"Natural" American Horror Story: Single Strand Knots

It all began once my hair had drifted beyond my shoulders (when stretched).  I had never had these problems before.  Although my hair was making strides towards achieving my lofty length goals, I was getting ready to embark on a new nightmare (cue horror music) Single Strand Knots. 

Have you ever found yourself yelling at the female-lead in a scary movie? You know they are walking into a dangerous situation and you are screaming for them to turn around and go back.  That's me, right about now.  I know better! I know that I should wear protective styles, and detangle...but I haven't been doing these necessary tasks, lately.  My inner voice is screaming at me, and I still fail to listen.  I have never regretted this as much as I did yesterday.

Saturday was my WASH DAY and I was forced to live through the horrifying consequences of not heeding my own advice. As I began to detangle, I noticed that the tangles and single strand knots had violently attacked my thick curls!!! I screamed, I cried, and I tried to fight back. In great horror, I literally had to cut some of the knots out of my hair.  I felt defeated. The knots had viciously slashed through my hair.

What are Single Strand Knots?

Single strand knots are knots that form in a single strand of hair.  These knots have also been called fairy knots, since they seem to magically appear.

How to Avoid Single Strand Knots

1. Limit Wash N Go's and poufs (especially in cooler, windy weather).  Having your hair exposed to the elements  can cause your coils to interlock on itself, which leads to tangles and knots.
2. Carefully detangle your hair on a regular basis.  This is something that I absolutely hate to do; my hair is extremely thick and it can turn into a 2 hour ordeal.  Be sure to detangle in sections and use a wide-tooth comb, your fingers, or a denman brush.  Do not detangle on dry hair, because this can lead to breakage. 
3. Moisturize your hair, consistently.  I use the L.O.C method when moisturizing: Liquid, Oil, Cream.  I use a leave-in conditioner as my liquid. This provides the moisture needed for us curly divas.  I follow that up with jojoba oil  and a styling cream to seal in the moisture.
4. Wear Protective styles.  Seriously, this is definitely the advice I need to use more often.  Two-strand twists and braids are my go to protective styles because I can do them myself.  Wearing these styles will help keep your ends protected.  This will also prevent those pesky knots from forming.
5. Wear a bonnet or satin scarf to bed.  This is another valuable tip that I don't follow too often.  After dealing with the problems that I had this weekend.  I will make sure that bonnet is on my head before I tuck myself in a night.  Bonnets and scarves help to retain moisture.  Cotton pillowcases, in my opinion, are the devil.  They will wreak havoc on your natural tresses.  The cotton absorbs the moisture from your hair and cause friction which may result in frizz, breakage, and brittle hair.

Hopefully by following the tips listed above, you can avoid the Natural-American Horror Story that I had to live through. 

**All advice is based on my own personal experience and your results may vary.**