Hair Journey - The Bantu Knot

So it has been 9 months since I decided to stop using relaxers in my hair. I can't believe it has been that long. I am 3 months shy of a year. It definitely does not feel like that much time has passed. Everything about taking care of my hair has changed over the past few months, of course. And that includes how I wear it. I have to thank my sister for finding this protective style for me. Well, for us, because she stopped using relaxers too. (Yay!) It is called the Bantu Knot.

Bantu knots after I removed the bobby pins

The simplest explanation I can give of what this style is, you section your hair into multiple twists and then wrap those twists into knots. You  bobby pin the knots into place and leave them in for several hours (usually overnight).

Results with the Smooth and Hold pudding

Then you take the knots down and GENTLY untwist (to reduce the amount of frizz). You don't need to comb anything. You might want to run your fingers through the roots in order to blend in the sections. Especially if you are like me and your sections aren't that perfect. And that's it. You are done.




 I do tend to put some kind of product in my hair before twisting. I tried ORS Smooth and Hold Hair Pudding the first time I did this style. And while it kept my knots really tight (resulting in a short curly style), it left a good amount of build up in my hair that I didn't like. So I switched to the ORS Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion (which I am in love with). It gave me a looser hairstyle without the build up. 

Results with Moisturizing Hair Lotion

Some other things I have tried is aloe vera gel and extra virgin olive oil. I still think the ORS Hair Lotion is the best way to go but if you don't have any, a good moisturizing agent should do the trick. I won't lie, this style takes time. It is not something that you can do in 30 minutes or less. But if you have the time, then it is definitely worth a try.