Install & Care Guide
If you can braid, you can do this.
This is the same way we install dreads in the studio, and it is easier than it looks. Ellie taught her husband, who had never braided hair in his life, to do a whole head in about 45 minutes. If he can, you can.
In the video we install on someone else, and a second pair of hands makes the back rows easier. Plenty of our Hippies also install their own at home with a mirror and a little patience. Either way works.
Prefer to watch first?
See Ellie install a full set, start to finish, in about 5 minutes.
There is really only one ruleKeep it tight at the scalp. As long as the top of each braid is tight, your dreads will not slide out. Everything else is just repeating the same simple move across your head.
Before you start
- Your Dreadful Hippie dreads.
- A couple of claw or jaw clips, to twist the rest of your hair up out of the way.
- A handful of small rubber bands. We just grab ours from Sally's.
- A mirror, and ideally a friend for the back rows.
- Start with clean, dry hair, at least 3 inches long.
- Take your rings off so you do not snag the hair while you braid.
- Get comfortable. Tilting your head down, or having a friend work from behind, drops the nape of your neck right into reach.
Most full heads use 9 to 12 packs (Ellie wears 12 for a fuller look). A partial is usually 4 to 8 packs, and a peekaboo or a few accents is 1 to 3 packs. Each pack is 5 dreads.
Install, step by step
1
Clip everything up and leave the nape free
Twist all of your hair into a high bun and clip it up out of the way. Leave just a thin row of hair loose at the nape of your neck. You build from the bottom up, so only the row you are working on should ever hang free.
2
Take a small section and pick your dread
Part off a small section of the loose hair at your nape. Down here at the bottom, plan on only about three or four dreads across, in bigger, chunkier sections. Grab one dread. If you want it to hang a little longer, hold it so one side is longer than the other before you braid it in. We usually keep them even and not too thick.
3
Braid the dread in as the third strand
Split your little section of hair into two pieces. Lay the dread flat against your scalp so it becomes the third piece of a three-strand braid. Hold it tight to the scalp and start braiding right at the root.
4
Keep it tight at the top
This is the whole secret. As long as the very top of the braid is tight against your scalp, the dread will not slide out. Pull snug and keep that tension going.
5
Braid down one side, then tie it off
Braid all the way down to the bottom. You only braid down one side of the dread. You do not need to braid the back side, and it still will not come out. At the bottom, tie the braid off with a small rubber band.
6
Work all along the bottom row
Take the next small section, braid in the next dread, tie it off, and keep going until your whole bottom row is finished.
7
Drop the next row and stagger it
Let down the next horizontal section of hair just above the row you finished, and clip the rest back up. Place this row's dreads in between the dreads of the row below, staggered, not stacked right on top. Staggering is what keeps you from getting gaps and bald spots.
8
Work your way up, lighter on top
Ellie's rule of thumb: keep bigger chunks and fewer dreads down low, and add more dreads as you move up. It spreads the weight evenly so your head is not pulled back and your neck stays comfortable. Too much weight on the bottom pulls your head back and gets uncomfortable.
9
At the crown, go smaller
Once you reach the top of your head, switch to smaller sections, about the width of the top of your thumb, then about half that. Smaller sections up top means fewer gaps.
10
Fill it in, and you're done
Keep going until your head is full and finish off the last sections. That is it. That is as easy as it is.
Make it yours: accent strands and vivids
Your Vivid Accent Pack is pure play. The same braid-in move works for a few bright strands, and they go in and come out whenever you want a new vibe.
Peekaboo. Tuck a few bright strands underneath, so the color flashes only when you move.
Money-piece. Frame your face with a couple of vivid accents up front.
Scattered accents. A handful of bright strands woven through, easy to take out anytime.
One set, two personalities: keep your roots natural, then add color when you feel extra.
Caring for your dreads while they are in
- Wash your scalp and hair like normal with shampoo. Skip conditioner while the dreads are in.
- Air dry or blow dry, whichever you like.
- Swimming is fine. Just rinse or wash your hair after salt water or chlorine.
Taking them out and wearing them again
When you are ready for a new look, snip the rubber band and gently unbraid each dread from the bottom up. Give your dreads a deep clean after you take them out, and let them dry fully before you store them.
Cared for this way, your dreads are reusable, so the set you love is ready whenever you want to wear it again.
As your own hair grows, the braided roots slowly loosen over the weeks. When a dread starts to slip, just take that one out and braid it back in. Because your set is reusable, keeping your roots fresh never means buying new hair.
If your shade or fit is not quite right
You do not need an exact match for your dreads to blend beautifully, so choose the colors you love. If something is not right when your order arrives, message us within 24 hours of delivery to start an exchange. Check your shade the day it lands, because used dreads cannot be refunded or exchanged.
Need a hand?
Want a second opinion on color? Book a free virtual consultation and bring photos in natural light. We will help you find the shade that feels like you, no upsell.
Book a free consultationLocal to Provo? Let Ellie do the whole thing for you. Book an in-person install.
Book an in-person installAnything else? Email info@dreadfullhippie.com and a real person on our team will help.
You've got this. Welcome back to your dream hair.