I think my Afro days are over. :(

[IslandDiva08]

I have the same issue as you OP, mid-strand knots. But lately i have been using a mixture of red palm oil and coconut oil to oil rinse, along with my hair wash...... and i have seen some improvement.

 

[aviddiva77]

protective style and braid and twist your hair up at night after wearing a fro. Never sleep on loose hair, keep your hair stretched out 100% of the time. Also limit your fro wearing for 2-3 days a week.

...really?...That explains a lot...But it takes so long to do it every night...and I'm lazy and tired...ALL RIGHT I'll do it! If it prevents those god-awful SSK I'll freaking do it.

 

[natural_one]

Today I flatironed a small piece of my hair in the back and almost ever strand had a knot on it. I almost cried. I have been natural for two years and my hair has grown so much but ssks are setting me back

Sent from my SGH-T839 using SGH-T839

 

[DDTexlaxed]

^^^ This is the reason why some people heat train. I do not wear my hair in an afro anymore. My hair is just too knotted. I prefer twisting. When it gets longer, I hope to wear my hair in a bun.

 

[greenandchic]

I remember a thread here a week ago or so where naturals were stating that SSKs is a fact of life when it comes to natural hair and it didn't hinder their progress...hmmmm (wondering).

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I remember a thread here a week ago or so where naturals were stating that SSKs is a fact of life when it comes to natural hair and it didn't hinder their progress...hmmmm (wondering).

This is true for some people. Just like the saying: what might work for you, may not work for some. This very same SS knots is what makes people use the scissors, heat or relax. It just depends on what one wants to do. Products also make a difference, but if you are natural, you will get knots. If you stretch your relaxer long enough, you will get knots. It is just a law of nature. This is a really great thread! Thanks for making it!:blowkiss:

 

[Nonie]

...really?...That explains a lot...But it takes so long to do it every night...and I'm lazy and tired...ALL RIGHT I'll do it! If it prevents those god-awful SSK I'll freaking do it.

aviddiva77, it shouldn't take long to do. The braids you do for the night should not be small. You should make them as big as you can so that they are easy to undo. And make sure your hair is fully detangled and can be combed through.

The idea of braiding before bed is so that your strands stay separated and not tangled...so in the morning styling will be a breeze. Braiding also stretches out your strands a bit. If you baggy, you may have to wait for your hair to dry a bit before undoing the plaits, but I prefer to use the moisture from baggying to comb my hair, and I don't mind shrinkage.

Here are examples of braided hair for the night. Even when my hair is straightened, I still braid it. Go figure:

The first two photos show braids that are a little smaller than I'd normally make them. The braids were created as I was undoing micro-braids. After every few sections, I'd braid the hair to keep it from curling back on itself and tangling. I'm anal about never letting tangles come to existence...so unless I'm styling my hair, I rarely leave it just loose while I work on a small section:

The photo below was of my straightened hair. I was getting ready for bed:

This is a practice I was introduced to by my mother when I was knee-high, so it's almost second nature.

And if I had any doubt about the importance of doing this, I got a good kick in the butt in October 2008--that's the one time I had to detangle my hair. Usually I never have to coz tangles can come down my street but they never stop at my door. I don't give them a chance to visit. Anyway, on October 11, 2008, I had worn a twist-out (bangs) and was too lazy to retwist my hair for the night. In the morning, I was faced with a nest:

There was no way I could comb that^^. Thank God *Happily Me* had given me a tip on finger detangling with conditioner on dry hair so that's what I used. Took way more time than I care to devote to hair, but I took my time and fixed it w/o shooting myself. Needless to say, I have not had to detangle my hair ever since. It doesn't matter how tired I am, my hair will not be put to bed w/o being in some type of style that keeps it held in a detangled state.

You should try it aviddiva77; it'll change your life.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I need to learn how to braid. It sucks to be a black woman who can't braid.

 

[natural_one]

Soo I just finished washing my hair and now I am sitting here in two strand twists. I washed and detangled in sections, and applied some aphogee leave in and a little spa nourish conditioner then coated it in castor oil and twisted it up...I think I am going to do twists outs for a few weeks then break out the curl formers..

As far as SSKs being a fact of natural hair, I agree but I dont have to accept them if I can prevent them.

 

[aviddiva77]

aviddiva77, it shouldn't take long to do. The braids you do for the night should not be small. You should make them as big as you can so that they are easy to undo. And make sure your hair is fully detangled and can be combed through.

The idea of braiding before bed is so that your strands stay separated and not tangled...so in the morning styling will be a breeze. Braiding also stretches out your strands a bit. If you baggy, you may have to wait for your hair to dry a bit before undoing the plaits, but I prefer to use the moisture from baggying to comb my hair, and I don't mind shrinkage.

Here are examples of braided hair for the night. Even when my hair is straightened, I still braid it. Go figure:

The first two photos show braids that are a little smaller than I'd normally make them. The braids were created as I was undoing micro-braids. After every few sections, I'd braid the hair to keep it from curling back on itself and tangling. I'm anal about never letting tangles come to existence...so unless I'm styling my hair, I rarely leave it just loose while I work on a small section:

The photo below was of my straightened hair. I was getting ready for bed:

This is a practice I was introduced to by my mother when I was knee-high, so it's almost second nature.

And if I had any doubt about the importance of doing this, I got a good kick in the butt in October 2008--that's the one time I had to detangle my hair. Usually I never have to coz tangles can come down my street but they never stop at my door. I don't give them a chance to visit. Anyway, on October 11, 2008, I had worn a twist-out (bangs) and was too lazy to retwist my hair for the night. In the morning, I was faced with a nest:

There was no way I could comb that^^. Thank God *Happily Me* had given me a tip on finger detangling with conditioner on dry hair so that's what I used. Took way more time than I care to devote to hair, but I took my time and fixed it w/o shooting myself. Needless to say, I have not had to detangle my hair ever since. It doesn't matter how tired I am, my hair will not be put to bed w/o being in some type of style that keeps it held in a detangled state.

You should try it aviddiva77; it'll change your life.

dance7:
Thanks for your help!
I see what I was doing wrong. I was definitely making my plaits too small. Do you detangle every night when you redo your braids? When I actually do it, I spray with water, add hair grease and then detangle and put in two-strand twists (takes me 2 hours!). I feel if I don't detangle it's just a tangled mess when I wash it.
My hair comes out like that when I don't do anything to it for the night and that's when the bandana goes on my head. But I'm going to try braiding my hair tonite! Oh last question Nonie, do you cover your hair?

 

[choctaw]

As far as SSKs being a fact of natural hair, I agree but I dont have to accept them if I can prevent them.

I have noticed 2 SSKs in past 18 months. I use oils daily ... maybe my hair (SL) is not SSK length?

 

[natural_one]

I have noticed 2 SSKs in past 18 months. I use oils daily ... maybe my hair (SL) is not SSK length?

I didnt start noticing them until a few months ago..Probably around month 22 and now I am month 25 and they are rampant.

 

[Nonie]

dance7:
Thanks for your help!
I see what I was doing wrong. I was definitely making my plaits too small. Do you detangle every night when you redo your braids? When I actually do it, I spray with water, add hair grease and then detangle and put in two-strand twists (takes me 2 hours!). I feel if I don't detangle it's just a tangled mess when I wash it.
My hair comes out like that when I don't do anything to it for the night and that's when the bandana goes on my head. But I'm going to try braiding my hair tonite! Oh last question Nonie, do you cover your hair?

aviddiva77 I repeat, detangling is not something I ever have to do. To me combing hair is NOT detangling. Detangling is removing tangles.

When I'm wearing my hair out, I apply S Curl to it after I wash it and towel dry, then comb out in an afro puff. When my hair is damp, it shrinks to a compact tight afro after I style. But I do run a comb through it. I DO NOT do WNGs. Also when I apply S Curl to damp hair, by the time my hair dries, it's pretty hard and feels dry. But I don't mess with it till it's time for bed:

At bed-time, I reapply S Curl to soften my hair, but I don't apply to my entire head all at once. I use fingers to pull out a braid section. I spray that section with S Curl to make it soft again and slippery so I can comb it. I then braid it up before going to another section. I repeat this till all my hair is braided. Then I put on a plastic cap or wrap Saran wrap around my head. I do not use scarves at bedtime because all they'd do is rob my hair of moisture. Plastic leaves it all in my hair. In the morning, the puff I get when I undo and COMB my hair is less compact than the one I had on wash day. It's also soft and fluffy:

My hair doesn't get hard this time. S Curl applied to dry hair (as I did the night before) gives me soft hair. I don't mess with my hair once I style it. Another plus in applying S Curl to dry hair is it stays moist and soft all day. So in the evening, I can pull out a section and comb it out. When I comb my hair, I use a stretching action with one hand to open up the strands as seen here. I don't need much combing. I just make sure the comb can get through the strands I pulled out with fingers (a section big enough for the plait). If it turns out that the strands are kinda stuck togeter then I divide that section into smaller sections that I can comb easily and work on each separately then plait the whole, and move on to another section. Then baggy for the night.

I follow the procedure of the last paragraph for a second day (maybe third) then it's time to wash my hair and I repeat the wash day procedure. All in all, my hair is never allowed to tangle. So I never have to detangle. (I wash my hair in plaits too. I apply shampoo in plaits like the ones I sleep in and feel through the hair to massage my scalp well. Then I undo each one in turn to comb through using slip from shampoo and water, rebraiding it before moving onto the next one. And when I've done that to all, I hold head under shower spray to rinse and repeat the undo and comb through then rebraid ritual. I do them same with conditioner and rinsing and ACV rinse. So by the time I finish my wash, all shed hair has been removed and there are no tangles because I didn't allow them to happen.)

 

[aviddiva77]

aviddiva77 I repeat, detangling is not something I ever have to do. To me combing hair is NOT detangling. Detangling is removing tangles.


I follow the procedure of the last paragraph for a second day (maybe third) then it's time to wash my hair and I repeat the wash day procedure. All in all, my hair is never allowed to tangle. So I never have to detangle. (I wash my hair in plaits too. I apply shampoo in plaits like the ones I sleep in and feel through the hair to massage my scalp well. Then I undo each one in turn to comb through using slip from shampoo and water, rebraiding it before moving onto the next one. And when I've done that to all, I hold head under shower spray to rinse and repeat the undo and comb through then rebraid ritual. I do them same with conditioner and rinsing and ACV rinse. So by the time I finish my wash, all shed hair has been removed and there are no tangles because I didn't allow them to happen.)

(I just deleted some for space) OH ok to me detangling=combing lol. But I get what you mean now. I've seen several other posters say something about shampooing their hair in plaits/twists but I never thought anything about it. I'll have to try that next time I shampoo.

Just finish my plaits. The first one is my hair after I took down my bunnytail. And the rest are my plaits. ZOMG It took half the time it usually does and combing was so smooth! THANK YOU!!

I'm gonna copy cat your regime (minus the saran wrap. I tried that once and had to wash the sweat out of my hair lol but it does make sense)

Once again THANK YOU!