6 Tips and Tricks To Make Crochet Braids Look Realistic

Thinking about a crochet braid style for your next protective style? We have 6 tips and tricks to make your life a little easier:

Buy Hair On A Weft 

The whole point of crochet braids is to crochet the extensions* to your braids. However, some women want the look without doing all of the work; the next best thing is to buy the same type of crochet hair on a weft! Some hair brands like Bobbi Boss and FreeTress offer weft hair that is the same texture as any braid hair you’d crochet with.

The benefits of doing both weave* and crochet are that you don’t have to worry as much about filling in gaps because all of the hair is correctly spaced due to the weft. It also is a faster way to achieve a fuller look without all of the extra hair. You can also weave* the hair in and use the crochet method to create a natural-looking closure* for your install.

Invest In Hot Rollers 

Unless you buy your hair already curled, you’ll have to use a synthetic-hair friendly curling method to change your look. The most common way to curl crochet braids is to dip flexi rods* into boiling hot water; this way, it curls the hair without damaging it.

However, you can still use low heat to curl! While curling wands* and irons may still be too much for synthetic hair, you can try hot rollers. Hot rollers are better than curling irons* because as time goes by, they lose their heat which not only allows the hair to set but it decreases the chance of the hair burning.

If you want big, bouncy curls on hair that was a kinky straight or blow out texture, then hot rollers are perfect for you.

Spray On Illusion Roots 

For most crochet styles, the illusion of roots isn’t necessary because the hair is usually so curly and/or textured that it blends smoothly. However, when you’re rocking a hair color that isn’t a natural black or brown, it tends to look less realistic at the root because of the contrast between your hair and the crochet braids.

Regular hair dye can burn through synthetic hair and some hair brands don’t have ombre braid hair, so if you want “illusion roots” or even a full blown ombre, try a spray on hair color. It’s quick, easy, temporary, and most importantly, it washes right out so you don’t have to worry about it getting on your real hair.

The roots make it seem like it’s growing right out of your scalp and will also camouflage any knots that are super visible when wearing a light/bright color.

Use A Razor Comb

Sometimes crochet braids can be so voluminous that it’s unflattering for your face shape and in general. A lot of women resort to taking out some of the hair to tone it down a bit, but that’s not always necessary; sometimes all you need is a razor comb.

A razor comb is exactly what it sounds like a razor blade placed within the teeth of a comb. You can use it to thin out and shape your hair to fit your face without any choppy or blunt lines. For example, if you have a round face, you could comb soft, face-framing layers around your face so that the crochet curls will better suit you.

Razor combs can tone down any dramatic look and customize any crochet install to fit your desired natural look.

Leave Out Your Edges 

“Protective style” and “leave out your edges” are rarely in the same sentence together, but I promise, it’s possible. In my experience, leaving out my edges was actually beneficial because it allowed my edges to be free of any tension and to be properly moisturized and cared for.

On the other hand, leaving out your edges or perimeter and blending it in with the extensions* covers up any braids that are showing as well as makes the hairline look a lot more natural.

If you do plan on leaving out your edges, make sure that you are able to blend it with the texture of the crochet braids without using any heat. That way, you’ll be able to keep your edges growing and free of any damage.

Manipulate A Kinky* Texture

When shopping for braid hair, you’ll see both silk and kinky textures for the install. And most times, women who are going for a straight look buy a silkier hair. On the other hand, there are women who want their hair to look straightened or blown out so they usually go for a kinky* texture. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find a kinky straight braiding hair, so your best bet is to invest in kinky-curly hair.

When you buy a hair that is thicker and/or kinkier in texture, you can get 3 styles out of them instantly: wearing it as is, the blow out look after stretching and blow drying the hair, and straight after running the flat iron* through it a couple times. You can also curl it with hot rollers or flexi rods* or do fluffy braid outs.

By manipulating a kinky texture instead of buying an already silky hair, you are keeping your style natural and close to your true texture.