Dread Extensions All Day Long!

May 7, 2013 | Shikote

These are two amazing examples of what dread extensions can do.

Stephanie has wanted dreads for years! This was so fun to make her vision come to life! Abbie, a local dreadie and artist, came to Grateful Dreads to help put in Stephanie’s dreads. We used extensions to add thickness to the ends and just a little length. The color match is amazing!

Yes Zach loves her dreads, but he’s really smiling because we’re done!

Stephanie’s dreads with extensions took 8 hours with 3 hours of help from Abbie. Thanks for coming in Stephanie! You and Zach are both great and very patient. We had a nice day!

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This next set of pictures are of Nicole. She came to Grateful Dreads from Chicago to have her dreads put back in. She had recently cut them off to try an A-line style and quickly knew it wasn’t for her. Nicole and her boyfriend arrived that morning, and Abbie and I were waiting.

Abbie and I doubled up on Nicole’s thick hair.

You can still see Nicole’s thick, short, A-line bob with just a few extensions at the bottom.

Nicole’s dreads with partial extensions took 8 hours with 4 hours of help from Abbie. Thank you so much Nicole for coming to Ann Arbor to get your dreads done! And thank you Abbie for helping!! This is a good thing all around!

Recent Photos at Grateful Dreads!

May 7, 2013 | Shikote

The salon has been very busy with lots of wonderful people with very beautiful hair! Spring is here, and the grounds are becoming green. These are some pictures of Grateful Dreads’ first visitors this Spring!

Veronica’s locks are really growing too! This is a great example of how dreads grow once they are tight. They grow really fast!

Everything about Brooklyn is totally cool! Look at her beautiful curly hair!

This is Angela’s first haircut to grow out her a-line bob. Very classy look!

Angela’s new look! Smoother with longer bangs and volume on top.

Thank you everyone for coming to the salon! I always enjoy our appointments!

Jen’s Graduation!

May 7, 2013 | Shikote

Graduation time in Ann Arbor is always amazing! There is such a feeling of accomplishment in the air! Jen just graduated with a U of M Masters degree! The downside of this is she’s moving, so her graduation appointment was also a farewell.

Jen, you are so cool and were one of my main supporters in the very beginning. You even helped to promote Grateful Dreads! Thank you for being such a wonderful person and congratulations on your success!! The world is your oyster! I’ll see you on one of your vistis back to Ann Arbor!

The many faces of Jen the Graduate:

Congratulations Jen!

Hunter!!

May 3, 2013 | Shikote

Hunter came to Grateful Dreads on one of the first beautiful spring days this season. We had a good time putting in her dreadlocks. Her hair was really perfect for them! We were even able to blunt her ends which is very rare in the beginning. Hunter’s dreads took me about 4 hours to put in. No wax. No rubberbands. Just her natural hair!

Happy Hippy Chic! Hunter’s new blonde dreads are totally cute!!!

Hunter really is the complete vision. Special thank you to Hunter and her peeps for the kind and happy company. Happy Spring everyone!!

Carlee’s New Dreads!

May 2, 2013June 4, 2015 | Shikote

Carlee was in for a session today. She was off to Haiti just hours after getting her new dreads!

Carly is off to Haiti in the morning with her new dreads!

Her scarf is perfect with her new pretty blonde locks!

Dylan was in later that day 🙂

Dylan likes to hang out at Grateful Dreads!

4-20 Dreads All Day!

April 30, 2013 | Shikote

Brigid, Hanna, and I started the day with Brigid’s dreads session. It took around four hours, and her hair created beautiful new dreads!!

The glass bead they put in her hair matches her shirt perfectly!

Glass dreadlock bead handblown by Becca Greene BITD. An amazing example of time travel!

Heather came later that afternoon, and we started her dreadlocks! Very different hair and locks than earlier in the day. Heather is an amazing yoga instructor in the area. I’m excited to watch her hair as the locks grow and mature!!

Happy Birthday Lion!

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Maeve and Freya

April 13, 2013 | Shikote

I love when dogs come to the salon! And I love when amazing people come to the salon!! So I really had fun when Maeve brought in Freya, and I got to pratice some braids in her hair. I’m really making progress with my braids endeavour!

First thing’s first. Freya is happy with her rawhide!

I love pictures of lots of hair in the shampoo bowl! This is a huge bowl!

Fun Hair From Last Week

April 13, 2013 | Shikote

The salon has been very busy! Hash Bash just happened, and we’ve been working out some new additions for Grateful Dreads in between doing some very fun and beautiful hair!!

A beautiful, smooth straight blonde hair cut

I love when people smile after I cut their hair!

The beautiful Amarylis is blooming!! I want to do someone’s hair like this!

Lane came for a quick dreads session. She looks amazing with her blonde and pink dreads!

Bright purple bangs with a naturally wavy haircut!

Jane and I have the same hair! I think I’ve invented a new way to cut our hair becuase we’re both loving her new cut, and it was very easy to do!!

Elizabeth’s Wedding!

April 13, 2013 | Shikote

Elizabeth, her bridesmaids, her make up artist, and myself all met at Grateful Dreads Saturday morning to get ready for her wedding at the Elk’s Lodge that night. What a fun bunch of ladies! These are some pics of us getting ready.

Ponytail extension, after. She looks a little like J Lo

We put her hair up into a trendy bun. Glam!!

One of Liz’s bridesmaids was here from San Diego and had these super cool trendy nails!

Thanks so much Liz for letting me be part of your fun wedding day!!

Caroline by Mike Frieseman

April 12, 2013 | Shikote

Photography by Mike Frieseman
Modeling and radiance by Caroline Rankin
Hair and Make up by Sandy for Grateful Dreads

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Mike really got some great shots!! I took some fun behind-the-scenes photos with my phone:

Meditation in the yoga studio while being photographed. This is the life!

I love all the colors on Caroline. And I really love that one curl that hangs down!

A cute updo shot. Caroline made the necklace she’s wearing. The blue stone is rare type of Jasper, and the darker stones in the front are lava rock.

Caroline came to the salon to get ready for the shoot. This is her before I did her hair and make up!

Spring is Here!

April 1, 2013 | Shikote

A first attempt at a waterfall braid. This person came to Grateful Dreads for eyebrow threading, and her red hair is so beautiful I couldn't resist braiding it! — A first attempt at a waterfall braid. This person came to Grateful Dreads for eyebrow threading, and her red hair is so beautiful I couldn’t resist braiding it!

Karen's hair is getting so long and pretty! — Karen’s hair is getting so long and pretty!

Tessa came for some tightening with her tips already bleached, so we made them purple, green, and turquoise! Jewel-toned dreads!! — Tessa drove from Sterling Heights to have her dreads fixed up. Her tips were already bleached, so we made them purple, green, and turquoise! Jewel-toned dreads!!

Jen's hair takes up the whole shampoo bowl! — Jen’s hair takes up the whole shampoo bowl!

She's been wearing her hair curly and taking care of it with nourishing products for a year now, and her hair has gotten so long and healthy!! — Jen’s been wearing her hair curly and taking care of it with nourishing products for a year now, and her hair has gotten so long and healthy!!

Veronica's freshly tightened dreads! Her dreads grow so fast and healthy. She really wears full dreads well! — Veronica’s freshly tightened dreads! Her dreads grow so fast and healthy. She really wears full dreads well!

Some new additions to Grateful Dreads. A beautiful flower from the landlord, and curtains made of handmade paper from Thailand.

The flower opened the next day. This is what it looks like! It's so pretty! — The flower opened the next day. This is what it looks like! It’s so pretty!

I love the way this flower looks with the new curtains!

Camellia,Naomi. and Aaliyah got to hang out while I did Shay's hair. Fun! — Camellia, Naomi. and Aaliyah got to hang out while I did Shay’s hair. Fun!

Christina came to in for some dreads. Just a few as accents. I have a feeling this is the start of something new and good!! — Christina came in for some dreads. Just a few as accents. I have a feeling this is the start of something new and good!!

These dreads look great and are a cool way to have dreads without doing your whole head.

Hash Bash is this coming weekend! I’ll be there passing out fliers and talking to people about Grateful Dreads. See you in the Diag!!!!

Alex’s Dreads After 5 Weeks

April 1, 2013 | Shikote

Alex came to Grateful Dreads about 5 weeks ago for new dreads. After around a month, new dreads will start to look fuzzy and like they are falling out. This is because the new dread work is tightening towards the center of each dreadlock. The tightening causes any shorter hairs to fall out at the roots and the ends to look longer. These pics are of Alex at his first tightening session about 5 weeks after we put in his dreads.

Alex’s new dreads look loose. The front section is freshly tightened!

He came in for a tightening session, and I workied in all the loose hairs, tightened his roots and ends, and put on some tightening gel by Knotty Boy. Before tightening, I washed Alex’s hair with a clarifying tea tree shampoo and separated any dreads that were stuck together.

Freshly tightened locks after 5 weeks! Alex looks great in dreads!

Thank you Alex!

Evereman at Start Gallery

March 20, 2013 | Shikote

I visited Start Gallery last weekend for haircuts and a showing of their latest exhibit Evereman. Evereman is originally from Atlanta. He is now in Detroit and creates new art that he and his crew hide somewhere in the city every Friday. Whoever finds the art gets to keep it! His exhibit at Start Gallery is his first major display in an art gallery. The colors and shapes are crisp and cool! Excellent use of minimal media!!

The sun was setting as I took the photos. I really love how the sun shines into the gallery!

Rachel and her new haircut. A queen in her castle!

A guest of the gallery getting some pics around Detroit.

I like that the gallery has smaller pieces for sale of each featured artist!

Thank you Jason and Rachel! I love coming to see you guys!

Love Your Hair!

March 18, 2013 | Shikote

I’ve worked on so many different hair types recently that I just can’t put them into a category except for happy clients who leave the salon with healthy hair that they love! I’ll let the pics tell the story:

I've been into braids. This is a dutch flower braid. — I’ve been into braids. This is an early attempt at a dutch flower braid.

Michelle came in for a haircut, and we added some blonde around her face. Her hair is blown out smooth here but has a very beautiful wavy natural texture!

Anna's got beautiful wavy hair too! She likes to straighten it, but I cut her hair wavy, so it will look amazing with it's natural texture as well. — Anna’s got beautiful wavy hair too! She likes to straighten it, but I cut her hair wavy, so it will look amazing with it’s natural texture as well.

Cora's freshly rolled locks — Cora’s freshly rolled locks!

Laura came for a cut with her friend from Cincinnati. It's official. Grateful Dreads is a destination spot! We talked a lot about hair products and regimens for curly and wavy hair. Happiness! — Laura came for a cut with her friend from Cincinnati. It’s official. Grateful Dreads is a destination spot! We talked a lot about hair products and regimens for curly and wavy hair. Happiness!

Sidney stopped by for a quick visit. Look at those beautiful dreads! She's had them slightly over 18 months. Thanks for coming by! I love when you visit! — Sidney stopped by for a quick visit. Look at those beautiful dreads! She’s had them slightly over 18 months. Thanks for coming by! I love when you visit!

Adam is a hip hop musician. He came for a cut. Still long but clean it up!

I love Adam's haircut. He's cutting up samples of his live music on his iPad! — I love Adam’s haircut. He’s cutting up samples of his live music on his iPad!

This is a very special set of pictures. Allison brought in her daughter to talk about her hair, and Camellia just happened to be in the salon. We got to work right away while talking about products and methods to care for Connie’s very curly, delicate hair!

Camellia helped with Connies hair strengthening treatment. So cute!!!

Connie went home to let the conditioning really soak into her hair. Her mom rinsed it out and combed through. Then they came back the next day with good results!

Connie's hair after some conditioning and a cute curly cut! — Connie’s hair after some conditioning and a cute curly cut!

I really love what I do!!

Diana

March 6, 2013 | Shikote

Diana Mellon, Mike Frieseman, and I got together for a small shoot inside Grateful Dreads. I put Diana’s hair in hot rollers and did her make up to be very soft and warm. Mike got some great shots!

These are some very beautiful pictures, and they really create an ambience. Romantic and clean. Very special thank you to both Mike and Diana!!!!!!

Alloy Ash Photographed by Steve Ragland for Grateful Dreads

March 6, 2013 | Shikote

Hair and wardrobe by Grateful Dreads.
Make up by Debbie Helinski.
All photos by Steve Ragland in Detroit.

aIMG_0008A1f — Alloy Ash wearing a dress by Fotoula Lambros Design