Bantu Knot Results

Yesterday was my wash day. I started really late. I really wanted to prepoo with some Virgin Coconut Oil (from Trader Joe's), but I couldn't get the jar open. So I just did a regular wash with Pantene Pro-V Purifying Shampoo and Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Conditioner. I have a very sensitive scalp, so cowash's only work for me when I'm doing a wash-n-go. I will cowash every two days with wash-n-go's but for twist outs or Bantu Knots, by the weeks end, I have to wash again with a purifying shampoo.

(Got this for I believe 4.99)    

 (Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Conditioner)

        

(My freshly washed hair)

I decided I wanted to try Bantu Knots again. I have never gotten the results I've wanted with this, but I wanted to try it again. As they say, practice makes perfect. To detangle and moisturize, I used Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Leave-In and SheaMoistures Curl Enhancing Smoothie. I have very fine hair, so I did the Bantu Knot in large sections because I wanted a larger curl than tight curls.

Large Section Bantu Knot

The results I got still weren't what I was looking for. I had major shrinkage, I think mainly since when I took it out my hair wasn't fully dry. I only got the curl definition I was looking for was in the front and the back still has small tight curls. I will be trying this again, maybe in smaller sections.

Morning Results

The Start of Something NEW

I guess first I should start by telling you a little about my personal hair journey. I decided to stop getting perms in 2007, so I guess you can say I've been a natural for about 7 years now. However, in that time I've probably done so much damage to my hair that I kind of started over when I became pregnant.

To clarify, when I stopped getting perms, it wasn't because I wanted to embark on this journey. I simply didn't like how my hair and scalp felt after getting a perm. In 2006, I waited as long as I could without getting a touch-up (so about 6-7 months) and all I did was wash my hair every week, take the 45 mins it took to blow dry my hair, and straighten with a flat iron. I loved it. I got the same results a perm would do without actually getting one. I would've never known that my hair could straighten, maybe not as easily, but would straighten nonetheless without getting some creamy crack on it. 

Even though I was no longer getting a perm and was just straightening my hair myself. My hair was so damaged, I just got tired of looking at it. So in 2007, I went to my stylist and told her I wanted to cut my hair. At that time I was probably about 18. Her knowing how afraid I was of actually cutting my lovely locks, she said "how about we cut off all the damaged ends first and see where we land). That's exactly what happened, we landed here

.

I actually really liked this hair cut. It was so easy to manage and now with my hair no longer having any perm or damaged ends, it started growing really fast. 

I kept this up, not getting a perm, but just washing and blow drying every week for a while til I had to start over. 

I had to cut my hair again. And even after that I'm still wearing my hair straight all the time. 

Then one day in June 2011 I found out I was pregnant. Shouldn't be a problem for my hair since I don't get perms right...wrong. I refused to take 45 mins to blow dry my hair while I was pregnant. So I had to figure something out. That's when I started researching and researching and finding all of these different blogs and YouTube videos with girls with natural curls. And I guess I could have started this a long time ago, but I really didn't like how short my hair looked when in curls. I was so used to feeling my hair on my shoulders, on the top of my back, I couldn't fathom the idea of wearing my wild unruly curls out. 

Well here I am today, going through this journey for the last year. Still having a bit of hiccups but enjoying my curls just a bit more.