Dread Soap and New Services Update

Okay.... so this might seem totally lame, but I have a bunch of things I wanted to post about on my Dread Queen facebook page, but don't want to post them all as big, long status messages! So, I am going to post about it here and post the link to the facebook page.

For those of you who regularly follow The Dread Queen on facebook, you already know that I had made preliminary plans to start making and selling dreadlock shampoo bars. I was hoping to acquire most of what I needed on my vacation this past week and start cooking it up in the next couple of weeks. Unfortunately, a lot of vendors that usually went to the festival have gone bankrupt or couldn't afford to attend the festival we were attending. So, that means I couldn't acquire everything I needed. There was ONE vendor who had SOME of what I needed, but it was insanely expensive, so I am going to wait until my friend, Dawna, places a wholesale order that I can piggyback onto. Frugality for the win.

In other news, I am vaguely considering offering dread wraps and/or synthetic dreadlocks, but these are very much in the planning stage and I am still learning about them. A big part of whether or not I will go ahead with doing so will depend on if there is enough interest in it. SO, if you would be interested in dread/hair wraps OR synthetic dreads PLEASE let me know either here or on The Dread Queen Facebook Page.

A few quick questions and answers about synthetic dreads for those interested: (If you have any not listed here PLEASE ask, as your questions will enable me to learn more about them as well!)

Q: What are synthetic dreads made out of?

A: Synthetic dreads, or most synthetic dreads, are made out of kankelon fiber (plastic, basically) that is backcombed and then 'sealed' to enable them to hold their shape.

Q: Why would someone want synthetic dreads rather than regular dreadlocks?

A: Synthetic dreads, unlike regular dreadlocks, are designed to be temporary. Whether you want to wear them for a weekend or a couple of months, after you are done with them you simply take them out. The cool part is that you can save the dreads and have them put it again (or do it yourself) later.

Q: How long do synthetic dreads last?

A: They can last as long as 3 months or so, but how long they last often depends on how fast your hair grows, as the dread will tend to slip down the length of the dread and give them an odd appearance at the root.

Q: Are synthetic dreads easy to remove?

A: They are pretty much just braided in. It might be a little difficult, especially if you've had them in for a couple months, as the hair may have started to knot with the kankelon fibers, but with a little patience they should come out quite easily.

Q: Can you wash synthetic dreads?

A: Absolutely, but the dreads themselves don't really need washing. What you need to focus on is your scalp and the hair that is braided at the top of the synthetic dread(s). Just like regular dreadlocks, you should NEVER use conditioner as this can make the hair braided into the synthetic dread slippery and make the dread slip out giving the appearance of grown-out roots prematurely.


If I receive enough interest in the synthetic dreads, the first step will be to acquire a guinea pig on whom to test the placement of synthetic dreads. It looks easy enough, but I will have to make and place them for the first time to give it a shot. The person who has it done will only be expect to cover the cost of the materials (kankelon fiber... which is quite cheap) and pay an inexpensive rate of only $10/hr (I would expect it to take 4-6 hours...) So if you're interested in synthetic dreads and want to be my guinea pig let me know! LOL

Also, a more definite, new service offering is that of TATTOO DESIGN. I have been designing tattoos for friends for some time and have decided to make more of an effort to do it on a more professional level. I LOVE designing tattoos. It makes me so humble and excited to see someone with artwork created originally by me inked permanently on their skin. So, if you love tattoos and have a design floating around in your head that you can't quite convey properly on paper, please let me help you acquire the tattoo you've been dreaming of!

Black and white designs are $2/sq inch and colored designs $3/sq inch. For some examples of my work you can check out The Dread Queen Tattoo Designs Album on facebook, or my deviantArt page.

Blessings!

~ Amy (A.K.A. The Dread Queen/Knotty Mama)

0 Response to "Dread Soap and New Services Update"

Post a Comment