Does anyone not care about single strand knots?

[Curlykale]

Does anyone NOT care about single strand knots or is anyone not trimming them on purpose, in order to retain length?
I'm curious about what happens if you grow your hair just like it is supposed to be without set styles, yet taking care of your hair and keeping the moisture there. (Doing the same, except you wear wash and go's all the time).

There's a little evil voice inside me that tells me that maybe as long as you plan to never straighten you hair and as long as you plan to use a wide tooth comb to detangle, it shouldn't be a problem: your huge shower comb won't get caught up in them and you will live happily ever after.

Since we (naturals) are all stretching or planning to stretch our hair 90% of the time, as well as cutting the knots off, I was wondering if there are other opinions and ways, or they are a bad thing only.

 

[Cisselette]

Bumping for responses

 

[FebeeSigns]

I personally get a ton of single strand knots and they drive me crazy. I thought I could leave them in without any trouble but that wasnt the case. They actually end up tangling with other pieces of hair on my head. They just cause a lot more trouble, not to mention my hair breaks easily right above the knot. I had to get a serious trim because of them. I've read on numerous articles that splits can cause single strand knots if they get entangled with each other and then separated. I'm not sure how true this is but when I have single strand knots, I have splits as well.

 

[EllePixie]

I only do wash and gos, so I can't avoid them. When I find them I snip them, but I don't trim my hair.

 

[Nasdaq_Diva]

Does anyone NOT care about single strand knots or is anyone not trimming them on purpose, in order to retain length?
I'm curious about what happens if you grow your hair just like it is supposed to be without set styles, yet taking care of your hair and keeping the moisture there. (Doing the same, except you wear wash and go's all the time).

There's a little evil voice inside me that tells me that maybe as long as you plan to never straighten you hair and as long as you plan to use a wide tooth comb to detangle, it shouldn't be a problem: your huge shower comb won't get caught up in them and you will live happily ever after.

Raises hand

I was just finishing up my twists and noticed a SSK (I dont get them often) and I thought, "oh cool, a single strand knot" You know what I did...kept on twisting my hair

SSK are not the downfall to having natural hair lol. It is what it is..

 

[NaturalRed]

I kept finding more and more of those little suckers in my hair every day. I kept listening to others on various hair boards saying that frequent trims weren't necessary. Then I noticed that a lot of those single strand knots were attached to split ends. The knots I can deal with, but not split ends. Not everyone's hair is the same. I can't go 6 months without a trim. I need them every 6 - 8 weeks. I started over last week and just cut my hair. This time I'm going to focus on hair health instead of length retention.

 

[Nayna]

When I see them I snip them. But they haven't been bothering me enough to stunt my growth. I figure I can't see every single strand of hair so I don't stress. If I see it I see it; if I don't I don't. I'm still retaining and my hair is still healthy. Also, keeping my hair stretched as much as possible has really helped to cut those suckers down.

 

[Vshanell]

I personally get a ton of single strand knots and they drive me crazy. I thought I could leave them in without any trouble but that wasnt the case. They actually end up tangling with other pieces of hair on my head. They just cause a lot more trouble, not to mention my hair breaks easily right above the knot. I had to get a serious trim because of them. I've read on numerous articles that splits can cause single strand knots if they get entangled with each other and then separated. I'm not sure how true this is but when I have single strand knots, I have splits as well.

I've actually read that the ssk actually makes a split over time. The strands that form the knot rub against each other for so long it tears the hair.

I think ssk's are very bad, especially because once you have a lot of them they make detangling harder. I have a ton of them because I've been wearing wash n' go's all summer. As much as I hate them I won't let them stop me from wearing whatever styles i want. Whenever I straighten I'll just cut them out.

 

[1QTPie]

I have to care about them or they will rip my other perfectly healthy ends or cause MASSIVE tangles. I'm constantly on a search and destroy missions.

And I just cut my hair, so it really ticks me off that I have shorter hair now and they are still beating me up. lol (I didn't get the SSK's until my hair was longer.)

 

[yamilee21]

I never paid attention to them before joining this forum; I never knew they were supposed to be a problem, just that they were a fact of curly/coily hair. For a while, I was looking for them and cutting them out all the time, but when I realized that there does not really seem to be a way to prevent them 100%, I eventually stopped paying attention again. I never wear wash and go styles, rarely have my hair out at all, and have my hair in buns or braided/twisted ponytails most of the time. My baby daughter was actually born with a few SSKs; if those things can form in utero, maybe they are just meant to be, .

 

[LunadeMiel]

I've actually read that the ssk actually makes a split over time. The strands that form the knot rub against each other for so long it tears the hair.

I think ssk's are very bad, especially because once you have a lot of them they make detangling harder. I have a ton of them because I've been wearing wash n' go's all summer. As much as I hate them I won't let them stop me from wearing whatever styles i want. Whenever I straighten I'll just cut them out.

I agree 100%. SSKs will eventually either split the stand that it's on and catch on other strands and cause them to tear or split. SSKS are very bad for your hiar. Ignoring them I think is just asking for a set back

I dust for SSKs frequently.

 

[Curlykale]

....hmmmm this subject is more and more to me like eating cake and exercising...

(LOL at the knots forming in utero)

 

[MadisonK]

I do 98% wash and go's and I don't think i have ever had a SSK...that I know of. lol Is it because my hair is still really short? What causes SSK?

 

[Curlykale]

I do 98% wash and go's and I don't think i have ever had a SSK...that I know of. lol Is it because my hair is still really short? What causes SSK?

Many people with short hair say so and it worked like that for me as well... I started to have them as soon as I reached shoulder length. Before that length there was no trace of them at all...

 

[SheenaVee]

I don't think I get ssk's. Either that or I dunno what they look like... -_-

 

[Yoshi3329]

I don't don't get SSK and I'm 8 months into transitioning. I thought this would be harder to be honest.erplexed I do get a few SSK at the demarcation line, but they are seriously far and in between. They don't cause me any trouble.

If you want to get rid of them, add ceramides and some cuticle sealer to your regimen, and your set to go. That's the only thing that been keeping my knots at bay. *shrug*

 

[MadisonK]

Many people with short hair say so and it worked like that for me as well... I started to have them as soon as I reached shoulder length. Before that length there was no trace of them at all...

ah...ok. so, they come from the hair being long?

 

[EllePixie]

I started getting them when my hair started hanging in the back and formed my really fun mullet.

 

[MadisonK]

lol...ok, when my hair is straightened it looks like a mullet. lol The sides are starting to catch up with the back. Thank, God!

 

[Curlykale]

ah...ok. so, they come from the hair being long?

not sure about this... they came with length for me and many other people I've read of, but I don't know if it changes with length or texture or anything else.

I didn't get them while I was transitioning, as at the time my ends were texturized and my natural part was on the roots... I chopped at ear length and got them at shoulder length.

I did start using ceramides (rice bran oil) thanks to this forum and I'm loving them...

 

[aminata]

I get them--before I use to be very careful and try to get every hair out of the knot. Now I just cut them when I see them.
To me, SSK signal that it's time to get a trim. --It's true I need one desperately. Moisturizing the ends at this point doesn't help.

 

[MadisonK]

I don't don't get SSK and I'm 8 months into transitioning. I thought this would be harder to be honest.erplexed I do get a few SSK at the demarcation line, but they are seriously far and in between. They don't cause me any trouble.

If you want to get rid of them, add ceramides and some cuticle sealer to your regimen, and your set to go. That's the only thing that been keeping my knots at bay. *shrug*

What ceramide or cuticle sealer do you recommend?

 

[Janet']

I do care but they don't plague me that often. Using a denman helps cut down on ssks and using a good leave-in also helps me.

 

[mzteaze]

I had a head full of them from my ends making contact with my pillow cases and stuff. :-(
I didn't do much about them UNTIL I went to get a trim and realized that ignoring them chewed up my ends. To even everything out required at least 1/2" trim all the way around. Never again.

After my last fresh trim, I make sure that I add extra JBCO or Vatika to my ends to keep them moist. I also try to keep the friction down by using scarves or a silk cap at night. It has helped tremendously.

 

[EllePixie]

lol...ok, when my hair is straightened it looks like a mullet. lol The sides are starting to catch up with the back. Thank, God!

I don't mind my curly mullet but I'm not sure what it would look like straight, lol...

I also didn't get SSKs while transitioning - I think they are a result of tightly curled hair tangling in itself. I currently seal with oil nightly (hemp seed oil mix) and they are minimized, but I still get them.

 

[Yoshi3329]

What ceramide or cuticle sealer do you recommend?

Any ceramide will do, I pre-poo with rice bran oil. However, my deep conditioner has wheat germ oil, my braid spray (sealer) has eucalyptus oil, and wheat germ herbs, and my Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Leave-in has two synthetic ceramides ( 2-OLEAMIDO-1,3-OCTADECANEDIOL).

My cuticle sealer of choice if Joico cuticle sealer.

Get some ceramide and cuticle sealer into your life, and send you hair on a journey!

 

[JinaRicci]

For some reason I'm not plagued with these either. I don't think I'm doing anything special. I have only had a couple which have happened when I did back to back wash n gos without fully detangling.

But if it happens more when your hair gets much longer then maybe that's it.

 

[iri9109]

what does one feel like? all i do is WnGs and i hear ppl say they dont like WnGs bc of SSKs and i felt all over my head trying to find one and i didnt feel anything that resembles a knot...maybe b/cmy hair is so short...but unless i cant detangle my hair, then i dont really think i'd be too preoccupied with getting rid of them...

 

[thehairmaverick]

I don't don't get SSK and I'm 8 months into transitioning. I thought this would be harder to be honest.erplexed I do get a few SSK at the demarcation line, but they are seriously far and in between. They don't cause me any trouble.

If you want to get rid of them, add ceramides and some cuticle sealer to your regimen, and your set to go. That's the only thing that been keeping my knots at bay. *shrug*

This is really working for me! Hempseed oil+IC fantasia gel= sheer happiness

 

[MadisonK]

Any ceramide will do, I pre-poo with rice bran oil. However, my deep conditioner has wheat germ oil, my braid spray (sealer) has eucalyptus oil, and wheat germ herbs, and my Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Leave-in has two synthetic ceramides ( 2-OLEAMIDO-1,3-OCTADECANEDIOL).

My cuticle sealer of choice if Joico cuticle sealer.

Get some ceramide and cuticle sealer into your life, and send you hair on a journey!

ok...i have the Redken Anti-Snap. I need to pull that out.

Rice Bran oil? Do you mind me asking why you pre poo with it? I don't think i have ever used this oil.