Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2024

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@Chicoro *sings* Secret Agent Lady, Secret Agent Ladyyyy

 

[Carrie A]

I'm starting by going back to basics. I use the satin scrungie instead of the elastic, because even the "no breakage" brand is causing breakage. I'm trying to not use bobby pins, because I think they are causing breakage. I'm using the satin pillow case. Then, I think I need to use protein conditioner. I've never used much protein and I don't want protein overload but I need something. I pulled out a brand I had hidden from myself that I bought at Ulta- so I'll use that up then consider the next steps.

 

[newgrowth15]

I'm starting by going back to basics. I use the satin scrungie instead of the elastic, because even the "no breakage" brand is causing breakage. I'm trying to not use bobby pins, because I think they are causing breakage. I'm using the satin pillow case. Then, I think I need to use protein conditioner. I've never used much protein and I don't want protein overload but I need something. I pulled out a brand I had hidden from myself that I bought at Ulta- so I'll use that up then consider the next steps.

If you have read through this thread @Carrie A, you will notice that keeping track of your process and photo journaling your journey will help you considerably. I wish you the best on your hair growth journey.

 

[GettingKinky]

Everytime I wear my hair in a ponytail or a puff I think of this stylist. She frequently posts about the damage that ponytails do.

I’m sure she sees a lot of ponytail damage in her line of work, but surely there has to be a way to do it without causing breakage.

 

[MzSwift]

Everytime I wear my hair in a ponytail or a puff I think of this stylist. She frequently posts about the damage that ponytails do.

I’m sure she sees a lot of ponytail damage in her line of work, but surely there has to be a way to do it without causing breakage.

Before joining the hair boards, ponytails did lots of damage for me too! I would have absolutely agreed with her.

Since joining and seeing ladies bun to WL, wet bun and the like without significant damage, I just figured that it must be technique. And most of us don't really know proper technique if we're not studying hair. So I can definitely see how she sees the most damage from ponytails and WNGs bc everyday ladies are just looking for a style as an end result whereas the ladies on here tend to use the style as a part of the hair care process.

It reminds me of how it used to be gel = bad bc of the everyday damage we saw of ppl using that protein gel we grew up with. lol BUT when we got into hair care, we learned that gel isn't bad, it's the type of gel and how the gel is used. I think a protein gel could probably be used successfully in a regi that is moisture rich.

 

[GettingKinky]

This isn’t really about ends, but I love following this stylist she has the best hair porn

 

[Chicoro]

This isn’t really about ends, but I love following this stylist she has the best hair porn

You are absolutely right!!!! The hair of the client is gorgeous. The way the stylist handles the hair with adoration and reverence. The way the client leans back and into the stylist’s hands in comfort, security and trust and the camera work is like a film!

 

[Theresamonet]

This isn’t really about ends, but I love following this stylist she has the best hair porn

The last 5-6 inches of her hair were see-through. I would have never guessed it from her hair in its natural state. She could have used even more trimmed off than what the stylist did. I wonder what’s causing such severe thinning.

 

[Chicoro]

The last 5-6 inches of her hair were see-through. I would have never guessed it from her hair in its natural state. She could have used even more trimmed off than what the stylist did. I wonder what’s causing such severe thinning.

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I think she wears her hair out and does not do protective styling. She may do braid outs or twist outs. Of course I don't know.

 

[GettingKinky]

The last 5-6 inches of her hair were see-through. I would have never guessed it from her hair in its natural state. She could have used even more trimmed off than what the stylist did. I wonder what’s causing such severe thinning.

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In this post the stylist mentions that she has finally built enough trust with the client so that she allowed her to cut her hair.

So many of the new clients this stylist sees have see through ends and not all the clients want them cut. The most common reason she mentions for damaged hair is ponytails, but she also talks about scalp issues and not getting regular trims.

 

[Chicoro]

In this post the stylist mentions that she has finally built enough trust with the client so that she allowed her to cut her hair.

So many of the new clients this stylist sees have see through ends and not all the clients want them cut. The most common reason she mentions for damaged hair is ponytails, but she also talks about scalp issues and not getting regular trims.

Okay! I wish I could see their ponytails to see if there is a 'pattern' that might arise about which ponytails are problematic.

 

[GettingKinky]

Okay! I wish I could see their ponytails to see if there is a 'pattern' that might arise about which ponytails are problematic.

When I used to use elastic hair bands for my ponytails I would always see hair wrapped around the ponytail holder so for sure those where causing breakage for me.

Now that I’ve switched to the puff cuff that doesn’t happen, but there still must be friction between the holder and the hair. I think the puff cuff is way less damaging, but not completely innocent.

I think any source of friction against the hair is damaging, but we can’t put our hair in a bubble and protect it 100%, so I will probably continue with my puff cuff, but just try in the mean time to find other ways to put my hair up - like spin pins.

 

[Carrie A]

My hair is doing this. I think ponytail holders cause midway breakage. I'm already noticing less since joining this challenge.

 

[Theresamonet]

I’m going to join you all in here, because I realized that I haven’t retained much length in the last couple of years. I feel like my growth rate has slowed down and my trims are taking all of my progress. I’m not sure what to do. Stop getting trims? Micro trim more often? I want to reach my hair goals, but I can’t stand the thought of having a raggedy jagged hemline. But when I do get my hair trimmed, I find myself wondering if those were see through ends from damage, or if I’m just continuously cutting off my “hair feets” as @Chicoro would say. I’ve started ponytail baggying and hopefully it helps to preserve my length.

 

[Chicoro]

@Theresamonet
Come on in and welcome! Let’s see if we can get you back on you feets, you ‘hair feets’ that is!

 

[Chicoro]

at 8 minutes and 24 seconds

@GettingKinky

She takes about the damage of ponytails. There may be a tidbit or a clue that might help you.

 

[MzSwift]

at 8 minutes and 24 seconds

@GettingKinky

She takes about the damage of ponytails. There may be a tidbit or a clue that might help you.

Thank you so much for sharing that video! IA with a lot of what she said and share some of her same hair philosophies.

If she was doing sleek buns for work, I could see how that constant manipulation wasn't good for her hair. Between all of the brushing, maybe her hair was wet too (a more fragile state, esp for hi-po hair) and then she didn't say what type of holder she used to secure her buns and, lastly, the tension. I can imagine her hair was pretty fatigued if she was doing that daily. I haven't watched any of her other videos so maybe she gives more details about her actual process.

To me, that type of bunning differs from the daily buns I saw ladies doing on LHCF to retain and grow. The ladies on the hair boards seemed to have a secret sauce! lol. Their buns were more loosely secured. Often they were only hand-brushed into place or only the edges were brushed with a brush. As I told my friends recently, it's a retraining of the mindset. The ladies in the hair community may see more success bc they focus on hair CARE and not just hair STYLE. For example, when ladies who aren't into hair care get their hair braided, the style must be perfect. The braider goes up and down each braid with scissors or a lighter to clean up all of the hairs that are sticking out of the braid. Whereas, when ladies in the hair community braid our hair, we tend to leave those hairs alone or perhaps use a product to minimize them.

 

[Chicoro]

Thank you so much for sharing that video! IA with a lot of what she said and share some of her same hair philosophies.

If she was doing sleek buns for work, I could see how that constant manipulation wasn't good for her hair. Between all of the brushing, maybe her hair was wet too (a more fragile state, esp for hi-po hair) and then she didn't say what type of holder she used to secure her buns and, lastly, the tension. I can imagine her hair was pretty fatigued if she was doing that daily. I haven't watched any of her other videos so maybe she gives more details about her actual process.

To me, that type of bunning differs from the daily buns I saw ladies doing on LHCF to retain and grow. The ladies on the hair boards seemed to have a secret sauce! lol. Their buns were more loosely secured. Often they were only hand-brushed into place or only the edges were brushed with a brush. As I told my friends recently, it's a retraining of the mindset. The ladies in the hair community may see more success bc they focus on hair CARE and not just hair STYLE. For example, when ladies who aren't into hair care get their hair braided, the style must be perfect. The braider goes up and down each braid with scissors or a lighter to clean up all of the hairs that are sticking out of the braid. Whereas, when ladies in the hair community braid our hair, we tend to leave those hairs alone or perhaps use a product to minimize them.

You are welcome.

I think you have made some insightful and valid points. I intend to ask her what kind of ponytails she used so as not to second guess. She may or may not answer. She also may not explain in the detailed way that YOU KNOW I love to have. But I will likely try.

I agree with you regarding the way people on LHCF bun their hair loosely, seemed to preserve the hair well with lots of positive benefits in the form of healthy length retention and thickness. That is, if you are specifically speaking about the ones who had their hair straightened or relaxed.
I do know that Iris (Irrisistable) , a member here on LHCF, used Shea butter and natural pony tails to gain her tailbone + length hair back around 2003/2004.

What jumped out at me about the comment regarding this lady's ponytail damage was that she said her stylist said that her hair looked like it had been 'scraped'. (I think she has a tiny accent and I do not believe that she is a native speaker of English-but I could be very wrong. She may be from Western Europe or one of the Nordic countries or South Africa or South America or the Caribbean or she is bilingual, (I can't identify the accent). I mention her accent because her use of the word 'scraped' may not be exactly what I understand or not the word I would choose to describe a similar situation, as a native speaker of English. I also could be way off base with my thought processes and this assertion or assumption about language and word definition.) After looking through the comments under her video, Scraped is the word I would use, too, after looking through her comments.

The way she motions, it seems like she wore her hair on top of her head in a bun. Also, she said she wore a 'puffy' ponytail and her hand gestures seemed to infer to me that she wore a [high] bun. If she indeed frequently wore a high bun, their could likely be frictional damage in the middle of the hair shaft, throughout the bulk of the hair. She mentioned having had single strand knots, and those would present themselves with loose curly ponytails which may also have been a result of wearing puffy ponytails (loosened hair] where the ends were able to curl on themselves and form single strand knots.

I am not a fan of hair typing, but sometimes it is useful to help give and provide some context and as a result, more clarity. Thus, I will reference hair typing now. The last point I would like to make is that the texture of her hair looks to me to be 3c/4a/4b. I can't tell or know for sure, due to the chemical treatment she has on it right now. I mention this because sometimes hair that is closer to 4a/b/c is often more susceptible to dryness more so than hair that is 1, 2 or 3a. Therefore, if the hair is dry, then cuticles on the strand are more likely to be dry, more rigid and less flexible and extremely vulnerable to be lost with the lightest amount of friction. Hence, looking 'scraped' and being 'scraped' as a result. Her hair is gorgeous in the video and the thumbnail.

But with hair you just never know. I say this from experience with my own hair. I have deep knowledge about my own hair but I personally am consistently experiencing hair set-backs. The one thing I DO NOT do is consistent trims. After I saw the results from micro-trims, it's another thing -trimming - I think I need to implement more consistently, in my hair routine.

As I always say, "No, hair is not rocket science, it is far far more complex"


tagging @GettingKinky and @GGsKin and @snoop

Found this:

When you said your hair was damaged from wearing it in a bun too often, l'm curious to know what the damage was? You said it didn't have split ends, was it single strand knots? Thanks​

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Reply

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@HighPorosityCentral
6 months ago
It was a mixture of single strand knots and the strangest “wear”. It looked almost like it had been roughed up around the cuticle. My hairstylist didn’t recognize the damage but told me that it looked as if my strands had been scraped, which makes sense. After all I was constantly rolling my hair up and stretching it along a hair tie. Instead of freely flowing, the strands were constantly rubbing against each other.

 

[Theresamonet]

Thank you so much for sharing that video! IA with a lot of what she said and share some of her same hair philosophies.

If she was doing sleek buns for work, I could see how that constant manipulation wasn't good for her hair. Between all of the brushing, maybe her hair was wet too (a more fragile state, esp for hi-po hair) and then she didn't say what type of holder she used to secure her buns and, lastly, the tension. I can imagine her hair was pretty fatigued if she was doing that daily. I haven't watched any of her other videos so maybe she gives more details about her actual process.

To me, that type of bunning differs from the daily buns I saw ladies doing on LHCF to retain and grow. The ladies on the hair boards seemed to have a secret sauce! lol. Their buns were more loosely secured. Often they were only hand-brushed into place or only the edges were brushed with a brush. As I told my friends recently, it's a retraining of the mindset. The ladies in the hair community may see more success bc they focus on hair CARE and not just hair STYLE. For example, when ladies who aren't into hair care get their hair braided, the style must be perfect. The braider goes up and down each braid with scissors or a lighter to clean up all of the hairs that are sticking out of the braid. Whereas, when ladies in the hair community braid our hair, we tend to leave those hairs alone or perhaps use a product to minimize them.

I agree. There are certain 'rules' for wearing buns and ponytails in the hair community. We know they need to be loose and low tension, the tie should be smooth and not pull on the hair (I only use satin scrunchies), and you have to switch up the placement. You also need to continue caring for your hair; you can’t put it in a bun and forget about it for weeks.

One main issue is that people outside the community don't assess their hair for damage as often. I'm always amazed when I see videos of women getting their hair pressed, and it's waist length but half of it is see-through or split up to the mid-shaft. Then you find out they've only worn a puff for the last two years without examining their hair. Whether natural or relaxed, I've made plenty of mistakes and had setbacks, but I've never gone years without realizing there was a problem. Regular hair assessments allow us to 1) become aware of issues and 2) more accurately pinpoint the cause. You can’t wait three years and then just broadly state that ponytails or buns were the problem. What aspect of your bunning or ponytailing technique was the problem?

 

[GettingKinky]

@chicro thank you for sharing the video

I agree with all these comments, and that there are ways of binning that are more damaging than others.

I’m trying to do my pony/puff in the least damaging way possible, but I need to stay vigilant and make sure that when I do blow my hair out for trims I inspect it carefully for damage.

 

[BeautifulRoots]

and you have to switch up the placement.

This is an important point.

I was watching a Glamtwinz video (they are licensed cosmetologist) and they mentioned that a lot of their clients have damage from ponytails and buns. They mentioned one of the reasons is that they are not switching up the placement of the bun/ponytail. They suggested to regularly move the placement, never keep it in one spot for long.

I've adopted this practice and have been moving my buns low, middle, high, lower right and lower left depending on the day. Hoping to also mitigate ponytail/bun damage over time.

 

[Chicoro]

This is an important point.

I was watching a Glamtwinz video (they are licensed cosmetologist) and they mentioned that a lot of their clients have damage from ponytails and buns. They mentioned one of the reasons is that they are not switching up the placement of the bun/ponytail. They suggested to regularly move the placement, never keep it in one spot for long.

I've adopted this practice and have been moving my buns low, middle, high, lower right and lower left depending on the day. Hoping to also mitigate ponytail/bun damage over time.

How long do you leave your bun in a certain spot?

 

[Chicoro]

We have literally flown over the month of May!
How are them healthy ends coming along as we head
into the official half way mark?​

 

[Chicoro]

Actions I have implemented:
My current process that seems to be working.

1. shea butter and mixes from root to tip​
2. braiding my hair in eight (braids)​
3. micro trimming from @keranikki​
4. clay washing from @snoop​
5. fenugreek sprouted oil from @newgrowth15​
6. diy protein spray after every wash​
7. Aphogee 2 Step every 8 to 12 weeks​
8. greasing and baggy-ing my Ends at night
   

   • Wet hair.​
   • Slather on castor oil on last six (6) inches of braid.​
   • Place a coat of Shea butter mix on the last six (6) inches of each braid.​
   • Put braids in a loose ball on top of head with baggie sealed over it.​
   • Put plastic shower cap over head and put a scarf over that to hold in place.​
9. covering my whole head at night to minimize friction and keep hair moist​

Next action to re-implement:
Going back to baggy-ing my braids during the day

• To minimize friction​
• To keep hair moist​
• To protect Ends throughout the day​

 

[BeautifulRoots]

How long do you leave your bun in a certain spot?

I leave it in one spot for a day or two and then change it.

I take my hair down at night to oil my ends, then put it in a loose bun with a silk scrunchie to sleep. The next day, I style and position my bun for the day. I wear buns or some kind of updo about 90% of the time unless I am going out to an event or something.

I am a straight hair natural at the moment. If I were wearing my curly hair in a bun, I imagine I would move it around much less often.

 

[Chicoro]

​

I leave it in one spot for a day or two and then change it.

I take my hair down at night to oil my ends, then put it in a loose bun with a silk scrunchie to sleep. The next day, I style and position my bun for the day. I wear buns or some kind of updo about 90% of the time unless I am going out to an event or something.

I am a straight hair natural at the moment. If I were wearing my curly hair in a bun, I imagine I would move it around much less often.

Thank you for responding in detail. Yes, it is so much easier to move around a straight hair bun and keep it nice in loose, in comparison to a bun that was curly. Keep us posted about that length retention.

 

[Chicoro]

I am making progress!
I see growth!
I see retention
I see fuller and thicker and more even ends!


3.5 inches til goal point!

POINT

My hair is starting to gain length again! I am about 3.5 inches away from my hair goal length! Barring any major setbacks, I think I will be there by the end of December 2024.

Once my hair reaches that goal point of 3.5 inches, I will HOLD it there by trims until the bulk catches up. I am hopeful about my hair and my belief in my processes, once again, after a long time period of doubt due to so many set-backs, one after another.

My ends are gaining length and thickening and are relatively even.

NO! new products and NO! new processes.

I have gotten on the path and I am staying on the path.

I am trying to stay the course.

​

 

[Chicoro]

My hair needs change at every 3-6 inches of length gain. If I don't figure out those changes, my hair breaks and I lose every inch of that new gain.



I was in my hair - breaking cycle for four (4) years [again] 2020 to 2024! I had reached a new length in 2020 and lost it all. The longer *I* , personally grow my hair, specifically, whenever I reach a new length, my hair gets BRAND NEW REQUIREMENTS. If I don't figure out those requirements, my hair rebels and starts to BREAK. My hair is like:

What I mean is that for example, when I went from bra-strap to waist, my hair DEMANDED a revamp of my hair regimen. It demanded it in the form of breaking and not gaining length, in a hair protest, until I figured out what to do. My hair was like:

If not...break break break.​

What I needed to do was coat the ends with lubricant, vaseline then and Shea butter now, and baggy the ends.

My hair has done this at every major length gain. And trying to figure things out can be DAUNTING and discouraging.
The requirements change for my hair to continue to thrive at the newer length.




At this newer length after 2020, my hair was breaking, breaking, breaking. For WHATEVER reason, my hair at this length no longer likes and cannot support me using shampoo anymore.

That's right, shampoo!
​

I've been using shampoo for YEARS and years. Not even softening and diluting my shampoo or different shampoos with oil and water worked anymore. My hair is okay to use shampoo to clarify before a blowout, which might be one time every 3 to 9 months.


I also learned that bonding products, such as Olaplex, do NOT work on my hair and that may have contributed to the issue as well.

 

[Chicoro]

To go the next 3.5 inches and to try to continue to gain and retain length at this new point, I have to be METICULOUS with my hair care. Definitely no new chemical products. My hair thrives on gentle, natural products such as clays, butters, oil, aloe vera and glycerine and water and protein.

My hair doesn't like what 98% of the population does to its hair: brush, comb and wash with shampoo.
I had to become and STAY a hair detective . ​

So the lesson and the caution I wish to communicate, is that the possibility exists that when you get to a new length, you may HAVE to revamp and change your process. What you did to get to your length may not be what you need to do to keep it at that length and continue to gain more length.

Like I aways say, hair is not rocket science, it is FAR MORE complex!

 

[Chicoro]

How are your ends coming along?