The Best Bantu Knots Tutorial…EVER!

If you have been looking for a great bantu knots tutorial for your natural hair you are in the right place! Out of the million and one hair styles I’ve tried since being natural Bantu Knots were by far the worst.

Until now! In the past, I tried this style on wet hair and dry hair with no luck. I tried with every product you can imagine…still no luck.

After wearing my hair straight for a week I decided I was ready to go back curly.  Tired of the usual twist out and braid out I wanted to try something new.  Although nervous I decided to give bantu knots another try.

The perks of having other friends as bloggers is you can trust their methods and use them for help so I knew exactly who to ask.  My friend good Lianne, also known as @chronicurls, shared her bantu knot out tutorial with me.

Although nervous, I took another chance on bantu knots. The results: AMAZING! Here’s how I got the best bantu knot out ever along with following Lianne’s tutorial.

The Best Bantu Knots Tutorial Ever

1. Prep Hair

The best decision you can make for bantu knots is to start on dry hair, stretched hair. You can start from a blowout or you can stretch your curls with something like the Q-Redew. Bantu knots take FOREVER to dry so this is a vital step to ensure the hair is not too saturated.

I installed my bantu knots on a week old blow out and 12 hours later they were still a little damp so trust me when I say you don’t want to install on completely wet hair.  Although you might be starting on dry hair, make sure the hair is still properly conditioned beforehand.

2. Apply MINIMAL products

Strictly following Lianne’s bantu knot out tutorial I only used two products. Again, you don’t want to saturate the hair too much. You don’t need a lot of products for a successful style, but you must choose your products wisely. For my bantu knots I chose the following:

• Curluxe Naturals DewLuxe Moisture Mist: This mist is light-weight and doesn’t completely drench my hair so I knew this product was perfect for bantu knots. The CurlLuxe Moisture Mist also includes hydrolyzed keratin, which is a great protein ingredient for strengthening the hair. (2-3 pumps on each knot)

• Camille Rose Naturals Aloe Whipped Butter Gel: I’ve reviewed this product almost two years ago and I’m STILL IN LOVE! It’s not quite a gel and not exactly a butter which is why I like it so much. I get the light weight of a gel but the moisture of a butter. The perfect combination in my opinion. (Use a dime size amount on each knot.)

You can also totally use a few pumps of water and leave in conditioner. There’s really no “right or wrong” products to use.

3. Decide on the size and twist the bantu knot strategically

After watching @chronicurls bantu knot out tutorial I decided to have a few less knots than her video for a few reasons.  First, I was starting no straight flat ironed hair.  As a result, larger sections could be easily applied because my hair was less dense.

Second, I wanted big curls so i decided on bigger sections. (NOTE: larger sections also take longer to dry. I didn’t quite think that part all the way through.)

The most important part is to constantly wrap the hair in a circular motion, with each circle stacked on top of each other. (see picture above). Once I saw my installed knot looked like a set of tires sitting on top of each other I knew I had just mastered the art of the bantu knot.

THIS SHOULD BE YOUR SIGN TOO! The stacked circular knots sets the foundation for how the hair will dry an ultimately how curly your results will be.  (More detail explaining this in Lianne’s tutorial also).

4. Allow Adequate Time For Hair to Dry Completely

As I stated above, after using minimal product AND installing on dry hair, my hair was still damp 12 hours later. Unlike a twist out, with bantu knots your hair is winded up really tight which makes it harder to dry.  So allow ample time for this step.

Throw on a headwrap for a day or so and take out when you feel your hair is really, really dry. No for real…your hair should be completely dry for the style to work best and avoid frizz.

Since my hair was still damp, I used a diffuser to finish drying before I unraveled the bantu knots.

5. Unravel carefully. Separate, Fluff & Slay!

Bantu Knot Out Results 

Got questions? Leave them down below. Good luck and if you try this style, tag on me on Instagram so I can see! If you enjoyed this bantu knot tutorial let me know!