Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2026

How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?
I put my hair in twist over the weekend. Today, I took down each twist and clipped the width of my index finger or close to it. I didn't trim in March so I know I was due for a trim. Hopefully with my current regimen, this is moving my ends to a better level. I'm hoping at the end of the year, the trim needed will be 1" or less.



Have you had any epiphanies?
It has occurred to me that I should rotate my shampoo. For my first shampoo, I plan to rotate between my moisturizing and hydrating shampoo and then use the 4C only shampoo as my second shampoo.

Also, that it is going to work out better if I use a bonding treatment weekly after my first shampoo, instead of trying to fit the K18 once a month.

Have you set bolder goals?
No. I'm just hoping to get all my strands pass shoulder length and maybe get some of them grazing APL.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
No


Overall, I'm in a better place than I was last year this time. My twists are starting to hang better, so it is just a waiting game at this point.

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
No realizations but better experiences. After using the 4C Only hair products since the beginning of April, my hair is starting to feel hydrated. My hair actually feels like it is holding water after I rinse out the conditioner. And when I take my hair down before the next shampoo, my hair still feels soft. They suggest at least giving it 90 days which will be the end of June.

How is your consistency?

I remain consistent and reset my hair every week. My goal is still to do it every 4 days in the future but I am still 3 to 6 months away from being consistent with that.

I blow dried and trimmed my hair today. In the middle of drying, I had to go and pick up another blow dryer. I need 2400 Watts with a comb attachment and a handle on the dryer itself.

Photo 1 of the 5:
The hair is blow dried lightly and trimmed lightly at the very ends.



Photo 2 of the 5:
Another view of the back. My ends are thickening up. My ends are in great condition. The hair is frizzy and fuzzy. My goal was to get it straight enough to trim, not to style it and not to wear it out.



Photo 3 of the 5:
Changed from some black shorts to my favorite gray shorts I always try to use when doing a length check. I couldn't find them at first.

Also, I put some jojoba oil on my hair and I put some fenugreek/clove on my hair and twisted it into a tight bun. The oil put more shine on the hair and condensed it and the bun stretched the hair and put soft waves into the hair.

No more heat was put on the hair. This is still just a light blow dry.


Photo 4 of the 5:
Turned more to the right here.


Photo 5 of the 5:
Turned back to the left a little more, again.

I used this as my heat protectant: My understanding is there is NO silicone in it. I do not like silicones in my hair.






This is the blow dryer I used:



I had four braids in the back. I divided each of those braids into the 4 to 6 smaller sections. I sprayed each section with water before I blow dried it.

My last heat, straightened length check was April 2025. You would think my hair would be super long after 12 months. What it's doing is filling in on the ends.

I am so glad that I escaped that 12 Year Break Cycle. That and my other set-backs have NOT been fun.

The quality of my hair is improving. The clay washes (taught to me by @snoop ) the super protective braid style and using herb rinses and clove/fenugreek oils and conditioning with heat have all really helped my hair. I also love the moisture that the mix of flaxseed gel and aloe vera gel give to my hair when I detangle. More importantly, their moisture helps me to detangle and get breakage really, really down.

Aphogee 2 Step every eight weeks (8) and Aphogee Tea Trea protein spray regularly and my water based sulphur spray.

I DID use commercial shampoo on my hair. I used the @Lylddlebit technique of applying shampoo on dry, dirty hair and then putting my hair in bantu knots with the shampoo sitting in the hair. This breaks down the oil and dirt and products. It also imparts a gorgeous smell on my hair from the shampoo I used. I use shampoo when I am going to heat straighten my hair. I need my hair to be free of product build-up as much as possible. I also prefer to use a very light conditioner, with NO heat, when I plan to straighten.

Shampoo I Used:

ORS Olive Oil Creamy Aloe Shampoo



Conditioner I used:

Suave Ocean Breeze Refreshing Conditioner

Chicoro said:

I blow dried and trimmed my hair today. In the middle of drying, I had to go and pick up another blow dryer. I need 2400 Watts with a comb attachment and a handle on the dryer itself.

Photo 1 of the 5:
The hair is blow dried lightly and trimmed lightly at the very ends.



Photo 2 of the 5:
Another view of the back. My ends are thickening up. My ends are in great condition. The hair is frizzy and fuzzy. My goal was to get it straight enough to trim, not to style it and not to wear it out.



Photo 3 of the 5:
Changed from some black shorts to my favorite gray shorts I always try to use when doing a length check. I couldn't find them at first.

Also, I put some jojoba oil on my hair and I put some fenugreek/clove on my hair and twisted it into a tight bun. The oil put more shine on the hair and condensed it and the bun stretched the hair and put soft waves into the hair.

No more heat was put on the hair. This is still just a light blow dry.


Photo 4 of the 5:
Turned more to the right here.


Photo 5 of the 5:
Turned back to the left a little more, again.

Click to expand...

Your hair looks beautiful, you should do a side by side comparison with last year's trim. How much did you take off your ends? It still looks long

Chicoro said:

I used this as my heat protectant: My understanding is there is NO silicone in it. I do not like silicones in my hair.

View attachment 508876

Full Ingredient List
Deionized Water, Isopropyl Myristate, Propylene Glycol, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Polyquaternium-11, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Fragrance (Parfum), Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract, Red #17, Violet #2​

Click to expand...

I think the majority of heat protectant I have are silicone free, I've ended up with so much of the product I use the least lol. I am trying to figure out tbe best one/s for me.

Chicoro said:

This is the blow dryer I used:

View attachment 508878

I had four braids in the back. I divided each of those braids into the 4 to 6 smaller sections. I sprayed each section with water before I blow dried itit.

Click to expand...

I'm curious, what happens when you don't have 2400w blow dryer? Do you not get a good blow out?

Chicoro said:

I blow dried and trimmed my hair today. In the middle of drying, I had to go and pick up another blow dryer. I need 2400 Watts with a comb attachment and a handle on the dryer itself.

Photo 1 of the 5:
The hair is blow dried lightly and trimmed lightly at the very ends.



Photo 2 of the 5:
Another view of the back. My ends are thickening up. My ends are in great condition. The hair is frizzy and fuzzy. My goal was to get it straight enough to trim, not to style it and not to wear it out.



Photo 3 of the 5:
Changed from some black shorts to my favorite gray shorts I always try to use when doing a length check. I couldn't find them at first.

Also, I put some jojoba oil on my hair and I put some fenugreek/clove on my hair and twisted it into a tight bun. The oil put more shine on the hair and condensed it and the bun stretched the hair and put soft waves into the hair.

No more heat was put on the hair. This is still just a light blow dry.


Photo 4 of the 5:
Turned more to the right here.


Photo 5 of the 5:
Turned back to the left a little more, again.

Click to expand...

Your hair looks wonderful. It is definitely fuller at the bottom.

Chicoro said:

My last heat, straightened length check was April 2025. You would think my hair would be super long after 12 months. What it's doing is filling in on the ends.

Click to expand...

You can see the thickening of the ends

Chicoro said:

I am so glad that I escaped that 12 Year Break Cycle. That and my other set-backs have NOT been fun.

The quality of my hair is improving. The clay washes (taught to me by @snoop ) the super protective braid style and using herb rinses and clove/fenugreek oils and conditioning with heat have all really helped my hair. I also love the moisture that the mix of flaxseed gel and aloe vera gel give to my hair when I detangle. More importantly, their moisture helps me to detangle and get breakage really, really down.

Aphogee 2 Step every eight weeks (8) and Aphogee Tea Trea protein spray regularly and my water based sulphur spray.

Click to expand...

I love that everything is working out so well for you I need to relook at the ingredients of the Aphogee 2 step, I saw somewhere last week that it contains formaldehyde.

Chicoro said:

I DID use commercial shampoo on my hair. I used the @Lylddlebit technique of applying shampoo on dry, dirty hair and then putting my hair in bantu knots with the shampoo sitting in the hair. This breaks down the oil and dirt and products.

Click to expand...

This is how I shampoo, except I spray a small amount of water first. This helps me to get a little lather, which I think assists the coverage and the process of the product breakdown. I don't spray much, my hair still looks dry with no drips once I've sprayed with the water.

Chicoro said:

It also imparts a gorgeous smell on my hair from the shampoo I used. I use shampoo when I am going to heat straighten my hair. I need my hair to be free of product build-up as much as possible. I also prefer to use a very light conditioner, with NO heat, when I plan to straighten.

Click to expand...

I think I can figure out the reasoning behind the lighter conditioner, but why do you prefer no heat DC before straightening?

Chicoro said:

Shampoo I Used:

ORS Olive Oil Creamy Aloe Shampoo

View attachment 508880

Conditioner I used:

Suave Ocean Breeze Refreshing Conditioner
View attachment 508884

Click to expand...

I used to use the ORS Creamy Aloe poo, it's a nice shampoo, gentle but gives a good clean without stripping hair. I think they've changed the formula since I last used it, I think it may have had a couple of formula changes since then.

Suave is not a conditioner that is easily available over here, I have a little of the coconut one, I still haven't tried, but I imagine it to be like the Alberto Balsam conditioners.

Angel of the North said:

Your hair looks beautiful, you should do a side by side comparison with last year's trim. How much did you take off your ends? It still looks long

Click to expand...

Thank you for the compliment!

I was so worn out yesterday. I literally had to blowdry a section of hair, then go and peek in at my loved one or do something my loved one needed.

I love side to side comparisons. I have some time to myself so I hope to make some comparisons today!

I cut off VERY little. It was less than you took off before you headed out for your Masquerade Ball that evening when you did a trim.

Usually when I blow dry, my ends are ‘popping’ due to their roughness from either splits, knots and or lint. Not this time!

My ends were in beautiful shape. It was wonderful to experience.

I do deeper trims when I have the desired thickness at a particular length. My ends are in a smile or U shape. When the sides catch up in length to the middle, I’ll more likely do a blunt trim across, whereby I’ll probably have more to trim then.

The next blowdry and trim will be in December of 2026.

faithVA said:

Your hair looks wonderful. It is definitely fuller at the bottom.

Click to expand...

Thank you so much!

I like to nurture my ´thin ends’ because mine turn into thicker and fuller ends over time.

I see no need to trim or cut thinner ends of they are healthy and since I am wearing my hair braided and protected.

Angel of the North said:

You can see the thickening of the ends

Click to expand...

Yes! A definite ´No, no’ to have thin ends in some circles. This is why it is so important to know your own hair.

I’ve experienced great length loss due to setbacks over the last 12 years. But it was not because of thin ends. As I mentioned above, I cultivate and curate my thin ends until they thicken.

Angel of the North said:

I love that everything is working out so well for you I need to relook at the ingredients of the Aphogee 2 step, I saw somewhere last week that it contains formaldehyde.

Click to expand...

Many hair products contain formaldehyde. I believe some Brazilian straightening products contain the actual ingredient formaldehyde. But most other products have ingredients that break down to formaldehyde.

I used to believe that baby products didn’t contain formaldehyde but some of them do.

Angel of the North said:

This is how I shampoo, except I spray a small amount of water first. This helps me to get a little lather, which I think assists the coverage and the process of the product breakdown. I don't spray much, my hair still looks dry with no drips once I've sprayed with the water.

Click to expand...

Ok! I love the simplicity of just adding the shampoo. I bought this a while back. I let this very informed woman who was working there pick it out for me. She was a Latin woman and did not have Afro textured hair but she knew all about Afro textured hair. I was impressed but I didn’t say anything to her. I think because I didn’t want to interrupt.

Angel of the North said:

I think I can figure out the reasoning behind the lighter conditioner, but why do you prefer no heat DC before straightening?

Click to expand...

I don’t like heavy products in my hair prior to straightening. That is because I feel like they ‘cook’ into my hair with all that heat.

They block my hair from getting straight.

True story: I was using Vaseline in my hair and decided to relax my hair. I didn’t wash or pre treat my hair to try to get the Vaseline out. I figured the stylist had products to get the grease out. She washed my hair, out the relaxer in for several minutes.

The relaxer did not take.

Another male stylist in the chair next to her said, « I know I say her put in the relaxer. I saw her do it. But there’s no relaxer. »

He and I were both stunned. I had to pay for a relaxer service. But went home with my
natural hair.

I guess all my hair was so coated with Vaseline, the relaxer was blocked from getting through!

Angel of the North said:

I used to use the ORS Creamy Aloe poo, it's a nice shampoo, gentle but gives a good clean without stripping hair. I think they've changed the formula since I last used it, I think it may have had a couple of formula changes since then.

Click to expand...

I like it. It does the job for me. I use it maybe 2x to about 4x per year.

Angel of the North said:

Suave is not a conditioner that is easily available over here, I have a little of the coconut one, I still haven't tried, but I imagine it to be like the Alberto Balsam conditioners.

Click to expand...

Exactly! Those are my two go to’s along with a third brand called ´White Rain’. The Suave is on sale more with larger quantities and a greater selection of fragrances.

They all have fewer ingredients comparatively to other conditioners. They complete the necessary shampoo/conditioner cycle of chemistry on the hair. And, they don’t weigh my hair down. I like light, fluffy and airy hair that hangs heavy. What a contradictory statement that is!

Angel of the North said:

Your hair looks beautiful, you should do a side by side comparison with last year's trim. How much did you take off your ends? It still looks long

Click to expand...

April 26th, 2025 vs May 26th, 2026 (13 Month Difference)

There is not that much of a length difference. But, I do believe the hair in April 2025, on the left was lightly flat ironed and thus, stretched more. The hair on the right, the May 26th hair, was just lightly blow dried.

• In the April photo on the left:
  • My chin is higher up and my head is dipped back more. I am leaning back and making the hair appear longer than it probably really is.
  • The sides, both left and right, below my bra are thinner than in May.

• In the May photo on the right:
  • My chin is lower and closer to my chest so the hair probably hangs longer than is shown in the photo.
  • The hair is lightly blow dried and not straightened. When I press or use a flat iron, that usually extends the hair about 1 to 3 inches longer in length.

Update for the Month of May, 2026
Posted on June 1st, 2026


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

I blow dried my hair straight and trimmed the ends for the first time in thirteen (13) months. My individual ens have the fewest knots, splits and lint attached that I have ever seen in my hair care journey. My ends are wispy but they are filling in.

My hair drops in length in the middle and the sides catch up. My right side grows a bit faster and longer than the left side of my hair. The patten of gaining length is: First the middle, then the right side, then the left side.

When the left side gets to a longer length, the middle then drops in length again. The three hair sections seem to politely 'wait ' for one another to catch up.

Have you had any epiphanies?

YES!



-I like warm stuff. I like warm I like all my products to be warmed up on my head before I use them.
-Flax seed gel and Aloe Vera gel mixed together and warmed up help to keep my ends from detangling and breaking. This pre-poo combination makes my hair super soft. This super hydrates my hair.
-I love rinsing with an herb rinse after my shampoo. I like it to be warmed up on the stove, too.
-I did an Aphogee 2 treatment and when I rinsed it out, I noticed how extremely soft my hair was. I believe the flax and Aloe Vera warmed up make my hair super soft.

For the first time, my hair stayed soft after washing. Even when I don't use shampoo, but when I cleanse, my hair is dry and crunchy if I don't moisturize it.

My hair has stayed incredibly soft, even when I let it dry before I moisturized it. It has to be the flaxseed and Aloe Vera warm gel combination.

Also, hair growth is cumulative literally, figuratively and philosophically. If you pay attention and do things deliberately, you will build health on your hair over time.

That 12 Year Break Cycle humbled me to my knees. But, it was the best thing for me.

Have you set bolder goals?
Since I have the time, I have long hair sessions by choice and because I enjoy doing my hair. I continue this.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
Nope. But, I DO NOT use new products without thought. Every product, no matter how innocuous it may seem, could potential set my hair care goals back. So, I'm sticking to my tried and true basics and ingredients.

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

Yes!

When your hair is starting to turn around, it MAY NOT look much better or a whole lot different. So how do you KNOW it is starting to turn the corner and getting better and what you are doing is working?
At month #2! When you turn the corner, and your hair continues to look better again, after the second month, after the second wash, after the second press, or whatever that process you do to observe your hair's health, that is the turning point.


Flaxseed and Aloe Vera gel combined, freshly made and warmed up leave my hair incredibly, deeply hydrated and so soft. That hydration is seeming to last way beyond the pre-poo stage.


How is your consistency?
I am trying to stay consistent with my Aphogee 2 Step treatments and keeping my ends immobilized, stretched and protected while enjoying the style I am using. I love my braids.

Extending grace to you?
Yes.

I am so thankful that I held the course and did NOT give up on my hair and myself, even when I kept going back to 'start' and having set-backs for 12 years. I almost did give up.

Chicoro said:

April 26th, 2025 vs May 26th, 2026 (13 Month Difference)

There is not that much of a length difference. But, I do believe the hair in April 2025, on the left was lightly flat ironed and thus, stretched more. The hair on the right, the May 26th hair, was just lightly blow dried.

Click to expand...

You can definitely see the thickness coming through Both pics are gorgeous.

Chicoro said:

In the April photo on the left:

• My chin is higher up and my head is dipped back more. I am leaning back and making the hair appear longer than it probably really is.
• The sides, both left and right, below my bra are thinner than in May.

Click to expand...

I think in the April pic you look like youre standing straight and in the May pic your head looks tilted down. Your May pic is probably longer if your head was not looking down. I typed this and realised you'd said this below lol. Thank you for the collage.

Chicoro said:

Update for the Month of May, 2026
Posted on June 1st, 2026


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

I blow dried my hair straight and trimmed the ends for the first time in thirteen (13) months. My individual ens have the fewest knots, splits and lint attached that I have ever seen in my hair care journey. My ends are wispy but they are filling in.

My hair drops in length in the middle and the sides catch up. My right side grows a bit faster and longer than the left side of my hair. The patten of gaining length is: First the middle, then the right side, then the left side.

When the left side gets to a longer length, the middle then drops in length again. The three hair sections seem to politely 'wait ' for one another to catch up.

Have you had any epiphanies?

YES!



-I like warm stuff. I like warm I like all my products to be warmed up on my head before I use them.
-Flax seed gel and Aloe Vera gel mixed together and warmed up help to keep my ends from detangling and breaking. This pre-poo combination makes my hair super soft. This super hydrates my hair.
-I love rinsing with an herb rinse after my shampoo. I like it to be warmed up on the stove, too.
-I did an Aphogee 2 treatment and when I rinsed it out, I noticed how extremely soft my hair was. I believe the flax and Aloe Vera warmed up make my hair super soft.

For the first time, my hair stayed soft after washing. Even when I don't use shampoo, but when I cleanse, my hair is dry and crunchy if I don't moisturize it.

My hair has stayed incredibly soft, even when I let it dry before I moisturized it. It has to be the flaxseed and Aloe Vera warm gel combination.

Also, hair growth is cumulative literally, figuratively and philosophically. If you pay attention and do things deliberately, you will build health on your hair over time.

That 12 Year Break Cycle humbled me to my knees. But, it was the best thing for me.

Have you set bolder goals?
Since I have the time, I have long hair sessions by choice and because I enjoy doing my hair. I continue this.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
Nope. But, I DO NOT use new products without thought. Every product, no matter how innocuous it may seem, could potential set my hair care goals back. So, I'm sticking to my tried and true basics and ingredients.

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

Yes!

When your hair is starting to turn around, it MAY NOT look much better or a whole lot different. So how do you KNOW it is starting to turn the corner and getting better and what you are doing is working?
At month #2! When you turn the corner, and your hair continues to look better again, after the second month, after the second wash, after the second press, or whatever that process you do to observe your hair's health, that is the turning point.


Flaxseed and Aloe Vera gel combined, freshly made and warmed up leave my hair incredibly, deeply hydrated and so soft. That hydration is seeming to last way beyond the pre-poo stage.


How is your consistency?
I am trying to stay consistent with my Aphogee 2 Step treatments and keeping my ends immobilized, stretched and protected while enjoying the style I am using. I love my braids.

Extending grace to you?
Yes.

I am so thankful that I held the course and did NOT give up on my hair and myself, even when I kept going back to 'start' and having set-backs for 12 years. I almost did give up.

Click to expand...

This is an awesome update, a lot has been conquered and achieved. I'm so happy for you and your hair.

Angel of the North said:

This is an awesome update, a lot has been conquered and achieved. I'm so happy for you and your hair.

Click to expand...

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much.

The hugest difference in my hair is the quality of my ends. I’ve had this length and thickness before.

No Velcro ends.

No whiter, lightened, weathered ends.

No large amount of split, knotted and or lint attached ends.

The most amazing thing to me is the overall softness of my hair.

I believe the softness is a function and result of me improving my ends.

This is the length where my hair stops gaining length and starts to break. It has difficulty getting longer and retaining length and health.

I have not seen my ends this healthy.

So, the next milestone is going beyond this current length.

I document here because I was so close to quitting and giving up.
12 years is a ridiculous amount of time to find your way out.

This break cycle was the longest one I’ve ever been in where I was knowledgeable and aware of it.

I did not give up. I almost did give up.

Chicoro said:

My last heat, straightened length check was April 2025. You would think my hair would be super long after 12 months. What it's doing is filling in on the ends.

I am so glad that I escaped that 12 Year Break Cycle. That and my other set-backs have NOT been fun.

The quality of my hair is improving. The clay washes (taught to me by @snoop ) the super protective braid style and using herb rinses and clove/fenugreek oils and conditioning with heat have all really helped my hair. I also love the moisture that the mix of flaxseed gel and aloe vera gel give to my hair when I detangle. More importantly, their moisture helps me to detangle and get breakage really, really down.

Aphogee 2 Step every eight weeks (8) and Aphogee Tea Trea protein spray regularly and my water based sulphur spray.

I DID use commercial shampoo on my hair. I used the @Lylddlebit technique of applying shampoo on dry, dirty hair and then putting my hair in bantu knots with the shampoo sitting in the hair. This breaks down the oil and dirt and products. It also imparts a gorgeous smell on my hair from the shampoo I used. I use shampoo when I am going to heat straighten my hair. I need my hair to be free of product build-up as much as possible. I also prefer to use a very light conditioner, with NO heat, when I plan to straighten.

Shampoo I Used:

ORS Olive Oil Creamy Aloe Shampoo

View attachment 508880

Conditioner I used:

Suave Ocean Breeze Refreshing Conditioner
View attachment 508884

Click to expand...

Hi @Chicoro, based upon your pictures and analysis, it looks like your right side is thickening up to match your left side (the image is reversed in the mirror lol).

You got a good stretch with your blowout and your bun has created some beautiful fairytale waves in your hair.

How did you find this shampoo? Was it much more gentle on your hair?

I have always struggled to put the scissors down when I comes to my hair, but my hair kind of needs it. I remember a hairdresser once telling me that in my teens/ early 20s, and I didn’t believe him lol. Since wearing my hair out, I’ve trimmed several times, to a certain length (around APL), and then I’ve gone back through my interior to search and destroy splits that were ‘hiding’. I am kind of obsessive with it. @Chicoro I really felt it when you said,

“This is why it is so important to know your own hair”

I believe the fine nature of the majority of my strands, coupled with my hairs propensity for dryness, often times leaves splits ravaging my hair, and if I don’t cut them out, they cause me big fat in problems. In the years that I had braid and twist extensions, I’ve moisturised my hair more than ever and I could stand to improve on this, but this routine is slowly paying off, vs the condition of my hair when I blow dried it after years of wearing air dried wash n go styles.

GGsKin said:

Hi @Chicoro, based upon your pictures and analysis, it looks like your right side is thickening up to match your left side (the image is reversed in the mirror lol).

Click to expand...

The mirror thing really confuses me.

GGsKin said:

You got a good stretch with your blowout and your bun has created some beautiful fairytale waves in your hair.

How did you find this shampoo? Was it much more gentle on your hair?

Click to expand...

Thank you for the lovely compliment. I never thought of my hair as being fairytale! I'll take it!

I really like the shampoo. It was gentle. After my last wash and rinse, my hair was the SOFTEST I have ever felt it in my entire hair journey.

I don't know to what to attribute it. It may be the warmed up aloe and the flax seed gel mix. I don't know it was the shampoo. I don't think it was the shampoo because I've used the shampoo before and I didn't end up with such soft hair.

I didn't pick it out the shampoo. I let the girl in the beauty supply choose it for me. I described what I wanted and she found the product to match my description and expectations.

The shampoo did leave my hair smelling beautifully. I love pretty smelling hair.

GGsKin said:

I have always struggled to put the scissors down when I comes to my hair, but my hair kind of needs it. I remember a hairdresser once telling me that in my teens/ early 20s, and I didn’t believe him lol. Since wearing my hair out, I’ve trimmed several times, to a certain length (around APL), and then I’ve gone back through my interior to search and destroy splits that were ‘hiding’. I am kind of obsessive with it. @Chicoro I really felt it when you said,

“This is why it is so important to know your own hair”

Click to expand...

Yes, you must do what works for you. The hard part is knowing what works for you. That takes time and experience.

I used to feel bad that the hemline of my hair, or the ends of my hair were not super thick and even. Now, I don't care. As long as my ends are healthy and I know what my goals are. I shut out the noise of other people's opinions just like it sounds like you have done.

GGsKin said:

I believe the fine nature of the majority of my strands, coupled with my hairs propensity for dryness, often times leaves splits ravaging my hair, and if I don’t cut them out, they cause me big fat in problems. In the years that I had braid and twist extensions, I’ve moisturised my hair more than ever and I could stand to improve on this, but this routine is slowly paying off, vs the condition of my hair when I blow dried it after years of wearing air dried wash n go styles.

Click to expand...

It feels good when you finally find what works and it starts to pay off! I am glad that you have definitive evidence that confirms you are on track, by seeing the reward of your hair remaining healthy and gaining length.

I was thinking about your hair today. It is so pretty, thick and full that it looks like a wig. I was hoping you would post more pictures of your hair. But I know how modest you are so I have to take what you are willing to give!

Hair care knowledge is cumulative. If you pay attention, even a set-back provides clues as to where you may need to go next. Set-backs can be truly painful and very disappointing.

It sometimes feels like my progress and the progress of some other ladies here is like pin prick steps forward. Super tiny and almost like, "What is the point?" No pun intended.

But, you have to keep going as with all things in life. Especially if you are coming from a place where there is no history and experience that somebody can pass down to you about a specific subject such as 'afro textured hair care' in our cases.

Our personal hair knowledge and success is hard won. I used to think that once we had that knowledge, it would work for our hair forever. But, that is not what I found to be the case.

Hair, life, hormones and needs of the hair change. For some, including myself, hair requires a life time of tweaks and modifications.

Like I always say, "Hair is not rocket science. It is far more complex."

Chicoro said:

Yes, you must do what works for you. The hard part is knowing what works for you. That takes time and experience.

I used to feel bad that the hemline of my hair, or the ends of my hair were not super thick and even. Now, I don't care. As long as my ends are healthy and I know what my goals are. I shut out the noise of other people's opinions just like it sounds like you have done.


It feels good when you finally find what works and it starts to pay off! I am glad that you have definitive evidence that confirms you are on track, by seeing the reward of your hair remaining healthy and gaining length.

I was thinking about your hair today. It is so pretty, thick and full that it looks like a wig. I was hoping you would post more pictures of your hair. But I know how modest you are so I have to take what you are willing to give!

Hair care knowledge is cumulative. If you pay attention, even a set-back provides clues as to where you may need to go next. Set-backs can be truly painful and very disappointing.

It sometimes feels like my progress and the progress of some other ladies here is like pin prick steps forward. Super tiny and almost like, "What is the point?" No pun intended.

But, you have to keep going as with all things in life. Especially if you are coming from a place where there is no history and experience that somebody can pass down to you about a specific subject such as 'afro textured hair care' in our cases.

Our personal hair knowledge and success is hard won. I used to think that once we had that knowledge, it would work for our hair forever. But, that is not what I found to be the case.

Hair, life, hormones and needs of the hair change. For some, including myself, hair requires a life time of tweaks and modifications.

Like I always say, "Hair is not rocket science. It is far more complex."

Click to expand...

Thank you for such a thoughtful reply. Growing long healthy hair no no easy feat for some of us, and there are always so many variables to consider at any given time.

Thank you for the compliments, I would post more pics but with this old ‘replacement’ phone I’m using, the camera doesn’t do any of my pictures justice. My ends are the fullest they’ve been in a while, but currently overall my hair doesn’t feel thick to me in it’s pressed state.

I mostly do half up/ half down styles, and the way my hair is just flopping out of my little round comb clips, gives me a lil old lady bun on top lol, (reminiscent for f Princess Anne, but with less volume). I don’t mind so much because the tension is almost nonexistent, but I do want to see if I can improve that.

This is a long post and will include my update for June.

I washed and DC'd with Amike Hydra Rush with heat last Friday, I sprayed a little hydra rush and then added a little Cantu weightless leave in before blow drying. I got a good blow out, I was planning on straightening the next day but it was 31° and very humid too so I didn't bother. The next day I just wet my hair while in the shower and did a WAG, I've been wearing them since.

Yesterday I did a quick cowash and reset my WAG. The first one was a bit all over the place in terms of products and processes but it came out great, once I'd actually put some thought into remembering what I should be doing, it got even better, although yesterday I was in a rush. I'm looking forward to my next wash day which will be Sunday.

A few things I've noticed over the last few weeks.

1. My hair likes the Amika hydra rush but not before a blow dry, it makes my hair look and feel weird, like hydrated but dry.

2. My hair loss during detangling and styling has decreased by a lot. I want to continue to build on this and hopefully get back to losing little to no hairs at all, I'm moving in the right direction.

3. My hair likes the Cantu weightless leave in for blow drys, when used alone, it leaves my hair soft and moisturised.

4. Since using the Amika shampoos and conditioners, my shrinkage has increased a lot. This doesn't affect the length of my WAG though.

5. I knew this before but I've been thinking about it leading up to my first WAG of the year. I prefer to WAG on wet hair using a little bit of product, and then go back in the next day and add more products to my hair in either a dry or damp state.

6. My hair doesn't like having WAG dried with heat, this actually causes frizz.

7. I still have a few split ends which I was aware of.

8. My hair is currently BSL - I don't know if the extra shrinkage is impacting this, obviously I've taken around 2 inches off maybe a little bit more.

June Update:

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

My ends are okay, they have improved significantly since last year. They feel and look better since my trims, if I was wanting perfection, I'd take off another cm, I don't think it's necessary. I'm happy to just keep pushing forward and at some point in the future I will have a blunt cut leaving fresh healthy ends.

Right now I'm enjoying my ends and caring for them. I've joined this challenge many times over the years but usually had fresh healthy ends so I didn't really do much or have anything to work on. I'm really enjoying this end journey.

Have you had any epiphanies?
I think I've had a few, which were well documented in the thread

Have you set bolder goals?
No, I haven't. I do feel like some of my goals change all the time based on what I'm seeing from my hair. I think I can still achieve my length goals, especially as a full year would take me till March next year for the purpose of my hair journey.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
No, although my hair is shorter, I'm not bothered by that, it's possible I may not hit my length goal and I'm okay with that, I'm enjoying the journey there which is great and more important to me.

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
I mentioned some of these just above this update.

How is your consistency?
My consistency has been very good, other than 2.5 weeks without a wash day during the time my hair was straightened, I've been extremely consistent.

Extending grace to you?
All the time.

GGsKin said:

Thank you for such a thoughtful reply. Growing long healthy hair no no easy feat for some of us, and there are always so many variables to consider at any given time.

Thank you for the compliments, I would post more pics but with this old ‘replacement’ phone I’m using, the camera doesn’t do any of my pictures justice. My ends are the fullest they’ve been in a while, but currently overall my hair doesn’t feel thick to me in it’s pressed state.

I mostly do half up/ half down styles, and the way my hair is just flopping out of my little round comb clips, gives me a lil old lady bun on top lol, (reminiscent for f Princess Anne, but with less volume). I don’t mind so much because the tension is almost nonexistent, but I do want to see if I can improve that.

Click to expand...

That clip is very cute.

I know I'm late to the party. I don't think I saw all of the pictures. So if I didn't comment, please forgive me. I'm so far behind in everything I'm not going to try to go back and read everything. But thank all of you for keeping this thread active, so I have something to come back to when I get a break.

I retired in April and I told my coworker, I need to retire from my retirement because life is so busy I just knew when I retired I would have more time but that is not the case.

Anywayz

@Chicoro, When I look at your pictures I can definitely see the difference. As others have said, your hair is fuller. And it looks like your lead hairs are headed towards tailbone. You said 2025 you flat ironed and 2026 you just blow dried. I think with your head level and a slight pull on the ends to add some weight, by the end of the year you will have reached a new milestone. Looking good young lady.

For some reason I procrastinate when it comes time to color my hair but I finally got it done today. Now sitting under the dryer deep conditioning. Will apply a leave-in and some KCCC and put it into Bantu Knots. I will put in 2 strand twists after dinner.

I put twists only in the front last wash day. For the first time ever, my twist stayed hydrated all week, hung down and had some movement. For the rest of June, I'm going to stick with the 4C Only products and 2 strands and see if I can get a rhythm. I will use the KCCC instead of their cream though because my hair still prefers a gel over a cream.

I think my trim last week was beneficial. My hair seemed less bushy during the wash. But putting in these twist will tell the story.

For the end of the year, I really just want to get to a length where I can have box braids done on my own hair without it looking like a little kid. Fingers crossed!

faithVA said:

I know I'm late to the party. I don't think I saw all of the pictures. So if I didn't comment, please forgive me. I'm so far behind in everything I'm not going to try to go back and read everything. But thank all of you for keeping this thread active, so I have something to come back to when I get a break.

Click to expand...

The thread is slow. We are having concentrated discussions in super long posts. As a result, there are fewer posts but longer and thought provoking.

faithVA said:

I retired in April and I told my coworker, I need to retire from my retirement because life is so busy I just knew when I retired I would have more time but that is not the case.

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Congratulations on your retiremen! ! That is an incredible milestone. I love to see a Happy Black Woman

faithVA said:

Anywayz

@Chicoro, When I look at your pictures I can definitely see the difference. As others have said, your hair is fuller. And it looks like your lead hairs are headed towards tailbone. You said 2025 you flat ironed and 2026 you just blow dried. I think with your head level and a slight pull on the ends to add some weight, by the end of the year you will have reached a new milestone. Looking good young lady.

Click to expand...

Thank you so much! I appreciate it.

faithVA said:

For some reason I procrastinate when it comes time to color my hair but I finally got it done today. Now sitting under the dryer deep conditioning. Will apply a leave-in and some KCCC and put it into Bantu Knots. I will put in 2 strand twists after dinner.

I put twists only in the front last wash day. For the first time ever, my twist stayed hydrated all week, hung down and had some movement.

Click to expand...

This is an important shift! Do you remember the process you used and the products you used?

faithVA said:

For the rest of June, I'm going to stick with the 4C Only products and 2 strands and see if I can get a rhythm. I will use the KCCC instead of their cream though because my hair still prefers a gel over a cream.

I think my trim last week was beneficial. My hair seemed less bushy during the wash. But putting in these twist will tell the story.

For the end of the year, I really just want to get to a length where I can have box braids done on my own hair without it looking like a little kid. Fingers crossed!

Click to expand...

Chicoro said:

This is an important shift! Do you remember the process you used and the products you used?

Click to expand...

Yes. I've been using the 4C ONLY products since April and just following the usage for that line. They say it takes at least 90 days. I have seen seeing slight changes since the second week. I will fully evaluate at the end of June or July.

faithVA said:

I know I'm late to the party. I don't think I saw all of the pictures. So if I didn't comment, please forgive me. I'm so far behind in everything I'm not going to try to go back and read everything. But thank all of you for keeping this thread active, so I have something to come back to when I get a break.

Click to expand...

You always pop back right on time there's not been many posts since you last posted.

faithVA said:

I retired in April and I told my coworker, I need to retire from my retirement because life is so busy I just knew when I retired I would have more time but that is not the case.

Click to expand...

Congratulations on your retirement, it's crazy how we fit everything in when there's less time. Once you get used to not having to go to work, when things settle down, we'll be here In the meantime, enjoy!

I do a rinse after my shampoo, but before my conditioner.

I want to mention that I started adding camomile flowers to the blend.

The mix is:
Comfrey, coltsfoot, horsetails, cloves, cinnamon sticks and camomile. I let it simmer on the stove on low heat. I add water to it and pour it warm on my hair.

I started back swimming on Fridays so I may start washing weekly, or not.

I noticed when I unbraid my hair, my ends are moist and protected.

But around the roots, it’s dryer and crunchy. I need to stay vigilant and not do things to create breakage at the roots when I unbraid.