Just let them do what they want. I've never heard of the tips dreading being a bad thing. Just make sure you keep them separated unless you don't really care. That's about as much as I can help ya.

Mine have been going from either end and dreading up from the tips and down from the root and I'm assuming they will be done once they meet somewhere in the middle. But I've never had a problem with my hair dreading this way, I think everyones hair is different because of texture and length, so I'd assume everyones hair dreads differently as well =] We're all unique and beautiful like the dreads on our heads! So I'd say let it happen and don't sweat it, I can't see it being bad =D
<3

I hate when people get their dreads naturally and think that everyone who gets them put in are fakin' it or somehting. It the same idea right? You wanted dread so you just stopped combing your hair. Both ways you're gonna get dreads and both ways its gonna take a while it just takes a little less time if you backcomb and wax them. You don't gotta laugh at people who get them put it. Try and be open minded and not think you're better than other people. Peace and Love.

My only concern with the tips locking is that they might be locking groups of hair together that will not be comfortable once the dread climbs higher. Usually the hair clumped ina dread comes from one area of the scalp, you might be dreading hair from two very different places, which will start to pinch and pull at your scalp, and ene up being diffucult and uncomfortable in the long run. When you dread from the root down, you can avoid that and maintain them easier. Also, there's less chance of things snagging in them when you dread root down.

On a side note (don't worry, I'm not flaming you or anything) a lot of us did get our dreads done all at once, and that's why we mark the age of them thus. When you have dreads that were put in all at once, they kind of have milestones where they start doing certain things, and people like to compare how long they had their dreads before they started shrinking or locking really well or looking mature. It's just a different way to achieve the same result. And speaking for myself, I have to maintain a semi-clean look at work, so simply not brushing wan't an option for me. (I had long curly/wavy hair that looked crazy all by itself, with or without brushing.) If I wanted dreads, and oh, I wanted dreads, it was all or nothing. Just so you know where we are coming from. :)

this is kindof random, but i just had to throw in there how happy it made me reading this thread and seeing how respectfully everyone was treating each other. maybe i've been hanging around too many 'mean' tribes lately and forgot how nice it feels to see people act kind. its very refreshing. thank you.

Hello,

I don't understand why you'd start pulling apart the areas where your hair has begun to dread.. when dreaded hair is what you want! The end result will be the same if they start to lock from the roots, tips, or the middle.

Mine started locking from the middle, and I felt blessed to see 'em tightening up, wherever they saw fit!! As someone else mentioned, it's good to make sure that they keep divided into their own little sections so that you don't just end up with two huge dreads/clumps/masses of hair on your head... unless that is your desire, of course..

Even when people use the back-comb method, the hair still takes time to actually lock-up.. Whatever method everyone uses, I wish us all the nicest, tightest locks possible, happiness and fulfillment to all, however they choose to achieve it! :)