Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2018

[guyaneseyankee]

I went in for my semi-annual professional trim, and below are the pre-trim and post-trim photos. I blogged about my experience at the new-to-me salon (phenomenal!), about the extent of my split ends (photos included), and about the stylist's and my ideas to reduce the extent of my split ends. For those interested, here's the address of the blog post: https://blossomingfitnatural.com/2018/05/18/length-check-trim-and-a-new-to-me-salon/

As I discuss in the blog post, I will definitely be purchasing, trialing, and evaluating The Mane Choice Split-End Treatment (the Sally's reviews here are compelling) . . . and I'm also going to try some styling and detangling and brushing changes.

May 17, 2018 before the trim. It had been 6 months since my last trim, I believe.

View attachment 430389

May 17, 2018 after the trim:

View attachment 430391

Other photos after styling (next day, after the Texas heat and humidity got a hold of it ) :

1. https://blossomingfitnatural.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/img_20180518_140437.jpg
2. https://blossomingfitnatural.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/img_20180518_140327.jpg
   
3. https://blossomingfitnatural.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/img_20180518_140442.jpg

Overall:

My yet-trimmed hair went from line marker 9.5 in 2017 to line marker 11 in 2018 at its longest points. My trimmed hair went from line marker 8.5 in 2017 to line marker 9.5 in 2018. This means that my hair split more this time around. It means that I retained 1 inch of healthy hair in 5 months. That’s 0.3 0.5 (?) of growth per month, and 1/5 an inch of healthy hair retained per month.

That's my update. I've been keeping up with yours while logged out.

Back on social media hiatus I go! (Thus I won't be able to respond to any posts here, but I can reply to comments at the blog.)

Take care, and happy healthy hair growing!

Beautiful growing. I purchased the Mane choice Split End treatment serum. I really like it. Tonight I'm going to go through and do something to my hair, using that and my shea butter mix

 

[GettingKinky]

I’m trying to be good to my ends. Every night I mist then with water and moisturize with either Miele avocado hair milk or oyin hair dew.

What I really miss is Darcy Botanicals transitioning creme. That made my hair feel so smooth and well sealed.

 

[CoilyArielBrowe]

Last night I misted my ends with Alikay Lemongrass Leave-In then added SSI Honey Buttercream and SSI Seyani. I've been doing this every other night for about a week and so far me ends feel good and not weighed down, which is what I was afraid of.

 

[faithVA]

Friday I did an overnight DC with Kerastase Resistance. I blow dried my hair but treated my hair and ends with a glycerin spray, Mane Choice Daily Moisturizer and DC Honey Mimosa. I left my ends damp and didn't blow dry them. Before I flat twisted, I put TGIN deep conditioner on my ends.

Today I took out my flat twist and remoisturized my hair. I sprayed my ends with glycerin spray and moisturized again with the Mane Choice Daily Moisturizer and sealed with CD Honey Mimosa. I clipped any splits I ran into.

I haven't mastered my ends yet but they seem to be doing better.

 

[Chicoro]

My ends seem to be super dry and tangly. I am starting to see that even though I re-wet my ends, my hair has a saturation point in that I need to wash and deep cleanse it. So, it's good information to know!

 

[CoilyArielBrowe]

My ends seem to be super dry and tangly. I am starting to see that even though I re-wet my ends, my hair has a saturation point in that I need to wash and deep cleanse it. So, it's good information to know!

Would you mind sharing how long you go between washes ? I'm in the process of trying to stretch my washes to every other week because I wear medium two-strand twists and I feel like taking them down weekly is too much manipulation. I remember when I first went natural I would wear my twist two to three weeks but unfortunately I didn't keep a lot of notes from that time.

 

[Chicoro]

Would you mind sharing how long you go between washes ? I'm in the process of trying to stretch my washes to every other week because I wear medium two-strand twists and I feel like taking them down weekly is too much manipulation. I remember when I first went natural I would wear my twist two to three weeks but unfortunately I didn't keep a lot of notes from that time.

I haven't been able to get to my hair in about a month. My scalp is starting to rebel. I like weekly washing and 2 weeks is good. But after week 4, even with rinsing, it seems like it's a problem. This is the first time I'm noticing an itchy scalp in many years. I am reminded that humans are organic, and ever changing. So, we'll see! Thanks for asking and welcome to the forum @CoilyArielBrowe !

 

[CoilyArielBrowe]

I haven't been able to get to my hair in about a month. My scalp is starting to rebel. I like weekly washing and 2 weeks is good. But after week 4, even with rinsing, it seems like it's a problem. This is the first time I'm noticing an itchy scalp in many years. I am reminded that humans are organic, and ever changing. So, we'll see! Thanks for asking and welcome to the forum @CoilyArielBrowe !

Thank You @Chicoro for your warm welcome ! Thank you for sharing that helps me . I think I'll continue to stretch and monitor my scalp as I go.

 

[CoilyArielBrowe]

I'm currently on Day 7 for these two-strand twists. I would normally take them down today to wash my hair. However, I think I'll push them until Monday and see how it goes. In preparation last night I sprayed my twists with SSI Tahitian Vanilla Coconut Leave-In, it did nothing for my hair, followed by SSI Honey Buttercream, and sealed with SSI Seyani butter. Today my twist are a little fuzzier, but they feel moisturized, particularly my ends.

 

[**SaSSy**]

Bump

 

[Dee Raven]

So I'm super excited about my ends. My strategy for this challenge was to trim every 3 months to grow out the scraggly ends and boy oh boy has it worked. Yesterday I straightened my hair and trimmed off 2 to 2.5 inches. (This was the second trim) For this trim I just did a straight cut (though I'm kind of liking the u-shape) and when I wash my hair again I'm going to trim the top layers and try to get some shape back in my washngo. But here are the pics.

 

[Chicoro]

So I'm super excited about my ends. My strategy for this challenge was to trim every 3 months to grow out the scraggly ends and boy oh boy has it worked. Yesterday I straightened my hair and trimmed off 2 to 2.5 inches. (This was the second trim) For this trim I just did a straight cut (though I'm kind of liking the u-shape) and when I wash my hair again I'm going to trim the top layers and try to get some shape back in my washngo. But here are the pics.

Pure, unadulterated magnificence! Oh, I forgot to say, " Definitely luscious as well." Have you detailed out your hair routine before? If so could you direct me where I can read it, please? If not, can you please share your overall hair routine?

 

[Dee Raven]

Pure, unadulterated magnificence! Oh, I forgot to say, " Definitely luscious as well." Have you detailed out your hair routine before? If so could you direct me where I can read it, please? If not, can you please share your overall hair routine?

Here's my updated regi, which is pretty much the same as in other posts, but I have a couple new favorite products. I follow the KISS Method

shampoo 1x week with warm/hot water (moisturizing shampoo or deva curl buildup buster)
condition 1x week with warm/hot water (SM Manuka Honey intensive hydration mask or Deva Curl Deep Sea Repair)
detangle with tangle teezer (4 sections)
Style is 99% wng w/
Leave in (SM curl enhancing smoothie)
Eco styler gel

DC rarely (like only after a trip to a place with hard water or before straightening)
Trim 2 - 3 times a year (though this year I boosted it to get my ends in good shape)

My hair, and really more my skin, hates oils. So if yours does too, I highly recommend trying the new Deva curl products that have been coming out. The curl buster is amazing. At first I didn't like it, but because I'm a minimalist I wanted to get through all of my products before I bought more and this product began to make the rotations After a while I noticed that my hair was squeaky clean and felt super light and moisturized. Then I tried the deep sea repair and it is amazing too. Now that I've run out of the Manuka Honey Mask, I'm going to be trying Melt Into Moisture and the Wash Day Wonder for detangling.

Lastly, what my regimen does not include...lots of time. It takes me an hour to wash/condition/detangle/style my HL hair to my liking, and this time includes my shower. I really feel this is so important for consistency throughout the year. I used to take over 3 hours and that was demoralizing and led to me being inconsistent. So avoiding that is super important for my routine.

 

[Chicoro]

@Dee Raven , thank you for the detailed response!

 

[faithVA]

I'm summer time busy and not remember to updat the threads. I don't have much of an update. My ends are still doing what they do. I'm doing my regular routine of snipping splits as I go. I think my breakage is the usual. I think I can get by with just doing a search and destroy until August.

 

[Kindheart]

I have horrible split ends probably from protective styling and stretching+flat ironing for a whole year last year . I have split ends with 3-4 ends. Now that’s the worst I ve seen . I know ..I know ...
Shea butter and oils keep the rest of my hair nice and soft but my ends fell rough and tangled

 

[Prettymetty]

My ends are so strong. I don't know what to give credit to. I've used the same cowash for a couple months (curl ideal), but I tried a new dc recently (Extentioniste).

Literally no breakage. Even my splits are hanging on and enjoying the ride. I plan to trim them off soon. I still really want the Split Ender. Maybe I can get it for Christmas...

 

[GettingKinky]

I’m moisturizing and sealing at night and I’ve given up wash n gos. I think my ends are doing better, but they’re still much thinner than the rest of my hair.

 

[GGsKin]

Had so many splits. I gave myself a 2-3inch trim. S+D for the shorter hairs.

 

[Chicoro]

Had so many splits. I gave myself a 2-3inch trim. S+D for the shorter hairs.

Are you coloring your hair?

 

[GGsKin]

Are you coloring your hair?

@Chicoro
No. The only colour I have is from henna. As suspected months ago, my splits were bad. I had splits about 3inch from my ends, as well as seeing the start of splits on the very ends. The 'dusting' wasn't taking off enough damage. It's concerning that they were so bad though.

 

[Chicoro]

@Chicoro
No. The only colour I have is from henna. As suspected months ago, my splits were bad. I had splits about 3inch from my ends, as well as seeing the start of splits on the very ends. The 'dusting' wasn't taking off enough damage. It's concerning that they were so bad though.

I'm sure it likes nice! Have you made any changes to your process in the last 6 months?

 

[GGsKin]

I'm sure it likes nice! Have you made any changes to your process in the last 6 months?

Thank you. It doesn't look bad, I just need to take more care. I started using Shea butter in Dec/ Jan and that's only been a good thing. I also tried to stop 'dusting' my ends so much lol. The obvious one for me is I've been wearing my hair down and loose much more often. In the last 6 months, I also ran out of my staple (online, high shipping) moisture DCs so I've been experimenting with others available OTG.

I think I will at least start styling my hair up a lot more. My poor ends have just been out in the elements fending for themselves.

 

[Chicoro]

Thank you. It doesn't look bad, I just need to take more care. I started using Shea butter in Dec/ Jan and that's only been a good thing. I also tried to stop 'dusting' my ends so much lol. The obvious one for me is I've been wearing my hair down and loose much more often. In the last 6 months, I also ran out of my staple (online, high shipping) moisture DCs so I've been experimenting with others available OTG.

I think I will at least start styling my hair up a lot more. My poor ends have just been out in the elements fending for themselves.

Poor babies! Sounds like you've identified the issue and have a plan. Will you be going back to your staple deep conditioners? Which ones are those, by the way?

 

[GGsKin]

Poor babies! Sounds like you've identified the issue and have a plan. Will you be going back to your staple deep conditioners? Which ones are those, by the way?

I hope I have a plan. I'm so hard-headed lol. My staples were Annabelle's Perfect Blends (APB) Ultra Conditioning Soufflé and her Pumpkinseed Moisturizing Mask. She has an etsy shop and offers a wide selection of custom scents. They smell so good, and really conditioned my hair well with lasting moisture. I tried to place an order a few times a few months ago but never received the invoice. It saddens me a little because the service and products are usually great but if I can find something great on the ground, or easier to order that performs just as well, I'll no doubt save much much money on shipping/ import fees. They are a killer.

 

[Chicoro]

I hope I have a plan. I'm so hard-headed lol. My staples were Annabelle's Perfect Blends (APB) Ultra Conditioning Soufflé and her Pumpkinseed Moisturizing Mask. She has an etsy shop and offers a wide selection of custom scents. They smell so good, and really conditioned my hair well with lasting moisture. I tried to place an order a few times a few months ago but never received the invoice. It saddens me a little because the service and products are usually great but if I can find something great on the ground, or easier to order that performs just as well, I'll no doubt save much much money on shipping/ import fees. They are a killer.

I truly understand. It took me years to develop a routine that was not product dependent. I did this for reasons you mention above, and because lack of access to internet, lack of international shipping to where I am, lack of availability of the product, formulation changes and the discontinuance of products.

My 'process' fills in the gaps that my less than perfect products create. With a strong process and understanding, I can get away with not having incredible products. I built my hair routine on items I can get almost anywhere in the world on the ground, no matter where I am. Those key components I can't find like guar gum, which is a natural binder I use to make my conditioner, I can order and take with me.

Hang in there. Don't be said. Your process is evolving and refining and helping you to deepen your knowledge about your hair and products. It will work out.

 

[faithVA]

I've been slacking on this thread. At the end of August I blow dried and dusted my ends. They felt better. I've already started developing splits and SSKs but they are tolerable. I think now I can do a search and destroy once a month versus every time I do my hair. And I feel comfortable dusting my ends every 4 months. I have made a lot of progress in the past year.

I still have a lot of breakage because my hair still stays dry but I will keep working on it until I figure it out. This weekend I deep conditioned overnight from Saturday to Sunday. I rinsed and then did another deep conditioning session for several more hours. I coated my ends with CD Honey Mimosa and I'm wearing 2 strand twists instead of flat twist for a while. I hope these get me through the end of the year.

 

[Aggie]

Whoa, I thought I mentioned here that I had a hair cut on July 31st this year but I see that I didn't. I have a twa all over again and pray that this is the very last one.

No more demi permanent color, no more Keratin hair straightening, no more silk presses, no more types of chemical experimentation moving forward.

At least now I know what my hair cannot handle and will stick with what it can handle. Thankfully, it grows fairly quickly and not painfully slow. I just have to retain what grows.

 

[Daina]

In the next 2 weeks I will straighten my hair to trim. Haven't trimmed since March and I'm starting to see some increased shedding and a little breakage so I know it's time. Also now that summer is over, so is my season of wash n go and wet buns. Will be back to my shea butter routine within the next month.

 

[FoxxyLocs]

I blow dried my hair last month and did a S&D. My ends weren't as bad as I thought they were going to be. They feel pretty healthy now. I'm trying to do a 1 yr no heat challenge, so I'm not straightening my hair again until February, but I can tell my hair has grown a lot so far.