Prepare your hair for a different washing routine
Before you install/ have your dreads installed, you can already prepare your loose hair for the dreadlock washing routine: wash your hair once a week.
If you are used to washing your hair more than once a week, it might be good to introduce it to the new routine beforehand. Because your scalp is used to how often you normally wash your hair, and the more you wash it the quicker your scalp produces sebum ( making your scalp become oily quicker) so also the need to wash it again comes pretty quickly too, and so it goes. If you wash your scalp once a week, after a while it gets used to it and starts to produce less sebum which in turn makes your scalp and hair feel less greasy for longer. It can take a while before your scalp gets used to the new routine, so it might be good to start introducing it some time before getting dreadlocks, then once they are in your scalp will most likely be already used to the once a week routine and the whole experience will feel better.
Use the right products for oily hair
If your hair gets oily quickly, it might mean that your scalp’s fluid balance is imbalanced. Dreadshop’s advice is to not only use natural based products, but also to wash your hair regularly with a natural ingredients shampoo. Use a shampoo suitable for oily hair. These products are good to use with an oily scalp:
- With the Herbal Cleanser from RAW ROOTs, you take optimal care of your scalp. It minimizes the production of sebum and prevents/ soothes itching, dandruff and other scalp problems. When you wear synthetic dreads it is best to use this shampoo in combination with a Refillable Shampoo Foamer Bottle. This way you thin out the shampoo so it is easier to apply to your scalp without having to rub it in too hard (if you do, hairs will come out of the braids and you will get frizz) and you can also rinse it out more easily, without leaving any shampoo residue. Plus, your shampoo lasts much longer as you use up less ;)
- The Greenie Genie shampoo bar from RAW ROOTs: the oils from tea tree, mint and lemongrass refresh and stimulate the scalp. It is recommended to use this shampoo bar in combination with a Mesh Bag from Dollylocks, this makes the shampoo bar foam better and rub smoother on your scalp.
When using the shampoo bar with synthetic dreads, it is best to foam the bar ( in the mesh bag) between your hands and then apply the foam to your scalp. This way you have less chance of loose hairs coming out and frizz forming.
Is there anything more I can do?
Do you want to continue washing your hair once a week but your scalp feels greasy halfway through no matter what? Then just try rinsing your scalp with water and leave your dreads dry. That way you can give your scalp a quick refresher in between, and you stop that greasy look for a while longer, without any extra residue ;)
Or try wearing a headband or a Satin hairwrap, so you hide your scalp when it’s not convenient to wash it just yet, but still continue rocking synthetic dreadlook.
Use a Refreshening Spray or a Refreshing Mist to refresh your scalp between washing. It will at least always smell fresh! ;) You can also use these sprays on synthetic dreads, we have a lot of different, wonderful scents available at Dreadshop.
Do you notice your hair getting oily quickly even though you have tried all the above tips? Then washing your dreads twice a week might be the best solution for your scalp. Everyone's scalp is different after all, and ultimately you have to do what is best for your scalp and hair. The disadvantage of washing your dreads more than once a week is that your dreads might start to look frizzy sooner. Read more about washing your synthetic dreads here.
