Rule#1: Keep them dry. After a shower or a swim, wring them out well and dry them thoroughly before tying them back or wrapping them up. Do not go to bed with damp or wet locks. The moisture in your dreads needs air to evaporate. If you're dreads are resting somewhere between your head and a cozy pillow, they will not dry properly.

When it comes time to clean your dreads, it's not the actual dreads that need shampooing, it's the roots. The excess shampoo that foams and cascades onto the dreads is enough to keep them clean (except in extremely dirty circumstances). Massage the roots and rinse thoroughly! Some people shampoo twice a month, others twice a week. Once a week is a nice happy medium but not for everyone.

Rule #2: Keep them separated. Dreads grow together. If you don't want this to happen, pull them apart. Cutting dreads needn't be an option if you've been caring for them from the beginning. However, if you do decide to cut, the hair will likely slip out of both dreads inevitably causing more loose hair. If you rip your dreads apart, the hairs have will have a better chance of staying tangled into one or both dreads. Of course it might hurt but it works.

"My roots are growing in straight and I have a lot of loose hair, what can I do?" There are many different ways to help locks stay tight and tidy. First and foremost every head of hair is different. This means there is no right or wrong answer. I can't stress this enough. You need to figure out what works best for you.

1. Twisting hair when dry (with the exception of afro-textured hair) without product will do one thing: untwist. Twisting hair when wet will hold temporarily but don't forget about the repercussions of trapping moisture (see Rule#1).
   
2. The infamous "Looping-the-dread-through-the-root" technique will do two things. It will coil the hair (not dread it) slowing down any visible growth AND it will make a hole in the root of your loc. (With long term looping you may find holes all over your dreads). The only time looping might work is if you have fairly curly hair to begin with and/or you have enough loose root to pull the dread through multiple times in multiple directions. This is not a pain-free process. With each time the dread is looped through its root, the tighter the coil becomes preventing the hair from ever properly matting. This method is often referred to as the crochet method and is NOT the same method done at Knot Just Dreads.
   
3. Root rubbing can be done with your fingers, your knuckles or the palm of your hand. Rub vigorously back and forth, up and down or in a circular motion (both clockwise and counter clockwise) until the re-growth is fuzzy and matted. This method is most successful on clean dry locs. (Hint: If you have oil or wax build up, try washing your locs with dish detergent - cuts the grease right out of hair!) Once you are satisfied with the results from root rubbing, twist each loc to define the section and add a little wax to the help seal and secure the fuzziness. Note: Dread wax will not help hair to properly bind unless the loose hair is thoroughly matted first. If wax is applied to un-matted re-growth or loose hair it will only slick the hair and prevent it from dreading.
   
4. Felting is probably the most arduous and difficult yet most THOROUGH technique for maintaining locs. With a small crochet hook (size 0.6 or 0.75mm) poke through the loc and pull back in a few loose hairs at a time until you are satisfied with the results. With a little practice, this technique is also good for hooking in lumps, bumps, bubbles, loops, "S" curves and other common dread wonkiness. Felting is one part of a combination of maintenance techniques done at Knot Just Dreads.

I could go on and on about homecare because truth of the matter is, dreadlocks require more attention than most people anticipate.

And of course I haven't answered all the questions in the world relating to dreadlocks. My best advice is don't be afraid to play. Experiment with hairstyles and accessories. Dreads are a very powerful and personal statement that is as unique as you are.