Raechele Cochran Gathers, MD It’s important to stop single strand knots! Single strand knots, also called fairy knots, are the bane of many a natural. I deal with them, and if you’re natural, I bet you do too. You can’t see them from far off, but they can lead to major snags, tangles and breakage—keeping you from achieving your length goals!
Single Strand Knots are Called ‘Fairy Knots?’
Those annoying-as-heck tiny knots are called fairy knots because only a teeny tiny little fairy could possibly make a knot this minuscule, and this difficult to remove, in your hair! If you’re try to grow longer hair faster, or even just trying to achieve healthier hair, you’ll want to keep reading and learn to stop single stand knots.
Here are 7 Tips to Stop Single Strand Knots:
1. Seal Your Ends
Whether you’re team LCO or LOC, be sure to seal your ends at night (or at least most nights). Sealing your hair involves using a water spritz, followed by an cream and/or oil. Sealing your ends helps to smooth down your cuticle so that your hair is smoother and less likely to snag onto its neighbors. Smoother hair means less fairy knots. A great method of smoothing and sealing your hair is night-time spritzing. You can read more about the best ways to do this here.
2. Avoid Build-up
Product build up can dry your hair out, making your cuticle more ragged and making your hair more likely to tangle and form single strand knots. Also, if your hair has caked on products (You know the deal: day after day of creams, oils and gels…;-) , it’s more likely to be sticky and tangle prone. End result:Fairy knots. Be sure to cleanse your hair regularly. If you’re concerned about drying out your hair from shampoos, check out a co-wash like Cantu Complete Conditioning Co-Wash.
Another great option for cleaning your hair without overstripping it is doing a mud wash. Try clay washes, like those using rhassoul clay. They’re cheap, effective and leave your hair feeling smooth and conditioned. If you’re dealing with dry hair, check out these hints on how to pump up the moisture in your hair.
3. Trim Your Ends
Stop holding on to those dead, scraggly looking ends. When your ends start to get ragged and in need of a trim, you’ll know. If you’re natural, weathered and damaged ends don’t curl nicely when you twist or braid your hair. You’ll also know that it’s time for a trim if your hair is more difficult to detangle, and starts shedding more when you have a detangle session. Split and frayed ends will grab onto one another and cause fairy knots for days. It’s better to bite the bullet and get a little trim. Trimming a little bit a few times per year will actually help you achieve your length goals sooner. And always use a quality pair of hair shears.
4. Detangle Completely
Dentangling is vital. No one looks forward to it, but the longer you go without detangling, the worse it’ll be! We can shed up to 100 hairs—sometimes more—everyday. In those with very curly or coily hair, shed hairs tend to loop and curl around other hair, causing tangles and …you guessed it…fairy knots! Regularly detangling, whether with your fingers, a comb, or both will help you smooth your hair and make it less prone to single strand knots.
Brushes like the Tangle Teezer brus can be a big help with detangling. Here’s a nice little video by YouTuber, Chizi Duru, about using the Tangle Teezer.
5. Stretch your Hair
For some naturals, wash and go styles can lead to more tangles and knots as the stretched hair dries and shrinks back up. Coating your wash and go with a good gel can definitely help in decreasing these knots, but some naturals still experience them more when they wash and go. If you notice that your hair tends to tangle up and form more fairy knots after a wash and go, try more stretched out hairstyles. Twist outs and braid outs, or bantu knots might help stop single strand knots, or at least slow down your fairy knots! Don’t worry, you can still wear wash and gos. Just try to wear them less often.
6. Watch what You’re Wearing
Watch out for clothes that can snag on your hair. Wool and wool blends and cotton can dry out your hair, leading to a rougher cuticle and making your hair more likely to tangle and develop fairy knots. If your hair is long, consider pulling it up if you’re wearing snaggy or drying fabrics. Also, watch your winter hat. Look for a satin lined winter cap for saving your tresses in the cold months.
7. Sleep on Satin
Why? Because you’re worth it! But seriously, sleeping on a cotton pillowcase, can totally dehydrate your hair. That cotton pillowcase can suck up every bit of moisture in your hair, leaving it dry and more prone to tangle and develop fairy knots. Satin scarves and pillowcases are cheap and can be found everywhere, from Amazon to your local beauty supply.
Featured Image: Khumalo NP J Am Acad Dermatol Volume 43, Issue 5, Part 1, Pages 814–20
