Fairy Knots – A Natural Hair Dilemma
Written by Samara on September 5, 2009
Have you noticed tiny knots at the ends of your natural hair? Why do those horrid little knots often appear? How did they get there? We know for sure that we didn’t do it! Oh, yes a little fairy must have. Their small enough for one to have been guilty of such an act!
If you’ve experienced these common irritants, you’re not alone. These tiny knots are known as “fairy knots”, because of how small they are. Fairy knots are knots that appear on single strands close to the ends of natural hair. They can be caused by frequent wear of free styles, such as braid outs, twist outs, and fros. They are also caused by other factors such as failing to seal your ends at night, using a comb in dry natural hair, etc. Some even say that these little knots are “split ends.” I beg to differ. Fairy knots are a natural occurrence in naturally curly-kinky hair. They are caused by the hair having a tight curl pattern which results in the hair wrapping around itself resulting in a tiny single strand knot. The following can help alleviate these pesky knots from appearing:
- Seal your ends every night with shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, or jojoba oil
- Do not comb dry natural hair. Only comb your hair when it is soaking wet and saturated with conditioner
- Wear protective styles often
- Always tie your hair down at night with a satin scarf to prevent matting and tangles
- Condition often – Every time you wash, meaning at least twice a week
The above tips will lessen fairy knots, but when your hair is natural you will probably still get them from time to time because of your hair being naturally curly. If you see these knots appear in your hair, just take a pair of shears and cut them out. It’s best to do it once you notice them at the ends because if left untreated the hair will continue to knot up from the ends up causing extreme breakage.
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5 Responses to Fairy Knots – A Natural Hair Dilemma
So THAT’S what they are called!! I just cut a few of these knots out of my hair last week. I can usually feel them at the end of my hair following a twist out or similar style. And I came to the solution, just as you have written here, to seal the ends with shea butter or a similar substance that can provide a moisturizing shield. Also I am not against cutting single strands of hair if necessary considering this seems to actually improve the overall look of my hair without sacrificing length.
I just stumbled across this website and I must say it is very informative. Thank you!!
Wow thanks!!! Love your videos on youtube glad I can futher do my “hair-Studies” here too! But yeah gotta do something about those pesky fairies of mine!!=0)
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You said dont comb your hair when its dry, If I wet my hair then it will become nappy, also if I wear it in a pony tail and wet my hair what do I use for natural hair
I do not believe in the word “nappy”. Dry hair is more prone to damage if it is comb dry. Your hair should be wet and saturated with conditioner to aid in detangling the hair with a wide tooth comb or denman brush