Bantu knot is a hairstyle that forms curls without applying heat when unraveled. It’s then called a Bantu knot out.
Popular black artists and influencers like Rihanna, Yara Shahidi, Cardi B, and Amanda du Pont have showcased the Bantu knot.
However, Bantu knot out on different hair textures come out looking different. It’s easier to achieve well-defined curls with Bantu knot out with type 3 hair. But if you invest in some hair products, you can even get Type 4 hair to look great with a Bantu knot out.
But first, let’s look at what a Bantu knot out actually is and why it has such a cultural significance.
What is A Bantu Knot Out?
Bantu knots are made by sectioning off hair and twisting them till they fold into a spiraled knot that can be tied off. Doing this can take up to 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your hair.
When you unravel your hair from Bantu knots and separate your hair, it gives your hair curls without any heat. This is called Bantu knot outs. To get good results, women leave their hair in knots overnight. After 5-10 hours, your hair will be set in curls when you loosen the knots.
What Will They Look Like On Me?
How Bantu knot outs will look on you depends on your hair texture. As mentioned, Type 3 hair can get defined curls from Bantu knot outs, while Type 4 will have a less clear curl pattern.
Your hair length also plays a factor in the final results. The shorter your hair is, the tighter your curls will be. Longer hair will weigh down the curls and stretch them out a bit.
Bantu Knot Outs on Different Hair Textures
Based on the combination of texture and length, let’s take a look at the results some women have had with Bantu knot outs.
1. Bantu Knot Out on Type 3b Hair, Medium Length
3b curly hair doesn’t feature tight ringlets but rather a soft, wavy pattern. When you do a Bantu knot out on this hair type, the results will be bigger, well-defined ringlets. Your hair will also get a lot of additional volume.
2. Bantu Knot Out on Type 3c Hair, Medium Length
Type 3c hair type has dense, coarse, voluminous curls. People with this hair pattern have to deal with shrinkage as most of the hair’s length is lost in tightly wound curls.
Bantu knot outs result in dense curls with a larger circumference. You will notice that the curls on this hairstyle look much better defined, condensed, and tighter on this hair type.
3. Bantu Knot Out on Type 4a/4b Hair, Medium Length
Your curls are likely to look like those in the picture below. As you can see, Bantu knot outs on 4a/4b hair type give loose curls that hang down a bit. You also don’t get as clearly defined curls as you do with the previous hair types.
4. Bantu Knot Out on Type 4c Hair, Medium Length
This one creates the least defined curls out of all the other common hair types in black women. If you carefully separate your curls with your hair pick, you can get more volume without losing any definition. 4c hair also gets curls that are heavy and hang down quite a bit with a Bantu knot out.
5. Bantu Knot Out on Straightened, Or Caucasian hair
Bantu knot outs create loose curls that are wavy and large in circumference. They aren’t that well-defined. But if you want a wavy hairstyle that is heatless, Bantu knot outs are the best way to do it.
6. Bantu Knot Out on Relaxed Hair
Relaxed hair is chemically treated straightened hair. Even if your hair is not naturally straight, you will still get similar results as straightened hair. However, you should be much more careful to avoid breakage. Use the best quality curl cream and oils you can find before trying a Bantu knot out.
7. Bantu Knot Out on Short Hair
Short-hair Bantu knot outs come out looking great. You get tightly wound, well-defined, thick curls that look luscious. The more healthy your hair is, the better this hairstyle will turn out in short hair. Use conditioner and other products that keep your hair hydrated to get the best results.
8. Bantu Knot Out on Long Hair
How the hairstyle will turn out on long hair depends largely on the texture of your hair but mainly added length means your curls will weigh down and loosen up a bit. Bantu knot outs on long hair don’t produce the springiest curls, but they can be well defined on 4c hair type.
9. Bantu Knot Out Hairstyle On Kanekalon Hair/X-Pression Hair/Weaves
You can do Bantu knot outs on extensions from X-pression braiding hair, weaves, and kanekalon hair. Just like natural hair, you twist your hair along with extensions to form Bantu knots. You can style it the way you want. Pulling strands out to frame your face and create an edgy look.
Bantu knot-outs aren’t that hard to do and most women can get a pretty decent hairstyle in one go. Try following this tutorial to get perfect Bantu knots, which you can later loosen up and do a knot out.
After letting the knots set in for the required 5-10 hours, unravel your hair. You will see great results.
Final Verdict
Trying Bantu knots are a great idea, as you can sport this hairstyle for more than a week if you wrap your hair properly before sleep. It takes about 40-60 minutes to do these protective knots that are great at holding moisture in your hair.
When you are done with your knots, you can unravel them into a Bantu knot out, which again lasts for up to 2 days with proper care. If you decide to give them a go, be prepared not to get the same curls you saw on some Instagram models. That’s because Bantu knot outs on different hair textures do look different
