i uswe a crochet hook to kinda help the loopies find their way back in... dont get me wrong i like the loops but those are weak points in the dread and i dont want a single one to break off!
i get some pretty extreme loosys like little mini dreads i use the hook to pull them into middle of dread you can be gentle enough with a hook that nothing rips. also some of my dreads unravel from the tips especially after a few gigs of solid moshing so i have blunted a few tips with the hook and darning needle to counteract length loss so i am def pro hooks but in moderation of course ill crack them out every 6 - 8 months maybe longer
Personally in the beginning of my dread journey I thought you HAD to crochet dreadlocks, because that what alot of people were saying. After awhile I got all "fuck this shit" when I discovered knottylocks and dreadlocktruth. Haven't crocheted in over a year but when I feal on the bodies of my locks I can feel where it is crocheted, and it isn't as nice as you would think.