How To Create The Perfect Bantu Knots
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Summer is here ladies and that calls for keeping our hair hydrated and also allows us to wear some of those amazing styles that we have been longing to create during the harsh winter months. If you follow my adventures on Instagram then I am sure that you have seen the assortment of styles that I have been wearing this Summer. I vowed at the beginning of the Summer to take better care of my hair and I started with a good trim from a stylist and since I have noticed less shedding and my ends are popping. I decided to wear more protective styles and in-between ensure that I was taking the best care of my natural tresses. I recently ran across a video on you tube by the beautiful Monique Lewis and the beautiful Bantu knots that she created. Click here to check out her channel. I decided to recreate the same look and of course I was in no mood for recording it just in case it was a total flop so I captured my tutorial in images.
I started off with clean hair using the amazing OGX O2 shampoo and O2 shampoo followed by the weightless oil & lifting tonic. Needless to say that I was super excited to try their O2 items especially since they are brand new for 2016! The fresh ocean aroma allows you to breathe life right back into your hair with this trend-forward ingredient. I learned that their unique formula blend includes oxygen liposomes and cloudberries, a power-packed form of vitamins A, C, E and B, calcium, magnesium and other potent antioxidants, to help your hair swish and shine with every strut. Who doesn’t want beautiful hair? My hair felt amazing and I love that the weightless oil & lifting tonic gives you the perfect balance of oil for your hair and allows you to style as desired. I have definitely added this to my natural hair regimen.
The next step was for me to decide how many Bantu Knots I wanted to create and since this was my first time creating this style with added hair…that’s right I added hair in to make them look full. Don’t worry I am sharing all of the juicy deets below:
I decided to part my hair into nine sections and create nine bush balls or afro puffs. I than used the Redd Collection Dope Hair, O2 shampoo to pull my hair up in the puffs. Honestly I have never really been an edge control type of natural but I will use it to pull my hair up into my signature puff which is what I mainly used the Dope Edges for since I received it to try but when I saw the Bantu Knots style I knew that it would be perfect for my latest creation.
Once my hair was sectioned, take a small amount of Dope Edges and apply to the puff and brush up into a puff and secure with a goody band or small black rubber band. Once the hair is securely pulled into the individual afro puffs I detangled again and twisted each puff into a two strand twist. This will make it easy for me to add additional hair to make my Bantu Knots appear fuller.
Now the fun begins. For this style I only used 1.5 packs of 100 % Kanekalon Hair. Once you open the pack of hair cut the hair in half (use the beige or yellow rubber band that is attached as the indicator on where to cut in half). Once the hair is cut in half, select the size that you would like for your Bantu Knots then take your hands and pull on the ends of the hair like shown below to ensure that your hair doesn’t have straight ends (this will allow the hair to blend easier).
Here’s the fun part…LOL! Not really but really it is! Take the hair and make a circle and then loop one end of the hair through the loop like the below images:
Now take the knot and slide it over your two strand twist and pull the extension hair to tighten it around your puff/two strand twist to secure. Twist the extension hair along with your hair and create your Bantu Knot.
Super Easy Right? DRUM ROLL……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
