I switched up my hair mid week with some crochet braids y’all. I was getting a wee bit tyahd of dealing with natural hair and more often than not when I get those types of feel I install a protective style. The protective style of the month is a set of crochet braids or crochet locs really. I purchased about 7 packs of FreeTress Goddess Locs (18″ in 1B) from a local beauty supply store in Tallahassee called Cali’s Beauty Supply.
My last article on Easy Tips for Long Lasting Crochetbraids is one of my most popular,but I didn’t really address how exactly people end up with damaged natural hair from crochet braids. Today I wanted to talk more so about how not to damage your natural hair when installing crochet braids.
5 Tips to Install Crochet Braids without Natural Hair Damage
Braids to Tight
The cornrows that crochet hair is installed on should not be excessively tight. If your cornrows have you feeling snatched and the hair isn’t even installed yet, it’s going to get a whole lot worse with the added weight of the crochet hair. This constant tightness in addition to any manipulation of the style while you’re wearing it may result in hair thinning and even irreparable hair loss.
Proper Proportions
When it comes to the invidivdual crochet braid installs, more often than not hair damage results from installing too big of crochet braid onto too small of a section. Poetic Justice braids should not be installed on microbraid sized sections. If the crochet braid or loc is to big for the section, it adds necessary weight thus creating tension which leads to hair damage.
Hanging on the Edge
This is literally my reaction when I see crochet braids (especially big twists, braids, and locs) being installed on literally edge of your edges. Sis…having your crochet braids cliffhanging from the five baby hairs on your hair line is going to create breakage. If the goal is to have the look of a natural hair line or individual braids, try the individual crochet method around the perimeter and then crochet as usual for the rest of your head. See an example of this below.
Not Caring for Hair Underneath
The #1 mistake with crochet braid protective styles is thinking that your hair and scalp requires 0 maintenance while it is installed. Before braiding down your hair for a crochet install, make sure that it is thoroughly moisturized with a long lasting moisture based product. I highly recommend moisturizing butters, shea butter mixtures, and natural grease products to keep your hair strands conditioned.
Knowing When to Let Go
Knowing when to take down a style is essential. Depending on the style a crochet style should last anywhere between weeks to 2 months (and I’m being generous). While the style may look better with age, allowing your scalp and hair to be free of protective styles in between each style gives it an opportunity to just breath without tension or friction.
Remember protective styles are only protective if they’re installed and maintained properly. I hope you find these tips helpful and share them on social media in the name of preventing natural hair damage and preserving edges! Also if you need crochet braids inspiration for your next style, check out my playlist of crochet braids tutorials.
