knots....

[Polgara]

Ive been dusting my hair this past month and trimming stands which had a black dot on them, which i though was indicating a break. I must admit that I was a little confused when reading on here that breaks apear as white dots and mine were black...

Anyway, i had a really close look at one of the dots today and realised that it wasn't a break, it was a knot. My individual strands of hair are tying themselves in knots!

Wacky! Anyone else get this? How do I stop it? Will they unknot themselves eventually or will they turn themselves into a break? I'm unable to manually untie them, should i cut them out?

HELP!

[LittleFlower]

They're called fairy knots and I think everyone gets them at one time or another. Just cut them off. The hair at that point will already be somewhat damaged and it's not really worthwhile to try to undo it. Ends that have broken off or are on the verge of breaking do show as a white dot at the site of the break. Sometimes the end will be bent at an angle. Just snip it off above the white dot.

ETA: I'm not sure how to prevent fairy knots apart from maybe more gentle handling. To me they're just part and parcel of having long hair and it doesn't really bother me that they're there. I snip them off because eventually they might break and cause a split end.

[peripheralvisionary]

I used to get those little knots a lot more before I started washing my hair with CO. I think it had something to do with my ends being really dry, and the CO washing has helped that a lot. I always just snipped them off when I got them. Maybe if you try a tiny bit of oil on just your ends it might help.

[Unnamed]

I usually snip them off, as once knotted, the hair is not only likely damaged at the knot, but it's probably contributing to damage on other hairs.

I have found that braiding at night/containing hair helps keep them away. Also, I've had almost zip in the last six months, during which my hair has been contained about 95% of the time. If my hair is loose at night, though, that's when it gets the most knots.

[Polgara]

Thankyou all for your advice. I started CO about 5 weeks ago (working wonderfully BTW), and started playing around with oiling (coconut oil) a couple of weekes ago (also working well). Also just started braiding at night and finding instructions for new updo's (always been a complete updo dunce).

So sounds like i'm on the right track, guess i'll be inspired by 'unnamed' and continue to cut them off until i dont get them anymore.

*hugs to all* :lafhard:

[Phoenix_Red]

Yes, I get the fairy knots too! But I'm so overprotective of every strand that I pour Bioterra leave-in over the top, and then pick the know open with a needle. I've never seen damage to my hair, it's bent weird, but the strand itself still looks solid and damage free.

[HairColoredHair]

Drat those little pixie knots... I figure mine come from bent hairs from hair ties and the like, which then mischeviously find their way into knots later.

Look kinda like this:
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a192/ForensicVette/Hair/pixieknot.jpg

[Polgara]

thanks for the leave in idea Phoenix_Red i hadn't thought about that and it's good to know the knots don't damage the shaft noticably and if i wanted to i could get them out. :grinhappy: