How Often Should I Maintain My Dreads?

A video of before and after pictures of a dreadlock maintenance session with a client.

Dreadlock maintenance and its frequency is a personal choice and there are many different options you can take. In this post I am going to talk about how maintenance can effect your dreads and how they look so you can make and informed choice on your maintenance schedule.

Getting fluffy roots and lumps and bumps is a natural part of your dreadlock journey. Some people love this and don’t want their dreads to be too tidy, where as other people want to have dreads that are as tidy as possible. If you fall into the latter camp then I recommend that you come for maintenance every 3-4 months. You wont always need a full root to tip tidy, especially as your dreads mature, but you definitely need to get your roots maintained regularly.

If you want dreads that are more wild and free looking then you can come for maintenance less often. Every 6-12 months is good but every six months is better as getting your roots regularly maintained is really important. Your roots are the foundations of your dread and to keep your dreads healthy you need to have the fluffies crocheted in regularly. If you don’t do this then your dreads will eventually start thinning at the roots. This can lead to weak spots and your dreads to snap years down the line.

You might be wondering if you can have maintenance but still keep the wild look of your dreads? Absolutely, I can tailor your maintenance session to your needs. If you love the lumps and bumps on your lengths but want all of the fluffies tucked in I can do this for you. Or maybe you like your roots to be a bit looser, if that’s the case I can crochet all of the fluffies at the roots but not tighten them to your scalp so much. The joy of dreads is that the possibilities are endless and we can get really creative with them.

If you have any further questions or wanted to book an appointment for maintenance please contact me here.