Dreads.... from uber short to long

Well, I dont post all that often, and I know this wont be everybody's cup 'o tea, but I still wanted to share.... 

I've been doing my own hair extensions for several years now, and have done it all from human-hair wefts, to shrinkies, to braids. 

I've fallen in love with dreadlocks, and had super short ones, due to  losing a lot of my hair due to a severe allergic reaction, and having to cut it very short to minimize the devestation. That was two months ago, and I re-locked my hair about 3 weeks ago.  (I'm allergic to everything and anything!). My hair knots up really fast, which i was happy with, but it looked like I had devil's horns all over my head. I couldnt tie it back or anything because it was so short, so I took matters into my own hands.

(Please excuse the horrible pictures! My only excuse is that I'm bad at taking photos of myself, I'm not photogenic at all, and it was only about 9 in the a.m. when I took them)

Before:

I used two different shades of human hair.... a deep reddish-brown, (which I bleached to a pretty pinkish rose color), and a golden blond- some of which I used as is, and some which I also bleached to a more pale blond color. The length of all the hair I used was about 18 inches. I backcombed it like a maniac, and actually sewed it into my own dreads using human-hair "string" and a needle. These wont budge, and they should lock up just like normal human hair dreads.... and best of all: I can tie them back!

After:

It's real human hair, so it should just all knot up together.....  I shouldnt have to take it out ever, unless I feel I need a change.

As with all dreadlocks, there should be a considerable amount of "shrinkage" as all the locks tighten and mature. Within several months the locks that right now go past my shoulders will probably be many (even several) inches shorter then they are now.

Thanks for the kind words on the short locks. I liked them alot, but couldnt do anything with them, as far as taming them went.

I was finding I'd have to slap on a hat whenever I'd go out, just because I had dreads going every which way.... but mostly straight up in the air! No matter how I tried to "train" them to lie flat, the ones on top of my head wouldnt listen.