Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2025

Chicoro said:

Perhaps I can write it:

Are you extending grace to yourself?

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It wasn't you or the way you wrote it. You would have to know me in person to understand (lol). Sometimes things just go right over my head and it cracks me up. I have plenty of stories and my SO just laughs at me.

Let me try to answer @Chicoro's questions before starting my day at work:

How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?

My ends were doing well, until I went to get cornrows done on Saturday. My hair was blowdried and treated roughly. I got reminded why I was doing my hair myself at home. I live in a city with no natural hair friendly stylists. Anyway, it's ok, I was going to trim off another inch or 2 in April to get rid of thin ends from when I texlaxed

Have you had any epiphanies?

Just that even when I am frustrated with my hair, I teat my hair better than the stylists around me, so I should just do my own hair until I get to the city with a lot of natural hair salons.

Have you set bolder goals?

I would like to be APL by the end of this year and be rid of all my texlaxed hair. I don't know if I will manage both goals, but my priority is to get rid of all the thin ends.

Have you pulled back on some goals?

No, I will pull back when I see they are impossible to achieve, most likely in Dec. I do not easily give up

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?

Keeping my hair stretched is the best way for my hair to thrive. I rarely get SSKs with stretched hair. I am also realising that though I feel like I have a long way to go with becoming gentler with my hair, I am pretty good at it. I do have to learn to style my hair myself more, this is where I am failing

How is your consistency?

My goal this year was to wash and dc weekly, as well as avoid heat as much as possible.
My consistency so far has been really good. I have been doing my washes without fail, and my hair is thriving. However, this will be affected soon, because of some travelling I have to do, which is why I opted for cornrows this week. I also used heat for the first time this year this weekend, which is pretty good. I could do better, but where I am right now is helping me stay on track with my goals

Are you extending grace to yourself?

I am trying not to beat myself up right now for going to the salon. I just have to treat my hair better until my scheduled trim at the end of April, and avoid stylists with harmful practices.

faithVA said:

It wasn't you or the way you wrote it. You would have to know me in person to understand (lol). Sometimes things just go right over my head and it cracks me up. I have plenty of stories and my SO just laughs at me.

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I see. I know a little more about you now so I will keep this information in mind. Thank you for clarifying for me.

GettingKinky said:

I was wondering about this too. If the first trim was the 1st week of Jan every 3 months would be

Jan 2024
April 2024
July 2024
Oct 2024
Jan 2025

So it should only be 4 times each year. @Chicoro I’m guessing you didn’t wait a full 3 months between your trim in Jan and the one in March so you fit in 5 trims in for 2024.

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EXACTLY! Woo, ya'll are meticulous about these 3 months. But that is why you are successful. I did not wait the full three months. Next time, I am going to count them 90 days to the hour because you all are tearing me UP about the inconsistency of them 'three months' I created between Jan and March.

I'm trying to do it right in 2025!

I'm starting to see a pattern ya'll. We got to get our 'extending grace to ourselves' score points MUCH higher! ME, included.

At the end of March, I will post the questions again. Next TIME, I will post them at the REAL END of the month. So unofficially, I asked the questions one week early for the month of March.

So bear with me, Babies. I am starting and implementing something new here!

Chicoro said:

I'm starting to see a pattern ya'll. We got to get our 'extending grace to ourselves' score points MUCH higher! ME, included.

At the end of March, I will post the questions again. Next TIME, I will post them at the REAL END of the month. So unofficially, I asked the questions one week early for the month of March.

So bear with me, Babies. I am starting and implementing something new here!

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Y'all gonna have Chicoro standing next to the clock with the second hand getting ready to post. She's not playing around with time(ing) anymore.

Chicoro said:

I'm starting to see a pattern ya'll. We got to get our 'extending grace to ourselves' score points MUCH higher! ME, included.

At the end of March, I will post the questions again. Next TIME, I will post them at the REAL END of the month. So unofficially, I asked the questions one week early for the month of March.

So bear with me, Babies. I am starting and implementing something new here!

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I personally like it one week early. I think at that point I've done enough to evaluate but at the same time it gives enough time to make an adjustment for the next t month. And it also gives us a week to answer if out schedules are busy.

faithVA said:

I personally like it one week early. I think at that point I've done enough to evaluate but at the same time it gives enough time to make an adjustment for the next t month. And it also gives us a week to answer if out schedules are busy.

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Yes, ma'am. I did good then. I'll make a note in the first post of this thread about sending these questions out 1 week before the end of the month.

snoop said:

Y'all gonna have Chicoro standing next to the clock with the second hand getting ready to post. She's not playing around with time(ing) anymore.

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Chile, these women are not playing up in here, in this thread. Woo! It's good because cultivating ends is serious business, right?!

Alright, I put the questions in the first post of this thread and added a suggested time of 'putting them out 1 week before the end of the month'.

Chicoro said:

Alright, I put the questions in the first post of this thread and added a suggested time of 'putting them out 1 week before the end of the month'.

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And I'm sure you will extend grace to yourself if it isn't exactly within that time frame.

Chicoro said:

EXACTLY! Woo, ya'll are meticulous about these 3 months. But that is why you are successful. I did not wait the full three months. Next time, I am going to count them 90 days to the hour because you all are tearing me UP about the inconsistency of them 'three months' I created between Jan and March.

I'm trying to do it right in 2025!

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I just don’t want you trimming away your precious length when you don’t need to. And having to go through your 2 weeks in a row of detangling before you have to.

How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?
-My ends feel and look good. I did find an ssk in my right nape area. I’m just going to pay a little extra attention to that area when I style my hair. I’m retaining and I’m growing.

Have you had any epiphanies?
-Simplifying my hair regimen grants me the ability to notice changes in my hair. I recently added a clarifying shampoo to my regimen for a few weeks, when I noticed that my hair felt frizzy. When I noticed that my hair was drying out faster than usual, I was able to stop using it before causing damage.

Have you set bolder goals?
-My new goal is to reach MBL by 1 DEC. I will switch to updos (bunning, french rolls, two-strand twist) after I reach APL. I want every inch, lol.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
-Nope

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
-I can be a little too rough when I’m detangling my hair before my shampoo. I think it’s due to being absentminded during a process that I’m on autopilot in. I’m just trying to stay focused and daydream, lol.

Has your consistency?
-I’ve been pretty consistent. I wash/DC 2-3x per week. My hair loves the attention it seems.

Extending grace to you?
-I’ve been actively working on this for almost three months in all aspects of my life. It’s hard, it’s sad sometimes, but I can see the changes in my physical appearance from the extension of grace that I give myself. It’s okay that today wasn’t perfect, where I am able to complete all the tasks I want, but I show up nevertheless. I analyze where I went wrong and how I was feeling that day, then I come up with a plan to do better. I have a tendency to take on too much and grace is how I empty and rebalance my plate.

GettingKinky said:

I just don’t want you trimming away your precious length when you don’t need to. And having to go through your 2 weeks in a row of detangling before you have to.

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Ah! Okay, I see now. Thank you for clarifying. The logic was that in January 2024 I made the sudden decision to trim based upon seeing the results of @keranikki .
In addition to that, I wanted to hurry up and get on a schedule of three months that I didn't have to think about.

I felt I could keep track of the trimming schedule better if I continued to trim on the 3rd month mark, the formal end of each business quarter. Hence, I jumped to trim so soon in March. I knew if I had to think about it, I would not be consistent and would quit the trims.

That length is precious and them double detangling sessions due to wanting to blow out and trim my hair are not super fun. Thank you for looking out for me.

Here I go:


How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?
I think that I'm progressing alright. To be honest, I haven't looked at my ends closely, but I have been keeping up with my micro trimming schedule. I think that I'll be better able to assess them when I take my twists down.

I've noticed I have shorter strands throughout so I'm not sure if they're broken or new hairs. I'm voting new hairs because I'm not seeing breakage. Especially while my hair is in twists. It could be coming from the detangling processes, but I don't think it's from regular wear and tear. I also think that it's mostly growth because of all of the damage that I'd suffered previously. I'm not sure how to handle them, so I'm just focusing on the ends of my twists for now.


Have you had any epiphanies?
I haven't had any new epiphanies, but I'm trying to be more mindful of keeping my ends (and length) oiled up. Something that I think has been making my take-downs easier is having a good amount of oil being held inside of my twists. I know that everyone is running around crying "build up" but it works for my hair. My twists will come apart with just water. No conditioner or added oils necessary, even after those months. But that's only if I maintain oiling my hair.


Have you set bolder goals?
My end care strategy is sometimes combined with my crown strategy, in terms of styling. I'm trying to keep my hair piled on the top of or close to the top of my head more often, to alleviate stress on my crown. I guess, some of the times my ends are up but not hidden and other times my ends are tucked away.


Have you pulled back on some goals?
Not at the moment.


Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
Not at this time.


Has your consistency?
[I'm not sure that I understand this one...]


Extending grace to you?
I haven't been as stringent about washing my hair every Sunday and so I am sometimes off kilter with my moisturizing and sealing. I try not to get too bothered by it and make sure that I make sure to do it when I can.

Chicoro said:

Ah! Okay, I see now. Thank you for clarifying. The logic was that in January 2024 I made the sudden decision to trim based upon seeing the results of @keranikki .
In addition to that, I wanted to hurry up and get on a schedule of three months that I didn't have to think about.

I felt I could keep track of the trimming schedule better if I continued to trim on the 3rd month mark, the formal end of each business quarter. Hence, I jumped to trim so soon in March. I knew if I had to think about it, I would not be consistent and would quit the trims.

That length is precious and them double detangling sessions due to wanting to blow out and trim my hair are not super fun. Thank you for looking out for me.

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That makes perfect sense. I knew you must have had a reason.

snoop said:

Here I go:


How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?
I think that I'm progressing alright. To be honest, I haven't looked at my ends closely, but I have been keeping up with my micro trimming schedule. I think that I'll be better able to assess them when I take my twists down.

I've noticed I have shorter strands throughout so I'm not sure if they're broken or new hairs. I'm voting new hairs because I'm not seeing breakage. Especially while my hair is in twists. It could be coming from the detangling processes, but I don't think it's from regular wear and tear. I also think that it's mostly growth because of all of the damage that I'd suffered previously. I'm not sure how to handle them, so I'm just focusing on the ends of my twists for now.


Have you had any epiphanies?
I haven't had any new epiphanies, but I'm trying to be more mindful of keeping my ends (and length) oiled up. Something that I think has been making my take-downs easier is having a good amount of oil being held inside of my twists. I know that everyone is running around crying "build up" but it works for my hair. My twists will come apart with just water. No conditioner or added oils necessary, even after those months. But that's only if I maintain oiling my hair.


Have you set bolder goals?
My end care strategy is sometimes combined with my crown strategy, in terms of styling. I'm trying to keep my hair piled on the top of or close to the top of my head more often, to alleviate stress on my crown. I guess, some of the times my ends are up but not hidden and other times my ends are tucked away.


Have you pulled back on some goals?
Not at the moment.


Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
Not at this time.


Has your consistency?
[I'm not sure that I understand this one...]


Extending grace to you?
I haven't been as stringent about washing my hair every Sunday and so I am sometimes off kilter with my moisturizing and sealing. I try not to get too bothered by it and make sure that I make sure to do it when I can.

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I think the intended question is:
How is your consistency? Let me fix it!

I love all of the detail everyone put into their assessment of their progress! I've looked forward to reading everyone's thoughts as encouragement to stay focused.

mzteaze said:

I love all of the detail everyone put into their assessment of their progress! I've looked forward to reading everyone's thoughts as encouragement to stay focused.

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I have no idea why or where those questions came from but it seems that people appreciate the questions. I agree, it is encouragement to stay focused.

Chicoro said:

I think the intended question is:
How is your consistency? Let me fix it!

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I actually like your original question. Progress is different from consistency. Some ladies can even make progress without being consistent. You're basically saying: Take a look at your ends, are you making progress with what you're doing? Which causes the ACTION of assessing our ends to see if what we're doing is showing us progress.
To me, that's different than asking if we're being consistent with what we're doing. Which doesn't directly promote any assessment of the ends.
Ultimately, it's the progress we're really concerned with anyway. lol

MzSwift said:

I actually like your original question. Progress is different from consistency. Some ladies can even make progress without being consistent. You're basically saying: Take a look at your ends, are you making progress with what you're doing? Which causes the ACTION of assessing our ends to see if what we're doing is showing us progress.
To me, that's different than asking if we're being consistent with what we're doing. Which doesn't directly promote any assessment of the ends.
Ultimately, it's the progress we're really concerned with anyway. lol

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The original question said "has your consistency?"

That's why I was confused. "How is your consistency?" "Has your consistency improved?" I wasn't sure which to answer or if it was something else entirely.

snoop said:

The original question said "has your consistency?"

That's why I was confused. "How is your consistency?" "Has your consistency improved?" I wasn't sure which to answer or if it was something else entirely.

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Ahhh, thank you!
Now that I look back, I didn't open the quoted comment -- poorly multitasking on my part!
I was responding too quickly bc I thought that was a really good question and I didn't want it to go away.

Ah, yes, @Chicoro , don't mind me. I'll be sitting in the corner. Lol

snoop said:

The original question said "has your consistency?"

That's why I was confused. "How is your consistency?" "Has your consistency improved?" I wasn't sure which to answer or if it was something else entirely.

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Honestly, I thought “Has your consistency?” was Country AAVE for “How’s your consistency?” LOL I wasn’t judging, just assumed.

How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?

They are looking good. I've been following everyones example and trimming more often. My ends are looking and feeling much better since I trimmed in February. I could have trimmed a little more off, but I was trying not to cut too much length off.

Have you had any epiphanies?
Yes, that I can't wear buns to sleep. I've noticed a little breakage in the areas where I do buns, so I will now wrap my hair or do a loose braid instead. I am wary about wrapping since I sometimes sweat at night and don't want to revert my hair while it's wrapped around my head.

Have you set bolder goals?
Yes, my major goal this year (as far as ends go) is to be full tail bone length. My lead hairs are an inch or two past tailbone, but I want the majority of my hair to be tailbone. Or at least enough to make a full u shape hemline. It's more of a V right now. I also have some thin ends I want to thicken up as my hair grows in.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
No, not yet.

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
Yes, bringing back prepooing with oil on my hair and scalp has been nice. Green tea rinses are now in rotation and between the two, my hair and scalp has been great.

Has your consistency?
Great. This is the most consistent I've been with my hair in years. I do my hair every two weeks on the dot, no excuses.

My dermatologist told me to keep my scalp clean and wash every 7-14 days, never let it go past 14 days. I guess that was the push I needed since potential hair loss was on the line.

I knew to keep my scalp clean of course, but I would always put it off an extra week or two because I did not feel like it or I was too tired, etc. Now, my hair and scalp health are a priority. I'm wayyy more disciplined with my regimen than I have been in over 10 years.

Extending grace to you?
Yes, I think so.

@BeautifulRoots

Where on your bum are you seeing breakage? How do you wear your bun for sleeping? I want to know what I should be looking for since I’m bunning all the time.

GettingKinky said:

@BeautifulRoots

Where on your bum are you seeing breakage? How do you wear your bun for sleeping? I want to know what I should be looking for since I’m bunning all the time.

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I usually put it in a loose low bun at the nape with two silk scrunchies. I've been wearing the bun to bed for about 6 months.

The thing that makes me think "breakage" is that I've been noticing shorter wispy hairs popping out of my bun. Also I have some shorter hairs at the area I make the ponytail to secure the bun. I don't remember the shorter hairs before I started bunning for bed consistently.

BeautifulRoots said:

I usually put it in a loose low bun at the nape with two silk scrunchies. I've been wearing the bun to bed for about 6 months.

The thing that makes me think "breakage" is that I've been noticing shorter wispy hairs popping out of my bun. Also I have some shorter hairs at the area I make the ponytail to secure the bun. I don't remember the shorter hairs before I started bunning for bed consistently.

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I understand. Do you use one of the scrunchies to make the ponytail and the second to hold the bun in place?