Congo dreads are two or more dreads fuse to create one. You would notice the dread fusions at the roots, however, at the ends, the dreads will separate like spider legs. Congo dreads are popular amongst people with free-form dreads since they don’t control the way their dreads are grown.
Some people love congo and encourage them to grow in their hair while others try their best to separate before the congos are formed. I don’t have congos growing in my hair because my dreads are maintained and re-twist every three months. But for the people who want congos, here are some tips to help you get started.
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How To Encourage Congo Dreads?
Depending on the size of your dreads, you can take a rubber band or hair tie and wrap it around two or more dreads, about 1 inch away from the roots. The length of your dreadlocks will influence where you are placing the rubberband or tie and how much to use.
This is the easiest way to create congos without damaging your dreads. But remember to go back into your dreads and take out the ties to prevent your hair from growing around the congo. Combining dreads to create congo works better on semi-mature dreads, especially when there is frizz.
Making Congos With Crochet
We use this method for combining dreads, but it works for creating congos as well. By crocheting two dreads together about halfway (any desired length) and leaving the ends separated.
How To Separate Congo Dreads?
As I previously mentioned, not everyone wants congo dreads. It’s a normal process since during every dreadlocks journey you must separate your dreads at one point. You can pull the two dreads apart in the opposite direction and apply water if needed.
Pulling your dreads apart is both time-consuming, and it is very painful, especially at the roots, but it’s a common practice when re-twisting or separating dreads.
Once your congo is formed, there is no way you can separate them without damaging that loc. So make sure your decision is well taught of, before combining your dreads together. With that said, congos add character to your dreadlocks and with manipulated or natural congos your dreads can standout.
How long do Congos Take To Form?
This depends on the method you used to create your congo dreads, as it can take anywhere from a month to even three months. Also, your hair type plays an important role in how long your congo takes.
For instance, people with straighter hair type congo form faster than people with curlier hair since they have more loose hair that will eventually grow into one. With the rubber band method, you are forcing your hair to connect so this will turn into congo faster than free-form congos.
The Difference Between Free-form Congos and Manipulate Congos
There are few differences between free-form congos and manipulate ones. Apart from free-form is naturally grown while manipulate is using rubber-bands or crochet. Remember, if you leave your hair to congo on its own without pulling them apart you will have congos in your hair in places you may not like,
Compared to manipulate congo you create the design that suits you best and let it combined according to your preference. This is a good thing since the process is faster and you can mimic your favorite celebrity like Jay-Z’s perfect dreads.
