Dreadlocks and braids are back in style and how! The hairstyle that people thought only a handful could pull off, is getting increasingly popular. Something that has been considered niche, is today one of the most trending looks!
Ask why and Salman Mohsin, a dreadlocks artist in the city, says, “I have been seeing an increase in customers since 2019, and more so this year. People are more than happy to sport dreadlocks because they are low-maintenance. Your hair naturally becomes that when left untouched and unwashed over time. Now, who wouldn’t love low-maintenance?” He says it makes sense that people have been travelling up north, especially to places like Manali that have a lot of sadhus sporting this look. “That may or may not be some inspiration,” he laughs.
Jonty Jaiswal, an IT professional, says he looked his best with dreadlocks. “I had been wanting to get dreadlocks since forever. My love for it grew all the more ever since I became a fan of hip-hop artistes Bob Marley, Lil Wayne and the likes. However, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to pull it off.”
Jonty’s journey to finally going for it was a long one. A lot of work went into getting it right. He says, “First, I had to grow my hair long, that took me a lot of while, obviously. In the meantime, I began doing my research about dreadlocks. One can sure get extensions, but I wanted to get it done naturally. I was looking for a decent artiste, but I failed to find one in the city. I thought I might have to go to Goa. Then, one day, I went to get myself tattooed and the artiste there sported the hairstyle. That was motivation enough to try it. I met his stylist and finally got my dreadlocks!”
Jonty kept his hairstyle for almost a year, something that most tend to not do. “I chopped them off after that and just wasn’t patient enough to get another round of them,” he says. He adds that these locks have to be “twisted” every seven-eight months to be able to maintain them.
Karen Mario, a musician who teaches at Ekam school, rocked the box-braids look like a pro! “The entire process of getting it done was exciting. I had to sit through it for six-eight hours, but enjoyed every bit of it. My braids were brought in from Jamaica, over 40 of them, depending on the thickness of my hair. It made me look so different, classy and intense,” she says.
However, she took them off sooner than she had expected to keep them. “As stunning as they might make you look, they’re difficult to maintain. It made my scalp feel itchy, I could wash my hair only once a month and they made sleeping a little uneasy. But if you figure a way out through it, it’s something you should definitely try,” she adds.
Karen, who finds the process interesting, shares, “I have short hair, so I needed to use extensions. After they were added to my hair, the stylist placed my hair in a tub of hot water. What until then, what looked like fake hair turned soft and smooth, just like the texture of my own hair. That was a joy to watch!” Salman (jata.dhaari on Instagram) mentions that the entire process takes up to two-three days and costs around Rs 25,000 for eight-inch long hair.
What it takes
Cost: Rs 25,000 for 8-inch-long hair
Needs maintenance once every 3 months Doesn't require any specific products to maintain; a regular shampoo works just fine
The locks take longer to dry
Wax can be used to keep them in place
The hairstyle that people thought only a handful could pull off, is getting increasingly popular. We speak to folks who have rocked the hairstyle and dreadlock artists who share why it has been trending this year