Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2017

To join, post
1. Are you relaxed, texlaxed, natural, transitioning, etc
Texlaxed

2. Current Hair Length
MBL

3. Why are you joining this challenge?
I love thick and healthy ends. The back of my hair/nape is a problematic area. The lenght is shorter than the front parts.

4. What have you tried to improve your ends?
I have tried to pay more attention to the ends of the back of my hair. More conditioning, more oiling, more frequent dusting, stretching my relaxers and protecting my ends during the texlaxing process.

5. What are you going to try to get those healthy ends?
Looking for more tips to decrease split ends at the back of my hair.

Retention is an ongoing thing so if you join please be committed to updating at least 1x a month.
 
I had an AHA! Moment related to my hair ends.

It seems like no matter how tightly I braid my hair, groups of tendrils of hair, or several strings separate from the braid. I didn't know this was going on.

I just assumed my detangling process was lacking. But what was lacking was my knowledge of how my hair behaves. I believe that I was "creating" shed hairs by breaking off theses stray hairs.

They in turn would wrap around my hair mid shaft and at the end of my hair causing more tangles, splits, knots and breakage. With keeping my hair in 8 braids and looking at them daily because I oil them, I have noticed this 'new' hair behavior. This time around the hair is strong enough not to break, coupled with the facts that I "see them" and I'm handling my hair even more gently. Last, but not least, my hair ends are moving toward being free of tangles, split ends and knots. My hair end regimen seems to be paying off.

Here's a photo of what I mean. By the way, these braids are only 8 days old.
Positives: No knots, splits or tangles on the ends!
There is the main braid, then 2 to 3 separate groups of tendrils that have strayed and escaped the braid. This little bit of hair, in of itself is not so much. But multiply this 8x's, for each braid, for 52 weeks and that's a lot of hair lost needlessly:
 

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I had an AHA! Moment related to my hair ends.

It seems like no matter how tightly I braid my hair, groups of tendrils of hair, or several strings separate from the braid. I didn't know this was going on.

I just assumed my detangling process was lacking. But what was lacking was my knowledge of how my hair behaves. I believe that I was "creating" shed hairs by breaking off theses stray hairs.

They in turn would wrap around my hair mid shaft and at the end of my hair causing more tangles, splits, knots and breakage. With keeping my hair in 8 braids and looking at them daily because I oil them, I have noticed this 'new' hair behavior. This time around the hair is strong enough not to break, coupled with the facts that I "see them" and I'm handling my hair even more gently. Last, but not least, my hair ends are moving toward being free of tangles, split ends and knots. My hair end regimen seems to be paying off.

Here's a photo of what I mean. By the way, these braids are only 8 days old.
Positives: No knots, splits or tangles on the ends!
There is the main braid, then 2 to 3 separate groups of tendrils that have strayed and escaped the braid. This little bit of hair, in of itself is not so much. But multiply this 8x's, for each braid, for 52 weeks and that's a lot of hair lost needlessly:
So what are you doing about the escapees?
 
So what are you doing about the escapees?

@faithVA ,
I just leave them be. My process entails wetting my braid, oiling it and wrapping it into a bantu knot that I cover at night. With the water and oil they fall into place, in parallel with the larger braid and are nice and safe alongside. I don't want to continuously manipulate my hair by re-braiding it during the week. So far, it's working. Those little guys are not breaking off and ending up in my sink. I had no idea my hair did this. I'm grateful for the new knowledge.
 
Section by section: I detangled by elongating and smoothing my water-saturated ends, by applying Soultanicals Power to the Prepoo to the entire length and finger detangling, and then applying Soultanicals Hair Glide to my ends only and Funnel Method detangling.

I'm guessing because my hair had been well hydrated and worn in an African thread-out in addition to the previous steps, this all is the reason that detangling was a BREEZE. I had ONE knot in my whole head. ONE! I felt my ends were so . . . not damaged during the detangling process. The Wetbrush and Kent 16t comb slid through my hair with ease, like a hot knife through butter. YAY!!!
 
used Bel Nouvo Coco Castor Hair Pudding sealed with SSI Coriander Fig Hair Balm. I'll probably be using this until it's all done, then move on to something else. I do like this combination though.
 
My ends are improving slow and steady. They are in no shape or form luscious, but I have to start somewhere, right?

This picture is after I removed my braided hair, that I had in a bantu knot. The ends were coated with castor oil. I am quite happy with this this thin and scraggly hair: There are very few splits and knots on it.

I trim when I straighten. So these little guys will be around for awhile. The amazing thing is I am not tearing out, breaking or tangling these hairs. I am learning to be super gentle and careful with ALL my hair, even the little guys.
 

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I did a short search and destroy. My ends are feeling better than they have in 3 years :yay: I'm doing a rollerset now. I will be able to tell what they are really like. But I think I will be able to wait to dust in February extending it to 12 weeks instead of my usual 8 weeks. :grin:
 
Washed hair and was extra gentle when taking down each braid. I found only 3 knots! I cut them out. It was literally 2 hairs stuck together and the very end. Every day I saturate my braids in water. Then I slather them with castor oil and put them in bantu knots and cover my head.

Pure castor on wet hair ends is making a big difference. If my ends are EVER luscious, it is not likely to happen until November/December. I have a long way to go.
 
Resisting the urge to trim these scraggy looking ends I have (especially at the front) is soooo hard:fistshake:. As I see no noticeable splits, I keep trying to focus on the fact that all strands do not grow at the same rate and the others will eventually catch up:hair:.

I washed my hair today and used up my DIY lotion by applying it to my ends before my gel.
 
Resisting the urge to trim these scraggy looking ends I have (especially at the front) is soooo hard:fistshake:. As I see no noticeable splits, I keep trying to focus on the fact that all strands do not grow at the same rate and the others will eventually catch up:hair:.

I washed my hair today and used up my DIY lotion by applying it to my ends before my gel.

It is hard to leave them alone. I know what you mean. I'm trying not to touch them until I straighten my hair.
 
My hair is marinading in some Bel Nouvo Coco Castor Hair Pudding sealed with SSI Coriander Fig Balm. My hair is nice and wet, and I'm waiting on it to get dry enough to plait up for the night.
 
Wet my ends with water, CRN moisture milk, QB burdock root butter cream and sealed with QB Aethiopika butter. Snipped a few splits and won't get a trim till March when I straighten.
 
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