The enemy of every person with natural hair is single strand knots.
We care for our hair and expect it to be gracious in return, but no. Natural hair decides to give the gift of single strand knots as a thank you for our consistent care and attention.
So, what causes single strand knots?
Most commonly, single strand knots are caused by shed hairs deciding to stick around. Hair strands are supposed to fall away from your hair and end up as dust within your environment.
However, with curls, coils, and waves, these strands will often get caught in the twists and turns of your hair strand. Then, they wrap around strands that have yet to shed and cause a knot.
I used to think that single strand knots went hand in hand with natural hair, but over the years learning how best to care for my hair has all but eliminated the issue.
So, how did I get rid of my single strand knots?
- I keep my hair moisturized
Honestly, keeping my hair moisturized is the most important tool in my natural hair care arsenal. Between conditioning, moisturizing, and washing my hair, I never allow my strands to dry out. I have even tried washing my hair daily on the road to moisture retention, but I find keeping things simple is best for my lifestyle.
I previously shared a post on keeping natural hair moisturized here. Why do I preach this gospel? Because I find that moisturized hair knots less. Mainly because the hair strands remain lubricated so the shed hair more easily falls away from your other hair strands.
- I keep up with trimming
It is so easy to ignore split ends when wearing hair curly. But, they are one of the biggest culprits for single strand knots! These splits are perfect spots for shed hair to grab onto and cause a knot.
Split ends are dry and often cause tiny little balls to form on the end of the strand. Those balls and dry spots are ready to bond with shed hair anytime, so cutting out those splits is key to easy haircare.
- I always get the shed hair out before cleansing
I’ve mentioned that shed hair gets trapped in the strand and causes a single strand knot. Add that to the drying effect of cleanser and you have tangles galore!
Accordingly, it is important to get as much shed hair out as possible before cleansing. I like to detangle prior to cleansing my hair to get shed hair away from my strands. Sometimes I will spend time during a pre-poo session to get as much of the shed hair out as well.
Regardless of when one of the best ways to prevent single strand knots is to pay close attention to shed hair before washing.
That’s all it takes!
At this point in my haircare journey, I only run into single strand knots when it gets close to the time for a trim. Then, I immediately make an appointment for the salon because any single strand knot is an early indication of longer detangling sessions down the road.
