Backcombed & Twisted dreadlocks may feel quite stiff at first but they do become more flexible and soften with time. It is also normal to feel scalp sensitivity or irritation after the initial installation however, this usually passes in a few days. These can be braided into undreaded hair and worn for 1-3 months depending on how quickly your hair grows. When wearing them, continue as your normally would showering and swimming etc. Maintenance will be required as outlined in the tab below and they can be worn over and over again.

1. Each dread needs to be installed in a section of hair which is about 2cm squared at the scalp. You may wish to pre plan the sections by tieing pro elastics around each bundle of hair. If you want less volume, you can make the sections bigger and vice versa, if you want more volume and more dreads then make the sections a little smaller.

2. Now take a section of hair and push it through the loop at the top of the extension. The Latch Hook makes pushing the section of your own hair through the loop easy. Push the extension right up to your scalp.

3. Split the section of your own hair in two so that along with the extension, you will have three pieces to braid or plait. Avoid conditioning your hair just before installing as it will make your hair soft and slippery and difficult to make the braid tight. You may also want to consider applying a small amount of Dread Dust to the section of your own hair as this will texturize the hair and give you something to grip on to.

4. Braid the extension together with your own hair as far down as you can and secure it with a thread or elastic. The video below demonstrates a braid known as a Blanket Stitch. Our Heavy Duty Pro Elastic is the perfect band to secure the braid and extension in place as they are strong and durable yet still small and slimline.

1. Each dread needs to be installed in a section of hair which is about 2cm squared at the scalp. You may wish to pre plan the sections by tieing pro elastics around each bundle of hair. If you want less volume, you can make the sections bigger and vice versa, if you want more volume and more dreads then make the sections a little smaller.

2. Now take a section of hair and one extension. Split your hair in half so you have two bundles. Lay the extension in between the two bundles and make sure the half way point of the extension is at the top of the section.

The half way point is easy to identify as it the small section of undreaded hair half way up the extension. Allow about 1 cm of that undreaded section to extend above the section of hair. This will ensure the extension folds down nicely over the half that's being braided. It is a good idea to use a clip to hold the extension in place.

3. Since you have split the bundle of your own hair in half, along with the extension you will now have 3 peices that can be braided together. Braid down as far as you can and secure with a rubber band. Our Heavy Duty Pro Elastics are the perfect band to secure the braid in place as they are strong and durable yet still tiny.

Making the plait nice and tight will avoid the extension slipping down. It is easier to plait tightly when your hair has not been recently conditioned. If your hair is particularly soft and silky, you may also consider applying a small amount of Dread Dust to each section of hair before plaiting. The Dread Dust will make the hair sticky and texturized and therefore, giving you more grip when tightly plaiting.

As an alterntive to Pro Elastics, you can secure the braid in place with thread. Cut a peice of thread which is at least 20cm more than double the length of your own hair. When you part the section in two and just before placing the extension inbetween the part, lay the thread over the section of hair. 

Do this by folding it in half and the half way point then sits at the top of the section so you'll have a peice thread in both bundles of your own hair. Include the thread in the braid as your braid down the length of the extension. Once you reach the bottom of your own hair wrap the thread around as many times as you can and then tie a knot to secure it in place.

As your hair continues to grow, the extensions will drop and the braids will loosen so every 6 weeks to 3 months your extensions will need to be removed and reinstalled. It's also normal that the extensions loosen a little and may become scruffy so when you take them out to reinstall, it is a great time to reseal them. If you have the help of a friend, you could also do this whilst they are still installed. Follow the steps below to reseal your extensions:

1. Wet a face washer or cloth then squeeze the excess water out leaving the cloth very damp. Turn your hair straightener on to a low setting.

2. Tightly re-twist the dreadlock in the same direction it already is, working your way from the top down to the bottom. Apply tension to both ends in order to keep the twist in place. This is when a friend will come in handy!

3. Now place the wet/damp cloth over the dread and then move the hair straightener slowly over the cloth and along the length of the dread. The water in the cloth will create steam which will reseal the extension. Experiment with this as each straighteners operate at different temperatures. If it is too hot, it may result in the fibres burning and this will mean you have to move faster and apply the straightener for a shorter time. So you don't flatten the dread, roll the dread slowly around to ensure all sides are steamed. Keep the tension on the extension and don't let the twist go until the extension has cooled down.

If you can set your hair straightener to a low setting, then as an alternative method, you could spray the extension with water and then move the hair straightener directly along the extension without using the wet cloth. When moving the straightener down the length, also move it down and around the extension in the same direction as the twist. It's important the extension is wet when you do this so work in sections. Once again, experiment first, this method can more easily burn your extension than when using a cloth.

4. If you need to re-seal the ends then you will no longer need the wet cloth or water. Briefly apply the straightener around the bottom of the dread, almost bouncing it around in the same direction as the twist until you cover all sides. This will cause the fibres to burn which is what creates the seal but proceed with caution and be careful not to burn more of the extension than you intended.

5. If you still have loose fuzzy hair that you want to tidy up, use the Dreading Crochet hook to do this. Push the hook through the dread, grab the loose hairs and pull them back into the dread. Loose hairs can also be snipped off with scissors. This however, can cause the extesnsions to become a little scratchy.

*** WARNING: Whilst shortening is possible, it is difficult to achieve a tight seal after cutting backcombed & twisted dreadlock extensions. The dreadlock may loosen and then require more regular maintenance. Proceed with caution. ***

Start by practicing on just one dreadlock extension to make sure you are happy with the result before moving on to the others. It is difficult to taper them off into a thin point like they are when you receive them. The ends also tend to be looser once shortened which means they will require more maintenance.

To shorten, cut the extensions to the desired length. Now pull the hair out and down at the end of the dread. Once you have pulled out a bit of length, twist it back up to create the tappered off end. Hold the end to keep the twist in place and then put a fairly damp cloth over the end. Now apply the hair straightener over the washer, sliding it down the section of dread and the steam created will reseal the ends. You can then remove the washer and apply the hair straightener directly to the very end of the dread. Move quickly, leaving the hair straightener on for less than a second as it is very easy to singe and melt the hair fibres.

* Please note we only accept returns if the extensions are unused and in their original condition **