Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2025

I checked under the bathroom sink and found products that I either could not fit in my luggage in prior trips back to France, or stuff that my mother bought for herself based on my recommendation, like the glycerin.

I love that cheap Queen Helene conditioner and I got two of those. I have some Creme of Nature shampoo and some Suave and Vo5 light conditioners. I may get some Aloe Vera Whole Leaf Gel, honey and some olive oil. The Petroleum jelly can be used to coat my braids if I run out of Shea butter AFTER my I do my blow dry and trim and rewash and recondition.

I prefer to use up all of my stash. These will allow me to get back on a weekly wash schedule. I am thinking I want to do weekly washes until the end of 2025. I may change my mind. I really won't know until I start, though.

I should be able to get the aloe vera at Sprouts or Whole Foods. Both are in my neighborhood. The one thing about my mother's area is for now, there are stores galore!

So, basically, I'm ready!

Lylddlebit said:

Thank you. I do know how to install 'dookie braids'. I classify them as large braids that have the knot at the base(where the false hair attaches), large parts and melted ends that taper to a point. They are basically the same braids that Janet Jackson wore in the movie poetic Justice or the Rapper Patra used to wear in the early 90's. They last about a moth and used to be really popular from aroudn '91-'98.

Both of of these are me in the 90's. These are on the smaller side but still pretty thick. I used to go even bigger. I had all the spunk on earth as a kid.

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Thank you for your great, detailed explanation and for posting the photos. Even if I can't see you in the photos, I can tell from the body position that you definitely had spunk and life and energy and a power, in youth, that you STILL convey today!

That reminds me, I need to go look at your video you posted where you dropped the mic on your hair reveal as you floated across the frame in your yard. It's been too long since I've seen THAT hair reveal video! Sigh...that's a hard one to follow up after. And that's a GOOD thing!

Chicoro said:

@yamilee21
I decided to go to the beauty supply because I needed a blow-dryer and wanted a flat iron. I love the Conair Yellow Bird that is at Costco, but I figured I'd need additional tools such as the k-cutter and the scissors. I have NEVER heard of these brands but I went cheap because I got these things to help me straighten just to trim. I usually keep my hair straight from maximum 24 hours to minimum, 1 hour.

I paid 16.95 for the blowdryer and 12.99 for the flat iron. Let's see if they hold up. My standard use of these styling tools is about 3 to 4 times per year. All together I paid about 52 dollars for everything pictured.

WHEN I get to my hair, I don't know. I hope it is no later than this weekend. My hair is matted at the roots and gummed with product. But, HEY, my ends are protected!

I already have shampoo and conditioner here. Those products are easier 'for me' to get anyway. So, I think I am good.

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Play around with your blow dryer before using it and maybe let it run on different settings for about 5 minutes to see how hot they are. My experience with some inexpensive blow dryers is that the heat isn't regulated so low is really high and medium is too hot and high is burn level.

My inexpensive blow dryer is in the garage and used for house projects.

faithVA said:

Play around with your blow dryer before using it and maybe let it run on different settings for about 5 minutes to see how hot they are. My experience with some inexpensive blow dryers is that the heat isn't regulated so low is really high and medium is too hot and high is burn level.

My inexpensive blow dryer is in the garage and used for house projects.

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Awww, that’s terrible.

I appreciate the tips, though. I’ll try it out first just as you suggested.

That’s just smart to do for any process. Had it not been for your post, I would have tried it out on the day I did my hair. Goodness knows blow dry day is stressful enough for me as it is.

Here’s to hoping my blow dryer is not banished to the garage due to not working for my hair.

I had an epiphany.

It seems that I look at taking care of my hair as a luxury. For example, I need to get in there and declutter my room where I am staying. But I caught myself saying, clean that room and do that work, then, after that you CAN focus on your hair. Doing my hair needs to be like washing my body. Just like being funky is not a luxury, doing my hair should not be one either.

Chicoro said:

I had an epiphany.

It seems that I look at taking care of my hair as a luxury. For example, I need to get in there and declutter my room where I am staying. But I caught myself saying, clean that room and do that work, then, after that you CAN focus on your hair. Doing my hair needs to be like washing my body. Just like being funky is not a luxury, doing my hair should not be one either.

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I'm glad you had that epiphany. I know you are busy but hope you have had time to work it in.

Not much going on here. Trying to remember to coat my hands with something when taking down my hair so my ends slide apart easier.

Trying some new products to see if it helps with overall moisture.

I bought the unbrush which is good for just basic detangling but last wash day I could see how much shed hair it left so I will need to pull in another brush with closer teeth.

I think my ends are better. I'm going to do a quick search and destroy today and use my splitender next week.

Depending on my retention I may do a scissor trim to even some sections out but we shall see.

Chicoro said:

Thank you for your great, detailed explanation and for posting the photos. Even if I can't see you in the photos, I can tell from the body position that you definitely had spunk and life and energy and a power, in youth, that you STILL convey today!

That reminds me, I need to go look at your video you posted where you dropped the mic on your hair reveal as you floated across the frame in your yard. It's been too long since I've seen THAT hair reveal video! Sigh...that's a hard one to follow up after. And that's a GOOD thing!

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Aww thank you!

September Update Series of Questions


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

Have you had any epiphanies?

Have you set bolder goals?

Have you pulled back on some goals?

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

How is your consistency?

Extending grace to you?

Chicoro said:

I checked under the bathroom sink and found products that I either could not fit in my luggage in prior trips back to France, or stuff that my mother bought for herself based on my recommendation, like the glycerin.

I love that cheap Queen Helene conditioner and I got two of those. I have some Creme of Nature shampoo and some Suave and Vo5 light conditioners. I may get some Aloe Vera Whole Leaf Gel, honey and some olive oil. The Petroleum jelly can be used to coat my braids if I run out of Shea butter AFTER my I do my blow dry and trim and rewash and recondition.

I prefer to use up all of my stash. These will allow me to get back on a weekly wash schedule. I am thinking I want to do weekly washes until the end of 2025. I may change my mind. I really won't know until I start, though.

I should be able to get the aloe vera at Sprouts or Whole Foods. Both are in my neighborhood. The one thing about my mother's area is for now, there are stores galore!

So, basically, I'm ready!



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That's definitely an old school stash I need to try that Infusium product. I have a stash too and not ready to buy anything else.

2025 is flying by. End of September already. I need a breather. Woo.

Monthly Update Series of Questions


How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?
I did my quarterly blow dry and Split-Ender session. My ends needed some love. The back of my hair is better but it isn't as good as the front of my hair. I'm hoping with this session and with some of the things I started in the past couple of months, that next session will be a noticeable improvement.

Despite that I am still retaining and can notice the length in my bun.

Have you had any epiphanies?
Not really epiphanies but I made a few changes.
I have been trying to figure out how to moisturize my hair between washes. I am mixing hair milk with glycerin spray and applying to my hair before twisting it back up. It is too early to tell if it works.

Have you set bolder goals?
No. Just sticking to the same goal of better ends by the end of the year.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
For some reason, I said I was shooting for APL. I must have just been in a whatever mood I was barely nape length, so no way I could grow 10 inches or whatever it is. Not really pulling back. Just being more realistic. The goal is to have the majority of my strands between shoulder length and shoulder blade.

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
Maybe a few. I added Aphoghee Reconstructor back into my regimen because I haven't uses protein in a very long time.

I also watched a video on how to better us my RevAir and read some things on how to prep for a better blow dry. I put all of those together today and I had a better blow dry experience.

How is your consistency?
I'm still doing my weekly. I tried to do a mid-week cleanse but right now that is too much. What I am doing instead is taking down my hair, applying an oil to my scalp. I mix Hair Milk and a glycerin spray and apply it to the end of my hair and put it back up. That is a compromise I can live with.

Extending grace to you?
Yep. No problems here.

How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?
My ends are okay. Not great, but doable. I'm still dealing with the repercussions of some damage I did last year but I do think there's been an improvement in the health of my hair overall. I think learning to manage that damage has been helpful and I think long term as it grows out I'll have a lot of success with maintaining my hair once it is all in a healthier state.

Have you had any epiphanies?
Not necessarily an epiphany but I always go back to using grease on my ends after wash day. I just find my ends tend to go better overall when I do that between washes. I'll try something different for a bit but in the end I always go back. Recently I've been using one that also has lanolin in it and I'm liking it so far.

Have you set bolder goals?
Not really. I think my initial goal was a bit bold so just getting there would be enough.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
Not yet. I don't know that I'll actually achieve my goal but I think striving for it pushes me to make better choices and get better results overall.

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
There was the grease on ends thing earlier. Besides that I still have been using the wax on my ends as well and I do like that especially mid wash as it contains some water. I just don't think it seals as well as grease which is most important on wash day.

How is your consistency?
Consistency had been good. I pretty much just do whatever my hair seems to need so at the moment I'm washing my hair 2-3x per week but when my scalp is better I scale back to 1x per week. I've been on top of moisturizing my hair as needed throughout the week as well but that's less necessary when I'm washing my hair so often.

Extending grace to you?
Always.