Short dreads work both as natural dreads from your own hair and as temporary sets. They can start from just 7 cm of hair, but they behave a little differently from long dreads: they are lighter, they stand up at first, and every frizzy hair at the roots is easier to see. Here is what to know before you make short dreads, with photos of recent work from the DaddyDread studio. The advice comes from Danila Deriabin, founder of DaddyDread, who has made dreads for more than 13 years.
How long your hair needs to be
For short dreads, 7 cm of hair is enough. This applies to dreads made from your own hair and to temporary sets, and it makes no difference whether you choose DE dreads or SE dreads.
If you plan to lengthen your dreads later, let your hair grow a little more: 7–10 cm, and 10 cm is better. The shorter the hair, the closer to the root all the work is done, and the more the extension is felt.
Why short dreads stick out at first
Short dreads are light. There is no weight to pull them down, so at first they lift and stick out a little. Keep this in mind when you make them, both with a set and with dreads from your own hair.
For short natural dreads from your own hair there is a simple trick: wear a durag at night. This snug head wrap helps the dreads take shape and point downwards, so they settle faster and start to hang like ordinary hair.
Thin dreads lie down faster
If you want short dreads that lie flat and move like hair from the first days, make them thin. For short dreads Danila recommends a thickness of up to 0.5 cm, 0.4–0.5 cm at most. The thicker the dread, the stiffer it is, which is why short dreads are usually made thin.
Short dreads need a bit more care
Over time every dread frizzes a little at the base, right at the scalp: temporary dreads at the attachment, natural dreads at the roots. On long dreads this is hardly noticed, because the eye goes to the length. On short dreads the attention is on the scalp and the roots, so stray hairs there are easier to see.
That is why short dreads need regular root care. How to keep the roots neat with root felting and a crochet hook is explained in our guide on how to retwist dreads.
Example: 107 natural dreads on the crown
A recent studio job: natural dreads made from the client’s own thick hair on the crown, 107 dreads in total.
Short natural dreads with an undercut
Short dreads also work when only the top of the head is dreaded and the sides are cut short.
Temporary short dreads
Not ready for natural dreads? Temporary DE dreads give a short look too, and after 1.5–2 months they come out again.
Human hair dread extensions come in standard lengths from 25 to 60 cm, and any length from 5 to 120 cm can be made to order. See all natural dreads.
