Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2022

Thank you.

I've found that in the last year or two, my hair has become more sheeny. I'm not sure if it's the products (oils) that are creating the illusion or if the products have improved the health of my hair (ayurvedic herbs and oils), or if I'm getting better at smoothing down my strands (I haven't used a comb in over two years), or a combination of the three.

This is what my "just about to be washed hair looks like".

View attachment 484197 View attachment 484199

This was my hair after

View attachment 484201

I wanted to wear mini twists for the rest of the year so that I can wear one set of twists for at least 2 weeks, but they take so much time. I might go back to them on the weekend, though.

slinky.jpeg



@snoop,

I'm glad you posted the pictures of your hair to provide a visual, point of reference for the discussion. I would need to know exactly which herbs and oils your were using, along with knowledge of your exact routine to comment on what exactly may have influenced the current health and beauty of your hair - with more certainty.

But based on what I see in the washed hair picture, that deep down sheen is consistent and present in the washed hair as well. The loose hair is of course not elongated as most afro-textured hair shrinks. The point to be made here is that the coils on your head shrink up tighter. This creates more coils and texture per inch. Your twists add in more hair per section and elongate the hair, decreasing the number of coils/kinks/turns/waves per inch of hair.

It's like holding a slinky in the palm of the hand, with your palm up. The Slinky is shorter and there are more metal coils in a shorter distance. But, turn that palm right side down, and let that slinky descend toward the ground or pull the Slinky up in the air from the palm, then you will have fewer coils in the same amount of the distance. Those metal coils will hang longer, but the girth or thickness of the coil will decrease. In other words, the Slinky will not be as 'fat' around, the longer it hangs. The metal coil will adjust for the length extension by tightening the circumference and/or diameter of the Slinky.

Using the slinky analogy, as your twists make your natural hair thicker because you are twisting two larger sections together, this weight makes the hair hang longer because it is heavier. Stretching the strand provides more surface space for the light to hit the coils on your hair as the twisted hair becomes 'straighter' than the naturally coiled, untwisted hair. The twisting process thereby amplifies the sheen more so on your twisted, dry hair.

In addition to this, the fact that you are not combing your hair is minimizing the mechanical damage that you wreak upon the hair. When we comb afro-textured hair, there is more a likelihood that we are flicking off, breaking off and removing cuticles. Thus, your hair probably has many of the hair strand cuticles still intact on the hair strand than it would if you were still combing. The intact cuticles create a smoother surface, or consistent surface than a hair strand with missing cuticles. Thus, a strand that has minimized damage, in the form of intact cuticles, has more of a possibility to have sheen and shine than hair strands that have lost cuticles. If I had to put the three in order based upon most impactful to least as it relates to the current deep, natural, healthful sheen on your hair strands, I would venture to say that the lack of using a comb would be first, then the oils and herbs and third it would be your smoothing technique.

Lastly, I don't know which oils and herbs you are using. But, based upon the most popular hair oils around, I would assume that is another reason your hair is shiny. Oils not only penetrate, but more importantly to me in terms of shine, some of the more popular oils help the cuticle to lay flatter. As a result, this helps the hair strand to be smoother. This smoothness impacts the way it reflects light. Areas of the hair strand that are smoother, or have more space or distance on the strand that is straight, in turn helps to impart more of a sheen or shine on the hair strand.

Being transparent in that I do not know exactly which products or processes you use for sure exactly, I would be comfortable in saying that all three (3) components you mentioned above have contributed and culminated in the results you see before you, in the form of your healthy and shiny hair. Congratulations on your success!
 
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@Chicoro Thank you for this analysis! I hope that you don't mind if I share some more insights and a hypothesis or two. My thoughts might be a bit all over the place, but hopefully I can make them make sense.




So my hair coils/shrinks a LOT. I love it. You're right about the twists elongating my hair and amplifying the sheen, but I also think that the WAY that I twist my hair also helps. I use the Senegalese/rope twisting method for twisting my hair and tight/tighter tension? I think that I'm probably getting more surface area twisting this way, but I'm not always consistent with the way that I twist a single twist. This is the way that I've always twisted my hair.

You can see the areas that have come loose mid-twist and are ropey and sheeny. More on that, below.

2021

InShot_20210628_114007711.jpg


These are pictures below of various twist outs over the years. I feel like as time goes on, it has gotten more sheeny.

2017 / 2019 / 2021

20170930_121646.jpg 20190224_182115.jpg 20210604_193455.jpg

So here are my theories as to why:

At the beginning of 2021, I started introducing animal fats into my hair routine. I won't say which one I started with (purchased -- not my cooking leftovers), but by the end of the year I was using tallow (purchased from a soap making supplier). My hair loved/loves it. I started using it on the children's hair as well and their hair was less velcro-y. Now that I'm typing this out, if my hair is more velcro-y, it's going to appear my frizzy (like my hair in the middle picture or my roots in the last). When it's frizzy, it doesn't refract light in the same way.

So this brings me on to the idea of making my strands more uniform. I've over-hauled my routine over the last year with plans to make slight modifications so that it's closer to my old routine. For the last year (maybe two), I've been full on no-poo. Prior to 2020(?) I would shampoo every quarter and clay wash the rest of the time. Now I either clay wash (kolin clay + goat's milk powder) with ayurvedic herbs added (more on that) or I use yucca root to make a slightly sudsy wash. No rinse out conditioner. My leave in has BTMS in it so I figure why wash out a conditioner to condition it again right after? I do add cetrimonium chloride to my clay wash. The ayurvedic herbs change from week to week with the exception of triphala which makes ashowing every week. Honey is pretty much a constant as well. Silk amino acids and keratin have become weekly constants, but I rotate which combination of hydrolyzed proteins (baobab, quinoa, jojoba, lupine and for a while oat and this past week rice) I also add to my weekly mix.

The other thing is related to finger combing. So that has been a thing for me for years as well. Like shampooing, I'd comb detangle once every quarter and as of two years, I've given it up completely. But what I discovered last year was that it is possible for me to finger detangle under the shower without products. It's faster and my hair breaks less. Admittedly it uses a LOT of water if I'm doing a through detangling, but all of that additional water has hydrated my hair quite a bit. Also, I've switched to washing my hair loose because of it. Detangling and washing on loose hair has me raking my hair in a downward motion which forms clumps and the clumps create more surface which I think with the oils enhance the sheen.



Lastly, I broke down some of my twists last night and it seemed so easy! When I used the unpetroleum jelly after washing my hair on Monday, I first sprayed my (already damp) hair with rose water, then applied my moisturizer, then some tallow, then added the jelly to the length and a lot more to the last 4 inches as I'd mentioned in another post. After I GHE for the night so my pillow wouldn't get oily. I'm heavy handed with my products.

Monday wash - full moisturize (LCOJ), GHE overnight
Tuesday -- nothing
Wednesday -- moisturize (LC), GHE overnight

I've considered going back to broccoli seed oil on the days where I think that I need to seal. I wouldn't want to use more tallow or jelly since that would just be too much stuff on my hair.

I'm not sure if I'll moisturize again or not before Sunday. I'll play around with the idea of just spritzing and massages or moisturizing and not sealing, because I can still feel the jelly on my hair. By the weekend I'll know if the clay was able to remove it or not.


Sorry for the long post...
 
@Chicoro Thank you for this analysis! I hope that you don't mind if I share some more insights and a hypothesis or two. My thoughts might be a bit all over the place, but hopefully I can make them make sense.




So my hair coils/shrinks a LOT. I love it. You're right about the twists elongating my hair and amplifying the sheen, but I also think that the WAY that I twist my hair also helps. I use the Senegalese/rope twisting method for twisting my hair and tight/tighter tension? I think that I'm probably getting more surface area twisting this way, but I'm not always consistent with the way that I twist a single twist. This is the way that I've always twisted my hair.

You can see the areas that have come loose mid-twist and are ropey and sheeny. More on that, below.

2021

View attachment 484221


These are pictures below of various twist outs over the years. I feel like as time goes on, it has gotten more sheeny.

2017 / 2019 / 2021

View attachment 484215 View attachment 484217 View attachment 484219

So here are my theories as to why:

At the beginning of 2021, I started introducing animal fats into my hair routine. I won't say which one I started with (purchased -- not my cooking leftovers), but by the end of the year I was using tallow (purchased from a soap making supplier). My hair loved/loves it. I started using it on the children's hair as well and their hair was less velcro-y. Now that I'm typing this out, if my hair is more velcro-y, it's going to appear my frizzy (like my hair in the middle picture or my roots in the last). When it's frizzy, it doesn't refract light in the same way.

So this brings me on to the idea of making my strands more uniform. I've over-hauled my routine over the last year with plans to make slight modifications so that it's closer to my old routine. For the last year (maybe two), I've been full on no-poo. Prior to 2020(?) I would shampoo every quarter and clay wash the rest of the time. Now I either clay wash (kolin clay + goat's milk powder) with ayurvedic herbs added (more on that) or I use yucca root to make a slightly sudsy wash. No rinse out conditioner. My leave in has BTMS in it so I figure why wash out a conditioner to condition it again right after? I do add cetrimonium chloride to my clay wash. The ayurvedic herbs change from week to week with the exception of triphala which makes ashowing every week. Honey is pretty much a constant as well. Silk amino acids and keratin have become weekly constants, but I rotate which combination of hydrolyzed proteins (baobab, quinoa, jojoba, lupine and for a while oat and this past week rice) I also add to my weekly mix.

The other thing is related to finger combing. So that has been a thing for me for years as well. Like shampooing, I'd comb detangle once every quarter and as of two years, I've given it up completely. But what I discovered last year was that it is possible for me to finger detangle under the shower without products. It's faster and my hair breaks less. Admittedly it uses a LOT of water if I'm doing a through detangling, but all of that additional water has hydrated my hair quite a bit. Also, I've switched to washing my hair loose because of it. Detangling and washing on loose hair has me raking my hair in a downward motion which forms clumps and the clumps create more surface which I think with the oils enhance the sheen.



Lastly, I broke down some of my twists last night and it seemed so easy! When I used the unpetroleum jelly after washing my hair on Monday, I first sprayed my (already damp) hair with rose water, then applied my moisturizer, then some tallow, then added the jelly to the length and a lot more to the last 4 inches as I'd mentioned in another post. After I GHE for the night so my pillow wouldn't get oily. I'm heavy handed with my products.

Monday wash - full moisturize (LCOJ), GHE overnight
Tuesday -- nothing
Wednesday -- moisturize (LC), GHE overnight

I've considered going back to broccoli seed oil on the days where I think that I need to seal. I wouldn't want to use more tallow or jelly since that would just be too much stuff on my hair.

I'm not sure if I'll moisturize again or not before Sunday. I'll play around with the idea of just spritzing and massages or moisturizing and not sealing, because I can still feel the jelly on my hair. By the weekend I'll know if the clay was able to remove it or not.


Sorry for the long post...

I love long posts!

Thanks for the detailed information and the fabulous photos which accompanied your text. You have optimized your hair care. As a result, you have beautiful, healthy, long hair!
 
@Chicoro I need to catch up on some threads, but HAD to pop in here to let you know that I found an authentic container of Vaseline today!

I went to a different CVS to pick up a prescription and decided to go inside instead of running through the drive thru. They had plenty. Now I know where to go!
 
A student said to me, "I like your baby hairs. They look so cute." Just like that out the blue. He said it to me in perfect English.
When did males start talking about baby hair? And who says that to the teacher? After I said thank you, I just left it alone and kept it moving.
 
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Breakage stopped!

I undid my greased down with Vaseline braids. I removed the coated rubberbands on the balled up ends and unfurled my braids. I got 1/8 the shed hair than I got last time. Thank goodness! Vaseline and 5 braid ponytail with baggie works.


ATTENTION: These photos are from my Fotki about fourteen (14) years ago around 2005.
But this is the process I went back to doing this month and plan to stick to it for 10 months, until August 2023.
Signature 5 Braid Baggied Bun A.jpegSignature 5 Braid Baggied Bun B.jpegSignature 5 Braid Baggied Bun C.jpegSignature 5 Braid Baggied Bun D.jpegSignature 5 Braid Baggied Bun E.jpeg
 
Results from the Signature 5 Braid Pony + Vaseline + Baggie:
That particular way to use the baggie got me to January 2005. Then it took me to Nov 2005. Both photos are attached below in this post.
So, I am hopeful going back to this method, with the addition of Shea butter, of course, will help my currently broken hair to thrive.
This is about a 3 to 5 inch gain over a 10 month period. The right and left sides really gained length.

Caveat:
Because of Shea butter, my hair in November 2022 is about 4 inches longer than the November 2005 photo, on the right. Shea butter got me to tailbone length (not pictured).

I want to thicken up my hair at this new tailbone length and get BEYOND this tailbone BREAKPOINT. I am hoping the Signature 5 Braid Pony and Vaseline and baggie will do it for me by August 2023.


January 2005 to November 2005 = 10 months difference (continuation of baggie +Vaseline)
Hair January 2005.jpegHair Nov 2005.jpeg
 
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Results from the Signature 5 Braid Pony + Vaseline + Baggie:
That particular way to use the baggie got me to January 2005. Then it took me to Nov 2005. Both photos are attached below in this post.
So, I am hopeful going back to this method, with the addition of Shea butter, of course, will help my currently broken hair to thrive.
This is about a 3 to 5 inch gain over a 10 month period. The right and left sides really gained length.

Caveat:
Because of Shea butter, my hair in November 2022 is about 4 inches longer than the November 2005 photo, on the right. Shea butter got me to tailbone length (not pictured).

I want to thicken up my hair at this new tailbone length and get BEYOND this tailbone BREAKPOINT. I am hoping the Signature 5 Braid Pony and Vaseline and baggie will do it for me by August 2023.


January 2005 to November 2005 = 10 months difference (continuation of baggie +Vaseline)
View attachment 484257View attachment 484259
Gosh your hair is so thick. I could only dream!
I’m slathering my ends with blue magic and baggying tonight !
 
I’m confused about something. You probably already explained it but I must’ve missed it. How do you baggy with shea butter and Vaseline? I thought you said only baggying with Vaseline doesn’t leave a smell?
Good question.

First, I prep my hair to baggy. That means after I wash, I put in my leave-in, like Scurl. This water based Scurl provides moisture and the glycerin provides lubrication and slip.

Next, I slather my braids with my Shea butter mix, like I used to do when I had my 8 braids. Shea butter is an oil and my mix contains only other oils such as as castor oil and olive oil and sometimes coconut oil. In addition to the fixed/carrier oils, I add essential oils like lemongrass. These oils don’t develop microbes. I never put water or aloe Vera in my Shea mixes. Water based products can develop microbes. Also essential oil like lemongrass and peppermint can function like mini-microbe inhibitors or preservatives. Vitamin E also is a mild preservative. Yes, my Scurl has water, but I only put a thin layer on the braids that I will baggie. That’s when I first do my baggie after freshly washed and conditioned hair.

Next comes the glooping of the Vaseline. Vaseline is occlusive in that it forms a seal on the hair. I put that on my braids. I do not put it on the front or top of hair that is exposed- hair that will NOT be in a baggie will not get Vaseline on it.

Unfortunately I don’t understand the chemistry why pure petroleum jelly, Vaseline, does NOT, get an odor under the baggie. I think it is because it is completely inorganic with no organic ingredients or particles in it. Thus, it does not smell.
I only have water from the fresh wash in my hair and the Scurl. No water is added to the braids again until I wash the next week.

I only wet the front and top of my hair to style and groom. That part is not placed in a baggie during the day. But sometimes at night I may cover my whole head with a shower cap, then a scarf, but it’s not the same ‘to me’ as baggying.

If it’s not clear, tell me where, and I’ll try to explain differently. Please let me know.
 
Good question.

First, I prep my hair to baggy. That means after I wash, I put in my leave-in, like Scurl. This water based Scurl provides moisture and the glycerin provides lubrication and slip.

Next, I slather my braids with my Shea butter mix, like I used to do when I had my 8 braids. Shea butter is an oil and my mix contains only other oils such as as castor oil and olive oil and sometimes coconut oil. In addition to the fixed/carrier oils, I add essential oils like lemongrass. These oils don’t develop microbes. I never put water or aloe Vera in my Shea mixes. Water based products can develop microbes. Also essential oil like lemongrass and peppermint can function like mini-microbe inhibitors or preservatives. Vitamin E also is a mild preservative. Yes, my Scurl has water, but I only put a thin layer on the braids that I will baggie. That’s when I first do my baggie after freshly washed and conditioned hair.

Next comes the glooping of the Vaseline. Vaseline is occlusive in that it forms a seal on the hair. I put that on my braids. I do not put it on the front or top of hair that is exposed- hair that will NOT be in a baggie will not get Vaseline on it.

Unfortunately I don’t understand the chemistry why pure petroleum jelly, Vaseline, does NOT, get an odor under the baggie. I think it is because it is completely inorganic with no organic ingredients or particles in it. Thus, it does not smell.
I only have water from the fresh wash in my hair and the Scurl. No water is added to the braids again until I wash the next week.

I only wet the front and top of my hair to style and groom. That part is not placed in a baggie during the day. But sometimes at night I may cover my whole head with a shower cap, then a scarf, but it’s not the same ‘to me’ as baggying.

If it’s not clear, tell me where, and I’ll try to explain differently. Please let me know.

To clarify, how often do you wash your hair?

I'm thinking out loud: By you now manipulating your hair because it's in a bun, is the rest of your hair not drying out and therefore not requiring moisture mid-week...?

I'm pretty sure this works for the length of my hair (minus baggying) but I haven't figured out how to keep the roots in my crown area feeling moisturized. So to circle back to my first question, I'm wondering if weekly washes are helping you to maintain moisture on the surface areas near the base of your braids or if you're washing every other week and using another method.
 
Yesterday, I washed my hair, but this time I did it in twists. Afterwards, I did the same routine as last week where I LCO'd and then applied the unpetroleum jelly along the length and heavily to my ends.

I braided my twists into two French braids and then GHE over night. This is usually enough to get it all to penetrate so that I can wear just a scarf for each night after.

Last week, I also moisturized without sealing -- LC. When I spritzed my hair I coudl feel the product on it so I figured it would be better not to add more oil. Since it's already Wednesday, I'll probably moisturize again tomorrow or Friday then wash again on Sunday. I'm planning to take down these twists in two weeks and start my routine, again.
 
I DO NOT recommend Blue Magic. I personally have only and always said Vaseline works. I personally have NEVER stated that Blue Magic works for this process.
I think she may have mentioned blue magic because of me lol I’ve been using blue magic and so far no odor but I only baggy at night. My bunning/ baggying process is a little different too
 
Ends looking like silk!
Thank you! And they look great, but I still have a ways to go. I'm looking at some of my old pics. My ends STAYED moisturized and smooth! Dang near zero breakage. I'm still trying to get back there by going back fully to my old routine.

But man! I was a beast with my haircare back then! I can't believe the things I did daily like it was nothing. I guess my hair never believed in the simple life. She is just as high maintenence as she want to be! :lachen:
 
Thank you! And they look great, but I still have a ways to go. I'm looking at some of my old pics. My ends STAYED moisturized and smooth! Dang near zero breakage. I'm still trying to get back there by going back fully to my old routine.

But man! I was a beast with my haircare back then! I can't believe the things I did daily like it was nothing. I guess my hair never believed in the simple life. She is just as high maintenence as she want to be! :lachen:

The bold is my truth as well. I want to get back to that level of hair care.
 
To clarify, how often do you wash your hair?

I'm thinking out loud: By you now manipulating your hair because it's in a bun, is the rest of your hair not drying out and therefore not requiring moisture mid-week...?

I'm pretty sure this works for the length of my hair (minus baggying) but I haven't figured out how to keep the roots in my crown area feeling moisturized. So to circle back to my first question, I'm wondering if weekly washes are helping you to maintain moisture on the surface areas near the base of your braids or if you're washing every other week and using another method.
The first one! I am washing my hair once a week. BUT, but, I personally wet the front of my hair. Why? To remove old gel so that it doesn't build up. I also wet the front of my hair in the morning, RE-APPLY SCURL just to the front, then I put on fresh gel and slick it back down.

SOMETIMES right before I put the bag on in the morning, I spray down ONLY my braids with my conditioner concoction. It contains essential oils to cut down on 'bugs' in the aqueous, water based solution. I then put back on my baggie for the day.
 
I think she may have mentioned blue magic because of me lol I’ve been using blue magic and so far no odor but I only baggy at night. My bunning/ baggying process is a little different too
Yes, I saw that you mentioned it! If it is working for you, great. But I thought you mentioned that when you first started there was an odor at the end of the week. I could be wrong. It it works ladies -USE IT!!!!
 
Thank you! And they look great, but I still have a ways to go. I'm looking at some of my old pics. My ends STAYED moisturized and smooth! Dang near zero breakage. I'm still trying to get back there by going back fully to my old routine.

But man! I was a beast with my haircare back then! I can't believe the things I did daily like it was nothing. I guess my hair never believed in the simple life. She is just as high maintenence as she want to be! :lachen:
Again, afro-textured hair is specialized. We've been conditioned that you can just 'shower, shampoo and shine', like them commercials be showing. Thus, if you are comparing YOUR process against THAT process, and you consider THAT process the standard, THEN YES, afro-textured hair seems high-maintenance. So, the question that begs and the one you got to ask is, 'To whom are you comparing yourself and why?' Because really, what is going on is NEITHER high maintenance NOR low maintenance. You are doing what works for YOU! Don't judge it.
 
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