What are they and why do we have them
Single-strand knots feel like little beads along the hair shaft. They can cause hair breakage when styling your hair during wash day. They can become bigger knots while shampooing/ co-washing the hair. These knots can cause a huge setback in anyone’s journey that is trying to achieve longer and healthier hair.
Single-strand knots are very common, especially with our hair type. When I was transitioning I did not experience single-strand knots. That is because the ends were not tangling with each other. I experienced single-strand knots when I big chopped. I found it very frustrating. My coils began to tangle with each other. I had a hair goal and I needed to find a way to overcome this obstacle.
How can you get rid of them
The simple answer you cannot get rid of these single-strand knots. However, there are ways to decrease the number of knots you could have.
FINGER DETANGLE. I do not use any hair tools on my hair. I prefer to use my fingers when detangling. Personally, combs rip through my hair. I usually take my time detangling my hair before I wash my hair during wash days. The night before I would use some type of oil (coconut or castor oil) to make detangling easier the next day. I always section my hair before shampooing/ co-washing. I find that I experience less breakage and tangles when I work in sections.
BANDED METHOD. I always bang my hair before I go to sleep (if they are not already in twists). I started doing this to preserve my curl definition. After a while, I noticed that this helped minimize the number of hair knots I experienced. I find that regular hair elastics snag my hair when I’m removing them. The Snappee Snap Off Hair Ties are my favorite. They do not snag my hair and they do the job.
TRIM YOUR ENDS. I understand that trimming is hard during a hair journey but it is important. I trim when needed. Whenever my twists are not coiling correctly at the ends I know it is time for a trim. Make sure to use shears when trimming your hair. Do not use art scissors. I got my shears from amazon.
DO NOT RIP THROUGH YOUR HAIR. If you find knots in your hair while styling, be patient. Try to free as much hair as you can from the knot. Never do this on dry hair. I prefer to use The Mane Choice Heavenly Halo Herbal Tonic & Soy Milk Deep Hydration Pre-Poo or a conditioner directly on the knot I am working on. After freeing as much hair as you can you’ll realize that the knot of hair is actually very small. Use your sharp shears to cut that small knot.
MOISTURE. Deep condition daily. Since I have high porosity hair I need to always have to make sure I have a protein/ moisture balance. My favorite deep conditioner that helps with this balance is The Mielle Organics Babassu Oil and Mint Deep Conditioner. Deep conditioners are a key staple in decreasing the amount of single-strand knots you might experience.
Naturally tracy 