Dreadlocks

From TheBestLinks.com

A man with dark blond dreadlocks

Dreadlocks are long thin mats of hair that has been allowed to grow out over time. Sometimes if normal hair is left for a long period of time, dreadlocks happen by themselves; sometimes people start them off artificially by dividing their hair up into sections, backcombing or plaiting the sections, and leaving them. After a while, tangles will start to form as the hair starts to bind to its new shape.

The term was first recorded in 1960, so called from the dread they presumably aroused in beholders, but, for Rastafarians, "dread" (1974) also has a sense of "fear of the Lord," expressed in part as alienation from contemporary society. However, the style is not new: ancient Celts sometimes sported dreadlocks, which they moulded with mud.

There are several methods for keeping dreadlocks neat. As they grow, little wisps of short hair will appear around them. If you leave them, eventually the dreadlocks will settle down and form their own natural way of sitting — Black people's hair usually does this, but Caucasians might like to wax their hair, sew the wispy bits in, or wrap thread or wool round their dreadlocks, sealing the short hair in. A crochet hook can be a very useful tool in the creation and tidying up of dreadlocks. Simply twist tufts of hair between your fingers then hook and pull them through the dreadlock. This technique can also be used at the ends of dreadlocks to make them more rounded.

As they grow they can be "ripped". Two (or more) dreadlocks fuse at the top as the hair grows and mats together. They need to be pulled apart (a painful experience) for the dreadlocks to continue growing separately (although this is down to the individual). Mud and certain chemicals are sometimes applied to shape the dreadlocks.

There are many reasons for wearing dreadlocks. For some it is a religious issue (such as the Rastafarians), for others a fashionable thing, for a few they just happen. They are considered a badge of an "alternative lifestyle" in Europe and America because they are often perceived as messy and dirty.