Does your afro hair have knots? Try the banding method!

Do you often have knots and tangled hair? So much so that it makes your hair brittle and hard?

Did you know that shrinkage , or shrinkage of Afro hair, plays a role in the appearance of these small balls of twisted hair? Here are our tips to fix it.

Why Afro Hair Shrinks?

Afro hair has a unique feature of reacting to contact with water by tightening itself. It all depends on the type of curls or the porosity of the hair, but in general the tighter the curls, the more they will tend to contract when exposed to humidity. Some hair may appear to lose up to 90% of its "true" length. Rest assured, this is completely normal!

Hair thinning is a sign of Afro hair vitality and health. This means that they are hydrated enough to have all the flexibility they need to be manipulated without breaking. And as it is a very fragile type of hair, the "shrinkage" is an advantage.

What are the effects of "shrinking"?

The biggest effect is visual. Curly and afro hair often looks shorter than it is unless it's stretched to the max. Some people don't like it, but that's personal preference.

A less pleasant effect is the appearance of knots on certain hair. When hair is left to dry in a shrunken state, and for a long time, it tends to tangle badly as it twists on itself due to its twisted shape (think headphones that you leave in your pocket just for an hour).

Result: Hair can be hard, tangled and unmanageable, leading to breakage.

What to do to not have knots?

Without necessarily getting rid of theshrinkage , you can learn how to deal with it and use a few techniques to avoid knots.

1. Detangle your damp hair, after shampooing for example.
2. Do not let your hair dry in a shrunken state (unless your hair is short).
3. Avoid very often wearing an afro or puff type hairstyle where the hair gets mixed up a lot.

Techniques to stretch afro hair

There are several benefits to keeping your afro hair stretched. First of all, we avoid knots, but we can also style our hair more quickly and easily by avoiding breakage.

• Make twists or flat twists
• Make braids or pigtails
• Defining curls (wash and go)
• Make bantu knots
• Do the "banding" technique (see our video below)
• Make yarn braids
• Make one or more chignons (bun)
• Use a hair dryer (with care)
• Use curlers
• Any other styling

And you, do you know other techniques to stretch the hair and avoid theknots ? Share with us!

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