Synthetic dreads
Encyclopedia
Synthetic dreads, also called dread extensions, dread falls, and cyberlocks, are interlocked coils of synthetic hair
, mostly kanekalon, that give the look and feel of natural dreadlocks
without the commitment or maintenance. They are mainly worn as a fashion
statement for the subculture of cybergoth
and cyberpunk
.
Cybergoth fashion and culture got its label in 1988 in the United Kingdom
based on science fiction
, and got its name from "Dark Future
", a miniwar game. Mixed with both influences from America
and the United Kingdom's versions of techno
and other electronic music
, cybergoths tend to dress in bright colors, neon lights, lots of plastic
, loud, or costume jewelry known as "kandi" and one of the most essential items is fake hair. Synthetic dreads or falls are most commonly seen in the cybergoth and cyberpunk fashion and are easily accessorized with LED
threads of light, yarn, wool
, tubed crin, (more commonly known as Cyberlocks,) bead
s and more.
, sewn, or wrapped into natural hair. With proper maintenance extensions can last up to 4 months, sometimes longer depending on how fast the hair grows and creates looseness at the scalp
. Dread extensions come in single and double ended. Single ended means the synthetic hair is created with the loop on the top so that natural hair can slide through and then be braided or wrapped onto the dread, then tied off with a rubber band
or thread.
Double ended is twice the length of a single and folded in half to create the look of "two dreads in one." Only one half of the dread is braided or wrapped into the hair while the other half hangs loose, giving a more realistic appearance because there is no braid at the top on half of the set.
or elastic
. Falls are attached by pony tail or pigtail and range from short to long, and they are easily customizable. They are worn and removed with no damage or strain on natural hair.
Many other materials can be used in either dreads or extensions such as tubed crin (cyberlocks), beads, yarn, fiber optic string lights, flat plastic in neon colors, etc. Some sets can be made entirely from wool.
Wool dreads give a similar look to real dreads and are very soft. Wool can range in many colors that cannot be recreated in synthetic hair, and therefore they give a certain appeal to cybergoth
s who tend to coordinate with a lot of different colors.
Hair
Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class....
, mostly kanekalon, that give the look and feel of natural dreadlocks
Dreadlocks
Dreadlocks, also called locks, a ras, dreads, "rasta" or Jata , are matted coils of hair. Dreadlocks are usually intentionally formed; because of the variety of different hair textures, various methods are used to encourage the formation of locks such as backcombing...
without the commitment or maintenance. They are mainly worn as a fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
statement for the subculture of cybergoth
Cybergoth
Cybergoth is a subculture that derives from elements of cyberpunk, goth, raver, and rivethead fashion. Unlike traditional goths, Cybergoths follow electronic dance music more often than rock.-History:...
and cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
.
Cybergoth fashion and culture got its label in 1988 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based on science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, and got its name from "Dark Future
Dark Future
Dark Future is a 1988 miniature wargame by Games Workshop. It is set in an alternate reality where the United States—and indeed the rest of the world—is falling apart. Society is going to ruins, and the natural laws of physics are breaking down...
", a miniwar game. Mixed with both influences from America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Kingdom's versions of techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
and other electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, cybergoths tend to dress in bright colors, neon lights, lots of plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
, loud, or costume jewelry known as "kandi" and one of the most essential items is fake hair. Synthetic dreads or falls are most commonly seen in the cybergoth and cyberpunk fashion and are easily accessorized with LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
threads of light, yarn, wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
, tubed crin, (more commonly known as Cyberlocks,) bead
Bead
A bead is a small, decorative object that is usually pierced for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under to over in diameter. A pair of beads made from Nassarius sea snail shells, approximately 100,000 years old, are thought to be the earliest known examples of jewellery. Beadwork...
s and more.
Dread Extensions
Dread extensions can be braidedBraid
A braid is a complex structure or pattern formed by intertwining three or more strands of flexible material such as textile fibres, wire, or human hair...
, sewn, or wrapped into natural hair. With proper maintenance extensions can last up to 4 months, sometimes longer depending on how fast the hair grows and creates looseness at the scalp
Scalp
The scalp is the anatomical area bordered by the face anteriorly and the neck to the sides and posteriorly.-Layers:It is usually described as having five layers, which can conveniently be remembered as a mnemonic:...
. Dread extensions come in single and double ended. Single ended means the synthetic hair is created with the loop on the top so that natural hair can slide through and then be braided or wrapped onto the dread, then tied off with a rubber band
Rubber band
A rubber band is a short length of rubber and latex formed in the shape of a loop and is commonly used to hold multiple objects together...
or thread.
Double ended is twice the length of a single and folded in half to create the look of "two dreads in one." Only one half of the dread is braided or wrapped into the hair while the other half hangs loose, giving a more realistic appearance because there is no braid at the top on half of the set.
Dread Falls
Dread Falls are single ended dreads looped onto a piece of laceLace
Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
or elastic
Elastomer
An elastomer is a polymer with the property of viscoelasticity , generally having notably low Young's modulus and high yield strain compared with other materials. The term, which is derived from elastic polymer, is often used interchangeably with the term rubber, although the latter is preferred...
. Falls are attached by pony tail or pigtail and range from short to long, and they are easily customizable. They are worn and removed with no damage or strain on natural hair.
Many other materials can be used in either dreads or extensions such as tubed crin (cyberlocks), beads, yarn, fiber optic string lights, flat plastic in neon colors, etc. Some sets can be made entirely from wool.
Wool dreads give a similar look to real dreads and are very soft. Wool can range in many colors that cannot be recreated in synthetic hair, and therefore they give a certain appeal to cybergoth
Cybergoth
Cybergoth is a subculture that derives from elements of cyberpunk, goth, raver, and rivethead fashion. Unlike traditional goths, Cybergoths follow electronic dance music more often than rock.-History:...
s who tend to coordinate with a lot of different colors.