Vacation hair: I love crochet braids

Let me count the ways that I love crochet braids as one of my top protective styles. My top reasons for selecting crochet are cost, convenience, versatility and take down ease. Also I can access my scalp, which is a must for me.

If you've read my previous post you already know that a fender bender left me with a broken wrist. With a long planned vacation right around the corner I needed a style that was versatile and relatively low maintenance. Enter, my beloved crochet braids! After booking an appointment I searched the web for the look I was going for and fell in love with the wave pattern of Freetress Deep Twist hair. Since crochet hair is more often than not synthetic I purchased six packs at $5.99 a pack at the local beauty supply store. I did have to go to two stores because this particular hair is in high demand. I was prepared to pay at least $75 for the install but surprisingly my braider Precious Yisreal, Designed and Divine on Facebook, was running a $40 special for basic crochet braids. How sweet is that? Girl, don't threaten me with a good time!!! She has been braiding both myself and my son, who's hair length rivals mine, for the past few years now.

Braid pattern prior to install

I think it's important to mention that prior to installing any protective style that I plan on rocking for awhile I always give my hair some special treatment prior to the install. Taking care of the hair underneath your weave is mandatory in my book. I began by pre-pooing with Motions Enhance and Define Pre Wash Detangling Butter and leaving that in for a half hour under my Hot Head heated cap. I then proceeded to wash my hair with Cantu Sulfate Free Cleansing Shampoo. My husband was my shampooer, rinser and product applicator due to my wrist, all I have to say about that one is I now know how our dog feels, poor thing. My final step was applying Aphogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor, for a dose of protein which strengthens the hair followed by ORS Hair Mayonnaise for thirty more minutes under my Hot Head. Ladies, I think I'm in love with ORS Hair Mayo...OMG!! It may have also been the combination of products but why did I wait so long to try this conditioner? My hair was easy to detangle and very moisturized. After a comical detangling session with me and my husband, we managed two braids and I let it air dry overnight for my next day appointment.

There's one more key step to this process. Since crochet braid hair is synthetic it makes me itch terribly. Also, you must keep in mind weave is dirty and it will be in direct contact with your body. I soaked my synthetic weave by keeping the bundles in tact (or keeping them secured with the rubber band) as they come out the package in a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar for one hour. After soaking I rinsed the hair, used paper towels to squeeze it dry and hung the hair to air dry overnight, piece of cake and no chance of dirty, itchy hair

The install began about 10am the following day and was complete about 1:30pm. Due to the length of my natural hair my stylist braided it in back and "crocheted" the loose ends into place as you can somewhat see in the above picture. I did have a rather thick braid in back but there is no chance of that showing through this incredibly thick hair. The install was over in no time, quick, easy and plenty of packing time to spare! Because we were going on vacation I chose a longer style, therefore my stylist didn't cut the hair prior to the install. Let me tell you this hair was loooong! To be exact 22 inches of full, wavy, waist length hair. It overpowered me and my barely 5'4 frame so despite my promise to my stylist not to cut it for a few days I went home and did just that, with plenty of hair to spare. Without crying too much about my wrist all I can say is it was quite sore after this trimming session, this hair was a workout! Pass the paid meds please!

Finally, having exhausted all the energy I could on getting my hair into shape I ended up heading to a

TL- prior to trimming/thinning and pics of the end result

drop in salon after arriving in Florida where a fabulous young lady by the name of Dee thinned my bulky synthetic hair and cut it into shape for $17.00. Typically I'm able to do this myself but it proved to be too much while wearing a cast. I just loved Ms. Dee's southern charm and wit so much that I offered her a ten dollar tip and a hug for being a huge lifesaver in decreasing the volume of my huge hair.

It's been a full week and a half and the hair still looks great despite swimming and plenty of time in the ocean. To care for my hair underneath I use a spray bottle filled with water and shampoo to wash my scalp, rinse well and remove shed hair after swimming. Also I apply oil directly to my scalp every other day. In the evening I again perform a ritual of removing shed hair, pull the hair back with a satin pony tail holder and stuff it under a satin cap for bed. In my opinion, crochet braids have a shelf life of about three to four weeks before it starts looking a bit worn. Luckily they're also easy to remove. If you haven't heard by now protective styles are the way to go for hair growth and I see another install in the near future for me.



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