Synthetic Dreadlocks and Their Emotional Power Explained

A few years ago, if you had told her that a hairstyle could change her life, she would have smiled, nodded politely, and quickly changed the subject. Not because she was rude, but because, seriously….

How can a hairstyle have that much power?

Back then, she wasn’t thinking about transformation or healing or reclaiming anything. She was thinking about getting through the week. About keeping it together. About looking decent enough to pass through the day without drawing too much attention.

Hair was just hair. Something to brush, tie back, or tame before heading out. It wasn’t something she connected with. Definitely not something that carried meaning.

She didn’t realise how much she’d been holding herself back.
Or how much of herself she had muted in the name of being age appropriate, agreeable, invisible.

But all of that started to shift with one choice.

And it wasn’t a radical move or a trend.
But something started bubbling up inside her. It wasn’t loud or urgent. It was more like a quiet craving for something she couldn’t name. 

A thought that circled back every time she passed a mirror or got dressed. 

A question she wasn’t ready to ask.

She found herself scrolling more. Late at night. When the house was quiet and no one needed her. Pinterest. Instagram. Anywhere she could find photos of women wearing synthetic dreadlocks.

What she loved wasn’t just the hair. It was the energy. They looked like women who had stopped waiting. Women who showed up for themselves. Women who weren’t hiding.

They weren’t loud or flashy. They were just rooted. Present. Free in a way she hadn’t felt in years.

She didn’t tell anyone. She just kept saving pins and quietly wondering.

What would it feel like to look in the mirror and actually recognise myself?

Eventually, she finally gathered the courage to order her first set of dreadlocks. She told herself it was just a style choice. Something easier. Something fun.

But deep down, she knew.

This wasn’t about making mornings easier. This was about giving herself permission to show up in a new way.

She couldn’t explain it easily. It wasn’t about looking “better.” It wasn’t about chasing youth or attention. It was about feeling true.

Her shoulders relaxed.
Her eyes softened.
There was a lightness that wasn’t there before.

And it wasn’t because the dreadlocks were magical. It was because they marked a decision that she took for herself… an intentional moment where she stopped following the rules that never really felt like hers.

She realised she’d spent years trying to be agreeable. Pleasant. Palatable.

Dreadlocks? They don’t play that game. They don’t blend in. They don’t try to be invisible. They frame your face and make you look at yourself.

And the more she looked, the more she saw someone she actually liked.

It took time. It wasn’t instant confidence or overnight healing. But little by little, she began to shift. Her routines changed. Her energy changed. She started to make choices that felt softer, slower, more nourishing.

She used to rush through haircare. Shampoo, conditioner, tie it back, move on. But now? Now she lingers. She carves out time in the morning or before bed to care for her crown. To touch each strand. To notice her own hands.

She reaches for her Crown Nectar, working it from scalp to strand. She mists on the Cooling Veil , letting that soothing, anti-itch tingle melt the tension away. She separates her strands with care. Allows them to mature. Breathe. Settle.

Sometimes there’s tea involved. A little music. A deep breath. Not because she has to, but because it feels good to do something just for her.

This isn’t just haircare anymore. It’s presence. It’s connection. It’s healing.

And that reflection? It didn’t scare her anymore.

She no longer felt the need to fix it, smooth it down, or edit it. Loose strands stopped feeling like a problem. They started to feel like softness. Her features didn’t need to be framed or balanced or styled. They just needed to be seen with kindness.

There’s a kind of power that comes from seeing yourself clearly…

Not apologizing. 
Not toning it down.
Not asking, “Is this too much?”

Instead, she started asking different questions:
“Does this feel like me?”
“Do I feel held?”
“Am I being honest with myself?”

The more she showed up for that version of herself, the more peace she felt.

She didn’t expect dreadlocks to do all this. She thought it would be about saving time in the mornings. But it turned into something much bigger.

It turned into a conversation between her inner world and the outer one.

Because every time she touched her hair, every time she caught her reflection, every time someone complimented her or gave her a curious look, it reminded her—she had chosen this. Not for approval. Not to fit in. But for herself.

She was allowed to choose herself.

That’s what changed. Not her appearance. Not her style.
Her permission.

She gave herself permission to soften.
To slow down.
To stop performing.

And in that permission, she found something she hadn’t felt in years: peace.

It was quiet. It wasn’t dramatic. But it was real.

That’s what healing looks like, sometimes. Not a big breakthrough. Not a perfect transformation. Just the soft, steady return to yourself.

One strand at a time.

Curious what that kind of shift can look like in real time?
You can watch a full dreadlock installation from bare roots to beautiful crown, over on our Youtube channel here! 

Wanna see some amazing transformations from women who started their journey with Wildcrafted Beauty?

We’ve got tons of images from wildcrafted women who simply stopped waiting!