Dreadlock Installation
So, you’re thinking about getting dreadlocks…
People have many reasons for choosing to wear their hair in lokks: some cultural, some religious, some as a statement of alignment with the counter-culture, or a rejection of society’s expected beauty standards. And there are some who prefer lokks because they are easier to keep, for their hair type or lifestyle. We’re experienced in ALL TYPES of hair and approach our work with the utmost respect for your lokks and what they mean to you.
Whatever your reason for choosing dreadlocks, we welcome you here at Lokk Mechanics. We know you have a lot of questions before booking in, so let’s get stuck in to the most common questions below.
Top Knot, Dread-hawk, Drullet, Half-Head or Full?
Decisions, decisions…
What kind of method do you use?
We use the unparalleled Sista System™ method, pioneered by our very own founding ‘Sistas’, Nazy & Bonn.
“Got my dreads done today, awesome experience! The staff at Weirdsistas are the best and deliver the best results with no glues or waxes. Nazy & Bonn are super friendly and made the day that much better. Highly recommend them to anyone interested in getting dreadlocks done.”✩✩✩✩✩
— Matthew Billings
How much does it cost to get dreadlocks installed?
This depends on two factors: how long your hair is and how thick you would like your dreadlocks to be upon maturity. The longer your hair, and the thinner lokk size that you’re after, the longer the job will take.
Available sizes going from smallest to largest thickness are: micro-dreads, straw, pencil, texta, and (Australian) 5 cent coin.
We charge $120/hr, and we recommend coming in for a free, no-obligation, face-to-face consultation to give you a personalised quote but, broadly speaking, most jobs fall into these two categories:
FULL HEAD - $560
Pencil sized, shoulder length or above
+$100 for Straw sized
$100+ for longer than shoulder
TOP KNOT / HALF HEAD - $460
Pencil sized, shoulder length or above
+$100 for Straw sized
$100+ for longer than shoulder
**When booking in for an install, a non-refundable deposit of $100 is required to secure your booking, which will be put against the balance of your installation at checkout on the day of your appointment.**
We accept cash and credit card. Bank transfer and PayPal by special arrangement, and only if arranged prior to departing salon.
How long does it take to get dreads installed?
That depends on your hair; how long it is, how thick it is, and what size dread you are after. As a rule, the smaller the dread, the longer it takes to install. An average installation on someone with shoulder length hair in an average sized thickness (pencil) would take an average of 4-5 hours or more, depending on hair type and condition. Longer for thinner lokks or longer hair. There’s no doubt about it, dreadlocks are a labour of love!
Sweet as! I’m going to walk out of the salon on installation day looking like this:
Umm, sorry, no.
Dreadlocks take time to mature and thicken up. The good news is that with the Sista System, the maturation process is usually only around 6 months, instead of
1 year+, like many other methods.
What WILL my lokks look like on installation day, then??
They’ll look a little something like this!
Baby lokks will initially appear thinner than your requested size.
They’ll thicken up quickly over time (full maturity around 6 months after installation, but you will see a marked difference after 2-3 months) .
For an idea of how much (and how quickly!) your lokks will mature, have a look at the image below. You can see that a lot of expansion has already begun, and the lokks look well on their way to maturity even at 4 months. By 6-8 months (sometimes more, sometimes less) you can expect your lokks to be fully matted and mature.
Fab! I can’t wait to get dreads and never have to worry about doing my hair again!
That’s actually a common misconception. Dreadlocks need regular maintenace to continue to look their best, to pull in loose hairs and ensure lokks don’t join together at the base. Exactly how much maintenance, and how often? Read more below.
How often do I need to come in for maintenance?
Mature dreadlocks only need attention once every 3-6 months, depending on how fast your hair grows and how well they’re cared for at home.
New “baby” dreads will need more attention and maintenance to ensure they mature quickly and without problems. Dreadlocks that are not well maintained in the baby dread phase take much longer to mature and can even “un-dread” over time if not taken care of. They also tend to form more lumps and bumps, and can even matte into one giant nest against your scalp! Regular maintenance is essential to having a great head of dreads.
The maintenance schedule for new (baby) dreads* is recommended as follows:
First maintenance should be within 4 weeks of installation.
Second and subsequent maintenance sessions are recomended every 6 weeks until you hit the 6-month mark, or once your dreads reach maturity. Dreads will mature faster with regular maintenance and by making sure you only use dread friendly shampoo and product (especially LokkUp dread accelerator). This appointment, and each one after, typically take around 2 hours depending on length and thickness of dreads (longer for microdreads or long hair, shorter for top knots and very short hair). Both bases and lengths will be tidied and tightened up.
*PLEASE NOTE: Microdreads will require maintenance every fortnight until they have reached maturity, and once mature will require maintenance every 4-6 weeks.
Sounds good! Book me in!
We’re stoked that you are ready to join our tribe! Click the Book Now button below and be sure to select “Free Consultation” in the services drop down menu to make the first step toward your dreadlock journey.