{{unreferenced, date=September 2017 Woman with cyberlocks in hair

Synthetic dreads, also called dread extensions, dread falls, and cyberlocks, are interlocked coils of synthetic hair, mostly kanekalon, that give the look and feel of natural

dreadlocks Dreadlocks, also known as locs or dreads, are rope-like strands of hair formed by locking or braiding hair. Origins Some of the earliest depictions of dreadlocks date back as far as 1600–1500 BCE in the Minoan Civilization, one of Europ ...

without the commitment or maintenance. They are mainly worn as a

fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fash ...

statement for the subculture of

cybergoth Cybergoth is a subculture that derives from elements of goth, raver, rivethead and cyberpunk fashion. Opinion differs as to whether cybergoth has the requisite complexity to constitute a subculture, with some commentators suggesting that it ...

. Mixed with both influences from

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...

and the United Kingdom's versions of

techno Techno is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally music production, produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central Drum beat, rhythm is typ ...

and other

electronic music Electronic music is a Music genre, genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or electronics, circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromech ...

, cybergoths tend to dress in bright colors,

neon light Neon lighting consists of brightly glowing, electrified glass tubes or bulbs that contain rarefied neon or other gases. Neon lights are a type of cold cathode gas-discharge light. A neon tube is a sealed glass tube with a metal electrode a ...

s, lots of

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...

, loud, or costume jewelry known as "kandi" and one of the most essential items is fake hair. Synthetic dreads or falls are most commonly seen in the cybergoth and cyberpunk fashion and are easily accessorized with

LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (cor ...

threads of light, yarn,

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...

, tubed crin, (more commonly known as Cyberlocks),

bead A bead is a small, decorative object that is formed in a variety of shapes and sizes of a material such as stone, bone, shell, glass, plastic, wood, or pearl and with a small hole for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under ...

s and more.

Categories of Synthetic Dreads

Dread Extensions

Dread extensions can be

braided Braided is a musical group consisting of Casey LeBlanc, Ashley Leitão, and Amber Fleury, who all competed on the third season of ''Canadian Idol'' in 2005. They are the third music group to come from an Idol show in the world, after Young Div ...

, sewn, or wrapped into natural hair. With proper maintenance extensions can last up to four months, sometimes longer depending on how fast the hair grows and creates looseness at the

scalp The scalp is the anatomical area bordered by the human face at the front, and by the neck at the sides and back. Structure The scalp is usually described as having five layers, which can conveniently be remembered as a mnemonic: * S: The s ...

. Dread extensions come in single and double ended. Single ended means the synthetic hair is created with the loop on the top so that natural hair can slide through and then be braided or wrapped onto the dread, then tied off with a

rubber band A rubber band (also known as an elastic band, gum band or lacky band) is a loop of rubber, usually ring or oval shaped, and commonly used to hold multiple objects together. The rubber band was patented in England on March 17, 1845 by Stephen P ...

or thread. Double ended is twice the length of a single and folded in half to create the look of "two dreads in one." Only one half of the dread is braided or wrapped into the hair while the other half hangs loose, giving a more realistic appearance because there is no braid at the top on half of the set.

Dread Falls

Dread Falls are single ended dreads looped onto a piece of

lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...

elastic Elastic is a word often used to describe or identify certain types of elastomer, elastic used in garments or stretchable fabrics. Elastic may also refer to: Alternative name * Rubber band, ring-shaped band of rubber used to hold objects togethe ...

. Falls are attached by pony tail or

pigtail A woman with long pigtails and braids. In the context of hairstyles, the usage of the term pigtail (or twin tail or twintail) shows considerable variation. The term may refer to a single braid, but is more frequently used in the plural ("pi ...

and range from short to long, and they are easily customizable. They are worn and removed with no damage or strain on natural hair. Many other materials can be used in either dreads or extensions such as tubed crin (cyberlocks), beads, yarn,

fiber optic An optical fiber, or optical fibre in Commonwealth English, is a flexible, transparency and translucency, transparent fiber made by Drawing (manufacturing), drawing glass (silica) or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a Hair ...

string lights, flat plastic in neon colors, etc. Some sets can be made entirely from wool. Wool dreads give a similar look to real dreads and are very soft. Wool can range in many colors that cannot be recreated in synthetic hair, and therefore they give a certain appeal to

s who tend to coordinate with a variety of colors.

Dread Styles

There are many different styles of dreads. Solid Coloured Dreads are made from a single coloured fibre. Candycane Dreads are made using two or more colours twisted together to give a candycane effect. Blended Dreads are made from a blend of different colours to create a more subtle tone. Transitional Dreads start in one colour and end with the tip being another colour. Natural Style Dreads are made from the same synthetic materials but resemble natural dreadlocks. Hairstyles Industrial music Re
soft-locs