Dread and alive: Maintaining dreadlocks is an expensive venture

Take a walk along Nairobi streets on any given day and you will bump in to several men and women with dreadlocks. Some look absolutely gorgeous but others are plain hideous.

Over the years, dreadlocks have evolved from just being a socio-political statement to being a fashionable hairstyle with several twists to it, literally.

Even though locks are no longer considered a mark of rebellion or Rastafarianism, people with locks are still stared at or handled differently.

Total strangers ask them genuine questions while passers-by, matatu conductors and idle hustlers in the neighbourhood randomly compliment them.

Some people go as far as touching the locks just to confirm they are real hair, while others want to know why of all hairstyles you just settled on dreadlocks.

There are those who will just admire them, and many more will imagine that you love reggae music. Others will come up with all sorts of reasons why you have dreadlocks and urge you to cut them.

If you have dreadlocks, just be ready to answer questions, especially from those who want to have them, or those who already have them.

Their favourite question is always the length, which comes in the form of how long you have had them.

Dreadlocks are not for the impatient. They take many years to grow, and there is no guarantee that you will look as good as the other person.

Having or keeping dreadlocks tests your patience. Waiting for them to grow is the most frustrating thing you will probably go through, and that is why most people like extensions, whereby they beg, borrow or even steal, and have them “latched” to their short locks.

Those with neat and long locks always face the fear of getting their hair cut by thieves, as was happening in South Africa. Many will prefer to have the hairstyle but dread growing them to such beautiful lengths.

Apart from patience, dreadlocks are labor-intensive and high-maintenance, contrary to what people may think.

Ideally, dreadlocks are expensive. To keep your dreads need and clean, you require a skillful hairdresser, or a loctician. There are salons which specialise in dreadlocks, and this is a sign that locticians are doing a booming business. For maiden locks, you will spend between Sh2500 and Sh3500. For retouching, treating and styling you can part with anything between Sh1500 and Sh2500 every two to three weeks.

These costs may vary depending on the length, the amount of hair, the condition of the dreads and the style you need.

Maintaining dreadlocks needs a lot of commitment and is very different from maintaining other natural hair styles, but they are hassle-free and you do not need to worry when you probable get rained on or when you go for a swim.

They are convenient and generally give you a peace of mind since you do not have to worry about combing your hair or carrying comb everywhere you go.

They are permanent and definitely difficult to remove when one wants to get rid of them.

Many believe the only way to get rid of dreadlocks is by having a close shave which might leave you bald.

As a matter of fact, since dreadlocks are twisted at the roots doing retouching, you can leave them without retouching for weeks then you cut them.

This will not leave you bald, but you will have shorter hair, depending on how long your dreadlocks were not retouched and twisted.

Never throw them away though because you can have them “latched” to your hair when you feel like growing locks again. You can even sell them.

There are those people who think that dreadlocks are boring because it is the “same” style daily, but they are versatile and can be styled in different ways.

While dreadlocks are permanent, they are still very flexible too and there is so much you can do with them.

Whether long or short, you can weave, braid, curl or tong them.

You can style as ponytail, pin-up or buns, let them hang or even wear them in a Mohawk. The longer the better since you can style them as you normally would style braids.