Bantu Knot Set Success!

Greetings, Blossoms! I decided to give a Bantu knot set a try again. I have had several fails in the past but am determined not to let this look defeat me. It seemed like I got the best results on blown out hair but I wanted to try it with wet hair.

I cleansed and conditioned my hair with Hair Garden Cleanser and conditioner and then applied a good amount of Avocado Shea Moisturizer. I cornrowed the front of my hair in a simple design and used a small amount of EcoStyler olive oil gel for hold and processed to Bantu knot the back. I added the braids in the front partially so that I could do a quick fix in case this set went wrong!

I had a bad experience trying to twist my hair from root to end before setting it (See: When the Spiral Set Goes Wrong), so I twisted the hair more tightly at the base and much looser towards my hair ends. I tried different twisting tension methods with each Bantu knot. I also wanted to experiment with 2-strand twists in Bantu knots (yes, I do the most) so I 2-strand twisted one section in the back before I Bantu knotted it. The ends of a few kept unraveling because I had freshly trimmed them. In all, I had 9 Bantu knots.

I let it air dry for 24 hours and then sat under a warm hooded dryer for about an hour to make sure it was dry. When I took them down, I was impressed with my results. Some of the ones I used less tension on could have been better due to looseness of the curl. At least now I know the right amount of tension to use when twisting my ends into Bantu knots!

I wanted to show the difference in the sets when I did the 2-strand twist in the back. It was a crinkled and fuller knot. Of course, the curl from the knot was not as defined due to the waviness from the 2-strand.

I would definitely try this look again with a little more time under the hooded dryer! These photos did not do the set any justice but I just could not find the right lighting! Have you tried Bantu knots? What are some of your Bantu knot experiences, good or bad?

Thanks for stopping by!