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

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CoiledOrchids said:
just took out my braids. Headed to the salon this afternoon for a much needed silk press and trim.

I just had the best wash day in my entire almost 13 years of being natural.

I took out my braids and detangled with the african pride prepoo and the unbrush in 5 sections. What used to take me ours took less than 10 minutes. Yall, that unbrush plus worked some goodt magic on my thick 4b/4c coily hair. I was shook.

then I clarified with design essentials oat and henna shampoo first and then followed up with the almond and avocado shampoo to replenish moisture. I wanted to see if i could detangle with the shampoo in my hair and I was able to do my entire head!!!!!

after that, I sat under my steamer with naturellegrow chamomile and burdock root conditioner, mixed with evoo. my hair was butter soft, and I detangled it again w/ the unbrush plus under running water as I rinsed out my deep conditioner. My hair felt like a cotton fluffy cloud! yall, I almost cried tears of joy. I did an oil rinse with evoo before rinsing on cool

I put my hair in six sections, applied the cantu heat protectant spray and bloodied each section on cool and once again, my hair slid through my revlon paddle blow dry brush like butter!

I love my unbrush plus!!!!!!!!!!

now about to head out in about 30 min to the salon but this was the best wash day I have ever had! :afro: :afro: :afro:
Click to expand...

Yeeeeeessssss! Another UnBrush Plus lover! It's my love, LOL.

My jaw was on the FLOOR the first time I used that thing. Game changed!!! It's astonishing how fast it detangles my hair . . . and how LITTLE hair is in the brush and still my shed hairs are removed (as verified by running detangled, DC'd sections under running shower water and letting any few, remaining shed hairs slide out).

And, wow, congratulations on that ah-mazing wash day. :love3: :woot::drool:
 
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@Yvette 2.0 yes!!!! it replaced my felicia leatherwood detangling brush. The nbrush plus is my new bestie!

omg where was this brush when I was little?!

who knew one brush could do all that?

planning on doing simple twisted updos, and two French braids this year in between silk presses. It's still a work in progress learning how to wrap my hair but I'm slowly getting there...LOL

I love my how simple my regimen is now:love2:
 
I did end up coloring my hair but it was quite late. Then I got caught up in cooking and the Bears game so the rollers went to the wayside. I'll try it again when I wash again on Thursday.

A non-length check victory: I need more hair dye to cover my full head. Normally l was using 2 Oz and now I need 3.
 
I'm in 3 out of 6 weeks for these braids, and they're just starting to look a little fuzzy due to my weekly shampoos, but it has to be done. I can't leave six weeks of gym sweat in my scalp. :nono:

I may redo a few of them around my hairline, but not too many. 6 weeks translates into a $5/day hairdo, and that is good for me. :yep: once i take them out, i'll be doing a rinse, getting a trim, and then getting some cornrows. i am just simply not in the mood to wear my hair out until it gets back closer to SL, so back-to-back protective styles it is.
 
I've been working on a <1hr wash day, including shower time, and I've been close these past 2 wash days, but today was my first one.

The key game changers for me in getting down from 1.25-1.5hrs were:

-Washing in twists instead of plaits. I was hesitant to try this because I figured my hair would tangle so much more if I washed in twists, but it hasn't been the case at all. Also, I'm spending significantly less time unraveling my small sections.

-CHIEF ROCKA BY THE DOUX. I'm using so much less shampoo than I did when I was styling with grease. Shampooing has been a one and done process for the past 4 wash days (5 including this one). No build-up, no nuffin.

-I started using my conditioner as a leave-in. I use Seht's conditioner which is formulated as an all-purpose conditioner, but I don't typically care for leave-ins, so I would always just use it as a deep conditioner. I used to apply it in the shower, let it sit while I washed my body, then stepped out of the shower to detangle in the mirror, twist my hair up, then get back in the shower to rinse. Keeping it in has cut down so much time on my wash day.

-Instead of *only* finger tangling, I've been doing a cursory finger detangle (mostly for shed hairs and major snags, no more than maybe 2 minutes per small section) then going in with a detangling brush. I was p e t r i f i e d to start doing this, but I'm glad I tried. I'm not noticing any more breakage in the brush than I'd have after only finger tangling.

-Starting today, I'm styling my hair in 7 flat twists vs 16-20 medium sized plaits. Styling has been the second most time-consuming part of my wash day, so I'm gonna see how I like this. The real test will be whether or not I can adequately shampoo my scalp AND lengths in flat twists, but I'm hopeful. If everything pans out, I may have hit a home run on this wash day routine.
 
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i4ani said:
I've been working on a <1hr wash day, including shower time, and I've been close these past 2 wash days, but today was my first one.

The key game changers for me in getting down from 1.25-1.5hrs were:

-Washing in twists instead of plaits. I was hesitant to try this because I figured my hair would tangle so much more if I washed in twists, but it hasn't been the case at all. Also, I'm spending significantly less time unraveling my small sections.

-CHIEF ROCKA BY THE DOUX. I'm using so much less shampoo than I did when I was styling with grease. Shampooing has been a one and done process for the past 4 wash days (5 including this one). No build-up, no nuffin.

-I started using my conditioner as a leave-in. I use Seht's conditioner which is formulated as an all-purpose conditioner, but I don't typically care for leave-ins, so I would always just use it as a deep conditioner. I used to apply it in the shower, let it sit while I washed my body, then stepped out of the shower to detangle in the mirror, twist my hair up, then get back in the shower to rinse. Keeping it in has cut down so much time on my wash day.

-Instead of *only* finger tangling, I've been doing a cursory finger detangle (mostly for shed hairs and major snags, no more than maybe 2 minutes per small section) then going in with a detangling brush. I was p e t r i f i e d to start doing this, but I'm glad I tried. I'm not noticing any more breakage in the brush than I'd have after only finger tangling.

-Starting today, I'm styling my hair in 7 flat twists vs 16-20 medium sized plaits. Styling has been the second most time-consuming part of my wash day, so I'm gonna see how I like this. The real test will be whether or not I can adequately shampoo my scalp AND lengths in flat twists, but I'm hopeful. If everything pans out, I may have hit a home run on this wash day routine.
Click to expand...
:toocool:
 
Eye-opening moment today when I got my labs back from my checkup at the doctor's office yesterday: I am very, very vitamin D deficient. Wow, I wonder if this is part of the reason I had so much trouble with my hair during the latter half of 2025? They're giving me a prescription and I guess I'll see if I see any change over the next six months.

This is a lesson for me to stop delaying those checkup appointments. :nono: I am so bad at being consistent because my thought process is that, welp, i'm in decent health anyways. nope, i need to get my annual physical.
 
I had hoped to do my long walk today and reset my hair tomorrow. But didn't make that happen. So hope to do my long walk tomorrow and then reset my hair on Monday. I want to color my hair at the end of the month, so I need to map out what I'm doing on Monday to prepare for that. I like to do my bond and protein treatments the week before. Maybe this time I will do my bond and protein treatments the week after.

Today, I'm going to oil my scalp and do a quick massage.
 
Thinking of going back to wigs. I pulled out my old human half wig to go out one night and I was really feeling myself! All I did was as leave out a slither of edges and it looks great. My real hair is pretty easy to do but I really hate having damp hair in the wintertime. This seems like a good alternative. It has been over a year since I’ve worn a wig but I think I just need to get over myself.
 
I'm waist length right now. Some strands reached the finishing line for now. I am excited since this is the first time in my life that this has ever happened. So I'm celebrating this unchartered progress.
 

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Reset today.
Shampooed twice, conditioned with plastic cap and then leave-in on damp hair. I put my hair in 5 sections.

Diluted my braid spray with water to reduce the glycerin effect.

I sprayed each section with diluted braid spray, followed with hair milk, argan oil and Mane Choice thermal protectant.

I took each section and sprites it with water and blow dried on low heat using my denman 38 paddle brush and thenoz,le attachment.

Im getting better blow drying this way.

Then I used the diluted braid spray and Mielle Twisting Souffle and put my hairin 10 flat twists.

I will oil my scalp tonight and then leave my hair alone until this weekend when I color.
 
Thank you @faithVA

I just colored my hair as well, Sunday past. My last color was in July of last year. It looks a lot better now. I am still using Matrix demi-permanent coloring in black.

I want to start lightening it, but not brave enough yet to pull the trigger for that since I would have to strip the black off first. That's a bit scary for me to do. I'll give it some more thought.
 
4 weeks today in my latest install. I hope my glueless wig comes in the next two weeks. If it looks how I’m hoping it does, I will segue into wearing my braids for 6-7 weeks at time and watering them as much as I want.
 
I think flat twists are gonna be my style for the time being. I tried 7 at first but those were too big to be neat, given the different lengths in my head at this point. I did 10 and I've been pulling them into a bun and wearing a satin-lined baseball cap to the gym. I was pleasantly surprised by how much hang time I had lol. I haven't even attempted a regular ponytail since I started growing my hair out, let alone one on shrunken, twisted hair, so I was a very happy camper checking it out in the mirror.
 
I had planned on coloring my hair today. However, after measuring my new growth, I only had 3/4 of an inch since coloring in November. That isn't enough for me to color, so I will wait until the end of February or March. Unfortunately, it means that I'm growing less that 1/2 inch a month. I need a growth spurt by Spring :pray:

My end of January check-in. It hasn't been a full 30 days, but I want to stay consistent and track near the end of each month.

I think the comparison looks little better because my blow drying has gotten a little better. Hopefully, I get a growth spurt before the Spring.

1/12/26 2/2/26

20260112_205748.jpgJan2026Update.jpeg
 
faithVA said:
I had planned on coloring my hair today. However, after measuring my new growth, I only had 3/4 of an inch since coloring in November. That isn't enough for me to color, so I will wait until the end of February or March. Unfortunately, it means that I'm growing less that 1/2 inch a month. I need a growth spurt by Spring :pray:

My end of January check-in. It hasn't been a full 30 days, but I want to stay consistent and track near the end of each month.

I think the comparison looks little better because my blow drying has gotten a little better. Hopefully, I get a growth spurt before the Spring.

1/12/26 2/2/26

View attachment 507784View attachment 507786
Click to expand...
Is there someone who can do a pull test for you to see if you retained that 3/4ths inch? Bc when I undid my flat twist for my January length check, it was stretched (ofc not as much as a blowdry would have gotten it) and looked like it was barely grazing the middle of my neck. But I was amazed at where my mom’s fingers landed when she pulled it down for my photo.
 
i4ani said:
Is there someone who can do a pull test for you to see if you retained that 3/4ths inch? Bc when I undid my flat twist for my January length check, it was stretched (ofc not as much as a blowdry would have gotten it) and looked like it was barely grazing the middle of my neck. But I was amazed at where my mom’s fingers landed when she pulled it down for my photo.
Click to expand...
@i4ani, Thank you for the suggestion. No I dont have anyone to do that for me. I will just have to be patient and see what is what at the end of the quarter. Hopefully it will be obvious by then.
 
wash day on Saturday!

I'll moisturize my hair and put it in a bun for the next week.

over winter break, I'm getting a flat twisted style & I'll keep it in for 6 weeks
 
I’m getting to the bottom of this round of my shampoo and conditioner. So last night I used Aussie’s Miracle Moist line instead... I forgot how much I love that stuff.

I’m gonna monitor my hair for the next few washes (I am a bit concerned about using SLS on my strands every 3 days), but if I don’t notice anything funky, I’m gonna switch back to those ‘fates and ‘cones.

For me, sulfate-free and silicone-free products, especially the set I’m using due to the price, aren’t really worth the squeeze anymore. Though I only use a mousse on my hair, I’m drenched in sweat for an hour every single day at the gym. I was already using a lot of the shampoo before but at this point, I’m realizing that the palm full of shampoo I need to use to get one good round of cleaning is just not worth the rebuy. I only need one pump of the Miracle Moist shampoo to cover my entire scalp and all my strands.

Fingers crossed that the shampoo doesn’t end up being too harsh. I doubt it because the conditioner felt amazing afterwards, but still, I’ll monitor. Maybe I’ll return to Seht if my activity level ever decreases.

Edit/update: I just ordered Pantene's Daily Moisture Renewal shampoo and conditioner. I like that sets ingredients better than the Aussie Miracle Moist line, given how often I wash. Plus, the set comes with an oil for me to give away lol

Edit/update #2: I'm also thinking of switching back to washing every other day. I've been baggying on day 2 with warm water for the past couple of weeks, then washing on day 3, but I think that my hair "needing" to be baggied (or else it'll feel dry(er) on wash day) really just means that it needs to be washed sooner. Baggying is of course less involved than washing, but I don't think swelling the cuticle without washing is going to be best for my hair in the long run.
 
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I am not doing any thing special so i don't feel the need to monitor my hair very closely as long as is moisturized. My next length check wont be till May June
 
We're almost halfway through month 2, y'all! Anyone have any new epiphanies, goals, methods, wins?

One goal I'm setting for the next month is figuring out what product(s) I can use for a wash n go that 1) won't leave my hair feeling sticky and 2) won't be drying to my hair. My flat twists are fine but I want a fro sometimes and I'm not quite sure how I can achieve that without having that insufferable (and anxiety inducing) cast on my head (or, alternatively, using a product that's way too soft and won't last til my next wash).
 
Had my new year annual visit with my dermatologist last week. My hair is not an absolute disaster, but it's pretty bad. My alopecia is spreading but she believes it's more genetic than my lifestyle so treatment may be limited. I thought my crown was the worst area but she said my front hairline needs the most work. Right now I'm on 2 prescriptions for the next 3 months. She wanted me to start topical Rogaine but I have pets so I said no. I'll about using a Ayurveda based oil mixture next time I see her.

For now, I'm to shampoo at least once a week with a hydrating shampoo and a ceramide based conditioner. She didn't mention any specific brands, just make sure those product types are used. No harsh chemicals, no heat, and no high tension styles. Right now, I'm just washing and air drying in big braids then using a jumbo scrunchie when I go to work. Very basic and boring. I'm okay with it.

My next appointment with is March 5.
 
Update on taking my vitamin D prescription for a few weeks: I feel like I have so much more energy! I think I probably had constant fatigue and didn’t realize it.

Still trucking along with my knotless braids, now on a second set for the year. After I take this set out in 4 weeks, I will try to get some hair pics to track my progress.
 
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