Small Knotless Braids, All The Inspo You Need

Braids are the kind of protective style that never goes out of fashion. Variations on twists, locs and other styles peak and trough in popularity, but braids are a classic style that Black women always come back to. This makes small knotless braids—emphasis on the small—the perfect choice for your next protective style. Of course knotless braids look stunning in any size, but the smaller braids give you more hair to play with and more versatility.

Other names for this protective style include knotless box braids, feed-in braids or no-knot braids. In a nutshell, they’re different from traditional box braids due to the way the added hair is fed in, which places less tension on your hair. The braid is started with your own hair and the added hair is fed in slowly. Although they do take longer to install than box braids, and often cost more (due to the increased installation time), there are many upsides to choosing knotless braids. There’s less tension on your scalp and they feel lighter, which is a lot healthier for your hair. Small knotless braids are also very versatile. The look can be transformed into so many styles—think buns, ponytails, half-up-half-down ‘dos. You can also experiment with different lengths or colors to mix it up.

If you’re convinced that small knotless braids is your next style, then this article gives you the full break-down to knotless braids. If you’re installing the style yourself, check out our protective style guide to help you along—it also includes tips for maintaining your braids properly. This handy guide also helps you decide how much hair you need to buy for your protective style.