Knotless braids

What knotless braids are

Most braids anchor the extension hair with a small knot at the root. Knotless braids start differently. Your stylist begins plaiting your own hair, then adds thin pieces of extension hair into the braid as it grows.¹ By the time the extension is fully in, it is already part of the braid.

The difference shows at the root. A knotted braid has a small bump where the extension is tied in. A knotless braid has none, so it looks as if it is growing straight out of your scalp.¹

Knotless does not mean no tension. A braid pulled tight still pulls. How it feels depends on your stylist's technique, the weight of the fibre, the length and how the hairline is sectioned.²

How they look and feel

The partings are clean, the root is flat and the braids fall softly. Because the root lies flat, you can usually style them from the first day.

They are lighter at the root than knotted braids, but weight still builds with length and fibre. Waist length feels noticeably heavier than shoulder length.²

See the look.

These images are illustrations, not photographs of our clients.

Who they suit

Knotless is a good choice if:

• your hairline is fine or tender, because they start with less pull than knotted braids
• your scalp is sensitive and you want a calmer install
• you are growing out your natural hair
• you need a style that works in an office without constant restyling
• you have had a painful install before

Knotless usually needs a little more hair length to work with than box braids, because of the way the braid is built.¹ Your stylist tells you at the assessment whether your hair is long enough.

Knotless works on natural, relaxed, pressed and transitioning hair. Transitioning hair needs extra care, because it is weakest where new growth meets relaxed hair.³

If your scalp is sore, itchy or inflamed, or you had a chemical treatment in the last one to two weeks, wait and talk to us first.³ The braid care guide explains how to tell if your scalp is ready.

Size changes the look. Length changes the time.

Knotless braids come in two sizes, Small and Medium, and two lengths, shoulder and waist.

Small and Medium take the same time. Length changes it: about 4 hours at shoulder length and 5 at waist length.

Dermatologists advise thicker, shorter braids where you can, because longer, heavier hair pulls harder on each root.² As a general rule, thicker braids pull less on each root than finer ones. Your stylist balances size, length and fibre with you. If you are unsure, add a note when you book.

Your knotless install, step by step

The whole appointment takes about 4 to 5 hours, and most clients read, work or watch something.

1. Arrival and chat. We confirm your look, length and hair history. You do not need to wash your hair first, because the wash is included.
2. Assessment. Before any braiding, your stylist checks strand support, density, breakage, your hairline and your scalp.
3. Wash, condition and blow-dry. Your hair is cleansed, conditioned and blow-dried straight. Straighter hair is easier to blend with the extension.¹
4. Planning. Your look becomes section sizes and a fibre plan for your hair.
5. The feed-in. Each braid starts from your own hair, and the extension is added a little at a time. Tension is checked section by section as we go.
6. Finishing and home care. We check shape, ends and movement. You leave with a dry, finished style and a walk-through of care and warning signs.

Coffee, tea, juice, water, sports drinks and snacks are complimentary. Clients from Silver Lakes, Equestria, Woodhill and Faerie Glen usually allow about 30 minutes for travel and parking. The Co Space Entrepreneur Village has parking directly outside.

As your knotless braids grow out

Because each braid starts from your own hair, the line between your hair and the braid is less abrupt as new growth appears.

Looking after knotless braids

The flat root makes your scalp easier to reach than with knotted braids, so the routine is simple.

• Mist your scalp lightly with a water-based spray every 2 to 3 days. Spray between the braids, not on them.
• Cover your hair at night with a satin bonnet or scarf, pulled on loosely.²
• Wash every 2 to 3 weeks with diluted shampoo worked between the braids, and dry your roots completely.³
• Use light oils and moisturisers only. Heavy butters and creams build up.³
• Pain, stinging, crusts or tenting mean the braids are too tight. Tell us, or take them out early.²

The seasons in Pretoria, the gym, the pool, sleep and the warning signs are all in the braid care guide.

Taking knotless braids out

With knotless braids you open each braid from the ends up towards the root. There is no knot at the base to loosen, but the extension that was fed in along the braid still holds shed hair, so go slowly.

Taking braids out yourself takes far longer than people expect. If you remove medium braids on your own, it can take four to six hours, because each braid is opened one at a time, and smaller braids take longer.³ Many people dread it, put it off and wear the style too long.

Why the take-down matters, and how a careful one goes, is in the braid care guide.

Knotless against other styles

Words used in this guide

Extension (or fibre): the synthetic or human hair added to your own hair to make a braid longer and fuller.

Feed-in: adding extension hair to a braid a little at a time as it is made, instead of tying it on with a knot.

Sectioned: divided into small squares or lines of hair, one for each braid.

Parting: the line of scalp that shows between two sections of hair.

Edges: the fine, thin hair along your hairline at the forehead, temples and nape.

Strand support and density: how strong each strand is, and how much hair you have in each section.

Relaxed hair: hair straightened with a chemical relaxer. Pressed hair: hair straightened with heat.

Transitioning hair: hair growing out from a relaxer, so it has both relaxed and natural hair.

Curl blends: curly extension hair mixed into the braid to add texture.

Take-down: taking the braids out.

Unplait: to open braids back out into loose hair.

Sources

1. Florie Mwanza, Are knotless braids the low-tension answer to box braids?, Stylist, 20 May 2022. Quotes afro hairstylist Gemma Moodie of Neville Hair and Beauty.
2. American Academy of Dermatology, Hairstyles that pull can lead to hair loss. Updated 6 November 2024.
3. Diane C. Bailey, Milady Standard Natural Hair Care and Braiding, Cengage Learning, 2014.

Keep reading

If something here gave you pause, one of these may suit you better: the box braids guide, the Afro Boho braids guide, or the braid care guide.