Outside of being regarded one of the biggest reggae musicians Damian Marley dreads continue to be a talking point as they are one of the longest pair of dreads today. His dreadlocks form a huge part of his personal brand, identity, and religious beliefs.
Currently measured at 130cm+, Damian has revealed in interviews the constant need to trim them occasionally, so they don’t touch the floor, crazy!
Hair at this length is normally seen on elders in their 80s with dreadlocks which is proof of his fast hair growth. Let’s take a detailed look at his dreadlocks.
How & when did Damian Marley Dreads Start?
How: Like his father Bob Marley, Damian’s hair was started by the freeform method which allows hair to grow after it has been twisted with little to no manipulation.
When: In an interview with Vlad TV Damian revealed his dreadlocks began around 1996 at the age of 18 years old and from the image above its clear to see how fast they matured within a one year period.
Why: Damian Marley grew his dreadlocks due to the influence of his father Bob Marley and the surrounding Rastafarian culture in Jamaica.
Bob Marley dreads have been well documented after his death and continue to influence the masses especially his sons who all have dreadlocks.
Detailed Look
During the interview with Vlad TV Damian explained his journey around adopting Rastafarian culture as well as growing his dreadlocks for over 20years. He also deemed it being necessary to trim his hair as it drags on the floor.
Damian Marley Dreads Gallery
Curls
During his transitional period from loose curls to dreadlocks we saw Damian begin to embrace Rastafarian culture which would explain his hair change.
With his mother Cindy being Caucasian, his natural hair type looks to be 3A or 3B during this time.
In addition to this we also have music visuals for the song searching which features a young Damian at the time whose hair can be seen in the curls.
Shoulder Length
Only a year after the transition and Damian’s dreads had matured and locked fast. From the period of 97 to 98 his hair had become relatively long and touched his shoulders.
While Bob Marley started his dreads on a small afro Damian already had a lot of hair which gave him a head start further influencing the speed of his dreadlock growth.
Long Dreads (Current Look)
Whilst Damian is the youngest of his sibling’s he has the longest dreadlocks out of them all, even surpassing his father’s length.
As Damian revealed in the interview to maintain hygiene and for practical reasons, he often shaves a few inches of his hair!
Whilst he has decades of growth under his belt, he continues to ensure they are healthy and well looked after.
Do your research if you want similar Dreads
While there is a lot of conflicting information with regards to dreadlocks, we still advise you to do research. The most important things at the initial stage will be to watch videos online and make notes of the peoples dreads you admire.
We should also mention that its best you avoid placing any colour or bleach in your hair for the first few months as your hair begins to develop.
Talk to a loctician and get a Consultation
Whilst we know freeform dreads don’t require much to start as a simple sponge twist and leaving them can begin the process, we still advise you speak to a professional who will access the health of your hair and wash if nothing else.
During the consultations locitians will be able to have a closer look at your hair type, discuss the freeform process, products to use and avoid.
Ensure you save the images of your desired style to your loctician and explain what you’re looking for.
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