Took Them Out

I took the braids out last night. I'm considering using the backcombing method and possibly waiting to gain another inch or so. The hair in the back and around the front edges weren't holding the braids at all. I think if my hair was longer, it might do better, but I don't want to wait a year to start my locs.

So, I started my NP search and came up with just a few people who have actually used this method. Based on what I read, a lot of black people aren't familiar with the technique and think that only white people start their locs this way. There was also some concern about breaking hairs, but I mean...the style is just matted hair. I'm not sure why it would matter if the hairs that are matted are in tact or broken.

Here are some notes I pulled from the NP threads:

Tools

• Find a strong, small-tooth comb (like a metal lice comb)
• I  did use a pet comb that has metal teeth (bought one at petsmart) to do the backcombing.
• The finer steel comb is great because it really gets the hair knotted 

Labor

• Warm up your arm muscles, because you'll be hurting
• It is laborious as all hell. So be prepared to sit for a good day especially if you want them done neat. 

Technique

• It really is as simple as it sounds...comb backwards to tangle and palmroll. The end!
• Once you back comb them you palmroll it til it takes form

This video shows backcombing without palmrolling. This is the only video that I've watched that shows a neat product after just backcombing.



Knottyboy.com has videos that show both, but their backcombing doesn't look as neat.

Products

• You can use aloe vera gel but they will stay. 

Advantages

• Once done they look like instant locks!
• I was able to wash them with in a week
• They took only 4 months to lock.
• Just palm roll and go
• They grew like crazy
• No gel or goop to hold them in place.
• Gives you a head start with the locking process. Especially if you have at least 5-6+ inches to work with. Its sorta like you've eliminated a step by tightening the hair together with itself and it gives ur hair a jump start because it doesn't have to knot together as much because you've already done it by backcombing.

Difference from Other Methods

• I did not recall budding or those tiny balls at the end with the exception of locks around my hair line because they were too short to back comb.
• Regardless, they still had to go through the stages it just made it a lot easier to do.
• When you backcomb them they are meshed not quite tight but they are set in place. As time go by they start to tighten and become denser.
• You still go through the fuzziness and stuff but they are tangled and meshed where as coils and twists are not.
• They will still have to go through the stages of shrinkage, having those little balls at the ends, even meshing and condensing. They appear to look like dreads but they are not locked but locked enough to not unravel. 

Starting Length Recommendations

• Actually if you can start with 4 inches would be ideal because you want to have enough hair for it form a lock.
• You should have at least 3 inches or more because when you tease them back they should have some length to them