How to Crinkle Dreads

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 29, 2019

If you want to do something fun and different with your dread locks, crinkled locks may be a great look for you. The crinkled look is fun and a little quirky. It can be achieved simply by braiding your dreads and leaving the braids in place until they dry. After removing your braids, you will have a great head of crinkled dreads to show off.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Twisting Your First Three Strands

1
Start with damp hair. Dread locks should dry with the braids in place to help the crinkles set. Start by washing your hair as you normally would. When blow drying your hair, only get it about 80% dry. Go into the process with your hair just slightly damp.^{[1]
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2
Secure your hair with a large hair tie. Take an elastic hair tie big enough to fit around your head. Something like a sweatband or hair band works well. Pull the hair tie over your head so it rests around your neck. Then, push all of your dreads stuck under the hair tie out. Pull your hair tie upward, pushing all your dreads back as you go. When you're done, the hair tie should be loosely wrapped around your dreads, securing them away from your face.^{[2]
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- The hair tie does not need to be secured tightly. You're going to be removing three dreads from the tie at a time, so it's important it remains loose enough to easily remove your hair.
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3
Pull three dreads loose. One by one, carefully pull out three of your dreads from your hair tie. If you accidentally dislodged more than three dreads, simply push the unneeded dreads back into your hair tie.^{[3]
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4
Braid the dreads together. Take the three dreads you pulled out of your hair. Braid them together into a tight braid. When you're done, push the braid back under the hair tie.^{[4]
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- If you want, you can secure the braid with a hair tie. This may not be necessary for all dreads, as some hair tends to stay together on its own when braided.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Braiding the Remaining Dreads

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Braid three more dreads together. After braiding your first dread, pull three more dreads out of your hair tie. Braid these together, just like you did before, and then push the braid back underneath your hair tie.^{[5]
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2
Spray dreads with water to keep them damp. Keep removing three dreads from under your hair tie three at a time to braid them. If your dreads become dry with the passing of time, use a spray bottle filled with water. Spritz your dreads to get them slightly damp before continuing the braiding process.^{[6]
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3
Braid as many dreads as you want. The process of braiding your dreads can get lengthy, especially if you have a lot of hair. It can take as long as 35 to 40 minutes to braid all your dreads.^{[7]
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Research source} If you're short on time, consider only partially crinkling your dreads. Keep braiding until you have as many dreads as you want crinkled.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Drying and Removing the Braids

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Secure your braids with rubber bands. Many dreads are thick enough to stay braided on their own. However, if you notice any dreads becoming unbraided on the ends, loop a small rubber band or hair tie around the dreads. This should keep them in place.^{[8]
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2
Dry your dreads. Wait until your dreads are dry to remove the braids. Times vary depending on the thickness of your hair and dreads. For very crinkly dreads, you can leave the braids in place overnight or for a few days.^{[9]
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3
Remove the braids once your hair is dry. Remove the braids one by one. Take off any rubber bands and slowly detangle the dreads from one another. The dreads should all be crinkled slightly from drying while braided.^{[10]
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- If you want, you can mist your hair with a light layer of hairspray to keep the dreads in place.