not diluting the dye. the

application process is the same as detailed above - put it on thick to

cover the entire outside of each dread, run your hand down each lock to

remove the bulk of the dye but still leave them wet, move to the next

dread. do NOT mash the dye into your locks.

when you’re done, put your dreads into a shower cap to keep the

heat & moisture on your hair - veggie dyes only deposit color if they stay

moist, so wrapping them up in plastic is important. you can leave the dye

in place for up to five hours - as i said, veggie dyes don’t damage hair,

so they can be left on overnight if necessary; i say five hours because i

haven’t noticed a change in longevity between 5 & 6 hours.

rinsing them out is basically the same as well, except the water

will NOT run completely clear for at least two more showers. keep your

gloves on for the first few showers to avoid staining your nails. you

don’t need to worry about getting ALL the dye out so long as you can touch

your dreads (wet or dry) without getting a big smear of color on yourself.

white shirts aren’t advised until after the water DOES run clear. using

warm or hot water will open the hair’s cuticle more & cause the dye to

rinse out quicker; so, use cool to lukewarm water for best results.

a couple other tips to rinsing veggie dyes: if you start with your

dreads under the spigot, the bulk of the dye won’t have a chance to stain

your back & neck. wear gloves, of course, & try to keep your hands at an

angle while rinsing so you don’t end up collecting colored water in the

gloves. if you made a mess with dye, you can try seabreeze or other

astringents, dish soap, baking soda, or nailpolish remover to take the

color off your skin & countertops & such.

how long the color lasts depends on what brand you use & how often

you wash your hair. dreads are washed less often than brushable hair, so

the color will last longer. someone who washes their dreads once a week &

uses SFX will probably not have to redye their color for 3-4 months, & so

specific color maintenance is not really necessary. if you’re a “no ‘poo”

follower, be aware that baking soda will strip your color. dish soap will,

too. dread shampoos, dr bronners, & other “normal hair” shampoos are fine.

+ touching up your color:

after several months when you notice your roots coming in, you can

go through the process again but just on the unbleached/undyed areas.

dreads make this particularly easy - just hold each lock by the tip (or

halfway down, whatever) & use your hands to put bleach or dye wherever you

see your natural hair color. do NOT bleach over already bleached areas

unless you know what you’re doing - again, dual chemical processes are

beyond the scope of this text.

+ tips on dyeing in other configurations:

you don’t need to dye your WHOLE head if you want some color. two

common techniques are to color just the last few inches of each dread, or

to color some individual dreads. in either of these cases, putting the

saturated area of each dread into a sandwich bag & securing it with a

small hair clip can make the job much easier. some people like to bleach

a few dreads & dye a few others to achieve a tri-tone effect. as an aside

for this, selecting dreads that lie beneath your part will make it so you

don’t need to touch up the roots as often.

note that it’s pretty much impossible to have punker-bright hair

with plain blonde parts, unless you want to bag them & wash them

separately each time you’re in the water, because veggie dyes run & stain

everything. if you want some blonde locks & some colored locks, opt for

permanent dyes instead. you’ll still need to rubberband the blonde ones

into a baggie when you initially rinse out the dyes, but after that you

should be fine.

similarly, if you want to use several colors of veggie dyes, be

aware that the darker ones will bleed onto the lighter ones unless they’re

always washed separately. instead of dyeing some dreads light & some dark,

consider doing your tips in the darkest shade, the middle areas a lighter

shade, & your roots the lightest. then you won’t need to worry about

bleeding so long as the colors mix - yellow, orange & red from roots to

tips, for example, turn you into fire & will look amazing once the colors

rinse into each other a little.

+ correcting damage:

your dreads will feel slightly crunchy after processing them with

peroxide, but unless you’ve done multiple processes, they should be fine.

you can check the condition of your dreads by checking individual strands

of hair - when wet, do they look translucent or are they really stretchy?

when dry, do they snap easily? you may need to correct this damage if the

effect doesn’t go away quickly. this isn’t always easy with dreads since

conditioners often act to help knots slide apart.

the best thing for your hair, & of no harm to dreads, is the

natural oil produced by your scalp. letting your dreads get a little

oilier than usual (A LITTLE - let’s never reinforce the stereotype that

dreads stink & are filthy) & then rubbing the damaged areas (most likely

the tips) against your scalp will allow your own body’s oils to help

repair the damage.

for more serious damage, you’ll need to use conditioners. this is

risky depending on the age of your locks - older locks are far less likely

to be affected negatively by conditioners, but new dreads should be very

cautious. your hair loses two things during chemical processes: protein &

moisture.

- protein conditioners

bleaching hair strips it of protein. when hair becomes elastic &

clear, this is what is missing. sally’s has several protein conditioners

that can be applied by following the instructions on the bottles; i

personally like “rx protein pac” in the silver bottle.

for severe damage, aphogee makes a good treatment that goes on

sloppy, is heated with a hair dryer until the hair becomes rock hard, & is

then rinsed out. you won’t need to attempt this unless your hair is

breaking off like straw, but it worked great for me when i fried my first

set of dreads in late 1999.

- moisture conditioners

these are most of what you find in the grocery store. these are

also more harmful to dreadlocks, because they make the hair slippery. only

if protein conditioners don’t suffice to repair your damage should you

even think of using a moisture conditioner, & you should try a hot oil

treatment first, or another type of oil-based treatment. see what’s

available in your area, & always use a “test dread” when trying a new

product to see what it’s going to do to your locks.

+ in conclusion:

as with everything, pay attention to your body - specifically to

your hair in this case - & you won’t go wrong. enjoy your new colors!

email me if there is something else you’d like to see added to this text.