Ever since I was little, I loved doing (my own) hair and experimenting with different hairstyles. Whatever I do, I can’t seem to shake this habit. My hands just start to itch and I need to get to work. My latest obsession has got me hooked…LITERALLY! Because for the past 3 months, I’ve proudly been rocking crochet braids!

Why? Well..lately I just can’t be bothered with doing my hair every single day. Especially with this Dutch rainy weather. So I’m full on protective styling this season! In this post I wanted to share how I achieve this hairstyle. And although this style has a lot of pro’s, I also cannot withhold the cons. So let’s get to it!

 

1. Installation

Let me first get this out of the way: what are crochet braids? Crochet braids are hair extensions that are literally crocheted into your own hair. First I cornrow my hair. I usually make about 10 rows, going straight back. Then I crochet extension hair into these cornrows using a latch hook tool.

• The hair I use for this style is Marley hair or Afro Braid hair. (I learned how crochet by watching tons of Youtube videos! You can do this too!)
•  Then, I brush out the extension hair. (If you’re going for a sleeker look, you can   also blow dry the hair lightly to make it straighter and less full. Now, you can leave the hair in its blow dried state (as shown in the picture on the left) OR you can proceed and create the curl you desire. 

*Excuse the ‘I just woke up-face’. I’m like a diesel motor…I need a moment to get my groove back. ;-)

 

 

2. Creating the curl

With my crochet braids, I have done two curl variations:

• Braid and curl: make ten to twelve simple braids. Twist the ends and put perm rods on the end of each braid. 
• Spiral curl: After brushing out (and blow drying) the hair, take medium size sections and twist the hair around a perm rod directly after. The bigger the section, the looser the curl.

3. Set the curl

• To set the curls, I boil some hot water and put a towel around my neck to protect myself from getting burned.
• Then I take a cup of hot water and dip each braid (or rod) in for 15 seconds.
• I carefully pull the braid out of the cup, blot it with my towel and let it cool off for a few minutes. (Remember, the hair is really hot!)

4. Style the hair

• I unravel the braid (or loosen the perm rod) and separate the hair. I noticed that curl separation goes more smoothly while the hair it is still a bit wet.
• When I’ve separated each braid or curl. I take my afro pick and fluff until I get the desired fullness. I personally like my hair to be a bit messy, so I take my ‘picking’ very seriously. ;-)

 

Result #1: Braid & Curl

This gives a messy fro-like appearance.

   

 

Result #2: Spiral Curls (on blow dried hair)

This gives a more sleek and polished curl.

 

*Little backstory on this pic: On november 7th, I was a member of the talkshow panel at the Party over Hair event in Holland. So much fun! After, I met make-up artist Santucha Liesdek, a.k.a. ‘Kluermoi’ on Youtube. You know we had to get our selfie on! ;-)

 

How do you sleep with crochet braids?

Well, every night I put my hair up (like a pineapple) and lightly tie a scarf around it. And…that is it! In the morning I take the scarf off and fluff the hair with my fingers. When I’m in need for extra volume, I take my afro pick and fluff the roots. Then I am good to go! Total ‘get ready-time’: 5 minutes!

 

Crochet braids pros:

It is safe to say, I have fallen for this easy hairstyle. Why you ask?

• It is easy to install. 
• This style is affordable. (I use 3 packs of hair, which go for 5 Euros a pack!)
• Marley hair or Afro braid hair has a coarse texture, so it matches (my) natural hair almost perfectly.
• No hair fuss during the week. You can literally shake, fluff and go.
• When the rain surprises you, there is absolutely NO PROBLEM. You can keep strutting like the world is your runway.
• Even though Marley or Afro hair is synthetic, you can still manipulate the curls with hot water. The curl will hold for a long time (up to 2 weeks!).

 

Crochet braids cons:

Besides all the thumbs ups, this hairstyle also has a few cons. Gotta keep it real, y’all!

• If you don’t want to mess up your curling job, don’t run your fingers through this hair.
• When the style is set, that’s what you are rocking for the rest of the day (or week, or month). So if you’re loving it, you are good. But if you don’t, you need to reset the curls. Practice makes perfect though!
• When you use synthetic hair, you have to be mindful when it comes to heat. Blow drying is only possible on LOW HEAT. If you go higher than that, the hair will melt. #epicfail
• When I set my crochet style, I redo my curls once every week and a half to two weeks. This takes me about two hours. But hey! It’s worth it!

 

Some tips, in case you get hooked…

1. As with every protective style: don’t keep the style in for too long. I leave my crochet braids in for 3 to 4 weeks MAX! 
2. Also make sure you don’t forget to nourish and hydrate your natural hair! In the morning, I sprits my scalp with water and follow up with some castor oil.
3. When doing this style for a few months, make sure to switch up your cornrow parts, because stress on one particular scalp area can eventually cause breakage. Trust me, I’ve been there!
4. Last but not least, be careful with your edges. So, do not braid too tightly and make sure not to pull the hair/braids too hard or too often.

So, that’s all for today! Hope you found this post helpful. 

What is your favorite (lazy) protective hair style? Let me know!

 

Much love,