Over the weekend, I attended the Phoenix International Natural Hair Meet-up day. One of the events was a question and answer period with two stylists and the owner of Bear Fruit Hair. One of the questions was what to do about single strand knots (SSK) or fairy knots. The response from one of the stylists was to comb your hair once it’s saturated with conditioner. This was the only advice that she offered. Sorry, but I disagreed with this response. Combing your hair does not prevent or eliminate SSKs. Single strand knots occur because curly hair tends to curl in on itself. They can also become more prevalent with wash and go hair styles. Simply combing your hair doesn’t reduce SSKs.
One of the ways to prevent them from occurring is to keep the hair moisturized. Some also suggest to twist or braid the hair at night. The site Hairscapades offers some insight on what can be done to reduce SSK. You cannot eliminate them because they come with curly/kinky/coily hair just as shrinkage is part of being natural. I have found that I have more SSTs when I wear wash and go’s and when I don’t keep my hair moisturized. I don’t comb my hair every day. I only finger detangling and comb when it’s wash day for my hair, and this happens once a week.
