When you first get dreadlocks, your hair at the roots does not automatically start knotting itself. The resulting loose hair is completely normal and expected. As your locs start to mature, new hair tends to lock on its own without assistance.
There is no way of completely preventing loose hairs from popping out of dreads.
When it happens, there are good ways and some not so good ways to handle the situation.
Cutting Loose Hair In Dreadlocks
Cutting the loose hairs at the roots of your dreads will make them thin and is a temporary solution. The loose hair will grow back at the roots of your dread and you will be back at square one.
Trying to get rid of loose hair in the middle of your dreads by cutting them will unravel the hair around it. Cutting results in the hair falling out of the dreads, causing the dread to eventually fall apart.
Burning Loose Hair In Dreadlocks
Is burning a better alternative to cutting loose hair in dreads?
Not quite. Burning loose hairs can go one of three ways:
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At the roots, burning loose hair creates the same long-term issues as cutting at the root. The loose hair will grow back after a short while and you will be back where you started.
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Burning also causes the hair to burn into the dread, making it difficult to remove.
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Dreads can also fall apart if the burnt hair starts to move and separates from the rest of the lock. The dread will eventually unravel as a result.
Clockwise Rubbing Prevents Loose Hair
The clockwise rubbing technique is the best way to prevent loose hairs at the roots of your dreads:
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Grab the root of a dread with your index and middle finger, around 1 centimeter from the scalp.
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Gently pressing the dread, rub it in clockwise circles.