by
The Natural Haven
*This post was originally published on November 2, 2011 but has been updated with new images and information. Check it out.
By Jc of The Natural Haven
Single strand knots (SSKS) or fairy knots are fairly common among naturals especially as hair starts to get longer (usually 6 inches or more). There are two important questions that arise when it comes to managing knots:
There are three options
1. Leave them alone
2. Undo them
3. Cut them
Of these three methods, the one that I would not recommend is leaving them alone. Knots have the ability to create more problems if left alone. Knots create an obstruction around which tangles form. During combing, hair is also likely to snap above the knot creating rough edges and potential split ends.
If you can unravel a knot, it is perfectly fine to do so, some people have success with the careful use of a needle or by slowly pulling out any hair trapped within a knot. The down side to this is that if you have to poke at the knot several times with a needle instead of having a clear pathway to unravel, you may end up with damage to the strand.
Trimming directly above the knot is the easiest option and as knots tend to fray the edges of the hair strand as they form, it is also the most effective method of preventing further damage to the hair strand.
Knots form mainly in free hair which is being manipulated (i.e detangled, combed, brushed or styled). To prevent knots forming there are several strategies to consider.
Once your hair starts to approach 5-6 inches in length, consider sectioning your hair and washing it in loose braids or twists. This reduces tangling and the likelihood of loops forming in the hair to create knots.
Of course the intention of washing is to remove excess dirt and oil from the hair. But you don’t want a cleanser that strips the strand entirely, leaving it with a ‘squeaky’ feeling. That feeling means that there are no natural oils on the strand, and the cuticle is raised. The raised cuticles will tangle with each other during the wash process.
As free hair has a greater tendency to form knots, protective style involving twisting or braiding which protect the hair ends are better. This does not mean that you cannot enjoy your free hair but it does mean that if your aim is to grow your hair longer, balance out the time you spend with your hair out with the time you spend with it protected. When your hair is out, choose stretched styles which may also help reduce knot formation.
When ends curl up they provide the perfect opportunity for knotting. So, if you’re wearing twists or an ‘out’ style (twist out, bantu knot out, etc), be sure to seal then stretch your ends at night. An easy way to do this is putting in large bantu knots. Just section your hair, apply a dab of shea butter (or your sealing product of choice) to your ends and then roll the sections into large bantu knots. Make sure th entire section — all the way to the ends — gets rolled into the knot. You can also try setting your ends on rollers. When you wake up the next day your ends will be fully stretched, providing no opportunity for knots to form.
In natural forums oil rinsing (i.e soaking hair in oil before washing) is credited with knot prevention. I do not have a solid scientific theory or explanation for this, I would think perhaps the oil adds extra slip during the wash which may help the hair strands slide past each other instead of tangling and forming knots. I do generally like oil rinsing for other reasons, but as this is a commonly discussed knot prevention technique, I thought I would include it in this article even though there is no direct evidence of its working.
Ladies, how do you deal with fairy knots?
97 Responses
I wish I would have known to do this when I became natural. I have 4c hair and I learned that the knots come from using lotion texture products to wet hair everyday. Here is how I combated the problem completely. I cut off the knots first. I use Shea moisture shampoo which doesn’t have any of the harmful chemicals like parabins, sulfates etc. I also use Shea moisture hair masque to deep condition. I sit under dryer with plastic cap 45 minutes. My 4c hair is so soft and tangle free now! I let my hair dry I apply a hair butter now. By silk elements. My hair hold the moisture it’s non greasy. And no knots!!! Thank me later?
Oh dear, I always though those were forming due to unhealthy hair parts, and gladly combed them out, ´cause they break off when you do that. Guess this is really bad?
I had no idea I was forming more split ends like this. I naturally often get split ends, but this has to do with that a) my hair grows very quickly, and I find it expensive to keep going to the hairdresser, so I let it grow at least 6 months and then I cut off a lot. b) Before I died it blue, I straighten it, so that I think also damages. c) now it´s blue, so that whole process damaged it a lot now on the long term.
I have thick coarse hair that knots quickly also, and I have it!!!
OK… don’t shoot me! I’m doing something that all the literature says KNOT to do. While my hair is “dry”:…. I gently roll the knot between two fingers and gently begin to loosen the knot into separate strands of hair until the knot is detangled. Once all the knots are detangled I put loads of olive on the tip of my hair….then I jump into the shower and co-wash! The key to this method … do not pull on your hair. I roughly can detangle almost all of my knots.
Speaking from experience? Lol.
Lately my hair ends are dry and rough. I’ve clipped them, done moisture and protein treatments, to no avail. After a 3″ cut, a week later, they’re dry and rough again. I’ve given up my beloved Denman brush because I thought that could be the cause. I’m now spraying my ends w/aphogee green tea. I wear mostly twist or braid outs. I’m getting braids next week. But I’m not sure what to do next. I’d appreciate any ideas.
This happened to me. it was actually the protein treatments that were doing it. I had to eliminate all products with protein from my regimen but my hair is doing great now.
Warning: Please don’t use a needle to undo a single strand knot. That’s dangerous and stupid
I think you left out the best prevention method which is regular trims. Any time I find myself starting to get too many fairy knots, I know it’s time for a trim and once I get it, the knots stop forming.
I feel as if every single strand of my hair has a single strand knot. Nothing works to prevent them either. Protective styles require me to manipulate my hair too much which adds knots. My hair is so fine and EXTREMELY curly coily that single strand knots are a given. I’ve been thinking about locing my hair bc of all the difficulty….
I big chopped in June of last year and never got these annoying knots even though I wore my afro much of the summer. When the weather got cold, I’ve been getting them constantly even though I usually wear wigs with my hair braided or twisted underneath. Whenever I set my twists on flexirods it seems my ends get really ugly. I would think that would stretch them but it doesn’t. I hope I don’t get them through the summer. I want to wear my hair out. Not much point in having my hair natural if I can’t wear it out and enjoy it. SMH
So… Haven’t read all the older comments, but I too get fairy knots. My hair is natural, but I keep it straightened with a flat iron, so it’s not always curling to create these knots. I don’t know where they come from! I don’t want to go through all my stands to cut each knot. Please help!
I can’t stand single strand knot.this is the main obstacle preventing me from growing longer hair. My ends knot up no matter if my hair is dry or wet. Its the worst thing I’ve ever experienced as a natural.I try to use lots of conditioner on my ends,especially a botanical conditioner, it seems to be the only thing that can somewhat tame them. These knots are such a nuisance.
my hair is the same
Interesting. I’m beginning to notice thats twists cause them a lot for me and when my hair is not stretched out. Also, I tend to be able to unknot them when I wet my hair and gently smooth my hair strands with a hair butter, the knots kind of…slip away sometimes lol.
I’ve noticed them more after a chemical treatment (texlax or color). i’ve found that doing a trim has made all the difference. putting a trim off in the name of length retention worsened things for me and the SSKs were ruining afros daily!
Please help me to understand when you say cut above the ssk does this exclude my usual trim every 8 months?I trimmed my hair 3 months ago. If I trim my hair every 3months I will never reach my hair length goal!my hair is in twists for 5 days max then other 2 days its a twist out which is before my DIY homemade conditioner that I do weekly. I water spritz and seal with coconut oil day and night and I still have the ssk! Please help
ILL give it a chance and cut above my knots …not sure what to do with these ssks …. however I do feel my knots will break off if I decide to keep them ….later on down in the future it may affect my hair …
Hmmm… the article was very good but what she said about oil rinsing “(i.e soaking hair in oil before washing)” sounds like hot oil or pre-shampoo not oil rinse. I have heard most oil rinses are done after the hair is wet and has already gone through washing so post shampoo or post conditioning never before washing.
You’re right! The text about oil rinsing refers to a pree-poo treatment with oil or rather than an oil rinse
Oil rinsing means just that…you rinse your hair with oil. It’s usually done between shampooing and conditioning. Shampoo first, rinse with warm water, soak with Olive oil, rinse with warm water, (deep) condition, rinse with cold water.
I’ve done this and it seems to work in terms of managing my hair and SSK
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Love this site. I have 3BC BSL hair and it is SL when curly. I was researching SSK and came across your site. When I started coiling and twisting my hair, I noticed the SSK and they are driving me up the wall. I’ve been completely natural for at least 10 yrs. I straighten every once in awhile to get a cut …like today and notices the knots. There are too many small ones at the ends of my hair. Hy hair looks healthy, but just those knots. I had about 2 inches cut off today. So it is still past shoulder length but I feel like I should have cut another 2 inches off….yikes. I don’t like this at all. But I think it is caused by dryness. So I need help with dryness. I only use coconut oil and jojoba oils, because all other products dry out my hair. HELP!
SSKs have significantly increased with the length of my hair. Whenever I manipulate, however gently I do it, I always end up snipping away knots. Its so infuriating but I’ve retained a lot of length and am trying to accept that knots will always be there.
I have relaxed hair and very long and thick hair past the middle of my back and noticed when I lived in georgia and wore buns most the time and didn’t miss to much with my hair it never had any knots; but now that i have moved to texas where the climate is much drier and I have been wearing it down more I have noticed the knots. I am conditioning more and i will try the oil rinse. I also notice i get them when I detangle my hair. I hope this helps
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Fairy knots occur in my hair for two reasons:
1. Not putting my hair in protective styles
2. twists… for some reasons, my haior does not like them.
My hair likes braids and BRIEF braid-outs. I can wear the braid-out for a couple of days without problems, but the drier my hair gets… here they come. LOL.
what is ssk?
why are the knots called fairy knots?
SSK = single strand knot
Fairy knots= because they are SO small, you would think only a fairy could have put that there.lol
I have read that once a hair strand comes out of the follicle, it’s no longer considered a living cell, so it’s only but so long it can be preserved (remain a complete healthy strand ). And too that knots normally begin to form on the part of the hair strands that are less healthy (fragile/withered or split). So this is why its good to trim hair at least twice a year. Let me tell you …I have always been against the trimming thing. Just thought it hinder to see hair growth.
I have 4b very coily natural hair about 22 inches (mid back length) that is very dense and holds to smells very easily. Like all my products have to be fragrance free. So co-washing and oil rinsing are out for me. I tried both on several separate occasions and my scalp and hair didn’t like either. My hair smelled like mildew within a couple of days.
I tried to ignore the fairy knots but that wasn’t a good choice for me because once there was one knotted strand (which prob should have been cut anyway) it started to tangle and knot up on other strands or I would find 2+ knots on that same withered/fragile strand. So now I just cut it 🙁
But too I want to say that i noticed my hair would tangle on other strands while detangling, which caused majority of those dreadful knots… esp at the ends of my hair strands. Since I noticed my hair knotted while detangling. I researched on ways that provided a higher level of slip when detangling even with the best conditioner and that was “hair steaming” with a butter vs. water base conditioner. And also started to trim my ends more often 🙁 meaning at least twice a year or whenever I see a fragile strand).
Even though curly hair is prone to knotting, I think if you try to take notice on what hair phase (washing, conditioning, detangling, styling..etc..)causes the hair to knot…it would help to minimize so many knots.
I’m of the opinion that fairy knots are part and parcel of having longer textured (curly/coily/kinky) hair. You can minimize them via your techniques, but you can’t get rid of them completely without straightening (or nearly straightening) your hair and keeping it that way.
My mostly-4b hair is now at a length where I dust every 8 weeks on schedule. Outside of that, I usually try to undo fairy knots (if 2 or more strands are involved) or pinch them out with my fingernails (if it’s just one strand; I don’t recommend this, but it’s better than yanking). Oil rinsing does help but again I’ve accepted that fairy knots come with the territory so I refuse to obsess over them. The average head contains over 100K strands…and the vast majority of mine are coily and/or kinky…so I’m not trying to make myself any crazier than I already am!
i love your response! i have done it all, from diet changing to whatever and i still get the darn knots so if they want to come they can stay…my hair is much stronger and longer than it was last year (i started treating it good). my hair is always soft and moisturize and those dang knots still come…sometimes high up the shaft.
Oh knots! I have just past BSL when straight and 4+/- past shoulder length when curly and have come to accept knots are inevitable especially with the variations and moods I get in. Recently I’ve been finger combing and letting my hair air-dry because I love the volume. During the winter I was doing twist-outs religiously. I’ve come to straightening my hair quarterly and taking the time to cut out knots as I straighten. It’s a time consuming task but I’ve accepted it based on the variety of hair styles I rock.
I wear my hair in 2 strand twists 99% of the time and the 1% is when I’m washing it (sometimes … cause some times I wash & condition it with the twists in). Whenever I get the knots I gently undo them (especially if they are knotted around other strands) and if that does not work I cut … but it’s not so bad because I’m also probably cutting off hair that is/could damage my hair and my growth. I
My bad, I meant to put my comment here.
When I do braid outs I notice less knots.
I still agree with you purplestarz, lol!
This is amazing all this week I’ve been wondering what to do with these stupid SSKs. I feel like I cut them and the very next day I find more. I think its like someone stated earlier. My hand is always searching for them so I might just be making them. I know I can have long healthy hair but these knots are so discouraging. I’ve been looking into stretching and seeing if it helps, just don’t know how to go about it.
When I do braid outs I notice less knots.
Me too. Got the idea from Kimmaytube. She said braided hair is detangled hair. So I tested the theory to see if it would work for me and it did. i hope everyone finds THEIR WAY in this natural hair PATH. I get frustrated sometimes, but honestly I like having natural hair and the way i feel when I found something that has worked for me…
No way to avoid them, esp w/ 4C hair. Best way to keep them at bay do more ACV rinses.
If you don’t use combs, do you HAVE to pull them out?
Oil rinse all the way!!! I find it help prevent knots and now that I stopped for a while they are coming back.
So back to oil rinses
I have to say I had been living a peaceful and enjoyable natural hair journey until I read an article on SSK a month ago …I was not aware of their existence before that but now,it seems like they are everywhere!! I am paranoid!!!
I have been noticing the ssk mostly in the back of my head and I wonder if it’s because it’s the part of my hair that rubs on the collar of my shirts or on my scarves.
I am on a PS challenge until december/january and I am trying the reduce the hair manipulation to a minimum;I certainly plan on DC-ing and oil rinsing more often.
This article is really helpful. I may give the oil rinsing a try. I never really had fairy knots before but lately I noticed that when I shampoo my mini-twists or when taking them down, I get more and more knots. I take my time and try to be extremely patient and careful but I always end up with lots of them. I like twisting my hair because it’s faster for me but maybe Jc is right, it can become a problem for some of us.I have been natural for almost 4 years now, I have fine but dense hair and usually I don’t get knots when doing box braids. I am trying quick and easy protective styles to avoid SSKs.
Nothing I do really helps with SSKs.
I search and destroy/cut them when I can, but I feel like I’m always cutting out knots. :-/
i want to try oil rinses. right now, i just cut the knots i find.
I co-wash almost everyday, wash and gos are my staple style, and I use curling creams and gels about half of the time, the other half I use just conditioners and butters to define my hair. My hair is about 7-8 inches long and I think I have 4a/b hair. My hair is growing and I have seen a few knots. But, I have always been able to use conditioners or oils to separate them.
I am not buying this idea that the only way for kinky hair to grow is to hide it away.
Every head of hair is different. I cowashed daily for years and my hair was full of knots. My hair is 4a/3c, but fine to medium strands (but dense) and I wonder if that’s a factor.
Maybe. My hair is Medium-Coarse to Coarse and very dense, but I think I felt one knot last month and as you can imagine I am in my hair everyday. I used conditioner and pulled out the hair. I don’t know, but I think because my hair is constantly moisturize and I trim my hair regularly there is not really an environment for the knots to occur frequently. My hair steadily grows over half an inch per month and I trim about a quarter of an inch every three months. Last month I took off about an inch because I wanted to even it up from my big chop.
I should clarify: when I write ‘pulled out the hair’, I mean ‘separated out the knot’.
Ug! I hate knots, but I have so many of them! I know I’ll have to trim my hair soon anyway.
Good post
My fairy knots were the direct result of scab hair, so when I cut my hair and got rid of my scab hair, mine became almost non-existent. Of course, not every natural believes in scab hair, so my fairy knots are a mystery, lol.
I’ve never heard of scab hair…what’s that?
Thank you for posting this! I had a huge problems with knots lately (well before I trimmed my hair).
I will try out these tips.
why not just pull it out? its one hair right?
Pull off one knot, damage one hair. Pull off 10 knots, damage 10 hairs. Pull off 1000 . . . get it :-)? When you break them off like that, you’re doing the same thing that your comb would do if the knot got caught in it. Or the same thing that knot can potentially cause to happen to adjacent hairs if those hairs get caught on it. That’s why you’re supposed to snip them off. If you’re not going to do that, it’s probably better if you just leave them there, or so I think.
Do understand, I’m not scolding, because I have occasionally pulled one myself :-).
Ahh – you get a wrist slap for that ami. You should not snap knots (or your hair in general). Using a scissor gives you a clean cut edge which does not tend to fray or split. Snapping the knot gives you a fibrillated end which is a nice way to start split ends.
I too pull the hair out, but only when I can’t find my scissors. I pull from the root and slide out all the hair that’s tangled in the knotted hair first. I don’t think I’m damaging adjacent hairs, not sure why they’d be affected.
When I finally found out what they are, I decide to Seach and destroy and cut mine out right above the knot. I am now also doing oil rinses when I take down my 2 strand twists.
I have to google oil rinsing but it sounds expensive and oily. lol.
Oil rinsing is basically soaking your hair in liquid oil of your choice before you wash. Olive oil is quite popular since per litre it is quite cheap compared to other oils.
I do my oil rinse after the conditioning (not before washing) and before apple cider rinse which also helps with preventing fairy knots.
Do note though most recommend it after shampooing and after conditioning. I think I might try that arrangement to see if there is improve results.
Sorry correction: after shampooing but before conditioning.
Do you mean afetr shampooing and before rinse-out conditioner or before a leave-in in place of a rinse-out condish?
Ta.
The first one after, shampoo and before the rinse-out conditioner.
But I found that I could keep the single strand knots at bay almost as long as the oil rinse with ACV rinse after the rinse-out conditioner before the leave-in conditioner or styling product.
Ever since I started consistently protective styling (twists) for the past 4 months, I’ve noticed a significant decrease in the amount of knots and tangles in my hair. woo!! Overall my hair cair regimine is going sooo smoother, than it did within the whole first year, lol.
I noticed that I’ve started cowashing my hair in large sections – not so much to avoid knots, but to get an even distribution of the product throughout my hair….and also because it cuts my time in shower. Rather than spending 30 minutes – 1 hour in the shower, I spend maybe 20 minutes all because I section & detangle prior to washing.
Finger detangling helps me feel for knots much better than combing/brushing. When I come across a knot, I gently pull that whole section apart strand by strand, until a very small knot falls out.
I have been natural since 1999. It has been an enjoyable ongoing learning process, to say the least.
What I have learned to do to get my overall healthiest hair sans SSK:
I believe in that old saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so . . .
I shampoo and deep condition once a week, Henna with a blend of ayurvedic powders once a month, wear bun/twist out styles, cover at night with a loc soc or satin scarf, sleep on a satin pillow case, use conditioner for one cowash during the week, keep ends moisturized, and perform a thorough self-trim 1/4 of an in. every three months.
Eating a 80-90% vegan diet, working out 6 times a week and drinking tons of water helps too.
I have not seen one fairy knot in several months with this regimen.
HTH and best of luck ladies! Can’t wait to hear what other folks do to prevent/deal with this problem!
I get them really bad, especially since my hair is past the 12 inch mark. I’ve had to cut inches off due to split ends as a result. These are great suggestions in terms of how to deal with them. I usually cut them, but the oil rinse is definitely worth a try. When cutting, it’s also good to mention the quality of the scissors used. Ones not designed for hair cutting can also damage the strand, so a good pair of sheers is key as well.
I agree with that, someone emailed a question to me on whether hair scissors are a good investment or not and my answer is yes, buy hair scissors and a good quality sharp pair.
I ignore them–they come with the territory of highly textured hair.
I hate the knots! I feel like I am constantly cutting them out of my head. Literally, I sit at my desk and cut them daily. I spend time at night before nightly moisturize and cut them. I am actually distressed about it. I am trying to grow my hair out. I am wearing 2 strand twist as my protective style. I am moisturizing 2x daily morning & night. I am using a leave-in, oil & shea to seal ends. I washed my hair this weekend in twist it seemed like they appeared with vengeance. My daughter told me to leave them alone, She suggested I was creating them my touching my hair looking for them. I really don’t know what to do. I have been natural for 6+ yrs and I cant get my hair to grow past chin. Should I just do a BC and start fresh or something. In the past I usually get frustrated and just cut my hair. Shredding and knots stress me out. Feedback is welcomed!
Hi DBryant
Maybe you are manipulating your hair too much? I would suggest changing up and moisturizing the ends at night only and place under a cap to mazimize effect of body heat with moisture on the hair. Minimal manipulation in the morning. Make sure you are trimming a very small amount off the ends every few months and deep condition (perhaps, overnight once a week) if you can.
I agree with your daughter! She sounds very observant and smart.Good lcuk to you!!
LUCK! not lcuk 🙂
I love two strand twists but my hair hates them. Your hair may b the same. Mayb try other protectives styles besides twists. Try buns or flat twists with the ends loose but pinned up. I found that I hardly get n ee nots now.
I agree with everyone here. DBryant your daughter is right, you may be causing knots by constantly handling your hair.
I also agree with MsCali that twists sometimes can be a problem. Braids or even free hair may be better for your texture ( the only way to find out is to try and see – you may end up going back to twists but nothing ventured, nothing gained).
Another radical thought I have is…do you really need to moisturise twice daily? Each time you spray your hair it probably shrinks up and we all know how shrunken hair behaves. I think if you could find a way to wet your hair less (every 3-4 days or even just once a week) you may find that your hair knots less.
Agreed. My hair loves to be in braids…cornrows to be exact. I moisturize in the morning instead of night bc even with the satin cap and all…it still sucks some of the moisture out overnight. I spray and seal in the morning and then do it again every other day. This also makes take down and detangling easier later on…once again reducing tension and knots ^_^
I am a little confused or you wearing twist outs or rocking 2 strand twist?? If it is a twist out the hair is going to get tangle throughout the day creating the knots regardless. I say 1- if you are going to rock twist out daily.. you are going to get knots daily… if that is the case keep ur hands out of ur hair and your face out the mirror.. what you cant feel or see will not bother you. 2-If ur hair are in twist you shouldnt be feeling or seeing anything and that is probably your best bet for growth. You are cutting these knots constantly and eliminating any growth that you are achieving…
I definitely agree. My hair doesn’t do well with small two strand twists left in for a minimum of a week. I recently put myself on a length retention challenge and started wearing my hair in two fat cornrow down either side of my head. I just pin the little tails back up in there. My hair responds much better to that style and stays more moisturizers with water spritzing day and night and an oil pat. Hope this helps.
I have waist length hair. I have had problems with knots the entire time I’ve been natural- and I have tried all this stuff. For the last- 3 years I have decided to leave the knots alone-or else I would be cutting them out every single day (which is what I was doing for awhile). My ends look great otherwise and I don’t have any extra breaking off because of this and also detangleing isn’t a nightmare so I guess this works fine for me.
Hi, DBryant,
Have you read Chicoro’s “Grow it!” That book has helped me grow my hair to armpit length in under 3 years! I wear protective styles weekly and only wear my hair out once a week and usually wash that night or the next day. Happy growing!
I had an insane about of fairy knots in my head. every hour three seem to appear. I couldn’t understand why until pow it hit me. when i use styling creams like miss jessies to lock in curls i had no fairy knots. When i used un-natural products like cheap suave or herbal essence no fairy knots!
Your hair is tangling because the conditioner does not create slip or detangles the curls. No amount of combing will stop fairy knots it is the conditioner even though herbal essences is loaded with chems.
No more gosh done fairy knots! Not even a single one. it is even hard to keep my hair in braids that is how much slip I have. Yes to Carrots delivers crazy slip for the natural hair conditioner snobs out there.
i have a twa and i get knots, my hair isn’t long enough to section so what do i do
Your options are to manipulate your hair less and if appropriate, you can try stretched out styles. For example is your hair long enough to do some twists – say 10-15 and then unravel those in the morning instead of combing your hair every morning?
I do not think it is possible to eliminate knots entirely, it is possible to reduce them.
I had an insane about of fairy knots in my head. every hour three seem to appear. I couldn’t understand why until pow it hit me. when i use styling creams like miss jessies to lock in curls i had no fairy knots. When i used un-natural products like cheap suave or herbal essence no fairy knots!
Your hair is tangling because the conditioner does not create slip or detangles the curls. No amount of combing will stop fairy knots it is the conditioner even though herbal essences is loaded with chems.
No more gosh done fairy knots! Not even a single one. it is even hard to keep my hair in braids that is how much slip I have. Yes to Carrots delivers crazy slip for the natural hair conditioner snobs out there.
I get less knots with a do a wash-n-go with a thick gel since it freezes the hair in place. I find that interesting since my hair is in a shrunken form, but it works for me. (I have 4a/b hair with S-curls, coils, and no uniform pattern in some places. However in its natural form (wet/dry) you would see no curls (just fro)–you only see them in a wash and go.)
I am curious as to how long your hair is? Gel usually stops working as a wash and go staple for many people with 4a/b hair once hair gets past 6inches (around one year in)
I’ve been natural for a little more that a year. I wouldn’t call it my staple because I like big hair. However I want to clarify that my wash n gos aren’t just conditioner. If that was the case I would get knots. I’m using a good amount of eco styler. My curls are frozen in place so the ends don’t knot. I generally wear the style for the week. My hair isn’t hard or dry. I put castor oil under. However you def feel product. The closest thing I can apologize it to is comb twist. But instead I just rake gel in sections. I hope this helps explain.
Haha I meant analogize. Sorry my phone picked a different word.
Oh forgot to say my hair is about 6 inches.
Thanks for the explanation. I think I understand what you are saying now, I have definitely seen a similar video on youtube where gel is applied in sections to the hair.
Glad it works for you!
i use shea moisture’s curling souffle mixed with deep treatment masque and I can wear a wash n go for 5 days with no problems. It’s a little tougher in the winter but spring, summer no problems. I’ve been natural for a year, my hair ranges from 5 1/2 to 6 inches all around. also 4a/b pen spring curls.
how do you get big hair btw cassie?
This is an erroneous statement. I have 4a/b hair longer than six inches and I can still get away with a wash and go. The trick is in the product. I use Kinky Curly with Knot Today, and not only do I have less knots, I wear my hair out a lot.
* I keep my hair stretched, especially this time of year when I’m constantly in protective styles.
* Moisturize and seal daily
* Seal my ends with a butter to prevent dryness and knot formation.
* Prepoo with oil and oil rinse
* Washing in sections (especially since my hair is BSL)
When I started doing those things, I notice less fairy knots.
100% Agree with everything you said. I substitute the oil rinsing for blow drying my hair 1x month to slowly heat train or heat damage (whichever term you prefer) over time. ALL of this combined has aided in reducing knots and I also finger detangle and snip any knots as I find them.
what’s the purpose of heat training the hair?
I think that’s just her preference of how she wants her hair.