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.

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!