Hey KuzaBeauts,

There are different protective styles people do in order to protect their hair from constant manipulation (thereby giving the hair some rest) eg weaves. cornrows, twists, braids, crochet styles etc
For this article, we'll be discussing crochet styles and everything about it.

WHAT ARE CROCHET STYLES?

Crochet styles are a form of protective styling typically worn by black women. They are a complete protective hairstyle where the natural hair is braided into cornrows and the crochet hair is installed on the cornrows with a crochet hook so that there is no natural hair exposed.
Crochet hair can come in different forms eg braids, locs, twists etc.

WHY CROCHET HAIR?

• Crochet hair is very versatile. You can achieve quite a number of styles from one hair do and it can be easily refreshed without getting your hair completely redone
•  It is very cost effective and not time consuming. It lasts really long and the older it gets, the better it looks.
• You can literally rock any color and you won't be bothered about your hair sticking out of the hair strands as the hair gets older.
•  You can be sure of complete protection (no natural hair exposed)
• It has a a natural look
• You don't need heat of any kind
• You can actually do it yourself (once you find a cornrow pattern that works)
•  Your edges are less likely to cut/break. Your scalp will be able to breathe, cleanse, and moisturize

HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR NATURAL HAIR WHILE ON THE CROCHET STYLE.

It's important to moisturize a couple of times in a week in order toavoid dryness of the scalp. This is because dryness of the scalp and hair leads to breakage.
It's important that you oil your scalp and spray water on your scalp using your spray bottle. Another way to do this is to just mix your oils with the water in the your spray bottle and just spray directly on the scalp between the parts on your cornrow base when you want to use it. Do this every week.

HOW TO CARE FOR THE CROCHET HAIR.

Wearing a satin/silk scarf or bonnet to bed each night will keep your crochet hair looking fresh. Frizziness, dryness and tangling of the crochet hair can occur if it is neglected. To avoid this, it's important to treat your crochet hair (synthetic or human hair) with a conditioning spray.

HOW LONG CAN YOU CARRY YOUR CROCHET HAIR FOR?

The crochet style is a long term protective style, but it shouldn't be left installed for more than 8 weeks because leaving it longer will make your natural hair more prone to breakage. So, ideally, the crochet hair should last between 4-8 weeks.

HOW TO UNINSTALL CROCHET HAIR.

Well, the easiest way to take crochet hair down is by cutting them down close the base of the cornrows, but above where the knot is tied. If possible, let someone do it for you so you don't cut the natural hair in your cornrow base.
If you're looking to reuse the hair, then you'll have to unknot it from where the knot is tied strand by strand. Depending on the type of extension used, you might not want to do this by yourself.

After taking the extension down, saturate your natural hair with an oil of your choice (before taking down your cornrows). This is to aid in slippage and reduce breakage of natural hair. Let the oil penetrate by leaving it in your hair for a bit before you start unravelling your cornrows.

So, KuzaBeauts, tell us, what are your experiences with crochet hair? Tell us in the comment section below.