When a curly like GRU does a major S&D session...

[GRU]

We've all talked split ends, and we've all talked "fairy knots" or "single strand knots" (SSK) and we've all talked about damaged hair, icky ends, etc.

Well, it's been probably six months since I whacked off about 3"-4" of my old pre-LHC damage, and I haven't really done any S&Ding since, so I got down to business tonight.

I ended up cutting out 57 fairy knots and 1 split end. No, that's not a typo. One single solitary split end. :joy:

So yes, curlies-n-wurlies, you CAN have healthy hair. It just takes patience, LHC-style gentle treatment, and (in my case -- your mileage may vary!) using a Tangle Teezer, going cone-free, and CO-washing exclusively.

[Bunnysaur]

:disbelief What is your secret?!?! That is awesome!

Also, what's a fairy knot?

[Linika]

Go you GRU ! I'm so jealous. I have so many split ends I'm scared to look for them!

[bettylibertine]

Dang fairy knots... but hurrah for lack of split ends!
Speaking of which, I'm due for a serious S&D session. Thanks for reminding me!

[DaniVerde]

Yay GRU!!! :)

[auburntressed]

w00t! Congrats. I long for the day when I may say the same. My splits are getting less... but are they happening less, or am I catching them quicker? -_- Dunno. :)

LOVE how you counted your fairy knots. :p

[Amber_Maiden]

Congrats GRU! :D

[Neneka]

That's awesome. :)

[fridgee]

Wow fantastic GRU! Can I ask how long it took you? You have so much of that gorgeous hair it must have taken you ages if the amount of time it takes me to do just a quarter of my much thinner hair is anything to go by! It's very reassuring to hear your success, I have a similar routine so fingers crossed it works out that way for me too eventually!

[Curly Hermione]

Hurrah for GRU! I also find loads of fairy knots and scarcely any splits, maybe its a curl thing? You have such lovely hair! Your hair is my goal :)

[Jessy22284]

Yay Gru!!! You're amazing!! :joy:

[marykatz]

Congratulations! I will definitely look into one of these tangle teasers!

[Kiwiwi]

Yay! Good for you!!

I also don't have split ends. Maybe a tiny few but I never see them. But my hair is not that long (aaaaalmost BSL now). Also I never find SSK's. But I always wear my hair up.
:)

[Carissamarie08]

Wow! I'm jealous! I have a plethora of split ends.

[GRU]

Thanks, everyone!

I'm down to my last year of growing out pre-LHC hair, and I can really see the difference in the number of split ends.

Fairy knots are knots in a single strand of hair. Mine typically occur in the last 1-2cm of a strand -- I'd say less than 10% of the ones I cut out last night were more than an inch from the end of the strand. From what I've seen around this forum, they are more common among curlies or those with lots of damage (the raised cuticle of damaged hair makes the strands more 'grabby' and likely to get all tied up).

Ordinarily I'd be embarrassed to share my S&D technique, but I know LHCers will "get it"... I spread a section of hair onto the desk in front of me, over a piece of white paper for contrast and under a bright light. Then I use very long-nosed self-closing tweezers (http://www.ebay.com/itm/170415706370#ht_500wt_1360) to pick out the individual strands that have knots in them. Because the tweezers are normally closed, I can insert them into the bird's nest that is a section of my hair without them catching on anything, then open them when they reach the right strand to be grabbed. I can then draw out just that strand and snip it off above the knot, without disturbing the surrounding strands too much.

I decided to use the tweezers because all too often I would see a knot, then in the process of digging down to retrieve it, that strand would head off to parts unknown and I'd have to go on a whole new search-and-rescue mission to try to find it. I'd usually waste so much time and get so frustrated that I wouldn't completely finish my S&D session, leaving at least half of my hair untouched. Using the tweezers technique, I was able to do my entire head in less than two hours. :D

[Alvrodul]

that is excellent, GRU!
For me, getting rid of the last of the chemical damage, was an immense and immediate improvement for my hair. Before I got rid of it, I had a steady crop of splits. Not a huge amount, but I could not sit down for a S&D session without doing any snipping at all.
I have been looking at my hair a fair bit over the last week or so, with the hair scissors ready for action, but I haven't seen more than about half a dozen splits.
But for me, too, the gentle care gives results. :D

[Zarina]

I am in awe of your hair. No split ends? That is so excellent! I have very fine tangle prone hair and I hope to one day be completely split end free. Until then my little fiskars will stay busy.

Side note, best scissors I have found for S&D, (at least for me), are the fiskars tiny auto-open type scissors. These were my thread snippers but one day when I almost snipped a piece of my hair while sewing it hit me that these would be good for that and now I keep a second pair at my work desk at home and when I have a few minutes here and there I use my desk light and do a mini- S&D session.

[freckles]

aww GRU I'm so jealous :) congrats!

[Aeltt]

Damn, and you say that when i just found a hair that had a fairy knot on its split end..
Might be worth buying a tangle teaser. (or having a real trim someday)