Baby dreadlocks are generally soft and prone to getting squished when you sleep. Your hair gets pressed flat against your head in strange positions while you sleep.
This is a common problem with new dreadlocks.
In these initial stages, dreadlocks are just hair stuck together with wax. They haven’t matured yet into tight, matted dreads yet. So, when your locs are still soft, they will most likely get squashed when you sleep and even fall apart sometimes.
The best solution is to be patient, back-comb the hair and take every opportunity to tighten the locs. The flat dreads will eventually mature into dreadlocks and tighten up.
In the meantime, use these tips to deal with flat, squashed dreadlocks:
Tips To Avoid Flat Dreadlocks
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Avoid going to bed with wet dreadlocks.
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Rest your head on a satin pillowcase or cover your dreads with a silk scarf to prevent your locs from rubbing against the bed linen.
How To Fix Flat Dreads
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When you wash your dreads, palm roll the flat areas between your fingers to plump them up.
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Regularly tighten the knots within the dread. If you can feel lots of straight, loose hair in your locs, take care of them by using a clockwise rubbing technique.
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For a long term solution, add round beads or string wraps to your locs. Once they are attached, the hair grows into the dread, giving it a nice round shape.
Finally, relax! Your baby dreadlocks will mature over time and grow out of the uncomfortable starter locs phase over time.