Strange mini-knots in hair...

[Anywhere]

Sometimes when I S&D i find mini knots. The individual strand(s) of hair are tied into a little knot with itself. Sometimes these are pretty high up on the hair strands. Anyone know how I can prevent these? They're strange..

*since I'm bad at describing things, this is what they look like, the rope represents one strand of hair.

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:VcebH-N1L84DYM:http://www.diyhappy.com/wp-content/images/Knot.jpg

[Thinthondiel]

I get those too, but I don't think I've ever seen them high up on the strands. I don't have any ideas on how to prevent them though, sorry. I just cut them off.

[marikamt]

I get them too.... not WAY up, but an inch or two up from the ends..... I thought maybe they were sheds that got all tangled up??

[Arctic]

They are faery knots/pixie knots.

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc33/LingonberryMist/Hiukset/20081016002-muoks.jpg

[clairenewcastle]

I used to get these but always on the ends of my hairs, never further up the shaft.
I always put them down to my hair getting tangled in the wind.

[Anje]

I get them... I think lint and tangles cause them, or at least contribute. My speculation is that once the knot had a bunch more hairs involved, but they all get detangled from it, leaving the lone little hair in a knot. (Overproteining my hair also contributes... arg!)

Interesting that the first pic is an overhand knot, and the second is a figure-8 knot. I get more overhands than figure-8s.

[Heidi_234]

I noticed they mostly happen when a tangle is being 'resolved'. Usually a tangle is one or more hairs knotting around other hairs, so freeing these hairs make the hair that was initially wrapped around to knot with itself. I can't say if you can do anything, but make sure to S&D them out, because they create more tangles, and they usually end up breaking anyway.

ETA: Ack, Anje beat me to it lol

[Nevermore]

I agree with Anje. I get them too, they're very annoying and contribute HUGELY to tangles.