How To Take Care Of A Dreadlocks Hairstyle

Whether you have real or fake locs, you need to take care of them. The health of your hair depends on keeping your scalp clean and oiled, and your hair free of dirt (via All Things Hair). Taking care of dreadlocks can be really simple and only requires a few steps.

According to Carol's Daughter, the first step is to always oil your scalp. This is not optional. Not oiling your scalp lead to breakage and slow (or even nonexistent) hair growth. So, please oil your scalp, but remember not to overdo it as oiling too much can cause buildup and weigh your dreads down, the outlet reported.

Keeping your hair moisturized will cause buildup over time, so it's important to wash your hair. All Things Hair suggests cleaning the oil and dirt from your hair with a gentle shampoo. "You can use a shampoo like Suave Sulfate-Free Cleansing Shampoo to keep your locs cleansed and moisturized." A sulfate-free shampoo, regardless of your hair texture, will moisturize your locs properly without stripping them of natural oils.

Not only does your weekly hair regimen matter, but so does your nightly routine. Tying up your hair at night is the most important part when taking care of your dreadlocks (via Carol's Daughter). A satin scarf or silky bonnet will help prevent breakage. And, if your locs are growing too fast and your regrowth is openly showing, you can retwist your locs yourself. Per Carol's Daughter, you only need to use an oil-infused twisting cream to retwist each strand. But remember — you can only retwist your dreads when they're freshly washed, as twisting dry and dirty locs can cause severe hair damage.

All Things Hair also cautions not to retwist too often. The site recommends wearing protective loc hairstyles to prevent the need to retwist as much. Lastly, after retwisting your dreadlocks, slick down your edges with some gel. After all, a look is never complete without slicked-down baby hairs. So grab your favorite edge control or gel, slick down your edges, and you're ready to show off your healthy dreadlocks!