Avoiding the natural knots....

tthreat08

tthreat08

New Member
Okay,

So I asked this question before, but I've still no solution.

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO AVOID the knots that form on the end of your hair when you wear it natural? In the past someone told me I should trim my hair, maybe it was damaged.....but no no no. My hair is very healthy, and I'm not prone to split ends. But dagnammit! Everytime I wear my hair out and curly, I end up with the knots. (I mean naturally curly. i don't have this problem with a rollerset). I can't stand them, can't ignore them. The last time, I just cut an inch of my hair off because I couldn't ignore them like other people can.

So how do you avoid them? I LOVE my natural curls, but don't want the knots. What do I do? Products? What?? Please help a sistah out! PLEASE...
 
I haven't managed to completely avoid knots but I have managed to decrease the amount I get. What works for me is
*detangle my hair at least every other time I wash
*use products with a little silicone in them--keeps my ends from coiling up on themselves as much
*at night, put a little leave-in conditioner (I use Elucence) followed by a little castor oil. I've tried this with other oils than castor and only coconut comes close.
*trims

I've had this problem since I bc'd (over a year ago) in addition to probs with split, chewed ends. I just started this routine about a month or so ago and so far my ends have been much better and I'm not noticing as many knots.
 
Keeping my coily hair stretched out in a style like a twist-out prevents knots for me. I've also noticed less knots when I stopped washing my hair so much. Leaving my hair in a shrunken coily fro or frequent washing causes knots for me. HTH!
 
I know exactly what you are talking about... I too had to overcome the knots when I first started wearing my hair out as a natural. My solution: castor oil and constantly keeping my hair moisturized. In the beginning I would cut them thinking that the hair was damaged until my 2 yr old's hair started growing and she too has the knots and I knew her hair was not damaged. However, keep in mind my hair is thin and soft, so I am not sure that this will work for you... Good Luck...;)
 
I know what you mean. I had a head full of them back in October after not straightening for 6months. My only suggestion that I plan to do is to do "search and destroy" missions and regular dustings to keep them at bay. Why can't you detangle daily? I think detangling with the Denman brush once in a while also helps.
 
Poohbear said:
Keeping my coily hair stretched out in a style like a twist-out prevents knots for me. I've also noticed less knots when I stopped washing my hair so much. Leaving my hair in a shrunken coily fro or frequent washing causes knots for me. HTH!
Click to expand...

I agree with this. The day after my big chop I woke up with a shrunken fro and a head full of knots. I immediately jumped in the shower and took my time combing my hair out in sections and braiding it up. I don't get knots if I do some type of wet set e.g. braidout, rollerset. No more washing and going for me.
 
Last edited:
caligirl said:
I agree with this. The day after my big chop I woke up with a shrunken fro and a head full of knots. I immediately jumped in the shower and took my time coming my hair out in sections and braiding it up. I don't get knots if I do some type of wet set e.g. braidout, rollerset. No more washing and going for me.
Click to expand...


This is what I am afraid of...not beaing able to wash and go. i guess it's not meant for everyone? I'm scared. Like I said the last time I tried this, I had to cut an inch to get rid of the knots.

Soundslike the options are:
1. Deal with it
2. Dust ends like a mad woman
3. Castor oil/Silicon combo
4. Twist out/Briad Outs
5. Accept Defeat and do nothing
6. Accept the limitations and just don't do it :(

Maybe waves are just as good as curls. Maybe I can live with a braid out. I've never truly done one before.

Any other suggestions?
 
I think knots at the ends of natural hair is just something that comes with the territory. They are really frustrating to me. My solutions is not best, but I do frequent trims.
 
honeycomb719 said:
I think knots at the ends of natural hair is just something that comes with the territory. They are really frustrating to me. My solutions is not best, but I do frequent trims.
Click to expand...


I agree. I've just learned to live with it. It bugged me at first but there are so many positives about my hair that counteract this negative. It doesn't bother me anymore.
 
Super_Hero_Girl said:
I agree. I've just learned to live with it. It bugged me at first but there are so many positives about my hair that counteract this negative. It doesn't bother me anymore.
Click to expand...


Same here!
 
I hate, hate, hate knots too. I fall into the constant duster category. I'm trying to stop though because I feel like me trimming every other day is sabatoging my growth. I'm trying to be positive about it. Because if it knots, it can't split, right? My challenge is to not cut off anymore knots for 6 months and then I can give all my hair one good cut and take them out! I too get knots more when I wash and wear or when I take down my twists, so I'm cutting back on both. If anyone finds another solution, please let me know!
 
misspriss said:
If anyone finds another solution, please let me know!
Click to expand...

I wash my hair in two sections. I never really let it bunch up during the wash process. And I have to wet set my hair in braids to avoid my hair drying tangled.
 
When I neglect to pay special attention to moisturizing my hair, I get them all the time. When my hair is moisturized and in protective styles, I hardly get them.hem
 
My hair knots up really easily. I have to cowash and detangle every day or it's bad news. I detangle under the force of the shower water and use leave in conditioner. I also moisturize my hair well. As long as I detangle daily in this particular manner, I have less problems. I can't stand knots. :mad: Oh, and I have to put my hair up at night or it's knot city in the am.
 
Poohbear said:
Keeping my coily hair stretched out in a style like a twist-out prevents knots for me. I've also noticed less knots when I stopped washing my hair so much. Leaving my hair in a shrunken coily fro or frequent washing causes knots for me. HTH!
Click to expand...

I agree with Poohbear. This is the best way for me. It also helps that I've been wearing twists about 98% of the time recently, and when I take them out to wash my hair every week I detangle my hiar with my Denman brush in the shower.
 
Kiwi said:
I agree with Poohbear. This is the best way for me. It also helps that I've been wearing twists about 98% of the time recently, and when I take them out to wash my hair every week I detangle my hiar with my Denman brush in the shower.
Click to expand...


Denman brush is nothing but the truth. :grin:
 
Ntrlmystik said:
When I neglect to pay special attention to moisturizing my hair, I get them all the time. When my hair is moisturized and in protective styles, I hardly get them.hem
Click to expand...


good point, N. Moisturizing is very key.
 
The Denman will mostly likely not get stuck in your hair if you follow a few simple guidelines:

1. Be gentle. If you feel some resistance, don't simply push the brush through with more force. Actually have an even lighter hand with the brush--it will detangle better that way, and without breakage. The more force, it will detangle too, but also rip through the tangles.

2. If you have having some trouble controlling the brush, move your hand from the handle to where the brush tines are (like when guys have those handless boar head brushes for their waves). Sometimes the handle can make your movement a little less controlled and will cause you to be too heavy handed with the brush.

3. Be sure to start with the ends of your hair. Do gentle little strokes if you need to until the brush goes through cleanly. Then move up toward the scalp, with gentle little strokes as you move up. After a few minutes of detangling, you'll be able to move from scalp to tip with the Denman.

4. Don't forget to detangle with either lots of conditioner, under the force of running water or some combination if you are having some trouble.

I detangle with the D4 either every time or every other time I CW, and I haven't seen knots (there are probably a few though) because the Denman does an excellent job of capturing the shed hair that wraps around your hair and causes knots and tangles.
 
To use the Denman:

1. Work on small sections of hair at a time. I make 8 sections on each side of my head

2. For each section spray hair with water from a spray bottle. Rub a little Herbal Essences Replenishing Conditioner (pink bottle) into the section.

3. Hold the section with one hand and use the other hand to brush with the denman from ends to root. After a few strokes it should glide thru.

4. Braid/roll the section or just let it be out and curly (if you've got any curl in your hair at all, the denman will bring it out).
 
First of all..Caligirl, Congratulations! I didn't know you were natural.

I hate those knots too. This is something that naturals never really talk about. At least I've never read anything about it. Anyway, when I did the big chop and my hair became knotted all the time, I was like, what is going on? I didn't know this about natural hair. I was cutting and trimming because I didn't know what else to do. I'm glad OP asked this EXCELLENT question.
 
I thought I was the ONLY one who suffered from knots. I usually get like 3 knots on one strand!!! And there usually in the back of my hair, never the front! I find my self constantly feeling for knots and dusting, like everyday!! I think i will step up my moisturizing! I'm gonna try to do it every night. I also love my denman 3 brush! I want to try a d4, maybe it will make detangling easier?
 
i ALWAYS get knots, but i love wearing wash n gos. i usually get knots if i dont brush my hair. ive increased my brushing to once a week, but i think im going to have to step that up :/

i dont have time to braid my hair or whatever at night, so brushing is my only resort
 
GodMadeMePretty said:
I can not extol the virtues of this brush enough. I have the d3 and d4. Best brush out there for detangling.
Click to expand...
the ouchless goody brushes are really good (i have one for fine hair). plus its about $7 cheaper than the denman
 
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