DREADLOCKS are the new perm in town. When my younger sister came home two weeks ago with dreadlocks as her new hair style, I looked at her and asked her if she knows what it entails to take care of that baggage on her head – of course she thought that once in a month trip to the saloon would suffice.

You are very wrong I told her, like many other people who rush to have dreadlocks as their new hair style, she had no idea that dreadlocks need very intensive care, failure to do so and one ends up rearing lice. Many men and women today have decided to go with the trend of dreadlocks, not knowing that as much as dreadlocks are called natural, the work involved in maintaining and growing them is so tedious.

Of course many people used to consider dreadlocks dirty and unkempt hairstyle for the Rastafarians. However, the increasing popularity of the style today has revealed just how healthy, versatile and attractive it can be.

Dreadlocks can be braided, curled, coloured, worn in an elegant chignon or pulled back into a classic ponytail. Dreadlocks can be neat and attractive enough to assimilate into professional environments if they are well kept and maintained.

From Whoopi Goldberg, James Blake to Lauryn Hill, all have managed to maintain their dreadlocks look for many years and proved that there is so much more to a person than just the hair. As much as many people have embraced the culture of growing dreads just like any other hairstyle, many more still do not appreciate what dreadlocks are often associated with. It is in this regard that a person ought to be very careful about the kind of message they want to send when they decide to keep dreadlocks.

Just as clothing can convey all sorts of information about you, so can your hair. Whether it’s short and sassy, long and lustrous, or somewhere in between, others can tell a lot about you from your hair -- including your approximate income, education level, and background, among other things. Proper grooming and current trends say you’re into details and up to date in your skills, even if your preferred hairstyle is dreadlocks.

Dreadlocks can be acceptable in most professions so long as they’re well kept and create a simple silhouette. No one objects to individual style -- so long as stays within the framework of the profession, and the hair should complement your skills; not draw attention away from them.