Hi Alex :)

I would really recommend waiting another couple inches before you begin...the thing about natural backcombed dreads, is that you will have some undreaded bits at the tips and roots to begin with, and if your hair's only 3", you're gonna run into problems. So, I would wait if I were you, or I guess if you are really depserate to begin, you could try rubberbanding both the tips and roots to keep the knots from sliding out...and you'd put the bands in soon as you've backcombed and palm-rolled.

Sectioning: Get your GF to start by getting a comb and seperating your hair into layers...like stripes going horizontally across and around your scalp. Then seperate them into a brick-like pattern, so it's not like a grid, but like 'bricks'. It's kinda hard to explain, but when you actually start doing it, is easy as!

You don;t need wax to dread...I've had 2 outa 3 sets minus wax, and mine are great...and have actualy tightened-up a LOT faster than the set I used wax on. When you start washing, you will have to be gentle...I've found a good method, is to fill your bathtub (not fully obviously) or a bucket or something with warm water. Add your dread shampoo and stir it in, use the dunking method with very gentle palm and fingertips to cleanse, then rinse with cold water. Squeeze em then air dry. Some people prefer a wet palm-rolling, some dry. It's up to you. But definitely follow up with palm-rolls! This is the one thing you really gotta keep ontop of with new 'natural' dreads...keep forcing them to mat! You'll also find that if you combine the backcombing with the pull n tangle method, natural dreads will be much easier to 'set'....the tangle n pull REALLY creates intense knots...

you'll be fine, and just remember we're always here! :))