Protective Styling It: Crochet Braids

Fresh off a nine-week-long protective style run and my birthday coming up in the following week, I installed Crotchet Braids in my hair. I chose this style because it seemed like one of the better protective styles to do that wouldn't cause additional stress on my strands (because it didn't much of a break between styles). I wanted low manipulation. Matter of fact, I wanted no manipulation. So here goes it:

Details

Hair: Bijoux Realistic Marley Braid

Price: $570-$600 JMD per pack

Colour: No. 1

Duration: About 3 hours

Number of packs used: 3 (all cut in half)

Installed by: Meeee!! (with cornrows/canerows done by my friend Trudy)

I was a little intimidated to install it myself but hearing the cheapest price to install crotchet braids was $4,000 JMD, I said NERP wid a quickniss!, ventured on to YouTube to reinforce the technique, then  got to work.

I let out my usual area at the back of my nape, twisted it, got the cornrows in and did the install. I separated each "clumped" piece of hair that came in the pack and further separated the hair into more pieces as I got to the front for a more "cleaner" look. After it was done, I didn't comb/brush the hair and wore it as is. When it was done, the hair was Diana Ross big and I absolutely LOVED it! I felt so accomplished! lol. A couple of days later, here are some pictures:

Roll, Tuck & Pin yesterday

Birthday..night (first picture I had since the install - forgive me for the repeat lol)

The (now) usual hair at the nape that I left out, twisted.

There has been no discomfort, nor do I feel any tightness or stress on the scalp. The plan is to moisturize the braids and leave out at least than once a week and moisturize my edges almost everyday, mainly because that's the area that is out and tends to be dry. I intend to do a wash once every 2 weeks and overall I'd like to keep this style in for about 4-6 weeks. When majority of the curls have gone, I'll comb or brush the hair out and do a perm rod set so they'll hold over to 4 or 6 weeks until take-down. I'm very proud of doing this hair style and, among other things, my thrifty cheapskate self is grinning, having saved myself some $$$.

In a few days I'l be doing a wash/semi-wash day and I'll document that to see how goes it. Hope your hair journey is going well in your neck of the woods, as is mine.

Be well (and hair happy!)

Gibbie