Topic of the Day: Bantu Knot Hairstyle!
When the spring-summer seasons arrive (even fall-winter), we often seek to change our look, and along with some hair care tips, bantu knots are perfect!
Stars like Rihanna, Mel B, Lauryn Hill, Halle Berry, Jada Pinkett Smith have all been seen rocking their hair with bantu knots.
If you’re looking to try out this trendy hairstyle, follow these tips to achieve that super stylish look.
What is a Bantu Knot?
The bantu knot, also known as the Bantu knot, is both a hairstyle and a way to curl your hair without using a curling iron, straightener, or curlers.
The knot is created much like a bun: by twisting (or twisting two strands) of hair, then wrapping the twist around its base into a knot.
The Bantu Knot OUT Technique
Many women leave the knots overnight and unravel them the next day to form beautiful curls; this is what we call the bantu knot out.
Unlike a braid or twist, a Bantu knot gives you a tight curl because it’s wrapped, while flat twists and twists give you stretched waves.
Is the Bantu Knot Right for Me?
This technique works well with any hair type: kinky, curly, straight hair, long hair, short hair…
The Bantu Knot Out can be done on wet or dry hair. However, the result will not be the same.
For optimal results and well-defined curls, it’s best to do your Bantu knots on dry, detangled, and stretched hair beforehand.
Different Results Depending on Hair Type
As mentioned earlier, the result may vary depending on the hair type (type 3, type 4, etc.).
Moreover, the longer your hair, the looser your curls will be.
Bantu knots on very long hair tend to resemble waves more than curls.
If you’re unsure about your hair type, I invite you to check out my article on different hair textures.
VIDEO Tutorial: How to Do a Bantu Knot?
Everyone has their way of doing it! But for all textures and hair lengths, there are a few key steps.
Wash your hair beforehand.
Although this is the first step, it’s not a critical one.
You can do bantu knots or a knot without washing your hair, but depending on the amount of products you use, it might be better to wash your hair to keep them clean and avoid product buildup.
Stretch your hair.
Stretching your hair before knotting it makes it easier to create the knots and also gives you curls that are clearly more defined compared to natural kinky curls. And now, let’s move on to the tutorial!
Bantu Knots: Steps to Make Them
- Have an idea of how many bantu knots you want to create.
Generally, the more bantu knots, the better. If your hair is really short, you won’t have a choice but to make several small knots.
For a good bantu knot with well-defined curls, expect to make at least 8 bantu knots evenly distributed on your head.
- Separate your hair into four sections. Use clips to separate the sections. Then, start creating your bantu knots. Take your time to have neat knots. Make a smaller section for your first bantu knot.
With your hair separated into four sections, you can divide each section into two (for a total of 8 knots) or into 4 (for a total of 16) or even more. Remember that for a bantu knot out, the more knots, the more definitions, and the fewer frizzes.
- Apply a moisturizing cream for the curls to set. This is where the different results come into play depending on individuals, during the use of the moisturizing product and the definition of the curls.
You can use your defining cream or a gel.
- Start twisting then wrapping. Don’t twist too tightly at first, or the twist will be very tight when you reach the scalp.
Twisting the hair should automatically start them curling at the base, but you’ll need to wrap the twist around the base to really form the knot.
How to Tie a Bantu Knot?
Secure the knot.
If necessary, secure the knot with a hairpin at the base. If your hair is short or kinky, you may not need to secure the knot with anything else.
Repeat.
Continue creating bantu knots until you’ve done your whole head.
IMPORTANT: Let them dry! If you’ve created your bantu knots from freshly washed hair, it’s important to let them dry completely. Bantu knots, unlike braids and twists, are wrapped, so air doesn’t pass through them as easily, and as a result, they take longer to dry.
Let your hair dry for at least 24 hours, 48 hours if you want to be really safe. This can make a difference, especially after all that time spent on your hairstyle!
Detangle with oil
To avoid a dry bantu knot out, put oil on your hands as you detangle.
Coconut, argan, and olive oil are frequently used for this. Choose your preferred one. Be patient while you detangle.
You’re almost there!
Detangle by removing the hairpins or hair ties you used to secure the knots. Then, carefully twist the knots in the opposite direction from which you twisted them.
Separate
Once you’ve untied the knots, you’ll have super tight elastic curls all over your head. Now it’s time to separate them.
Separating them gives you more volume. The more you separate each twist, the more volume you’ll have.
However, the more you separate them, the more you expose yourself to frizz, so be careful. Separate each curl (one to three times), depending on your preference.
After separating your hair, you’ll probably still have visible separations at the scalp.
At this point, use a wide-tooth comb or even your fingers to gently lift the roots. Don’t run the comb along your hair. Gently lift the roots.
5 Mistakes to Avoid for Mastering the Bantu Knot Out
Mistake 1: Not Detangling
As you need more or less smooth hair to form your bantu knots, your hair must be fully detangled and stretched.
Fully detangled hair helps achieve the right level of definition when the knots are removed.
Mistake 2: Not Letting Your Knots Dry
Bantu knots are a beautiful hairstyle, and a bantu knot out (simply removing the bantu knots and separating them) is a phenomenal way to get uniform waves and curls on textured hair.
Not letting your bantu knots dry before removing them is one of the worst mistakes. They need to dry completely.
If you remove your bantu knots while they’re still wet or damp, they won’t have a nice definition.
Use a hairdryer to dry them completely. You can also let the bantu knots air dry and customize them with hair accessories or a scarf.
Know that bantu knots work best on wet or dry hair that has been stretched, so creating them on wash day with fully wet hair may be a forthcoming failure.
Mistake 3: Not Adding Oil to Your Fingers
This seems like an unnecessary step, but it can make the difference between a well-defined and long-lasting bantu knot and a ball of frizz.
Also, make sure your nails aren’t broken to avoid snagging and breakage during removal.
Mistake 4: Not Using the Right Hair Products
Just like a setting lotion is necessary for laying down hair without frizz, choosing the right product is also necessary for a good bantu knot.
A gel or defining cream is ideal for ensuring optimal hold of your knots.
Most gels or defining creams are not water-based and create fewer frizzes.
Mistake 5: Handling Them Too Much
Our curly, kinky, and wavy hair is more prone to frizz.
And when creating a hairstyle like the bantu knot out, it’s important to remove the knots carefully and style without overhandling the waves or curls.
There you go. If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You should have a head full of beautiful, bouncy curls!