Dreadlocks

"Natty dread, natty dread now
A dreadlock congo bongo I
Natty dreadlock in a babylon
Roots natty roots natty"

Natty Dread by Allen Cole & Rita Marley

Dreadlocks, also called locks or dreads, are heavy matted coils of hair which form by themselves eventually fusing together to form a single dread. This is possible in all hair types, if the hair is allowed to grow naturally without combing or using conditioner for a long period of time. However, they can also be intentionally formed as well through backcombing the hair into dreadlocks (or more commonly in the Americas and West-Indies by twisting). Because of the variety of different hair textures, there is a variety of methods used to encourage the formation of locks such as "backcombing" sections of the hair with a holding wax, and a process involving the weaving of the hair with a crochet needle to form knots.

Dreadlocks are associated most closely with the Rastafari movement, but people from many groups in history have worn them, including the Hindu Shiva worshippers of India, wealthy members of ancient Egyptian society and some pre-Christian European peoples.

Wikipedia