Your voice of Hair
Imagine scheduling your wash day on “Self- Care Sunday.” You have all your 4C Voice products, brushes, wide tooth combs, clips and more all out on the counter and ready to go. You take your time with your beautiful textured hair and BOOM you run into a little knot.. We’ve all experienced this once before. Single strand knots, also known as fairy knots, are tiny tangles that form around a single strand of hair and literally make a knot. These little knots can be frustrating and we see them form mostly on coily/curly hair textures. But no worries, they are normal and doesn’t mean you’re not caring for your hair the best way that you can.
Why do we get single strand knots?
Let’s start with the texture of our hair being one of the main reasons we experience these fairy knots. What a time to be a curly/coily haired gal. I can vividly remember myself pulling knots right off due to frustration. (Don’t be like me!) The tighter your curls are, the easier it is for hair to tangle around one strand and form. Again, they are normal but you can work with your hair to decrease the amount you get. Improper care can increase the amount of fairy knots you deal with. There are multiple other reasons why you may being seeing these knots such as:
- Friction from the scarves or pillowcases you may be using
- Lack of protective styling, specifically at bedtime
- No consistent hair routine
- Lack of moisturizing and deep conditioning
- The key to healthy hair is moisture. The more moisturized our hair, the easier detangling is.
- Detangling and rough washing methods
- Air drying your hair after washing
- Infrequent hair trims
Each one of the reasons listed above can be the reason you may be seeing these knots. Each one also has a simple solution, starting with doing things to prevent them. Pulling them off the ends of your hair isn’t recommended, cutting them with sharp hair cutting shears to prevent more damage is best.
How do we prevent single strand knots?
While the knots are normal, none of us are pleased to see them, right ? Let’s discuss preventing them. Seven reasons why you may be dealing with them were listed and doing the opposite will literally allow you to see a difference.
Bedtime Routine: Decrease Friction
Let’s start with adding a satin or silk pillow and/or bonnet into your bedtime routine. Satin is smooth and also feels so luxurious. It decreases the amount of friction your hair is dealing with as we toss and turn throughout the night causing those tangles. Get rid of those regular cotton/polyester pillowcases and scarves and let’s tap into what’s going to protect our natural hair.
Protective Styling: Stretch your hair
Protective styles will always be in, whether you are doing some nice two strand twist, flat twist, two braids or anything to keep your hair stretched and set for the time being. Your hair being in this state will help decrease the possibility of your hair shrinking and tangling around itself. This should be done after washing too, air drying can cause these knots.
Nightly protective styling is just as important as longer styles. If you’ve been noticing more single strand knots, try adding these quick nightly styles to your routine. For example: pineapple buns, loose two strand twists and banding.
Create a consistent hair routine: This includes seeing a hairstylist
Treating your hair with care and love will always be the top priority. A schedule must be created using products that best agree with your hair. Hydrating, detangling and oils must be added into your hair care routine to help with keeping your hair healthy and making it easy to detangle. Check out the Hair Care Bundle from The4cVoice: https://the4cvoice.com/product/hair-care-bundle/. These products are packed with the Ayurvedic herbs and nutrients needed to elevate any hair care experience. If possible, book an appointment with a hair stylist. They will be able to examine and treat your hair in the exact way it needs. Booking an appointment when possible will drastically help increase the health of your hair.
Schedule Regular Trims
If you’ve been noticing an increased amount of single strand knots, this may be your hair’s way of telling you that it is time for a trim. We generally recommend trims every 3-4 months, but you know your hair best. The ends of our hair are the oldest parts- they’ve gone through the most. So if it’s taking longer to detangle your hair, your styles aren’t poppin as they usually are, or if you are seeing more knots, it may be time for that trim!
Gentle Washing and Detangling
When we are rough with our hair, our hair will fight back, literally! Rough washing methods lead to more tangled hair. The more tangled our curls get, the higher chances of single strand knots.
Reiterating the need for detangling products, oils and deep conditioning is a mess. Putting your hair in sections, hydrating, conditioning and adding an oil will allow your hair strands to be slick and harder to tangle. Adding these products and slowly using a wide tooth comb starting at the ends and moving up gently will make this process safer for your hair and will leave a better outcome. Washing in sections and not aggressively scrubbing while washing your hair is also suggested.
Being proactive when it comes to any part of your life is important, this includes your hair. Our hair means so much to us, so let’s prevent what we can. Take care of your hair and implement new routines to increase hair health. Check out these links below with some advice on how to help with fairy knot prevention and as always, check out https://the4cvoice.com for all things hair care!
