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2025/2026 - Journey to SL/APL/BSL Challenge

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I'm just staying the course here and keeping it simple. Still doing my weekly reset.

I'm behind on doing my K18 treatment. I usually doing it monthly and definitely before I color but I did not do an August treatment. I may color in September.

I definitely plan to blow dry and trim my ends in September. I purchased a bottle of Aphogee 2 minute. For the holiday weekend, I will do the K18, Aphogee and whatever other loving things I can think to do.

I am considering a new blow dryer with a comb to see if I can get some help with a smoother look. I need to write out my steps for that wash day because I tend to forget steps when I wing it.

Overall everything is progressing fine. I can slowly see my lowest layer inching past my collarbone. Hopefully, with 4 more months I will gain 2 inches. I will trim some off but that should still leave me close to my goal.

Just hoping this is the year I break through to SL so 2026 is fully dedicated to reaching APL. The closer I get to APL, the more styles I have available to me. That is what I'm really looking forward to ... ease of styling.

But honestly, my styling really is easy right now. Just looking to make it even easier :lol: I spend 30 minutes styling my hair on Sunday and then don't touch it until the following Sunday.
 
faithVA said:
Your braids look really good. Thank you for sharing with us.

Do you use a mirror to help you part the back?

Would these be considered medium braids?

I think I could get with something like this. Maybe I will try over the xmas holidays when I have time to devote to it.
Click to expand...
Thank you :)

I use a three way mirror in front of me and a door mirror behind me, with both it makes parting much easier

I think these would be considered large KBs, the ones I had before these were Jumbo KBs, they weren't that neat in the back since I was in a rush. I like jumbo since they don't take much time, I will try to do them again neater

Yes! I think you'll love them :)
Makes growing out hair so much easier!

I'll share a vid later when I get time that will help with your KB journey :)
 
faithVA said:
@25InchesStarting'25 , Thank you for keeping this thread going. As always happens, people get busy and threads can get quite for a while.

I just finished doing all the paperwork for my performance review so now I can get back to some normalcy. I've been documenting since July 4th, so I'm glad to be done with it.
Click to expand...
My pleasure! We have to get over the SL hump with as much support as possible :)
 
faithVA said:
I'm just staying the course here and keeping it simple. Still doing my weekly reset.

I'm behind on doing my K18 treatment. I usually doing it monthly and definitely before I color but I did not do an August treatment. I may color in September.

I definitely plan to blow dry and trim my ends in September. I purchased a bottle of Aphogee 2 minute. For the holiday weekend, I will do the K18, Aphogee and whatever other loving things I can think to do.

I am considering a new blow dryer with a comb to see if I can get some help with a smoother look. I need to write out my steps for that wash day because I tend to forget steps when I wing it.

Overall everything is progressing fine. I can slowly see my lowest layer inching past my collarbone. Hopefully, with 4 more months I will gain 2 inches. I will trim some off but that should still leave me close to my goal.

Just hoping this is the year I break through to SL so 2026 is fully dedicated to reaching APL. The closer I get to APL, the more styles I have available to me. That is what I'm really looking forward to ... ease of styling.

But honestly, my styling really is easy right now. Just looking to make it even easier :lol: I spend 30 minutes styling my hair on Sunday and then don't touch it until the following Sunday.
Click to expand...
Since you have RevAir, would you consider doing light flat iron (300 degrees on your roots) just worried you might get a set back with comb attachment with your ends. Do what is best for you, friendly caution :)

Once we get to APL and beyond, things get a lot easier, since there isbmore weight to our hair to hang down

I'm going to be patient and only have KBs as a style to goal length or BSL/ little past BSL
 
25InchesStarting'25 said:
Since you have RevAir, would you consider doing light flat iron (300 degrees on your roots) just worried you might get a set back with comb attachment with your ends. Do what is best for you, friendly caution :)

Once we get to APL and beyond, things get a lot easier, since there isbmore weight to our hair to hang down

I'm going to be patient and only have KBs as a style to goal length or BSL/ little past BSL
Click to expand...
Thanks for the concern. My hair is really fluffy so not sure doing the roots would do any good.

Why do you think a comb attachment would cause issues with the ends?

I do have a RevAir but I'm also looking at these new and improve ionic blow dryers that they use at a salon. I will do some more research this weekend so I'm prepared if I decide to purchase.

I will take your concerns into consideration and give it more thought. Overall I'm not as concerned about my ends as I am about the drying effect of blow dryers in general. Even with the RevAir its questionable for my hair. When my hair gets long enough I will probably just stretch & air dry and then flat iron.
 
On 6 August, I cut 2” of damaged hair off, which set me back to NL (shortest layer). I can only hope that this layer reaches SL by December as this layer grows very slow to me.

Though I was able to find the culprit of my damage, my ends weren’t recovering well, so they needed to go. I’m happy with the results. My hair feels so much better. I’m due for another trim on 9 September.

I plan to braid my hair after my trim, but I may keep going with my WNG. I was supposed to install mini-braids, but never got around to it. I was dreading the process, so I stayed rocking my WNG. I am monitoring my ends.

I’m remaining positive.
 
keranikki said:
On 6 August, I cut 2” of damaged hair off, which set me back to NL (shortest layer). I can only hope that this layer reaches SL by December as this layer grows very slow to me.

Though I was able to find the culprit of my damage, my ends weren’t recovering well, so they needed to go. I’m happy with the results. My hair feels so much better. I’m due for another trim on 9 September.

I plan to braid my hair after my trim, but I may keep going with my WNG. I was supposed to install mini-braids, but never got around to it. I was dreading the process, so I stayed rocking my WNG. I am monitoring my ends.

I’m remaining positive.
Click to expand...
Yes remain positive. You stopped the damage and you are moving in the right direction now.
 
faithVA said:
Thanks for the concern. My hair is really fluffy so not sure doing the roots would do any good.

Why do you think a comb attachment would cause issues with the ends?

I do have a RevAir but I'm also looking at these new and improve ionic blow dryers that they use at a salon. I will do some more research this weekend so I'm prepared if I decide to purchase.

I will take your concerns into consideration and give it more thought. Overall I'm not as concerned about my ends as I am about the drying effect of blow dryers in general. Even with the RevAir its questionable for my hair. When my hair gets long enough I will probably just stretch & air dry and then flat iron.
Click to expand...
I haven't done research on the blow dryer you mentioned. I notice when people start using them before goal length it tends to stay at that length. It may be different with what you been researching

With RevAir, to decrease the volume you can use a Foam/Mouse (ideally one that is focused on moisture, SheaMoisture has a couple) before using RevAir section by section, then flat iron on 300 degrees with one pass in medium to large sections. HTH! :)
 
keranikki said:
On 6 August, I cut 2” of damaged hair off, which set me back to NL (shortest layer). I can only hope that this layer reaches SL by December as this layer grows very slow to me.

Though I was able to find the culprit of my damage, my ends weren’t recovering well, so they needed to go. I’m happy with the results. My hair feels so much better. I’m due for another trim on 9 September.

I plan to braid my hair after my trim, but I may keep going with my WNG. I was supposed to install mini-braids, but never got around to it. I was dreading the process, so I stayed rocking my WNG. I am monitoring my ends.

I’m remaining positive.
Click to expand...
Congrats on healthy ends! :)

I know what you mean about the process of doing Mini Braids:laugh: I love the look but you really need it to align with your schedule

I have fallen in love with large and jumbo KBs. Take sooo much less time to braid and take down! Have you thought of doing these? They make growing out hair easy while protecting your hair. Must not use products on the roots and moisture on the ends, this is where a lot people have issue with braids

Glad you know what will keep thriving with growth. I'm doing a lot of things to try and accelerate growth. A few things that help are Ayurveda treatments, herbal growth sprays with peppermint, MSM oral and/or topical, biotin and/or prenatal, tea/coffee rinses, herbal growth oil/pomade infused for +5 weeks, JBCO, Consistent daily scalp massages, HTH! :)

I'm not doing all of these, my focus has been growth oils/pomades, Ayurvedic Tx, Scalp massages, Flax Gel infused with growth aids, Oral MSM (Don't take it on fasting days, which i have been doing a lot of lately) and eating a Nutrient dense diet where I'm not deficient in essential minerals and vitamins. Most people are deficient in Magnesium, Vitamin B1, Iodine, Selenium, and Omega 3
 
Last edited:
25InchesStarting'25 said:
Congrats on healthy ends! :)

I know what you mean about the process of doing Mini Braids:laugh: I love the look but you really need it to align with your schedule

I have fallen in love with large and jumbo KBs. Take sooo much less time to braid and take down! Have you thought of doing these? They make growing out hair easy while protecting your hair. Must not use products on the roots and moisture on the ends, this is where a lot people have issue with braids

Glad you know what will keep thriving with growth. I'm doing a lot of things to try and accelerate growth. A few things that help are Ayurveda treatments, herbal growth sprays with peppermint, MSM oral and/or topical, biotin and/or prenatal, tea/coffee rinses, herbal growth oil/pomade infused for +5 weeks, JBCO, Consistent daily scalp massages, HTH! :)

I'm not doing all of these, my focus has been growth oils/pomades, Ayurvedic Tx, Scalp massages, Flax Gel infused with growth aids, Oral MSM (Don't take it on fasting days, which i have been doing a lot of lately) and eating a Nutrient dense diet where I'm not deficient in essential minerals and vitamins. Most people are deficient in Magnesium, Vitamin B1, Iodine, Selenium, and Omega 3
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, I do not know how to install KBs. I have watched videos, but can’t seem to get the hang of it. I may be overthinking the process.

I have very fine hair, so big braids are too heavy for me. Mini-braids were the best, but they’re time-consuming. Le sigh.

I’m slowly introducing Ayurveda into my regimen, due to the drying effects it has on my hair. Clove, hibiscus, and rosemary dry my hair out horribly. I purchased premade products, from a now closed vendor, that I had previous success with. So far, so good.
 
It will be four weeks in my latest protective style this Saturday. I’ll keep this style in until next Saturday which will be five weeks by then.

I plan on steaming in henna which I haven’t did in two months on Saturday and on to the next style on Sunday.
 
keranikki said:
Unfortunately, I do not know how to install KBs. I have watched videos, but can’t seem to get the hang of it. I may be overthinking the process.

I have very fine hair, so big braids are too heavy for me. Mini-braids were the best, but they’re time-consuming. Le sigh.

I’m slowly introducing Ayurveda into my regimen, due to the drying effects it has on my hair. Clove, hibiscus, and rosemary dry my hair out horribly. I purchased premade products, from a now closed vendor, that I had previous success with. So far, so good.
Click to expand...
Don't give up, once you get the hang of it, it will be rewarding :)

I will post the most helpful vid I've seen as soon as I get a chance

You control the amount of hair that is added when you do it yourself, therefore, it doesn't matter the density of your hair, it works for everyone :)

Ayurvedic glosses (adding conditioners and/or honey/glycerin/thick canned coconut milk) is an easy fix to combat dryness. If you're doing henna for strengthing tx you can DC with conditioner after application. HTH! :)
 
Finally was able to get some length check starting photos after my most recent relaxer last week. I didn't bother straightening it as I didn't want to feel even more disappointed over the state of my hair at the moment. The nape and bottom area are pretty much shaved off and starting from fresh. The longest parts of my hair is at the crown. I also have some red/brown colour I'm planning to dye black by the end of the year. Hopefully when my nape fills in ill get back thickness and get to shoulder length.
20250822_103406.jpg20250822_103618_001.jpg
 
Etherbunnny said:
Finally was able to get some length check starting photos after my most recent relaxer last week. I didn't bother straightening it as I didn't want to feel even more disappointed over the state of my hair at the moment. The nape and bottom area are pretty much shaved off and starting from fresh. The longest parts of my hair is at the crown. I also have some red/brown colour I'm planning to dye black by the end of the year. Hopefully when my nape fills in ill get back thickness and get to shoulder length.
View attachment 506108View attachment 506112
Click to expand...
Glad you are able to get some starting pictures and you are ready to get to your next goal. I think skipping the heat for now is a good choice. Get your hair back to the condition you want and you can do the heat later. It is more important to get the hair to a healthy state then to get it to a specific length. The length will come in time.

I went back and read your starting post. I see that you are using Aphogee. However, since you relax and color, you may want to consider adding a bond treatment to your monthly regimen. Both color and relaxers break the bonds in the hair and weaken the hair over time.

There are plenty on the market now in the past several years. I don't have a recommendation since hair is so different in response. I use K18 because I can tell the difference. I know someone in this thread uses the Bond Bar brand. I have also used Pronexa which you can get on Amazon. And Olaplex has one.

Wishing you great success in the remaining 4 months.
 
faithVA said:
Glad you are able to get some starting pictures and you are ready to get to your next goal. I think skipping the heat for now is a good choice. Get your hair back to the condition you want and you can do the heat later. It is more important to get the hair to a healthy state then to get it to a specific length. The length will come in time.

I went back and read your starting post. I see that you are using Aphogee. However, since you relax and color, you may want to consider adding a bond treatment to your monthly regimen. Both color and relaxers break the bonds in the hair and weaken the hair over time.

There are plenty on the market now in the past several years. I don't have a recommendation since hair is so different in response. I use K18 because I can tell the difference. I know someone in this thread uses the Bond Bar brand. I have also used Pronexa which you can get on Amazon. And Olaplex has one.

Wishing you great success in the remaining 4 months.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for the helpful information. I will definitely look into a bond builder and start incorporating it asap. I usually shop at Sephora so i will look into both the K18 one and the Olaplex.
 
I decided to do some treatments today because I have been to relaxed since June.

I shampooed twice, first with TGIN and then with the Prose.
I purchased the Unbrush a couple of weeks ago and used it today. It does move through the hair easily but it doesn't remove enough shed hair for me to use it alone. I'm still trying to figure out how to achieve removal in less time and fewer attempts if that is even possible.

I used the Aphogee 2 minute and put on a plastic cap for a few minutes. Then I rinsed.
Then I used the K18 and let it sit for 5ish minutes.

I hopped back in the shower and conditioned. Still trying to use up the random conditioners I have.
Followed up with my Prose leave-in.
Put in a large amount of KCCC and water and put my hair in 4 Bantu Knots. This is where I am now.

I will probably put it in flat twists after dinner.

Overall my hair is in better shape than at the beginning of the year. My ends are slowly getting better. My search and destroys are finding less ends to clip. But it may be next Spring before I am out of the woods.

When I pull my hair it doesn't look like it is any longer. However, I was able to put my hair in a small bun in the back and run some errands. And I'm able to easily do 4 Bantu Knots instead of 6. The hair at the top of my head is waaaaay longer than the back, which I can tell by my Bantu Knots. Hopefully, my back is just trying to catch up with the rest.

Maybe the remaining 4 months will show some length changes. Overall, I'm happy with the progress because each quarter I can do a bit more.

At the end of September, I will repeat the treatments, blow dry, trim my ends and take an update picture.
 
Etherbunnny said:
Finally was able to get some length check starting photos after my most recent relaxer last week. I didn't bother straightening it as I didn't want to feel even more disappointed over the state of my hair at the moment. The nape and bottom area are pretty much shaved off and starting from fresh. The longest parts of my hair is at the crown. I also have some red/brown colour I'm planning to dye black by the end of the year. Hopefully when my nape fills in ill get back thickness and get to shoulder length.
View attachment 506108View attachment 506112
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing and dont worry! We'll support you to your goal :)

Since you're relaxed, you shouldn't worry about straightening your hair, you can do it like this every time (wet or air dryed, being consistent with one of them to know accurate progress), this is one of the pros of being relaxed :)
 
faithVA said:
I decided to do some treatments today because I have been to relaxed since June.

I shampooed twice, first with TGIN and then with the Prose.
I purchased the Unbrush a couple of weeks ago and used it today. It does move through the hair easily but it doesn't remove enough shed hair for me to use it alone. I'm still trying to figure out how to achieve removal in less time and fewer attempts if that is even possible.

I used the Aphogee 2 minute and put on a plastic cap for a few minutes. Then I rinsed.
Then I used the K18 and let it sit for 5ish minutes.

I hopped back in the shower and conditioned. Still trying to use up the random conditioners I have.
Followed up with my Prose leave-in.
Put in a large amount of KCCC and water and put my hair in 4 Bantu Knots. This is where I am now.

I will probably put it in flat twists after dinner.

Overall my hair is in better shape than at the beginning of the year. My ends are slowly getting better. My search and destroys are finding less ends to clip. But it may be next Spring before I am out of the woods.

When I pull my hair it doesn't look like it is any longer. However, I was able to put my hair in a small bun in the back and run some errands. And I'm able to easily do 4 Bantu Knots instead of 6. The hair at the top of my head is waaaaay longer than the back, which I can tell by my Bantu Knots. Hopefully, my back is just trying to catch up with the rest.

Maybe the remaining 4 months will show some length changes. Overall, I'm happy with the progress because each quarter I can do a bit more.

At the end of September, I will repeat the treatments, blow dry, trim my ends and take an update picture.
Click to expand...
Nice work! Love the TLC you took for yourself :)

I was supposed to do LC this weekend but it was a very busy Holiday weekend

Please call my out if I don't post this weekend :laugh:
 
Jumbo Knotless Braids
She uses "grease" like products at the roots not "style jam" which cause issues/breakage for many people
I don't use any product on roots, only aloe and Vaseline on ends to protect and retain moisture

 
25InchesStarting'25 said:
Nice work! Love the TLC you took for yourself :)

I was supposed to do LC this weekend but it was a very busy Holiday weekend

Please call my out if I don't post this weekend :laugh:
Click to expand...
(lol) I probably won't. I will be reminding every soon that September is the 3rd check-in for this challenge. I will probably start that this upcoming weekend, so maybe for you that line up.

There are only 3 more full weeks in this month :sigh:
 
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