Are dreads hard to take out after you do them? - Dreadlocks FAQ's
Dreads are not a hairstyle that you "take out" every night before bed, once they lock up it's a bit of work to remove them but it's not impossible either, in fact you can save almost all of your hair length.
A lot of people believe you have to shave your head to remove dreadlocks. This simply isn't true. Even mature dreadlocks can be combed out using Dread Zasta - a dreadlock removal product that helps you remove dreadlocks without cutting your hair.
If you're not interested in saving the hair you can cut your dreads short, not shaved, but short, probably around 3" or 4" and then comb them out from there.