Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2024

[Chicoro]

Her hair is so thick and dense!

Shea butter effect!

 

[Chicoro]

NOT a single, broken hair in SIGHT!!! Just gorgeous. These ladies invented the product. It's called sock curl girls. This tool is great for protecting the hair, too, especially those luscious ends.

 

[Carrie A]

How did I fall so hard. I'm embarrassed but will post anyway. Frankly, I'm shocked. Whoever was talking about not evaluating the hair sounds like what I was doing. To give more detail, hormonal changes have affected the growth etc and I'm relearning my hair. Most of the recent improvement has been at the roots and my hair started growing again with scalp massage. I plan to trim in June so no change in the ends right now. View attachment 496573

 

[Carrie A]

The above are my updated hair pics. I was trying to post the before pic but I don't see it. If you click on view attachment you can see my starting point. The current picks are a week post wash day with no added product.

 

[pikkonoloidlee]

The above are my updated hair pics. I was trying to post the before pic but I don't see it. If you click on view attachment you can see my starting point. The current picks are a week post wash day with no added product.

It definitely looks like it's thickening up down the length.

 

[Chicoro]

Wait a minute, ya'll.
Do you mean to tell me, that my two -day old braids and her 3,000 year old braids look about the same.
I think I've been played. By my own hair.

I been in a 12 year break cycle and she been in a 3,000 year length retention period. Something just not adding up.
I want to know her hair regimen and ends routine.

Does mummification count as protective styling? Or is it the sealed tomb? Wanakee Pugh always said 'air' dried out hair.

 

[pikkonoloidlee]

Mummification is the ultimate protective style

 

[GGsKin]

Her ends look full, and we can still see the definition of her braids. She’s doing an amazing job. @Chicoro You are hilarious. That first paragraph had me .

 

[MzSwift]

I am just so amazed by the curl definition on the ends!
Lets me know that I'm on the right path rocking my hair braided like that.

 

[pikkonoloidlee]

Okay so this is a relatively new issue for me as I've always bitten my nails down until recently.

As my nails have grown out I've noticed that they can sometimes snag on my hair. I concerned that this could cause since issues long term.

I've seen people using gloves so that's an option I'm considering but I'm wondering if you guys have any preferred methods of protecting your hair from your nails?

 

[GGsKin]

Okay so this is a relatively new issue for me as I've always bitten my nails down until recently.

As my nails have grown out I've noticed that they can sometimes snag on my hair. I concerned that this could cause since issues long term.

I've seen people using gloves so that's an option I'm considering but I'm wondering if you guys have any preferred methods of protecting your hair from your nails?

I like to keep my nails filed smooth, so I always have a nail file on hand.

I don’t like gloves because I want to feel my hair when I’m treating or styling, so that I can assess the condition. I’ll only wear gloves if I’m doing henna, or have a nail catastrophe (lifting BIAB, or an inconvenient break that can’t be filed).

 

[Chicoro]

I am just so amazed by the curl definition on the ends!
Lets me know that I'm on the right path rocking my hair braided like that.

Baby, we gone check back with you around the year 5024 give or take a decade. If you still rocking curls at the end of your hair, then you know you stunted on that mummy.

BAM!

 

[Chicoro]

I like to keep my nails filed smooth, so I always have a nail file on hand.

I don’t like gloves because I want to feel my hair when I’m treating or styling, so that I can assess the condition. I’ll only wear gloves if I’m doing henna, or have a nail catastrophe (lifting BIAB, or an inconvenient break that can’t be filed).

My philosophy and process to the tee, exactly!

 

[pikkonoloidlee]

I like to keep my nails filed smooth, so I always have a nail file on hand.

I don’t like gloves because I want to feel my hair when I’m treating or styling, so that I can assess the condition. I’ll only wear gloves if I’m doing henna, or have a nail catastrophe (lifting BIAB, or an inconvenient break that can’t be filed).

Thanks! That was one of my concerns. I think it's good to be able to feel my hair as well. I'll try filling my nails maybe the night before and I think that should work.

 

[Chicoro]

Thanks! That was one of my concerns. I think it's good to be able to feel my hair as well. I'll try filling my nails maybe the night before and I think that should work.

Or, you can do a nail check right before you start your hair.

 

[pikkonoloidlee]

Or, you can do a nail check right before you start your hair.

Good point! I think I'm just not used to having to be aware but even if I'm just keeping an eye on the condition of my nails I'm sure that'll help as well.

 

[Chicoro]

Good point! I think I'm just not used to having to be aware but even if I'm just keeping an eye on the condition of my nails I'm sure that'll help as well.

Yes, it’s cultivating awareness of the little things, like nails, that make a difference. The devil is in the details I always say. As you continue to refine your awareness you will find that the hair journey is quite complex, indeed. And in parallel, your hair will begin to transform into the hair of your dreams.

 

[pikkonoloidlee]

Pics: Post wash, Post Rollerset (it was taking too long to dry and I just ended up going to bed lol), brushed out+low heat stretch

I trimmed off about an inch. I plan to even things out late next year

 

[GettingKinky]

@Chicoro thank you for all of your kind words.

@pikkonoloidlee your hair looks beautiful at each stage

 

[pikkonoloidlee]

@Chicoro thank you for all of your kind words.

@pikkonoloidlee your hair looks beautiful at each stage

Thank you

 

[Meritamen]

I have a question... what causes bubble hair?

I see lot of bubbles throughout the bottom 3rd of my hair. I'm not sure what I am doing that is causing this problem but it is eating away at any length retention.

My hair has always seemed weak and tangley to me. I have 4b kinky coily hair that is mostly fine to medium strands. I have been struggling to get the BSL for years now. I have been close but had to chop up a year's worth of growth in the past due to my ends being so thin.

Here are the things I regularly do to my hair:

• Wash my hair once a week or every other week
• Always either use conditioner or deep conditioner on my hair sometimes I will deep condition with a hooded hair steamer
• Combing with a wide tooth comb to detangle my hair in the shower with conditioner in it
• Blow dry it with either the Pattern blow dryer with its wide tooth comb attachment or with the Revair (it takes my hair entire day or more to dry otherwise)
• Every 3-4 months I dye my hair jet black with permanent hair color
• I haven't been the best at keeping my hair moisturized so it is often drier than it should be... I think I should be moisturizing my hair every 2-3 days (I have not been able to find a way to extend this out further)
• Keep my hair in either braids or twists

(This image is not my hair, only an example of what I'm talking about.)

 

[pikkonoloidlee]

Whenever I've had these pop up it's been due to my hair being dry and applying heat which dried it out further. I find that deep conditioning my hair really well and making sure it's as hydrated and moisturized as possible before using heat stops me from seeing this in my hair. I didn't think the revair would be a problem so maybe it's the heat from the pattern hair dryer?

In my experience dye seems to be really drying so I find I had to be on top of my moisturizing even moreso when my hair was dyed.

Edit:

For the first part I'm more talking about it drying my hair out internally. It seems like it removes moisture that my hair has inherently. Also I remember awhile back there was that study going around that the water overheating in your hair essentially boils it and that can create bubbles.

The second part I feel like the dye deposits cause my hair to take in less water which makes it dryer.

 

[Meritamen]

Whenever I've had these pop up it's been due to my hair being dry and applying heat which dried it out further. I find that deep conditioning my hair really well and making sure it's as hydrated and moisturized as possible before using heat stops me from seeing this in my hair. I didn't think the revair would be a problem so maybe it's the heat from the pattern hair dryer?

In my experience dye seems to be really drying so I find I had to be on top of my moisturizing even moreso when my hair was dyed.

I haven't heard anyone say the Revair was damaging to their hair, so I suspect it's the Pattern blow dryer too. (Which sucks because I like them both).

How often do you moisturize your hair? Do you do the LOC/LCO method?

 

[pikkonoloidlee]

Also: just to kind

I haven't heard anyone say the Revair was damaging to their hair, so I suspect it's the Pattern blow dryer too. (Which sucks because I like them both).

How often do you moisturize your hair? Do you do the LOC/LCO method?

When my hair was bleached/colored I washed every other day and wet bunned so I didn't need to remoisturize I would just focus on deep conditioning really well every week or every other week.

I'm pretty new to having unprocessed hair so I'm not 100% sure if I've figured that out yet.

Most of my hair doesn't seem to need moisture at all so for my roots and most of my lengths I just apply an oil serum every morning and night. For my perimeter I add in a little cream in the morning to smooth it a bit.

My ends are damaged so they do need to be moisturized. I do closer to the loc method almost every night. Leave in or scurl then oil serum then grease on the ends. Sometimes just scurl and oil serum on the ends. Just depends on how my ends are feeling each night.

 

[GettingKinky]

@Meritamen I’ve never seen bubbles in my hair but I think I remember reading that using heat to dry when you hair is too wet can cause bubbling.

Why kind of heat protection do you use?

 

[faithVA]

I see that you use both heat and color but I didn't see anywhere that you are doing protein and or bond treatments to restore your hair.

Maybe consider adding K18 monthly, or Olaplex or Bondbar to counter the damage if the heat and chemicals.

 

[VarieYvette]

I trimmed an inch off my hair on Saturday. I still have breakage going on but it's a bit better. I really don't want to cut too short as I am having a difficult time trying to style my hair into a low manipulation hair style if it's short, which would force me to go back to braids and the stylist's blow dryer. I am thinking of doing my own braids soon, especially as we head towards Christmas, so I will probably trim my hair some more then, and then do my braids

 

[MzSwift]

@Meritamen

Sorry, I wanted to reply sooner but needed more time to do the research to be able to provide some links.
I believe those are also called mid-shaft splits or incomplete splits.





From all of my time on the boards, they seem to be pretty inevitable whether you're doing everything right or not. Especially those of us with kinkier or more tightly coiled hair bc we tend to have to do more to stretch our hair in order to style it in a presentable manner. BUT they can be exacerbated by unhealthy hair practices like, mechanical damage (the tools used to detangle or style), too much tension on wet hair, high heat, improper moisture/protein balance, etc. So when they are found, most ladies turned to henna, ceramides and/or increased protein to help. Some ladies recommend chopping them off. But many of those ladies, over the years, never reached their hair goals bc they were constantly trimming and cutting.

I personally don't chop my hair every time there's an imperfection. Bc sometimes, what I see as an imperfection, is just my hair working its way to being great! Kinda like the "ugly" phase of a lot of life's swan stories. I'm not saying we should reach length goals with raggedy hair. IME, I've found that if I just leave them alone, trim/dust (not cut) once a year and keep doing healthy hair techniques (which includes regular protein and no-to-low manipulation styles), my hair looks and feels great when I reach my hair goals.

Here are some things I was able to find, I hope they help!

Really awesome and simple blog posts with microscopic views of the mid-shaft split.

Mid shaft splits: cause and prevention

Mid shaft splits are generally viewed as a peculiar mystery. Hair is supposed to split at the ends where there is more wear and less cuticl...

www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com

Some LHCF posts - I see posts on this topic dating back almost 20 years so it has plagued us for a while:

I think one poster here said it best, curly hair is more prone to being fragile simply bc the curling of the hair creates weak points.

Thread 'Bubble Hair/Incomplete Split Hair/Mid-shaft Splits/Trichorrhexis nodosa'

Feb 23, 2015

MY HAIR IS IMPOSSIBLE: It never grows past 5 - 7 inches. No matter what.
note: to follow my journey, subscribe to this thread. Updates within!

Hi all! Long time lurker, first time poster.

I am on a mission. I am determined to figure out how to grow my hair long. I have the toughest, roughest, most fragile hair in the world. I give others hair advice and their hair grows to lengths mine cannot even begin to imagine. My hair is ear/chin length and has been so MY ENTIRE LIFE (whether relaxed or natural). I am constantly fighting set backs or staying stagnant. I really need...

• kwicherbichen
• Replies: 68
• Forum: Hair Care Tips & Product Reviews

• 

Thread 'Mid strand splits'

Jul 23, 2008

I have been taking really good care of my hair but I still have them. ANyone with healthy hair but still having mid shaft splits? What can I do to get rid of them? trimming does not help.

• writtenthought
• Replies: 11
• Forum: Hair Care Tips & Product Reviews

And very good point in this really good thread too

Post in thread 'Ask the stylist whatever you want!!'

May 13, 2014

What's your views on what causes split ends and mid shaft splits dontspeakdefeat

• divachyk

Question on split ends

G

Post in thread 'What causes split ends?'

Nov 13, 2007

Do split ends = mid-shaft breakage?

They could. More than likely mid shaft breakage is from something you're doing. It could be splits traveling up. But a lot of times people see mid shaft breakage from ponytails. Like pulling your hair back in the same spot all the time. Or pulling back wet hair too tight.

• glamazon386

There are so many more gems to find. Try searching "mid shaft splits" or "incomplete splits" and I think you'll be able to compile enough corroborating suggestions to pinpoint the cause for you. GL!

 

[Chicoro]

It's December, the last month of the year. Less than 30 days to the finish line.

Where is everyone at?

 

[Chicoro]

Whether you approaching the end of 2024 looking like this:



feeling like this:

Or the total opposite.

No matter what,

We got you. We got your back.

So come on in and let everyone know how your Year of Luscious Healthy Ends is Shaping Up and Winding Down!