Woollen Dreadlocks!

Our woollen dreadlocks are mainly made out of merino wool, or merino wool blends. I’ve choose merino wool as it is very light weight and soft, making super comfortable dreadlock extensions. The way they are created is by hand wet felting. If you want to keep your woollies softer for longer, I recommend use lukewarm water when washing and being gentle with them, to avoid felting them further. Because our dreadlock extensions are made of merino wool the more you wash them the more they will slowly felt becoming stronger and more dense. If you take proper care of them they can last you years!

Why choose woollen dreads?

Woollen dreadlock extensions are most commonly used for temporary dreadlocks by braiding them into your hair, or for adding colour or volume by looping through existing dreadlocks.

They can also be added onto the end of your dreadlocks as an alternative to human hair or synthetic extensions. Dreadlocks made from human hair can be heavy, especially a full head of long extensions. It can be common for people with thick long dreads, or who are new to dreadlocks, to experience neck pain and headaches from the weight. Woollies are very light and can be a great alternative for those wanting to keep length but don’t want the weight. Synthetics extensions are made from plastic and can feel rough and itchy on the skin, woollen extensions are a great alternative for those after a soft feel or wanting to use natural fibres.

There are many benefits to braiding in woollen dreadlock extensions. If you are someone who loves to change your hairstyles, woollies are a great way to pick different colours, lengths, and change up your hair without causing damage! If you’ve been thinking about getting dreadlocks but are not sure if they are for you, braid in extensions are a great way of experimenting without having to fully commit to dreads! And If your some who is trying to grow your hair, keep it healthy, or restore health to your hair, they are also a great choice.

You’ll find your hair will start to grow quicker and healthier. They give your hair a brake from heat and sun damage, and damage cause by messy buns, hair ties or brushing out tangles. The type of braiding done also keep your hair protected when the woollies are in your hair. You’ll find you wash your hair less, giving your hair the chance to sit in and gain some of the benefits from the natural oils your scalp produces. Merino wool is extremely light weight which means your head and hair wont have to deal with day to day heaviness usually associated with dreadlocks, and the add weight only when wet helps promote hair growth.

Washing woollen dreads!

When your woollen dreadlocks are braided in, I recommend washing your hair every 1-2 week. The wool will absorb the natural oils produced by your hair, so you may find it takes long for your hair and scalp to become oily and need washing. Some people wash their hair twice a week and others once a month. It’s really up to you and what suits your lifestyle, hair type, and make you feel good!

You can wash your dreads like you would your normal hair. Shampoo near your scalp, rising gently and thoroughly. Place conditioner over your braided hair, and then again, gently and thoroughly rinse. If you have long extensions you can hold the ends up to keep them dry, and just rinse the base near your hair. This will help with the drying process.

After washing your hair you can apply moose to your braids to help them hold, or hydrating oil to your scalp to help with dryness and irritation. These are personal preferences and do not need to be done every time.

Drying your Extensions after washing!

After washing your hair, like with dreads, let them completely dry before become wet again. Leaving your dreadlocks constantly wet gives them the potential to start smelling bad, or in extreme cases go mouldy, and no one wants that!

If you have a full head of extensions in, once the top half has dried, tie the top half up to make sure the ones underneath also dry properly. Using a towel you can gently scrunch them from the top moving down (not twisting to avoid damaging) and let them air dry, as the ends start to collect water scrunch again. Try to pick a warm sunny day if possible, washing them in the morning so it is easier for them to dry throughout the day. Avoid washing before bed and using a hair dyer as this can make your braided hair and the extension fluffy and frizzy.

How long can you leave them braided in for?

You can keep woollen extensions in your hair for up to 1-3 months at a time. Depending on how quickly your hair grows will determines how regularly you’ll need to have the braids redone. The best way to tell when they need redoing, is by pinching the base of a braid. If you can easily grab the hair growing out, it might be time to think about re-doing the braid. If it still feel relatively tight to your scalp then they are fine to leave them. You will find some places, like the nape, will grow out quicker than other areas. You can redo the braids just in these areas, and leave the other ones in for longer.

Braided in extensions are a great way to keep your hair healthy and promote hair growth. However, if you leave them in to long they can pull on your hair, which is painful, and may cause your hair to brake. The base of the braid can even start to dread if left to long. Re-doing the braids regularly is the best way to gain the most benefits while keep your hair happy and healthy! I recommend re-doing the braids every month for the best hair growth results.

If you take good care of your woollen extensions you can re-braiding them into your hair as many times as you like for years to come!

How should you take the braids out?

I recommend taking your woollen dreads out with wet hair, especially if your hair is straight. The weight from the water will help the braid fall out as you undo it, and your hair will fall straight instead of becoming curly and frizzy. If you do need to take your hair out dry, make sure you brush and detangle your hair completely before getting it wet, otherwise you will end up with a very tangled mess!

Wet your hair and grab a spray bottle so you can respray the braids if your hair starts to dry. Cut and remove the elastic, undo the braid, then brush the hair starting near the bottom and slow brushing higher to the top. Then repeat until all the braids are taken out.

Do not be alarmed if it looks like a lot of hair comes out of the braids. This is the hair you naturally shred every day and has just been held in place buy the braids, instead of falling off your head. Nothing to fear!

Washing your extensions between uses!

After taking out your extensions, I recommend giving them a clean before re-braiding them in. This will help clean out any soap, dandruff or dirt that might have built up while wearing them. Hand wash them in lukewarm water with a wool friendly soap or laundry liquid. Rinse gently and thoroughly, then hang to dry before re-braiding them in.

After hand washing your woollen extensions, always hang to dry. Do not put them in the dryer or washing machine! It will over process them, shrink them and tangle them. It may even cause them to brake!