You’ve probably wondered about this already. All you could make out from the available sources were just numbers, without any actual guidance, so you still haven’t got a clue, and only confirmed your uncertainty.

Don’t worry, it will be easy to get the right number if you consider the following.

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On which part of your head would you install dread extensions?

• You’re just getting to know wool dreads, so you’d only braid in a few dreadlocks in the back? Why don’t you try an accent set? In this case, we suggest starting with 10-15 dreads!
• Would you prefer a mohawk hairstyle or razor cuts on the sides? Great! Do you want it with, or without bangs? You’ll need between 30-50 dreads for this one!
• Want a full head install? Really, all over? Or are some areas left out? 50-70 locks should be enough.

2. How thick is your hair?

The thickness of your hair is an important factor, cause that’s what determines the sectioning. Sectioning is about how big a square/circle of your hair you will use for braiding each dreadlock.
Typically this is 2x2cm or 1x1 inch.

• If your hair is thin, it’s better to make the sections a little larger, which means that you’ll need slightly fewer dreads.
• If your hair is thick, then you can even make smaller sections, in which case you’ll need more dreads.

3. Will you have a double ended or single ended set?

• Single ended weigh even less than double ended. Let’s assume, that you plan to braid in a set of single ended dreads and the thickness of your hair is average. You can make somewhat smaller sections, so you will need more single ended, than the amount mentioned above.
• You can also choose to install a mixed set. Use double ended dreads to add volume and single ended ones for the sensitive areas of your scalp. In this case, consider an average count.

@boholucydreads How many single ended and double ended should you purchase if you prefer a mix set? #dreadlockshairstyle #installdreads #installdreadextension #dreadturial ♬ Natural Emotions - Muspace Lofi

4. How will you divide your hair?

Before you buy the dreads, you should also estimate how you will divide your hair. Sectioning is one of the key steps of installing the dreads.

• Sectioning is about how big a square/circle of your hair you will use for braiding each dreadlock.
• The point is to have an even look at the end, so try to divide your hair into equal sections, and decide the size of the sections based on the thickness of your hair. We usually divide our hair into 1 x 1 inch /2.5 cm x 2.5 cm or 2 cm x 2 cm/ sections.
• It is best to have the squares in adjacent rows overlap, to give a more natural look to your wool dreads. The division will not be too obvious, as they will cover each other.

To summarise, the general estimated dreadlocks you'll need:

• 5-15 dreads – for a custom set
• 20-40 dreads – for a mohawk
• 50-70 dreads – for a full head

Extra tip! Round upwards!

If you’re well experienced in the installation of dread extensions, don’t bother with this tip! However, if you still can’t get your braids done the same way even twice, then you should really listen to our advice!

You may have already guessed, that we want to suggest you get a couple of extra dreads, in addition to the quantity you calculated! Trying to get a dread everywhere from the quantity you’ve ordered when you’re already installing them, is not a challenge you’d want to try. But you can save yourself the trouble by simply rounding up the calculated amount a bit!