According to my hairdresser, whose birthday gift a couple of years ago to her teenage surfer son, was to help him start his dreds, there's more to it than just not washing your hair, especially for blonde-haired white kid. I don't remember the whole process, but basically you have to do something to break down the outer coating of each hair. And I've seen some very cute short dreds.

ANYWAY, I vote for shoe size on this one, if it won't hinder your functioning as you wish to in the circles in which you move in life: work, school, family, whatever.

Here's the thing: will you get to a point in your life when you can't do this thing with your hair and wish you had? After all, it's only hair, and if you don't like the new look, you can always change it back.