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Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2024

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What problem are you looking to resolve so you CAN have Luscious, Healthy Ends in 2024?

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@Chicoro you are like a forensic scientist when it comes to studying hair length pictures.

You are correct. Even my measurements show that the nape area of my hair has gotten longer. It’s the top of the crown that isn’t longer. I think the last time my stylist trimmed my hair she trimmer with the hair at 0 degrees and this time she did it with the hair at 90 degrees so this time the crown had more hair removed. I have to remember to ask for a 0 degree trim next time.

How can you tell my chin is more up in the June picture?
 
GettingKinky said:
@Chicoro you are like a forensic scientist when it comes to studying hair length pictures.

You are correct. Even my measurements show that the nape area of my hair has gotten longer. It’s the top of the crown that isn’t longer. I think the last time my stylist trimmed my hair she trimmer with the hair at 0 degrees and this time she did it with the hair at 90 degrees so this time the crown had more hair removed. I have to remember to ask for a 0 degree trim next time.

How can you tell my chin is more up in the June picture?*
Click to expand...
*By the position of the middle part in the plane of the space. The angle and degree of the part, in the plane of the space is different. That’s how I knew your chin is up higher, head is back more, in the June picture.

Me looking at length check photos and coming to a realization after making an observation:
giphy.gif




I was hesitant to mention it because I couldn’t see as clearly as I would have liked, but I was right ! About what? In the June picture I could see the trim or shorter hair in the crown. The hair texture has a wave pattern on it. That hair was 1/2 the length of the majority of your hair. BUT, in the October photo those shorter hairs in the crown are no where to be found. So either the hair was straightened so those hairs blended in in the October photo, OR, those shorter cut crown hairs have GROWN OUT and are closer to the same length as the bulk of the hair, meaning those crown hairs got long fast. I am inclined to go with answer B, Alex. That is because YOU stated that the hair was LESS straight in the October photo. Hence, if the hair was less straighter, those shorter hairs if still short, should/would be showing prominently as they were in the June photo. Since those shorter hairs are blended, and not visible like before, I would surmise that a big part of the growth you got was in the crown. Those shorter hairs grew down near the ends of the hair. And if that is true, you got a HUGE leap in growth!

Signed,
Detective Chicoro, Forensics


I'm working toward my Doctorate specializing in The Forensics of Length Gaining- What You Think You See May Not Be What You Get.

I hope to be able to authentically sign as a doctor and scientist, and not as a detective, in the very new future. My dissertation is entitled, "Afro -Textured Hair is Not Rocket Science, It's Far More Complex."

(My daddy used to call me, ‘Hawk’, because he said I didn’t miss nothing and that I saw everything!
 
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pikkonoloidlee said:
Joining super late to hopefully finish off the year strong.

My hair went through it while I was sick and I spent most of this year cutting off the hair that grew out during that time. My ends are looking a lot better and I think I'm ready to focus on growth again.
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:wave: @pikkonoloidlee

You've got this!
The ladies in here are super helpful if you have any questions too! :)
 
pikkonoloidlee said:
Joining super late to hopefully finish off the year strong.

My hair went through it while I was sick and I spent most of this year cutting off the hair that grew out during that time. My ends are looking a lot better and I think I'm ready to focus on growth again.
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Continued, tenderness and grace to you on your path to healing.
 
pikkonoloidlee said:
Joining super late to hopefully finish off the year strong.

My hair went through it while I was sick and I spent most of this year cutting off the hair that grew out during that time. My ends are looking a lot better and I think I'm ready to focus on growth again.
Click to expand...
@newgrowth15 has got a great oil recipe. I think when one has been ill and on the road to recovery, this oil might be just the thing needed.
 
So I washed my hair this morning. And while my hair may be longer than it was in June (and I’m not confident about that), it is definitely a lot shorter than it was before my trim.
Why do stylists have such a hard time only removing a small amount of hair????

I am committed to bunning for the rest of the year. For now I will use kinky curly knot today and uncle funky gel on my hair, but I’m going to start looking for something more lubricating for my ends.

And I will figure out how to do my own micro trims.
 
Chicoro said:
@keranikki ,
In your most recent picture, it looks like your hair is hanging longer and 'heavier'. When hair starts to get that heavier look, even if the style is straightened, that means the health of the hair is changing and that change is positive. Don't forget, in 2024 you had several set-backs that you mentioned. Yet, and stil, your hair has gained MORE lenght and health. You didn't ask me, but I personally would not more length. Just keep the hair at it's current length and continue to trim to the hair is completely even. That way, you retain your length and address the hair that is growing toward your ends or growing toward the hemline. Your hair looks LONG to me. :twocents: That's my 2 cents.
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Thank you! I will follow your advice.
 
Chicoro said:
Continued, tenderness and grace to you on your path to healing.
Click to expand...
I missed this initially, thanks so much.

Most of everything that went down was a little over 2 years ago but I've been dealing with the repercussions so to speak.

Even though I haven't posted recently I have lurked on the forum every now and then and I think it was a couple of months ago that I saw someone talking about "sick" hair and that really resonated with me.

The hair that I grew out while I was sick was so thin and brittle and prone to breakage. Plus I had almost like a line of demarcation at both sides of the hair that grew out while I was sick. I've pretty much cut it all off now at this point and I truly do feel almost back to normal now so it really has all worked out.
 
pikkonoloidlee said:
I missed this initially, thanks so much.

Most of everything that went down was a little over 2 years ago but I've been dealing with the repercussions so to speak.

Even though I haven't posted recently I have lurked on the forum every now and then and I think it was a couple of months ago that I saw someone talking about "sick" hair and that really resonated with me.

The hair that I grew out while I was sick was so thin and brittle and prone to breakage. Plus I had almost like a line of demarcation at both sides of the hair that grew out while I was sick. I've pretty much cut it all off now at this point and I truly do feel almost back to normal now so it really has all worked out.
Click to expand...
Hair can definitely be a barometer for our health. Sounds like you are solidly back on track!
 
I realized a couple of weeks ago that putting in flat twist on my wet hair was an invitation for my curly ends to wrap around each other. Last weekend, I put in bantu knots and let my hair dry and then put in flat twist in the morning. But doing my hair in the morning doesn't fit into my schedule right now.

Tonight I just decided to take extra steps to see if this works better.
I applied my leave-in and then added water to saturate my hair some more.
I parted a section to twist and then combed through it to try to smooth my hair out some.
I added a nice amount of get and smoothed.
Then I twisted and twirled to get that rope effect.
When I got to the ends, I added more gel and then combed it smooth and twisted and twirled the ends.

Hopefully, this extra bit of effort reduces the amount of ssks I end up with.

When I have more time I'm going to install two strands and leave the flat twist for emergencies. I'm hoping to next year be able to put my hair into big twist while it dries that I can put into a bun. But in the meantime, I will see how this works out.
 
Daily Routine for the week:

Mon-Thurs AM: Garnier Fructis Smoothing Oil on lengths and ends

Mon-Thurs PM: Design Essentials Anti Itch Treatment on Edges, Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Mousse + Kristin Ess Working Serum + Kleravitex Milk 55 on lengths and Ends, Softee Indian Hemp on ends.

I'm still deciding if I'll wash my hair on Friday instead of Saturday. If I don't I'll do the same routine on Friday as well then wash on Saturday.

I have been wearing my hair in a loose low bun this week to work.
 
I decided to go ahead and wash my hair today. Just finished detangling and I also checked out my ends. I did have some splits but nothing too crazy or traveling up the length of anything like that. I believe that most of the splits are due to some heat experiments I did earlier in the year.

I'm also getting closer to having more consistent thickness from root to tip in my sections.
 

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Participating in these Luscious Healthy Ends Challenges is what helped finally eliminate my velcro ends. I tried to make sure to list the names of people who provided information to me when I made changes that gave me significant results.


In July 2012 I left the US and came to France. In Fall of 2012 I gave myself a trim. Over a few days, I trimmed and re-trimmed and tried to fix my hair until my 'longer than tailbone length' hair barely reached my bra-strap. Years and years of care and growth gone in a matter of 2 to 4 days, cut by my own hand.

Sick hair is a real thing. Heartbroken hair is a real thing. New baby hair is a real thing. Hair is organic and is impacted by what is going during the days of our lives. Acknowledge your pain, sadness, stress, joy and or happiness and give yourself grace.

It has taken me twelve (12) years to get back on track. Within those (12) years I have had about three (3) cycles, that were about four (4) years long, where my hair stayed at a certain length or it continued to break to a shorter length, but not grow longer than that break length. From 2012 to 2024 my hair broke up to shoulder/armpit length. Got stalled at chest or bra-strap length. Broke off and got stalled between bra strap and waist length. And for the last four years, kept breaking and stalling just above waist length and breaking at hip length.

In 2024, I had just about given up. But, when I blow dried and trimmed my hair in September 2024, I was astonished to see that my hair almost completely covered my entire lower back, signifying that I was solidly back at hip length hair, moving toward tail-bone length.

But the MOST amazing thing of all is that my Velcro, tangled, breaking , sticky, rough, have to tear apart Brillo, hard ends are GONE!

  • 2012-2016 - First 4 year cycle of breakage and very little length gain that started with an over trim and I lost interest in my hair. Hair stayed around armpits.
  • 2017-2020 -Second 4 year cycle of breakage between waist length and hip length . Due to infrequent trims.
  • 2021-2024- Third 4 year cycle of breakage due to using Olaplex Bonding Products. Hair broke back to above waist length. In June 2024 is when I started to notice I was leaving this break cycle.
I am documenting this for myself. And, I am sharing in the event something might help YOU to identify your hair challenges and get you and your hair permanently on the path on which you want to be.

The state of my hair in December 2024 will be the final determinant of whether I am truly out of this 12 year break cycle or not.



Below are the changes I made once I began to focus on my hair again in 2016.


Change
No.		Ingredient/Product/ProcessTime FrameAdded /RemovedSourceResult
1Shea ButterDecember 2016Added@ThatJerseyGirlStopped losing whole curls. Hair was less frizzy and was gaining some length. Quality of hair changed for the better as in fewer splits and knots on hair strand.
2No Comb or Finger Styling (combed only when blowing out hair)October 2017AddedWomen with 4C natural hair.Less breakage and less hair lost during washing and re-doing hair.
3Ends Routine
(castor oil)		October 2017AddedMeEnds not as crispy the next day.
4Olaplex 0 and 3December 2021AddedMeHair seemed to feel normal.
5Olaplex 0 and 3April 2022RemovedMeHeavy balls of broken hair came out after wash day. To be fair I was using a henna infused oil for the first time, too. That henna may have also contributed to the problem.
Hair was gaining lengththen it broke back up to my waistBREAKAGE/Velcro Ends
6Stopped Using ShampooJanuary 2023RemovedMeHair was stripped, sticky, velcro and crunchy after shampoo.
7Started Using Clay MixJanuary 2023Added@snoopHair felt less wiry and less traumatized after clay cleansing (Clay/Charcoal/Honey/Goat Milk)
8Started Using Sprouted Fenugreek OilJanuary 2024Added@newgrowth15Softened hair to the touch.
9Started Covering Hair at Night with Plastic Cap and ScarfJanuary 2024AddedMeHair soft and moist in morning and not as crunchy or wiry at roots.
10Started trimming hair every 3 MonthsJanuary 2024Added@keranikkiEmpowered me to get over fear of overtiming. Now I feel totally autonomous and independent. Trimming was the last thing I felt dependent on hair stylist to do. I am FREE now and do this for myself. Hair hemline started to look even and more attractive.
11Started applying clarifying shampoo on dry, dirty hair before blowdrying process. Followed up harsh clarifying shampoo with a moisturizing shampoo. Let sit on hair before washing, conditioning and blowdrying.March 2024Added@LylddlebitHair is thoroughly cleansed and not too stripped. A light conditioner can be used effectively and the subsequent blowdrying results are shiny, silky with body and all residue is removed . Hair is super clean.
12Started blowdrying hair every 3 Months with comb attachment on dryerJanuary 2024AddedMeChanged my blow drying process by using a blowdryer with a comb attachment with high heat and high are and hair comes out silkier. Spray hair with water before blowdrying and do tiny, tiny sections from 12 to 25 sections.
13Started back using Apogee 2 Step Every 3 MonthsJanuary 2024AddedMeHair is not breaking as much and hair is gaining length.
14Alerted about hard water in my area and why my ends continued to suffer and be dryer after wetting them with water.June 2024Added@GettingKinky@snoop found a map for France. So, I am conscious that my area has very hard water and need to keep this in mind. I wet my roots more than my ends now.
15Oil and roll up ends of braids up to shoulders and secure with coated rubber bands.September 2024AddedMeHair no longer sticks together and has to be torn apart and broke on ends to unbraid. Sticky, velcro Brillo ends are completely eliminated. I cannot leave my ends loosened. They must be rolled up and protected.
16Understand Shampoo ImpactDecember 2024Confirmed@MzSwift Found that another person hair responds like my hair to shampoo. Thank goodness both our heads of hair return to normal after the next wash. pH of shampoo could be a problem but still do not no why shampoo is so problematic from a science standpoint, for some afro-textured hair.
17Softening Up ShampooDecember 2024Confirmed Me I forgot how I used to put oil in my shampoo to soften it up and remove some of the active surfactants to make the formulation less harsh. Will reinstate and use if I need to use shampoo but not plan to straighten.
18Spray bottle Concoction December 2024Reinstated MeI usually just have water in my spray water when undoing my braids at night. I plan to add back water, aloe vera, pathenol, glycerine, Scurl, cheap shampoo, oil, essential oil
 
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Lastly, I would not change my 12 year journey. I have learned so much. I keep saying my knowledge about afro textured hair has deepened and broadened immensely in ways I could not have imagined. My hair now is all 'new' and that accidental trim that was so devastating and disappointing turned out to be the BEST hair blessing in disguise for me.

I know and believe that I am now more authentically ready to share , after my first books, what I know with the world of women with afro-textured hair in my next books.
 
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newgrowth15 said:
@Chicoro, your observations about your own hair are extremely astute. I am sure whatever books you write in the future concerning hair and the care of afro-textured hair will provide more than surface level information. Thank you for sharing your 12 year journey with us.
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Thank you for the deeply personal, touching note. I appreciate it very much.
 
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