Braiding & Crochet Hair.

What is in this collection

Two things sit side by side here: the hair, and the kit that makes a braid job work. On the hair side you will find pre-stretched braiding hair such as X Pression Lagos Braid, plus Cygnet Super Chunky Acrylic Yarn in black for yarn braids and faux locs. On the kit side there are crochet needles, latch hooks, twist combs, rubber bands and the gels and foams that hold everything in place.

If you braid for other people, most of what a working braider reaches for across a long install is in here.

Braid hair and yarn

Pre-stretched hair saves the wrist ache of dipping and stretching every pack by hand, and the tapered ends give a more natural finish. X Pression Lagos Braid arrives ready to use in full lengths.

Yarn is a different look entirely. Cygnet Super Chunky comes in 100g balls and works for yarn twists, Ghana braids and faux loc wraps. It weighs less on the scalp than the same volume of synthetic braid hair, and it does not need sealing in hot water.

Crochet tools and takedown

A crochet needle and a latch hook are not the same thing. The Jmail stainless steel crochet needle pulls hair through a cornrow base. The Murry Collection Dreadlock Crochet Hook Kit has finer hooks made for interlocking and tidying locs. The Magic Collection three piece crochet hook set covers general braiding.

For taking a style down, the Magic Collection Crochet Braid Remove Cutter beats scissors. The blade sits recessed, so it cuts the extension without catching your own hair.

Gels, foams and finishing

Shine 'n Jam Magic Fingers is the range most braiders know. The Extra Hold Styling Gel comes in 8oz and 16oz, the Setting Mousse is 12oz, Edge Magic handles the hairline and the Finish Sheen adds shine at the end without stickiness.

Alternatives worth knowing: Aunt Jackie's Hold Tight Braid and Twist Gel, Mielle Rice Water and Aloe Braid Gel, and Jamaican Mango and Lime Cool Scalp Braid, Twist and Loc Gel for anyone who finds a fresh install uncomfortably tight.

Keeping braids comfortable in a British climate

Summers here run between 75 and 90 percent humidity, which lifts frizz on synthetic hair and shortens how long a neat parting stays neat. A light sheen spray at the end of week two does more than piling extra gel on at the start.

Winter is the opposite problem. Indoor heating sits near 30 percent humidity and dries the scalp under a style you cannot easily wash. A nozzle scalp oil every few days and a satin bonnet at night make the difference between six comfortable weeks and three. For washing and sleeping, the Magic Collection Jumbo Plus Braid Shower Cap fits waist-length styles that a standard cap simply will not.