Our handcrafted dreadlocks are made from high-quality human hair and can be used to seamlessly and permanently extend your existing locs. Some of our range also come with a loop so that they can be temporarily braided in. They are a crocheted to perfection and are initially very uniform but with wear and shampooing etc, they will evolve by becoming softer, more flexible and natural in their appearance, blending in beautifully with your own.

Human hair extensions are sanitised, colour treated and may come from various sources. For this reason, they may require additional conditioning to ensure the hair remains healthy and hydrated. We recommended the use of Dread Empire's Conditioning Spray and Quench Conditioning Oils which deliver nutrients, restore hydration and doesn't interfere with the locking process.

*A special note about the Mermaid Dreadlocks: The long loose tails of the Mermaid dreadlocks may need additional attention with light weight conditioners and regular gentle finger combing to keep the hair loose and in good condition. The lighter colours in particular, have undergone more rigorous processing and are prone to dehydration. Dread Empire's light weight Conditioning Spray is a good conditioner for the tails and and we recommend avoiding heavy conditioners and oils as these can cause the hair to matte up.

Shampoo your dreadlock extensions as normal - we offer a huge range of Dread Empire shampoos which are organic, deeply cleaning and will leave your dreads tight and healthy. Loose hairs will escape from your dreadlocks from time to time and particularly after shampooing. Use a 0.6mm hook to pull the loose hair back into the dreadlocks. Palm roll regularly with downward pressure to help shape the dreads and minimise excessive shrinking.

Being 100% human hair, our dreadlock extensions can be dyed and below images showcase some of the colour transformations undertaken by our customers. Please note, that we do caution that achieving consistent results can sometimes be difficult when colouring extensions as they have previously been lightened, dyed and may come from various sources. We recommend seeking advice from a colour specialist and always test your colour on one dreadlock first to ensure you're happy with the results. Our human hair dreadlocks also respond well to purple toners and shampoos to neutralise any yellow or brassy undertones. Purple products and hair dyes can be quite dehydrating so to ensure the hair health is maintained, please use dreadlock specific conditioners as necessary.

* A special note for the Mermaid Dreadlocks: We do not recommend dying or toning our Human Hair Mermaid locs but should you wish to pursue this, please read this section carefully.

Achieving consistent results can be challenging with any human hair extensions, especially Mermaid Locs due to the previous colour processing, chemical sanitation and curling process involved in their production.

Purple toners and shampoos can be quite drying and whilst generally, this is not an issue for the dreaded part, the deterioration of the undreaded mermaid tails may become evident.  It’s important to use a highly moistourising purple toner and if necessary, ensure further conditioning is applied after toning.

Please also note that the chemicals in some hair colours can break down the small amount of hair extension glue inserted at the bottom of the dreaded part to stop the tails from shedding. If you do proceed with colour/toning, we recommend you use a fine needle to insert a small amount of glue into the end of the dreaded part after colouring.

Always test any colouring or toning on one dreadlock first to ensure you are happy with the results before proceeding.

RETURNS / REFUNDS: Dreadlock extensions which have been dyed and are not in their original condition will not be eligible for refunds or returns. Please refer to the product listing for all information pertaining to returns.

We are in the process of transitioning our core range of human hair extensions to having both ends open and undreaded as this is preferred for attachment. Some of our range still comes with one end blunt and the other undreaded and either end can be used for attachment. Our human hair ombre colour range and our Mermaid range both come with a loop at the top - this makes temporary installation by braiding them into your regular hair easy but you can also cut off the loop if you would like to permanently crochet them into your own dreadlocks.

The exact installation method will vary depending if you are working with a blunt end or an open end of the extension. Essentially, we want to create a 1-2 inch overlap with the end of your own dreadlock and the top of the extension.

Blunt End Installation: Fan out the end of your own dreadlock teasing the hair between your fingers as much as possible. Now nestle the blunt top of the extension in this fanned out section and use a 0.6mm crochet hook too pull the loose teased hair from the end of your dread into and around the top of the dreadlock extension.

Open End Installation: Tease up the top of the extension and the bottom of your own dreadlocks by rubbing the loose hair between your finger tips. Now blend the loose, teased hair together as much as possible and use a crochet hook to start knotting this hair together. Initially, you can be quite rigorous moving the hook back and forth but as the loose section starts to become more condensed, slow down and be more intentional ensuring you are evenly working the section, rotating the dread and work up and down the join whilst you continue to use the hook to pull loose hairs into the join.

Tips: A 0.6mm Crochet Hook is perfect for attaching extensions and we recommend having a small amount of Dread Dust on your finger tips when teasing the hair for easier knot formation.

The below video demonstrates attachment using a crocheted synthetic extension however, the same principle applies when attaching a human hair extension.

If your hair is short to shoulder length, rather than dreading your own hair completely first and then attaching the extensions, as an atlernative method, you may wish to dread your own hair and attach the extension at the same time - this is best suited for using the blunt end of the extension. This video by @mommy_got_lash and @DreadlocksByMuffins demonstrates just how to do this using our human hair dreadlock extensions. 

Step 1: Section hair. 

Step 2: Backcomb a section of hair and open up the middle to create a nest like shape. Dread Combs are available here. The Dread Dust may also come in handy at this point as it texturises the hair, gives the comb something to grip to and makes the backcombing and knotting much easier. Only a small amount of Dread Dust is needed and this can be applied by sprinkling the Dust onto a hard surface, press your finger tips into it and run the Dust through the your hair before backcombing. 

Step 3: Nestle the extension in the nest of backcombed hair and spread the backcombed hair around the extension. Use a crochet hook to then draw the loose backcombed hair into the extension. This will effectively join the extension to your own hair. Continue crocheting down to the base in order to condense the backcombed hair and form the dread.

Our Mermaid and Ombre Human Hair range come with a loop at the top for easy braid in installation. Our core range of dreadlocks will either have a blunt end or both ends will be open and undreaded. If both ends are open then you'll need to blunt one end first by teasing up the loose ends and using a crochet hook to pull this hair back into the end of the dreadlock. A little Dread Dust on your finger tips will make teasing up the hair effortless.

Once you have a blunt end, use a thick needle to create a small hole that can be used as a loop as demonstrated in the video below.

The below video demonstrates how to braid in a single ended dreadlock extension: