Q&A Tuesday: Unravelling Knotted Twists and Plaits

Question: I keep trying to stretch my hair with plaits but it's just not working. Every time I unravel my plaits or even twists they are just a knotted crinky mess. I am about to give up on my natural hair and start blow-drying to stretch but stretching with plaits seem to work for everybody else. What am i doing wrong?

Answer:  I experienced this for years and felt silly at how easy the solution to the problem is. Simply abide by the rules:

1.  Borrowing hair is forbidden
Always end with the same three or two sections you started with. Don't borrow hair fro one section when you feel the sizes uneven or to get down to the very end. This only causes knots.


2.  Smooth and stretch as you go
Pull the hair taught while you plait and smooth down the strands to help keep the hair smooth and detangled. It's just like roll-setting hair. If you plait or twist-set your hair with knots and crinkles, you'll have knots and crinkles when your release the plaits. Remember, natural hair tends to curl on itself so constant smoothing is advised.