How Long Can Dreadlocks Get?

[Carl Fredrik Ahl]

Hi,

There is a growing phase of hair that is geneticly decided, however you can do things to make this phase last longer. It may be 7 years for one individual for example. In dreadlocks the hair that fall off (also an phase) will get stuck in the dreads and accumulate. Dreadlocks also grows lenght slower since the hair doesn't grow straight. Let's say your hairs growing phase last 7 years and you have saved for 4 years, then you want to get dreads. Will the dreads not be so long then?, because the dreads will first shrink and then after about 1 year start to grow for 2 years, or will the dreads get really long, like to the butt (or will it continue grow forever?), because the hair that falls off will accumulate in the dreads?

Edited September 11, 2019 by Carl Fredrik Ahl

[Ken Fabian]

Examples of extremely long hair are people whose hair follicles do not go through the normal shedding phase. But I suspect your surmise is correct, that because the shed hair doesn't fall away, the dreadlocks can continue to grow indefinitely. Or until baldness sets in.