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How To Manage Shrinkage and Knots
If you’re in the process of growing out your curly hair, you know it can be painstaking. For every step forward, it can feel like there are several back. One of the biggest issues many curlies face is dealing with shrinkage and single strand knots, or SSKs. SSKs can cause a lot of damage to strands and not every curly girl is even aware of them until they happen. However, there are some things you can to help deal with this. Here’s how to manage shrinkage and knots.
Butter your ends:
The ends of curls tend to be very dry, which makes them fragile and prone to breakage. Using heavy butters or oils will also weigh ends down, which will prevent them from curling back onto themselves, which can cause them to snap off. If you aren’t into using butters, you can also pick up a natural oil to seal ends down and create some slip.
Twirling your ends:
While styling your curls, make sure to twirl your ends. This will help the curls clump together and prevent them from tangling up. When curls are clumping, they are far less likely to get caught up on each other, which creates SSKs.
Wash in twists:
Wash days are when your curls are most vulnerable. Washing can take a lot out of hair, and can create tangles. In fact, most SSKs actually happen on wash days, particularly when your curls are wet. Washing your curls while they are in braids or twists can keep them clumped, which encourages them to retain their shape. Follow up your washes with conditioners to help retain moisture. After you’ve washed and conditioned, you’re also going to need to utilize a deep conditioning treatment. This will help revitalize curls and infuse them with moisture.