Monday, October 17, 2011

Hair stuff: Bantu Knot-Out

Just thought I would do a quick post on the bantu knot out I'd done on my hair two weeks ago.  My hair had been straight for two weeks and it was time to give it a (co)wash.  I was thinking about how I would style my hair, and decided that I wanted a style with a lot of volume (which would also give the illusion of shorter hair).  I've yet to cut my hair significantly, of which I'm constantly claiming I'm going to do, so I thought maybe I could create the illusion of shorter hair. Immediately, either a flexirod set or bantu knot-out came to mind.  I decided on the bantu knots because (1) they're quicker and easier to put in, and (2) my 2 yr old has gotten his hands on my flexirods and I'm not quite sure how many I have left.

So, I co-washed in the shower and then out of the shower, I applied coconut oil to my hair.  I then begin to put in the knots.  Each section I applied Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk, detangled with the Denman brush and then proceeded to put into the bantu knot (twisting the hair into a single twist until it twists down on itself and then continuing to coil it down/wrap the hair around itself and then securing it in place with a large bobby pin).  I had 6 knots total.  I then let it airdry (which I won't do again--it took 2 days. lol), and then uncoiled each knot, separated and fluffed with my fingers.  As it gets older, it gets even curlier (from frizzing slightly) and bigger.  This style lasted me about 5 days, and it's also workout friendly! My previous "Pumpkin Patch Excursion" post, the pic of me I'm actually wearing the bantu knot out that I pulled into a bun, to take it a day further.  I think this will be my new "main" style for a while.  And no, the bangs gave me no problems!  Just pinned them back loosely with a bobby pin.

**Also, for those of you who are just getting to "know" me.  I have an extensive chronicle of my hair journey from transition to 3 years natural on Fotki <--click here.

UPDATE:  How I maintained this style at night, I'd pull it up loosely in a ponytail on the top of my head and then slept on a satin pillowcase.  The allows me to sleep on the sides of my head or even the back with out smushing the curls (especially on the ends when is the most important to the style).  For you ladies with shorter hair, all you need to do is pin the sides of your hair back loosely (so that you can sleep on the sides of your head), and sleep with a satin bonnet or satin pillow case.  I sprayed my hair every couple days with Hot Six Oil SPRAY (yes they have a spray as well) to keep it looking shiny and fresh. HTH

17 comments:

  1. gorgeous, I love your curls even more now, so groovy!

    love,mongs
    mythriftycloset.blogspot.com

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  2. Gorgeous hair! I tried a bantu knot out, but my results were not what I would've liked. I think the next time I try, my hair has to be much longer than it is now, and I will use a hooded dryer to aid the drying process.

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  3. I love it - I just did a bantu knot out last night but I think my hair is too short to achieve the look I wanted...

    Emijaa Jaaemil
    www.emijaajaaemil.com

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  4. I love it, it came out beautifully. I know about that drying time. My hair is shorter than yours and it takes my bantu knots forever to dry.

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  5. Beautiful! I have yet to master the Bantu Knot out :)

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  6. your hair is so fabulous! i cannot wait when i am all natural that way i can attempt a bantu knot!

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  7. This looks great. How did you maintain it for five days? What did you do to your hair at night and did you apply any product to your hair in the mornings to refresh your curls?

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  8. Thank you ladies. I also updated this post to describe how I maintained it.

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  9. How are you going to dry it next time? I know some let it air dry a bit before knotting but this is why I steer clear of this style. Hair is always damp when I take down. BTW pretty pretty hair.

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  10. Hi, you have very beautiful hair. The texture is absolutely amazing. I really don't want to be too forward, but are you mixed with any other race?

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  11. Its crazy how your waist length hair curled up to shoulder length!!! Very Cute!

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  12. Late to the party.....I love your blog but still check your fotki for styles (when your hair was APL). I found you via fotki 3-4 yrs ago, but didnt care until I was completely natural like 2.5 yrs and now look, lol?!? Found you, joined and still inspired... along w/ swapping baby stories, lol.

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  13. Thank you ladies! I'm glad you like the style. One thing I've learned during my hair journey is that you can't be afraid to try new styles! Also, to revisit styles that may not have worked previously because the difference a few inches make can be huge when it comes to how the hair behaves/looks in a particular style!

    Next time I will not strictly airdry again. I'll do what I do sometimes with braidouts. I sit under a warm bonnet dryer for about 30-60 minutes and then sleep on it. That's usually sufficient to getting my hair dry or at least dry enough.

    Oh and no, I'm not "mixed". More like my father is, sorta. He's the product of two mixed (Black and White/Jewish) people. I will admit, I've seen a slight change in my hair texture over time. Even though I flat iron fairly infrequently, I do feel like it's altered my textured slightly over time. For me, it's not a big deal--but it can be for others. I like versatility, so I'm more than willing to take the risks. :)

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  14. By far my most favorite hair style to ROCK! Love how it turned out! It always kept my hair in TIP TOP shape!!

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  15. Thanks, think Im ready to try the knots again now that I have a lil more length. I want a looser curl look & sadly rollers just arent my friend anymore. But LMAO at ur 2yr old & the flexirods.

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  16. This looks wonderful. I'm thinking about trying a knotout, maybe with setting lotion?

    Love the look.

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