A year and a half (pics)

big hands serve their own fabulous purpose

 

Why thank you

There isn't much difference....I think this mainly comes down to your technique and care with the hook. Areas that I over-maintained at the start (namely the tips) feel a bit too tight and 'dead'. It's fine to use a crochet hook as long as you apply an extremely light touch and remember that you're using it to suck in stray hairs and not to artificially tighten the lock. Natural growth tends to make crazy shapes but once it matures it feels the same as a maintained lock to me because of how tight and hard it gets.