Bantu Knots Are So Easy to DIY—Here's How to Do Them

Bantu knots are a versatile, cute, and easy-to-DIY protective style. Originating in the Zulu Kingdom (located in present-day South Africa), the style has become more and more trendy, with stars like Beyoncé rocking Bantu knots in her Black Is King film and Tanner Adell wearing her platinum knots to the County Music Awards. This protective style is great for natural hair and helps to retain moisture and prevent breakage.

Meet Our Expert

• Akhir Childs is a hairstylist who has worked with celebrities like Chloe Bailey.

• Jazmin Kelly is a hairstylist who has worked with stars like Mary J. Blige and Mickey Guyton.

Bonus: You can have fun and accessorize your Bantu knots to add a hint of your own personal style. “Accessories are a must for my fashion girlies," says hairstylist Akhir Childs. "I love adding a gold charm for that extra pop or wrapping the knots with hair string for a stylish, textured look.”

Ahead, learn how to do and care for Bantu knots yourself and peruse a few inspo pics.

Hot to Do Bantu Knots

1. Section Your Hair

Begin by parting freshly washed hair into sections. “Make sure the hair is de-tangled using a paddle brush and a wide-toothed comb.” says celebrity hairstylist Jazmin Kelly. Secure each section into ponytails using elastic bands. These ponytails will serve as the base for the style.

2. Add Products

Use a spray bottle to saturate the hair with water and add in a curling or styling butter. These will add a bit of slip to ease the styling and then hold to lock it in place as it dries.

3. Create a Two-Strand Twist

Break the pony into two sections and begin to twist the sections around each other until you reach the end of the hair.

4. Form the Knot

Take your two-strand twist and wrap it around the base of the ponytail until it's fully twisted on itself and the Bantu knot has taken shape. Use bobby pins to keep it in place.

5. Dry

Let your hair air dry or diffuse it with a blow dryer.

6. Final Touches

Use the long end of a rat tail comb to push in any flyaways. Use a non-flakey edge control to clean up your parts and swoop your bay hairs, if desired. Finally, add any embellishments like gold cuffs, cowie shells, etc.

Maintenance

Use scalp serums to keep your scalp hydrated and oils and leave-in conditioner sprays to moisturize your hair. At night, wrap your in silk or satin scarf to keep the style looking fresh. With proper care, it can last up to two weeks.

Bantu Knot Styles

Half-Up Half-Down

Actress Marsai Martin styled her knotless box braids into sleek Bantu knots for a red carpet. Two braids at the top of her head were left down for a face-framing effect.

Mini Knots

Singer Tinashe shows that you don't need down-to-there lengths to rock Bantus. At the American Music Awards, she wore tiny knots all over her head for an edgier look.

Platinum Blonde

Country singer Tanner Adell served up a playful Bantu look in a platinum blonde color for the Country Music Awards. She accessorized with loose chains and charms to add a bit of glitz.

Chunky Knots

Actress Thuso Mbedu styled her half platinum, half black knotless braids into chunky Bantu knots.

Bantu Locs

Artist Charity Nicole shows that locs are also a great base for Bantu knots. It's a great look to try any time, but especially if you're in need of a retwist and want to fake super-clean parts.

Read the original article on InStyle