Can braids turn into dreads? Dreads are beautiful, and with them, you can make a strong statement about your style in the 21st century, where self-awareness is at an all-time high.
You are here searching for an answer to the question: can braids turn into dreads? It’s probably because you already have braids that you want to make more of a style statement from.
Yes, braids can turn into dreads. By following the right technique and proper maintenance, you are on your way to making this possible, a fashion reality. But it will take a long time to turn into dreads.
However, we must state at this point that without proper maintenance and technique when turning your braid into dreads, it will look pretty crappy.
Can You Turn Braids into Dreads?
Yes, you can. We have already made it clear that you can turn your braids into dreads to suit your style or make the perfect statement out of your fashion style.
However, before you proceed, we must state here that dreads are not for everyone. Also important to note is that dreads perform well in specific situations.
While your natural hair is the best type of hair to lock, you can also create lock-in chemical enhancement hair. However, it takes more time.
Nonetheless, these are some things you should expect and know about the choice you want to make before going through it.
One, the dreads will be thinner than if you used another method, such as backcombing. When you backcomb the dreads, the hair is teased up and down and across every direction, so it makes a thick dread because the hair is scattered everywhere.
But when you let the braid turn into a dread, the hairs will be side by side, so the dread will be a lot thinner. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have thin dreads if you use the backcombing method, because you can. It’s just another way to have thin dreads.
Two, your dreads may turn out to have a lot of loops, lumps, and bumps. Because the hair is made to form side by side with nothing to hold them in one place, there are high chances of one or more sides of the braid popping out of the dread, causing a big loop or bump in the process.
Third, your newly found dreads may turn out looking rough and not smooth. Please kindly do not get us wrong on this point.
The point is not that all dreads formed this way or through this method would end up looking rough and all, but that in some cases. And unfortunately, in most cases, the dreads always end up looking rough, wavy, lumpy, and loopy—not a pretty sight.
Because the only way to cover up the braided part is to have the loose hairs knot and dread over the braid, and you probably don’t have enough loose hairs to cover the entire braid, the braided part will be open and exposed to the eyes.
Can Box Braids Turn into Dreads?
Well, we have a piece of bad news for you. Your box braids, unfortunately, can’t be turned into dreads.
The reasons are not farfetched. It’s common knowledge that for dreadlocks to form, they need to be tangled and wrapped around themselves. Unfortunately, with your box braids, this process or formation is impossible, meaning that you will not have dreads.
Can Yarn Braids Turn into Dreads?
Yes, you can turn your yarn braids into dreads to suit your style. The process is not difficult at all.
Quite straightforward. The process involved is braiding your hair, twisting it constantly until your yarn braids lock up. Then, locking possibly happens in the bread with time, sometimes making you equally notice the formed shape.
When this is the case, you can, because it’s advisable to cut off the end of these braids. You can also create gorgeous-looking faux dreadlocks with your yarn braids.
In all, the best practice is to start this process of making dreadlocks out of your yarn braids in shorter hair. However, the major problems or issues with turning your yarn braids into dreads are that it does not suit everybody or work for everybody and that it’s not in all cases that it turns out looking great.
How to Turn Braids into Dreads?
Before embarking on this journey, there are a few things to check out or a few pre-action checks to do. Check your braids to ascertain, among other things, their lengths.
The minimum length of dreads to be braided is approximately 2, while the ideal dread length is 5. To be braided, although lengths of 3 to 4 are much easier to work on.
The steps or processes involved in turning your braids into dreads are one, getting your hair prepared. First, use a good conditioner and wash your hair thoroughly.
Avoid over-conditioning and ensure that the braids are too soft. This way, your braids will be able to hold your hair tightly.
Preparing your braids may take a long time. So, sit on a chair, watch your favorite show on television, and eat something.
Two, determination of how you want your braids to fall. This is because, at the end of the day, your determination will prevail—your braid will fall according to your determination once you complete it.
The third process is to determine your lock size. This is important as the block size will depend on the braid size.
The fourth process is getting into the braiding proper. As you go about this braiding, ensure that you create the braids you want to keep.
The final step, and most important, is maintaining your braids. Keep in mind that it will take time for your braids to turn into dreadlocks.
The process can last up to a year before your braids will form into consistent dreads. However, what matters at this stage is proper maintenance to get you nice and beautiful dreads.
Can You Do Braids on Dreadlocks?
While it’s mind-blowing to think about the possibility of making braids on dreadlocks, it’s very possible to make this a reality. So, yes. You can make braids on dreadlocks.
You can wear box braids over locs. You can never get stuck with dreadlocks because they are versatile. And one of the ways to embrace this versatility is to do box braids over them.
The bottom line is that you can embrace the versatility of deadlocks by making box braids over them. Every other thing being equal, it’s always a great fashion statement.
Can a Single Braid Become Braids?
Well, we have another piece of bad news for you on this. Your single braid can’t turn into braids.
The reason is that a single braid won’t allow the necessary formation processes needed for braids to form into dreads. When dreadlocks are forming, they need to be able to tangle and wrap around themselves to form what you would consider a deadlock. A braid, as is to be expected, makes this process impossible.
Conclusion
Can braids turn into dreads? Well, from what we have said so far, yes.
You can, without much ado or hassle, turn your braids into dreadlocks. However, before you proceed, remember that we noted that dreads are not for everyone.
Also worthy of note is that dreads perform well in specific situations.
