hair

What Causes Knots in your Hair, and how to untangle!

We all want beautiful, silky-smooth hair. Unfortunately for most of us, though, knots and tangles are an inevitable part of life.

You can have gorgeous, knot-free hair! All it takes is some TLC to get those pesky knots out. And with a few tips on how to prevent them altogether, your hair will be looking better than ever.

To naturally prevent and unknot your locks, head over to Evoqbeauty.com and receive 25% off your first purchase!

Full Show Notes:

We all want beautiful, silky-smooth hair. Unfortunately for most of us, though, knots and tangles are an inevitable part of life.

You can have gorgeous, knot-free hair! All it takes is some TLC to get those pesky knots out. And with a few tips on how to prevent them altogether, your hair will be looking better than ever.


What Causes Knots In Hair?

Hydrate your hair for knot-free living.

You may have noticed that certain types of hair seem to be more prone to knots and tangles than others. But what is it that actually causes your hair to knot?

Tangles are caused by the exterior layer of your hair, which is known as the cuticle, getting damaged. This means that instead of laying flat and closed, your cuticles are open and get caught on each other, causing knots.

Another way that tangles are caused is by your hair not being sufficiently hydrated. Always make sure to keep your hair properly hydrated by using the right shampoos, conditioners and hair care products for your specific type of hair.

Top 3 Ways To Undo Knots In Hair

1. Undoing Knots While Brushing

Brushing your hair the right way can help keep it smooth.

If you have knots in your hair and you don’t want to end up looking like a frizz-ball, try applying a small amount of oil based or silica based serum to your hair before brushing it.

This will help the brush go through your hair more easily, which will help detangle your tresses. Otherwise, you can opt to use a regular detangler. Start from the ends of your hair and work your way up, then brush out your hair gently.

2. Undoing Knots Caused By Products

Olive oil can help smooth your hair.

Yes, you use products to make your hair better. Sometimes, though, you may have applied more product than intended, especially when it comes to hairspray. It’s so easy to spray too much or to spray too close to your hair. This can often lead to unwanted tangles.

If that’s the case, your best bet is probably a bit of oil. Use a natural oil, such as argan oil or olive oil, or a serum, and apply it around halfway down your hair. You don’t want your roots to look like an oil bath. Work the oil through your hair until the tips, and then brush it gently. The oil will break down the product and help add moisture to your hair, making it softer and more manageable.

3. Undoing Knots In Wet Hair

Wet hair doesn’t have to be knotty.

After coloring your hair, you want to be careful on untangling the hair. Its just gone through a chemical process and is fragile. Same with hard water, these are ph imbalances in the hair that you want to be careful - as they build up over time, dry the hair and can cause it to snap.

If wet, knotty hair is your struggle, apply a good conditioner and use a wide-toothed comb to work it through your tangles. When drying your hair, blot or squeeze it dry rather than rubbing it. Rubbing your hair dry can cause it to tangle, and that’s exactly what we’re trying to avoid here.

How To Prevent Knots In Hair

But as the old adage goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This rings true when it comes to knots in your hair as well. I mean, rather than having to deal with knots, it’s even better to prevent them in the first place, right?

Change Your Hairstyle

Shake up your hairstyle to reduce knotting.

The same hairdo day in, day out, was actually contributing to my knots and tangles. When you tie your hair in the same place all the time, it causes stress to your hair.

Over time, this can build up and cause hair damage – which you might recognize as knots. So, do yourself a favor and have a few different hairstyles for every day. It’s also best to use a scrunchie that’s covered in material, as these types are softer on your hair than elastic hair ties.

Sleep With Your Hair In Mind

I like to put my hair in a soft bun when I got to bed, not allwoing it to tangle.

Also, while cotton may be cheaper, silk pillowcases are best for hair that is prone to tangling.

Condition, Condition, Condition!

A good conditioner is important for your hair.

Yes, knotty hair is all about conditioner, ladies. Make sure you’re using a good quality conditioner, and use it regularly (at least every time you shampoo) to keep the knots at bay.

You want equal parts moisture and protein. Take care to condition the ends of your hair to keep them healthy and strong. A leave-in or deep conditioning once a week is also a great idea for keeping moisture in your hair and preventing tangles.

Use A Hair Mask

Besides helping to detangle your hair, a weekly hair mask will also help it become shiny and silky and even help it to grow faster. It’s not a huge amount of effort, and it’ll give you some downtime to relax while your hair soaks in all the goodness.

Why not try our Evoq Hair Mask? After you apply it to your hair, leave it under a shower cap to sit. Run yourself a hot bath, turn on some soft music, and just let yourself be. Besides helping to condition your hair and prevent knots, you’re also unwinding and releasing your stress. Win-win!

Brush Those Locks

If your hair is super prone to frizzing (which generally comes along with knotty hair, unfortunately), you may be tempted to skip brushing. Don’t, though! Use a wide-toothed comb to get rid of knots, and brush gently and regularly to achieve (almost) tangle-free hair.

Go Easy On The Heat

Let your hair dry naturally.

Consistent heat is one of the main causes of hair damage – and one of the ways hair damage manifests itself is in the settings on your appliances, so your hair isn’t getting literally fried.

Conclusion

Knots are knot a life sentence! True, you might have to get used to some new hairstyles or pillowcases, or find ways to style your hair without subjecting it to heat all the time.

But in the end, you only stand to gain. Because healthier, shinier hair is not something that just happens.

With a little effort on your part, your knotty struggle can become a thing of the past.

To prevent and unknot your locks, head over to Evoqbeauty.com and receive 25% off your first purchase.  Code: "awaken" 


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Hair Bondage. Why frizz happens, and how to fix it.

| 2 Min Read |

Hey there - let's explore a little hair bondage, shall we?

There’s one hot topic that NEVER escapes my chair - and your hair!   

Hair Frizz

Your Hair’s Inner Workings


Your hair is made up of keratin.  These proteins are present in the middle layer of the cuticle and are susceptible to changing shape on a humid day.

Outside of Keratin, your hairs made up of 50% carbon, 21% oxygen, 17% nitrogen, 6% hydrogen, and 5% sulfur.   

Hair Bondage


Keratin proteins chemically bond together in two different ways.

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Disulfide Bond:
Molecules on neighboring keratin strands can form a disulfide bond, in which two sulfur atoms are bonded together. These bonds are permanent and determine the hair’s strength.  They are NOT affected by the level of humidity in the air.

Hydrogen Bond:
The other type of bond represents the link between adjacent keratin proteins and is much weaker and temporary.  The are the bonds that shift by creating shape whether curly or blown out straight - as new ones are forming each time your hair gets wet and dries again.

Hair is porous and it cannot help but to absorb moisture when there is humidity in the air. So if humid air has much higher numbers of water molecules than dry air, a strand of hair can form much higher numbers of hydrogen bonds on a humid day.

This interaction is what causes the hair to fold back on itself at the molecular level at a greater rate.

Keeping Frizz at Bay


Hair that is dry and fragile from hard water, heating agents, or chemically based hair treatments, leave it particularly susceptible.

Keeping your hair well moisturized with the right amount of protein is key to helping avoid frizz. With that said, hair is extremely susceptible to hydrogen bonds and will occur to some level no matter how well you narrow in on this issue at hand.     

No matter what your frizz scale is, I’ll share 3 simple ways to improve your hair health and shine.

 

Get on the Keratin Express

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This is a easy and quick fix.  At BE, we offer a keratin express treatment that takes no time at all and can be conveniently added to the end of a hair color.  We simply wash your locks of love and layer by layer add keratin - blow dry and flat iron to seal the deal (bonds). What you take out, but be put back in - it’s the root of healthy hair.  

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Protect & Smooth Home Care

As a 20 year stylist, I swear by this key step. Anti-frizz products help the hair to withstand humid environments, retain keratin and moisture, while protecting it from UV and heat-activated styling tools.  Our Treat & Protect Spray prevents your locks from expanding and frizzing up in high humidity.

Seal the Deal for Everyday Shine

Ending your hair care routine with a quality serum is a key step in banishing frizz for the rest of the day.  BEWARE of excess silicones! Silicone is known to hover the top of the cuticle to prevent the outer lift of the hair scales (frizz), but it simultaneously pulls out your hair’s NMF (natural moisturizing factor) over time.  Quite the opposite of what you want to do.

Grant your mane a sleek glossy finish with our weightless argan oil and keratin infused glossing serum free of heavy silicones to prevent your hair from looking flat and oleaginous (oil) like.

So there you are - now GO MASTER THAT FRIZZ!   Here if you need us - email hello@beautyecology.com for any additional questions or to book an appointment!  

SHOP ALL EVOQ HAIR ESSENTIALS

 

 

Two Quick Mid-summer Style Ideas [tutorial inside]

This summer has been pretty dang steamy. 
I hear ya (and every client that enters my chair)  ...

"Kassandra, my hair is SO DRY!" 

I'll clue you in on the why and how humidity zaps your locks later, but for now let's cool down with some quick mid-summer styles!


 [ The Top Knot Half Bun ]

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The Half Bun is a easy way to style for any season and works great on chin length to collar length hair.   

It's especially great for that wash and go summer look!  It's best when the hair has a slight bend or wave to keep the look modern.  

This can work on second-day, late in the day or at the beach hair. 

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Side-swept Braid ]

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This is a great look for a fast early-morning style for work, an evening out or for a go-to style while at the beach or pool. 

Side swept braids are mostly reserved for longer hair lengths, certainly doable for a medium length side sweep. 

Shampoo and condition hair the night before and allow to air dry while sleeping to give your hair a un-tamed look.  

The tutorial may be a bit advanced, but it's a general tutorial for braiding hte bang area back and combining it with the longer mermaid braid. :) 

For hair left out, add a few bends and waves, perfect for this not-meant-to-be perfect style. 

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STAY COOL!   xo Kassandra

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