rat/bird nest knots

[lora410]

Recently I have been getting what I call rat nest knots. You know the bigs lump knots that are hard as heck to comb out. Does anyone know what causes this? I seem to get them in the center of my almost tbl hair almost daily and sometimes more then one even if I braid my hair at night. Is it a moisture issue, to much protein issue ( I use coconut oil constantly) or what? I know it's not split ends because I just trimmed it:demon:

[Anlbe]

Ah yes, I get those too. Lack of moisture makes it alot worse for me, particularly when I have to wash my hair with normal shampoo/conditioner. Also when I have broken damaged hair midway down my length - even just a little bit - makes them much more common.

[Amber_Maiden]

I get those when I've oiled my ahi with coconut oil and braided my hair or bunned it for too long.

[MonicaJean]

Not sure, but I used to get those until I started using cones again. I think it just has something to do with the texture of my hair. :/

[long&blonde]

I get those from leaving a bun or braid in too long. Sleep in it.still looks good;wear it out next couple days without undoing. Call it "benign neglect". Then I undo:rats bird nest knots. My hair is 2c, fine, allmost CL. Low Bcl length.

[Kristin]

I get those, too. I don't know what causes them, but it usually results in a 1-2 inch cut for me. :( That temporarily fixes the problem. It also helps to comb my hair several times throughout the day to stop small knots before they become nests.

[barely.there]

My husband gets them bad. mostly with the lower part of the hair that rests directly on his back. Usually they are from neglecting to comb hair. I can't tell you the number of hours I've spent getting them out. Its actually impossible to use just a comb for them, because an oily head+dandruff (we are working on these problems) makes the worst tangle-fracks. I have to pull out each individual hair from the knots and smooth them down with my fingers to get rid of the buildup. Since I cut 6 inches off his hair a couple weeks ago, and we also started using conditioner, his hair is easier to manage and he actually likes combing his hair now. haha. If his dandruff gets bad, i put tea tree oil on his scalp as well. His hair + scalp look a million times better in just 1 year since I've been caring for it.

[annamoonfairy]

I have found that even really bad rats/ tangles can come out with ease if you use the right conditioner to relax the hair.

[MeowScat]

Yup, I'm right there with you and it's very frustrating. I've called them rat nests and "snarls" for years. I hate them. Lately I've been conditioning twice in the shower and it has helped. So I guess it's lack of moisture?

Every now and then I'll clarify and deep condition it and that helps too. Not to mention 2 - 3 drops of Baby Oil on my wet / damp hair really helps the wide tooth comb slide through much easier (thanks to Ktani!)

Maybe a good ole S & D concentrated in your tangle area might help too? Or a dusting of the hairs that end around that area?

[zombi]

This has happened to my hair all my life and I think for me it's just a texture issue... No matter what I do I will have at least one tiny one per day.

[luxepiggy]

My hair gets like that from protein overload.

[lora410]

Baby oil? I would have never though of that.

[Illr Kona]

I get them everyday, its the hardest part of having long hair. It drives me crazy.

[summergreen]

I get them too. Up until last year my hair almost never tangled, don't know what happened there - but I have managed to reduce them to one or two a day by making hair ties from tights instead of using shop bought ones. An amazing tip I read on here is to use a needle for detangling (stick it in the knot like you would with a knotted thread), it really helps with the tight parts.