Type 4 Series: Knots and Tangles

This is a series on how to style and manage type 4 hair healthily. It doesn't matter whether you are natural, transitioning, or stretching relaxers.

Today's topic: Combatting knots and tangles.

Here are previous posts addressing knots and tangles in natural hair of any type (2, 3, 4, etc.):
Knots ... Be Gone!
When You Get a Knot

I recommend reading them first.

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Tight coils, little to no curl pattern, and major shrinkage make type 4 hair a conducive environment for knots and tangles. Imagine tossing several tightly coiled wires into a bag haphazardly.  Now imagine removing these wires one by one from the bag. Knots and tangles galore, right? A similar event can occur in type 4 natural hair that is left loose, wild, and shrunken.

The basics to minimizing knots & tangles
Protective style frequently. Detangle thoroughly and regularly. Keep the hair moisturized. (For more details on the basics, read the earlier mentioned posts.) Tips: Use a wide tooth comb first then follow up with a medium tooth comb or a gentle paddle brush. Refrain from wearing wash-n-gos after passing 6-8 inches in length.

Further prevention ... Wash in braids
Washing loose hair is discouraged. (Think back to the bag full of tightly coiled wires.)  Instead, wash your hair in braided sections to minimize tangling. About washing in twists: Twists, unless done small or medium, tend to unravel during a wash. Thus, braids may be a better option.

Continuing on ... Short-term stretched styles
If you want to wear your hair out, stretched styles (i.e., twist outs, braid outs) are by far the best method.  However, allowing such styles to age beyond their limit leaves room for shrinkage and tangling.  Keep the style wear to a minimum.  Note: The higher the humidity, the shorter the wear. The longer your hair, the shorter the wear.

Speaking of stretching ... Use a thick, heavy detangler
During your regular detangling sessions, use a cholesterol-based or other thick, heavy conditioner to ease the process.  The conditioner will add weight to the hair thus stretching the coils temporarily. Alternative: Some type 4's prefer detangling on dry, stretched, lubricated hair since wet strands equate to shrinkage.

Do not wet the knot
In the event that you do get a knot, the worst thing you can do is apply water. Why? Because it will shrink the hair and make the knot harder to unravel. Instead, apply an oil or butter and gradually pull out each strand from the knot one by one. Alternative: Some type 4's have success applying conditioner to a knot while others do not. Do what works for you.  Depending on how serious the knot is, a thin tool - such as the end of a rattail comb - may be used to undo the knot. Refrain from using sharp tools, like needles or safety pins, which may damage the cuticle.

Micro Twist Takedown on CNapp Hair

PHOTO: (L) Putting in twists, (R) After 4 weeks

So, as some of you probably already know, I've been wearing my real hair in micro twists for 4 weeks.

This weekend is takedown time!

Here's the GAME PLAN:

*Soak my twists with unrefined shea butter whipped with coconut oil + olive oil + etc.
Because my hair loves to shrink and has super tiny coils that coil upon themselves, wetting my twists with conditioner or water for the takedown process is a big no-no. Whipped shea butter lubricates my strands while allowing my hair to remain stretched. Applying this mixture will also act as a "prepoo" before my wash.

*Take down a twist & finger detangle
After I take down a twist, I finger detangle to remove shed hair, lint, etc. This will make the washing and comb detangling much easier.

*Put loose hair in 10-15 big twists, then clarify
Washing my hair in a loose state (especially after a micro twist takedown) is just asking for trouble. Loose hair that loves to shrink + loves to coil upon itself = tangles and knots when wet. I use 10-15 twists (as opposed to, say 5-10) because my hair is really dense. It also makes the detangling process more efficient.

*Deep condition, then comb detangle each twist
I need a thick deep conditioner to temporarily loosen my tight and tiny coils, provide hang, and coat my dense strands for detangling. For my hair, conditioners containing cholesterol and an oil are ideal. (I like to mix Lustrasilk cholesterol with olive oil.) After the conditioner sits for about an hour, comb detangling will remove whatever shed hair and tangles the finger detangling missed. I use a wide tooth comb first, and then the D3 (Denman) if necessary. (If you have hair like mine, never use the D3 on undetangled tresses.)

*Thoroughly rinse, then "seal", and airdry in the big twists
I "seal," or lock, the water into my strands by applying the whipped shea butter mixture. Then I airdry my hair in a stretched state to minimize shrinkage and knotting.

*Style once dry!
Styling my hair after it's airdried and stretched is a preference. It allows me to show more length and have a neater, longer-lasting style. It's also easier.

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FOR INFO ON MAINTAINING CNAPP HAIR

Reader's Question: Hair Knots ... Be Gone!

Post inspired by a reader! Thank you for your questions. Post on "When You Get a Knot" coming soon.

Single-strand knots. Double-strand knots. Multiple-strand knots. Be gone!

The truth of the matter is that for many naturals, hair knots are inevitable. We can have a solid hair care regimen, yet they always appear. This is because our curls, coils, and kinks form an environment conducive to tangling and knotting.

Though hair knots cannot be prevented altogether, the frequency of their occurrence can be minimized. Here are 5 tips I have read about and used to reduce the formation of the natural's nightmare - the knot:

1. Protective style - This is the number one most useful tip, and it makes perfect sense. When is a piece of yarn most prone to tangling - when it is in a perfect ball or when it is loose? The answer is the latter, and the same goes for our hair. Twists and braids are probably the most useful protective styles for minimizing knot formation. (If you are one those naturals who still gets knots while in twists, you may want to try braids instead.)

2. Detangle regularly - Hair that is allowed to stay tangled is more likely to knot. Additionally, shed hair that is allowed to accumulate becomes hair that is just waiting to wrap itself around another. Detangling removes tangles and shed hair, thus reducing knot formation.

3. Wash in sections - For some of us, washing the hair loose is just asking for knot city! I recommend washing and conditioning in sections -- particularly in braids or twists -- to reduce tangling and knot formation.

4. Stretched loose style / No wash-n-gos - Straight hair rarely, if ever, knots onto itself. But wait! I am not suggesting that your options are limited to using a flat iron or relaxer kit to reduce knots. Naturals can wear rollersets, twistouts, braidouts, or other stretched styles that temporarily and healthily elongate the curl pattern. Minimize or stay away from wash-n-gos altogether. Caveat: Once a stretched style starts to shrink, the loose hair can be prone to tangling. Try to save stretched styles for non-humid days.

5. Moisturize, moisturize - Some naturals swear by this method for knot reduction. Hair strands that are dry will experience more friction and join into knots. Hair strands that are well moisturized will slide past each other and have a harder time tangling together.  Don't forget to seal with an oil/butter to not only lock in the moisture but to add more slip between hair strands.