Bantu knots done on pressed out hair.

The hair was parted into about 6-8 sections and placed in knots immediately after heat was applied; left in overnight for more definition.  SheaMoisture Curl and Style Milk was used on the ends.

Natural hair, in general, flourishes in protective styles when done correctly.  This twist pin-up style was created freestyle.   I did plenty of twists and pinned them up accordingly.  Protective natural hairstyles keep the ends off of the shoulders and clothing in order to preserve the hair that has been around the longest.  With protective styles, usually comes length retention.  I intend to incorporate more protective styles into my styling hair regimen.

This is a pic of today’s hair (it isn’t the best quality I know, my apologies). I did a bantu knot out on stretched hair (via plaits) and left the knots in for a couple of days over the weekend.  I was itching to take them down, but I’m glad that I didn’t b/c the results were phenomenal!  My hair was perfectly moisturized, oiled, and super soft!

I used a simple routine last week:
Pre-poo w/EVCO and Amla & Brahmi oil mix [more on these Ayurvedic oils in the future]
Rinse/wash with Dr. Bronner’s Almond Castile Soap
Co-wash w/Vo5 Moisture Milks
Plait damp hair using ApHogee Keratin and Green Tea Restructurizer
Take Down plaits and put in bantu knots using Aloe Vera gel/Shea butter/EVCO mix

My results after washing my hair were excellent!  I didn’t even DC and my hair turned out just as soft and manageable. This definitely proves that you must give your hair what it needs when it asks for it. I knew I needed a bit of protein in my hair, but I did not need any deep conditioning. I did my hair accordingly.

When I finally took down the bantu knots and styled them this morning for a professional picture session, I was impressed with my work to say the least.  Have fun hair styling ladies and gents!!!

Bantu Knot Out – Stretched

I do bantu knot outs all the time. I absolutely love them! Sometimes I get bored with the cute little shrunken look that I get from my bantu knot out fro, so I opt for a much larger, stretched bantu knot out. It is still pretty basic and simple.

A picture from my air dried bantu knot out a few months ago can be found here. This was done on wet/damp hair. The tutorial is in my previous post. It’s a more tamed tightly curled look.

I choose to go with a bigger, fuller thicker look when I do the blowout bantu knot out. I get better at it each time I do it!

The Process:

1. Prepoo, Wash/Co-Wash, and/or DC as usual.
2. Braid detangled hair into about 8 sections (more or less depending on how thick & coarse the hair is.
3. Let the hair air dry (make sure it is at least 85% dry before blow drying)
4. Apply a heat protectant, take down each section and blow dry lightly combing through from end to root. Do not straighten the hair with the blow dryer. Remember we want to keep the afro texture, just stretched out a bit.
5. Apply a small amount of a leave in (optional).
6. Part the hair with your fingers and Apply a very small amount of product for hold. I use Aloe Vera Gel mixed in with my shea moisture concoction.
7. Begin to twist the hair and do the knots as usual.
8. Allow the hair to fully set and dry.
9. Take down, fluff and style!

Optional: Omit step #4 and let the plaits dry fully before putting in the knots.  Plaits will stretch the hair w/o applying heat.

After this, I was totally ready for a fun night out with my big bantu knot out as my best accessory! My BFF featured in the photo has a Curlformers Set…more on that in the future.  Happy Healthy Hair Styling!

Natural black hair is very versatile and may be styled in many ways. I can remember going to the salon when relaxed and loving the swing & feel of my hair, but hating the fact that every other woman in there who was being styled hopped up out of the chair looking just like me! That was scary! They had us hopping up out of our seats after paying $45, just to look like every other woman in the salon. Never again I say!

Remember no two natural heads are alike…there is so much versatility involved when referring to natural hair. You may see a style on one person’s head that you would love to try, yet you may never be able to repeat it exactly on your own head, but that is okay too. That just shows the level of uniqueness and individuality that is involved when it comes to natural hair.

The AFRO

Self Explanatory! The afro is the classic style for a natural. You can achieve it through the wash-n-go method, the blowout method, and many other ways. Once you have it, there is very low manipulation required thereafter. The afro can be the perfect accessory! It feels great to rock it out and to wear it boldly!

The Curly Fro

Very popular in the natural hair community [made even more popular by ItsMsHeatherNicole featured in the video below], the curly fro is a style that is done for an easy, care-free look without compromising the curly-ness or the cuteness!

Curly Fro

The Braid-Out

This style may be achieved by doing cornrows or plaits on the hair after washing and partially air-drying it. Let the braids stay in until completely dry. Take the braids out, fluff, and go! [Youtube vid provided by curlychronicles]

Braid Out

This is only part one of a series. These styles are only a few shades of the wide spectrum to show what natural hair is capable of! Stay tuned for the complete series! Until next time, Happy Healthy Hair Styling!!!