Mermaids With Real (or Human Hair Extension) Dreads?

[Seatan]

So I now have baby dreads with human hair extensions and am going through the lovely baby dread process. I kept them up in a cap while I SCUBA'd last week, though they got loose on a night dive and I STUFFED them into the cap, causing them all to tangle at the bottom so badly I had to rip them apart. (And hour of detangling didn't budge them they were so tightly matted, so I now have a "Papa Dread" that has like five tails at the bottom!) I haven't been having major problems with the seams between the real dreads and the extensions, but I will be glad when they mature and become one permanent lock. I am just starting the maturation level where they begin to loop... Anyone else gone through the dreading process? (As opposed to having synthetic dreads--I had synthetics in high school, but those are a breeze to maintain. These suckers are teaching me a new meaning of "patience"! Hopefully it pays out in the end with lovely, ropey dreads.) I would love to hear your dreadhead experiences!

Looking dready in the bathtub:

[selkie13]

I'm following this forum
Don't have any myself yet but I will at the end of summer


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[maggie.merpuff]

I have 42 twist and rip dreads. I love them so!! They're almost 4 months old, but look further along due to how much time I spend in salt water.





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[leeloo]

How do dread extensions work? I recently bought hair falls from Diva Dreads but would love permanent dreads. I want long hair though and feel like my current hair will be too short and possibly too thin for my liking once dreaded

[AniaR]

I always liked the idea of dreads but then I read some pretty convincing arguments about how it is hurtful cultural appropriation so I just sorta let that idea go.

[SeaGlass Siren]

The whole process sounds..
dreadful!

[RomanLaveau]

Well something I know about! Well first you should call them locks because the term dreads stemmed from what Seaglass said the process to be, "dreadful". And since you have different hair the way of locking is slightly different so the process isn't that terrible from how people with more ethnic hair do theirs. But yes it definitely is a patience tester
As far as Raina and the hurtful cultural appropriation, a lot of people do it for fashion whether black, white or any other race, however a lot of people do it for the journey of that person and their crown (that's what we call our locks). It's a style that's grows as you do, personally being Jamaican, if locks make you happy then by all means do it, I love the look on all types of people.
Leeloo it'd be easier to watch YouTube videos on it because it's nicer to see it and harder to explain

[Shaylee Moon]

I've wanted some my whole life but I cant seem to get them to work in my natural hair however I did just order some synthetic ones a while back they should be arriving in the beginning of nov


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[Mermaid Jaffa]

I don't know how you mers with long hair and dread locks can pull it off... I can't stand it when MY hair hits my shoulders... Must. Have. Haircut.

[RomanLaveau]

I don't know how you mers with long hair and dread locks can pull it off... I can't stand it when MY hair hits my shoulders... Must. Have. Haircut.

Lmao I love my hair getting longer!!! Just. Keep. Growing

[SeaGlass Siren]

Well something I know about! Well first you should call them locks because the term dreads stemmed from what Seaglass said the process to be, "dreadful". And since you have different hair the way of locking is slightly different so the process isn't that terrible from how people with more ethnic hair do theirs. But yes it definitely is a patience tester
As far as Raina and the hurtful cultural appropriation, a lot of people do it for fashion whether black, white or any other race, however a lot of people do it for the journey of that person and their crown (that's what we call our locks). It's a style that's grows as you do, personally being Jamaican, if locks make you happy then by all means do it, I love the look on all types of people.
Leeloo it'd be easier to watch YouTube videos on it because it's nicer to see it and harder to explain

I feel enlightened.

[Vrindavana Starfish]

I always liked the idea of dreads but then I read some pretty convincing arguments about how it is hurtful cultural appropriation so I just sorta let that idea go.

Well something I know about! Well first you should call them locks because the term dreads stemmed from what Seaglass said the process to be, "dreadful". And since you have different hair the way of locking is slightly different so the process isn't that terrible from how people with more ethnic hair do theirs. But yes it definitely is a patience tester
As far as Raina and the hurtful cultural appropriation, a lot of people do it for fashion whether black, white or any other race, however a lot of people do it for the journey of that person and their crown (that's what we call our locks). It's a style that's grows as you do, personally being Jamaican, if locks make you happy then by all means do it, I love the look on all types of people.
Leeloo it'd be easier to watch YouTube videos on it because it's nicer to see it and harder to explain

Also, locks have been worn by monks, rishis, and spiritual practitioners (men and women) of all races for millennia. Today, it's commonly believed to be a black culture hairstyle, but that's not entirely true. Locks have historically been worn as a sign of renunciation, and as a symbol of a quest for higher awareness.

[Shaylee Moon]

Also, locks have been worn by monks, rishis, and spiritual practitioners (men and women) of all races for millennia. Today, it's commonly believed to be a black culture hairstyle, but that's not entirely true. Locks have historically been worn as a sign of renunciation, and as a symbol of a quest for higher awareness.

I saw someone once say they were getting rid of theirs because it was a disrespect to black people to wear them and she had no bussiness in that and then they totally ignored my opinion on why its not just a black people thing and that its silly to only let black people wear a certain hairstyle. I just dont get how using a hairstyle can be racist unless its to make fun of a certain race and if you truly enjoy your locks then how is that being racist?


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[SeaGlass Siren]

there is a fine line between cultural appropriation, and appreciation. it gets confusing.

[Vrindavana Starfish]

there is a fine line between cultural appropriation, and appreciation. it gets confusing.

This is true. I'm a white girl with a Sanskrit name who wears saris. If someone who didn't know a thing about me were to see me in a sari, they might assume I was being culturally appropriative. They might not realize that I was wearing a sari because I'm on my way to the temple, and this is the appropriate way for me to dress. They might not realize that although Indian customs are not a part of my genetic culture, I live according to Vedic scriptures, and Vedic customs are very prevalent in Indian culture (so much so that many think they're the same thing - they're not) and that it is a part of my religious culture.

Cultural appropriation is taking something from one culture, not caring about its meaning whatsoever, and using it for yourself outside of it's original meaning and context, usually just because you think it looks cool. It's everywhere. If you take an image that is sacred to one group, slap it on the butt of some jeans and call it "fashion," where you're literally sitting on the face of someone else's deity, that's appropriation. It's totally disrespectful.

If you think that image is beautiful and something about it makes you feel connected, and you have it hanging on your wall, maybe you learn about it some more, that is appreciation.
If you have adopted a lifestyle or customs/spiritual beliefs outside of your genetic heritage, and it is legitimately part of your life, then it is also part of your culture now. Not your genetic heritage, but your personal culture. People who move to other countries adopt the new country's culture all the time, and can still maintain pride in their heritage, or even blend elements of both. That is not appropriation.

If someone decides to get locks because they smoke pot and think it looks cool, and they try to speak like a Jamaican, but they've never been to Jamaica, don't care about Rastafarianism and don't know what it's about, and their "culture" is to take elements to justify just being a pothead or to get attention, then I can see why people would get upset.

As for dreadlocks, there are many reasons for wearing them across many, many cultures. Check out the wikipedia history of locks. Also, it should be noted that some people will always find a way to be offended or insulted. If locks mean something to you, and are part of a lifestyle and bigger picture for you, then wear them.

[Shaylee Moon]

I personally love locks, always have and probably always will, They are part of my view of how I feel inside but I have to use synthetics because my hair is too short and to bleh for real ones. I dont know. I dont really consider it appropriation but really I come from a place where race is super mixed so I was raised thinking everything is for everyone. In all reality I've never seen a person of color be offended about stuff like this, only white people saying its offensinve and people shouldnt do it.


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[Vrindavana Starfish]

I personally love locks, always have and probably always will, They are part of my view of how I feel inside but I have to use synthetics because my hair is too short and to bleh for real ones. I dont know. I dont really consider it appropriation but really I come from a place where race is super mixed so I was raised thinking everything is for everyone. In all reality I've never seen a person of color be offended about stuff like this, only white people saying its offensinve and people shouldnt do it.


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Yeah I've had the exact same experience. I've never had an Indian person get at all upset. In fact, they're usually psyched to see me dress in Indian clothing, but I've had several white people, family included, get furious with me.

[Mermaid Wesley]

I've seen black people say not to, so I won't. I mean it's just a hairstyle and I don't mind. I saw a cool info graphic on it once but I don't have it anymore.

If I find it I'll share.


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[Shaylee Moon]

Just seems silly to have something be exclusively for one race to use


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[SeaGlass Siren]

I had a black friend of mine asking if t was ok for her school group (predominantly white cis male) to use Asian dragon motif and use Chinese patterns. She wasn't sure if it's cultural appropriation.
i flat out told her personally I wouldn't be offended if she used it because she asked and she was genuinely concerned and that, for there to be cultural appropriation, she would've had to discriminate Asian people and then use it for no other reason than to say it was cool. But I wasn't ok with the white guys using and borrowing things from my background just because they thought it was cool. (Small backstory they're racist AF and they told her she was thinking too much)