Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2024

[Chicoro]

AHA!

When taking down my hair before my wash, I noticed my ends are caked with product, which is to be expected. Now, I put EXTRA pre-poo treatment to soften the residue on the ends. I have no more velcro ends because shampoo was the cause and I stopped using shampoo on a regular basis and replaced shampoo with clay.

I've identified ANOTHER problem which is buildup on my ends! Thus, I've uncovered another layer of issues under the velcro ends.

Discovering the product buildup on the ends of my hair is not regression or going back, but digging deeper into what the issues are as it relates to my hair, specifically, what's impeding the development of luscious ends for me.

It's a forward move, actually. I'm moving even more slowly and being even more gentle with my hair. Even if I am taking one step forward and two steps back, I welcome the refinement in my process.

​

Before, I was so blinded by my velcro ends, I couldn't even SEE this issue.

​

Now, I can. Off to go and soften my ends with gentleness and care to melt down that old, product buildup and free my precious ends to flourish into lusciousness.

Definition of Lusciousness:
Pictured, embodied and epitomized as Chaka Khan with her tiny, tight, snatched, sexy waist!
​

 

[Napp]

Now that I have solidified my process my interest in hair has greatly diminished. It has taken a backseat and everything just flows together. My product junkism is controlled’m going on month 2 of no buy. I found a style that is easy to do that’s cheap, polished and predictable which is what I like. A slick back bun with a drawstring ponytail.

I have to say since using As I Am double butter as a moisturizer for my slick back has been a GAME CHANGER. At first I was just using it on my ends . Over the course of a week it smells like old yogurt in the baggy. I stopped using it because my boyfriend came behind me one day and caught a wiff and commented on the smell. I was mortified af and stopped using it. And I have so many big jars in my stash from when they were on sale.

Now I use it as a daily moisturizer for the slick back part. . It makes my hair soft but have amazing hold under gel. Like my hair stays slick all day ever through a shower and only then my edges will puff up. I think that this along with a protein spray before moisturizing has led for me to have less breakage. The ball of hair is much smaller even though I go more than a week with out washing .I also I get so many compliments now a days. It makes me happy that I can look cute and put together all of the time.

 

[Chicoro]

Now that I have solidified my process my interest in hair has greatly diminished. It has taken a backseat and everything just flows together. My product junkism is controlled’m going on month 2 of no buy. I found a style that is easy to do that’s cheap, polished and predictable which is what I like. A slick back bun with a drawstring ponytail.

I have to say since using As I Am double butter as a moisturizer for my slick back has been a GAME CHANGER. At first I was just using it on my ends . Over the course of a week it smells like old yogurt in the baggy. I stopped using it because my boyfriend came behind me one day and caught a wiff and commented on the smell. I was mortified af and stopped using it. And I have so many big jars in my stash from when they were on sale.

Now I use it as a daily moisturizer for the slick back part. . It makes my hair soft but have amazing hold under gel. Like my hair stays slick all day ever through a shower and only then my edges will puff up. I think that this along with a protein spray before moisturizing has led for me to have less breakage. The ball of hair is much smaller even though I go more than a week with out washing .I also I get so many compliments now a days. It makes me happy that I can look cute and put together all of the time.

Wow!! Wonderful!

 

[Napp]

I also have found that I no longer have to rake my hair through with a brush more than one step in my wash day. I also do not disturb the way the hair flows when I’m washing it. (Smoothed back). Detangling is a breeze and I can smooth the hair back very quickly with my FHI Unbrush while rinsing out my DC. When it’s slick back all of the work is done already. I don’t have to use another comb or brush to get the hairs layed. I just gel it back and keep it moving. My waves stay intact and smooth too with no use of a bristle brush or fine toothed comb like I was doing before. It’s so easy to do my hair.

 

[faithVA]

Keeping it simple. I shampooed, conditioned, applied leave-in, water and then a styling foam. I wore two strands for 2 weeks. Now I'm in flat twist for 7 to 10 days. For now will do two week of flat twists and two weeks of two strands until the weather warms up.

 

[ckisland]

Last night I sprayed my ends with Aphogee Keratin and Green Tea Reconstructurizer (didn't realize it was called that LOL) and sealed with a tiny bit of Tresemme serum. Then I wrapped my hair around my hair curler. Woke up with soft, super wavy hair! Very pleased!

 

[snoop]

AHA!

When taking down my hair before my wash, I noticed my ends are caked with product, which is to be expected. Now, I put EXTRA pre-poo treatment to soften the residue on the ends. I have no more velcro ends because shampoo was the cause and I stopped using shampoo on a regular basis and replaced shampoo with clay.

I've identified ANOTHER problem which is buildup on my ends! Thus, I've uncovered another layer of issues under the velcro ends.

Discovering the product buildup on the ends of my hair is not regression or going back, but digging deeper into what the issues are as it relates to my hair, specifically, what's impeding the development of luscious ends for me.

It's a forward move, actually. I'm moving even more slowly and being even more gentle with my hair. Even if I am taking one step forward and two steps back, I welcome the refinement in my process.

​

Before, I was so blinded by my velcro ends, I couldn't even SEE this issue.

​

Now, I can. Off to go and soften my ends with gentleness and care to melt down that old, product buildup and free my precious ends to flourish into lusciousness.

Definition of Lusciousness:
Pictured, embodied and epitomized as Chaka Khan with her tiny, tight, snatched, sexy waist!
​

What products do you use on your hair -- roots, length, and ends?

I've been looking at some of the old threads to figure out which oils cause build up and which ones don't. Do you think it's oils? Conditioners? Something more?

 

[snoop]

I did a micro trim on my ends today.

I tried something new: My hair is currently in medium-small twists. Usually I will either trim my ends in mini twists and then micro trim on loose hair. Instead of unravelling the twists and having to worry about installing them again, I loosened the ends and then trimmed off what I wanted.

I think that this method worked very well and now I won't have to worry about installing mini twists each time I want to trim my hair.

 

[Chicoro]

What products do you use on your hair -- roots, length, and ends?

I've been looking at some of the old threads to figure out which oils cause build up and which ones don't. Do you think it's oils? Conditioners? Something more?

The buildup on the ends consists of the usual suspects : Shea butter and Vaseline. I’m not surprised by the buildup. What I have become newly or more aware of now is that I got to melt and dissolve that buildup to avoid breaking my hair. My pre poo does a great job.

The build up on the roots and down to about mid shaft is mostly gel. The gel melts away with the pre poo, too.

Velcro end:Gone.
Tangled, gummy ends: Gone

The gummy ness ( autocorrect is not letting my adjective usage be great and spelled correctly) works in my favor as it stops my hair from fuzzing up and unraveling, Both of which can cause tangling and ultimately lead to breakage.

 

[Chicoro]

I did a micro trim on my ends today.

I tried something new: My hair is currently in medium-small twists. Usually I will either trim my ends in mini twists and then micro trim on loose hair. Instead of unravelling the twists and having to worry about installing them again, I loosened the ends and then trimmed off what I wanted.

I think that this method worked very well and now I won't have to worry about installing mini twists each time I want to trim my hair.

Could this method create unevenness on the hair?

 

[snoop]

Could this method create unevenness on the hair?

Maybe, but I know my hair is uneven from the breakage that I suffered years ago. I didn't cut it, I just let it grow.

However, I should add, that I'm assuming that this would create less unevenness than trimming in two strand twists, which is the way that I've always trimmed. (Hoping to have a short video on Insta/YT by Saturday.)

I liken it to filing my nails vs my other method would be like cutting my nails.

 

[Chicoro]

So, we are already in February 2024! Time is flying.

How is everyone doing?

 

[Chicoro]

It looks like my breakage has been arrested. I can see the line of demarcation on my hair from when I used to use shampoo to when I started the Snoop Clay Mix.

It looks like I have six (6) inches of new growth from the root down. My hair is 3x thicker from using the clay compared to when I was using shampoo. My ends look and feel nice.

I do a leave in protein treatment every time I wash my hair. Not brushing my during the week, once it is in a braid helps to limit breakage as well. I love getting up and using just my hands to do my hair each morning. Low stress and the result comes out cute.

 

[GettingKinky]

It looks like my breakage has been arrested. I can see the line of demarcation on my hair from when I used to use shampoo to when I started the Snoop Clay Mix.

It looks like I have six (6) inches of new growth from the root down. My hair is 3x thicker from using the clay compared to when I was using shampoo. My ends look and feel nice.

I do a leave in protein treatment every time I wash my hair. Not brushing my during the week, once it is in a braid helps to limit breakage as well. I love getting up and using just my hands to do my hair each morning. Low stress and the result comes out cute.

That’s so interesting that you hair is thicker at the root from switching to clay. I thought the shampoo was only affecting your ends.
Do you think it’s possible that the thickness at the root is because you stopped brushing your hair while it’s in a bun? Or is that change too new to have affected 6 inches of hair?

 

[Chicoro]

That’s so interesting that you hair is thicker at the root from switching to clay. I thought the shampoo was only affecting your ends.
Do you think it’s possible that the thickness at the root is because you stopped brushing your hair while it’s in a bun? Or is that change too new to have affected 6 inches of hair?

It's the clay.

My hair literally looks as if I am growing out a relaxer with the roots and the newest six (6) inches being thick and natural and the last inches being thin.
It definitely is not from the brushing because I just stopped that around what, November?

Shampoo has been eating my hair for the longest. I had absolutely no idea that shampoo was destroying my hair. I think that they have put a new type of chemical ingredient in the shampoos. My poor, poor hair.

Thank goodness it is turning around.

Shampoo has an immediate detrimental impact on my hair. That is reflected in the ends being sticky, dry and crunchy immediately after a shampoo, even if I oiled my hair right before the shampoo.

 

[MzSwift]

So far in 2024, I have decreased my intentional cleansing to biweekly and I follow it with a honey+egg DC. My hair stays under a satin skull cap daily. I only take it off to apply a water/oil mix to my scalp nightly. In Jan, I did cornrows under the cap and I've since converted it to mini twists for Feb as I will have a need to wear my hair out for a few events. I hope to keep them in until April. I think the low manipulation and increased DCing will pay off for my ends this year.

Also, I accidentally cut my hair at the beginning of the year by "trimming" off about 2 inches. I'm gonna stick with dusting from now on. It hasn't failed me in the past AND I have a history of being a scissor/clipper addict so I need to keep those things out of my hands.

 

[Chicoro]

So far in 2024, I have decreased my intentional cleansing to biweekly and I follow it with a honey+egg DC. My hair stays under a satin skull cap daily. I only take it off to apply a water/oil mix to my scalp nightly. In Jan, I did cornrows under the cap and I've since converted it to mini twists for Feb as I will have a need to wear my hair out for a few events. I hope to keep them in until April. I think the low manipulation and increased DCing will pay off for my ends this year.

Also, I accidentally cut my hair at the beginning of the year by "trimming" off about 2 inches. I'm gonna stick with dusting from now on. It hasn't failed me in the past AND I have a history of being a scissor/clipper addict so I need to keep those things out of my hands.

The great thing about freshly cut ends, you will know indubitably the source of your length gains.

I learned the word indubitably from Bugs.

 

[Napp]

I did the worst thing and left my hair in a bun for almost 3 weeks. Some of my hair was very matted and my hair felt very weak. Wash day was a disaster. Going back to once a week washes.

 

[Chicoro]

I did the worst thing and left my hair in a bun for almost 3 weeks. Some of my hair was very matted and my hair felt very weak. Wash day was a disaster. Going back to once a week washes.

It happens. So now you have even MORE great information about what your hair likes, dislikes, can tolerate and not tolerate. Did you do a protein treatment after you got it untangled?

 

[Napp]

It happens. So now you have even MORE great information about what your hair likes, dislikes, can tolerate and not tolerate. Did you do a protein treatment after you got it untangled?

Yeah I realize keeping a bun in longer doesn’t benefit me especially if I want a quick wash day.

 

[snoop]

That’s so interesting that you hair is thicker at the root from switching to clay. I thought the shampoo was only affecting your ends.
Do you think it’s possible that the thickness at the root is because you stopped brushing your hair while it’s in a bun? Or is that change too new to have affected 6 inches of hair?

Sometimes when people switch to low-poo/no-poo methods, they find that their scalp has a chance to heal and that their hair grows back thicker. (Some people, often men from what I've seen, can experience the opposite and have more shedding.)

Chicoro might be experiencing this as well. Thicker strands (it sounds like the texture of her new growth is changing) as well as maybe more new growth?

 

[snoop]

Maybe, but I know my hair is uneven from the breakage that I suffered years ago. I didn't cut it, I just let it grow.

However, I should add, that I'm assuming that this would create less unevenness than trimming in two strand twists, which is the way that I've always trimmed. (Hoping to have a short video on Insta/YT by Saturday.)

I liken it to filing my nails vs my other method would be like cutting my nails.

So this is what I refer to as micro trimming. This was my first time not unravelling my twists to do so, but I don't think that it was necessary and I think that I end up cutting off less hair than I normally do with my regular dusting/trims with my hair fully in twists.

(I can't embed shorts so I'm adding the YT link here)

 

[faithVA]

Not much going on here. I'm pretty hair lazy right now. I think this may be my 2nd wash since the New Year but I don't really remember. I wore flat twist for a little over 2 weeks. Tonight I cleansed and put it back into flat twists. I will see how my ends are doing when I put in two strands next month.

 

[Chicoro]

Not much going on here. I'm pretty hair lazy right now. I think this may be my 2nd wash since the New Year but I don't really remember. I wore flat twist for a little over 2 weeks. Tonight I cleansed and put it back into flat twists. I will see how my ends are doing when I put in two strands next month.

What products are you using to treat and/or seal your ends, please?

 

[Chicoro]

So this is what I refer to as micro trimming. This was my first time not unravelling my twists to do so, but I don't think that it was necessary and I think that I end up cutting off less hair than I normally do with my regular dusting/trims with my hair fully in twists.

(I can't embed shorts so I'm adding the YT link here)

Girl, I watched that cute YouTube short you made.

*Clears throat prior to announcing*,
"If that is a 'micro' trim, then what I be doing is a NANO trim because I barely cut off anything compared to what you trim off. "

Nanometer A nanometer is 1000 times smaller than a micrometer. 1 micrometer (μm) = 1000 nanometers. To help you visualize how incredibly small a nanometer is compared to things that you can see, you will create a “super-sized” nanometer ruler using a roll of crepe paper.

 

[snoop]

Girl, I watched that cute YouTube short you made.

*Clears throat prior to announcing*,
"If that is a 'micro' trim, then what I be doing is a NANO trim because I barely cut off anything compared to what you trim off. "

Nanometer A nanometer is 1000 times smaller than a micrometer. 1 micrometer (μm) = 1000 nanometers. To help you visualize how incredibly small a nanometer is compared to things that you can see, you will create a “super-sized” nanometer ruler using a roll of crepe paper.

You are too funny! I imagine you just gently blowing on your ends and whatever falls off is what is taken off. "Done and dusted." (Pun intended).

(I realize that if you could blow on your ends and have them shorter you'd have bigger issues...)


How often are you doing your nano trims?

 

[Chicoro]

You are too funny! I imagine you just gently blowing on your ends and whatever falls off is what is taken off. "Done and dusted." (Pun intended).

(I realize that if you could blow on your ends and have them shorter you'd have bigger issues...)


How often are you doing your nano trims?

Short Version Answer:
I just started and did the first one on January 21st. The plan is to do the micro [nano] trims in parallel with my Aphogee 2 Step treatments. So, I plan to continue doing nano trims every eight (8) weeks.

Book Length Version Answer:
Why?
I am not a fan of trimming. So, I trim anywhere from ONCE every 9 months to every 3? years. Anyway, I trimmed my hair in July 2023 after not having trimmed it since 2020. Really. I trimmed off about four (4) raggedy, uneven inches which put me back to my stuck plateau length.

So then, I saw @keranikki and her incredible results at the end of 2023, which she attributed to 'micro - trimming'. I have butchered my hair with self trimming and I have been skittish since I cut off 10 to 12 inches over a few days in 2012.


Caveat 1: I finally got me a blowdryer with a comb attachment after not having a comb attachment since 2012. That comb attachment and that blowdryer are ideal. I HATE concentrator nozzles and blowing hair straight with a brush and I hate the results.

Caveat 2: I started off with 12 bantu knotted sections but ended up blowdrying in about 30 to 36 small sections. Never blow dried in such small sections before and that worked great too.

Caveat 3: I started back using a protein leave in after EVERY wash day. (Since July 2023)

Caveat 4: I started back doing my Aphogee 2 Step treatments. (Since July 2023)



Anyway, inspired by @keranikki I said let me try this thing of micro - trimming. Hence, I decided to start this micro [nano ] trim journey and blowdried my hair Jan 21st, 2024 with the intention to do my first micro [nano] trim.

But here's what I didn't anticipate. My hair grew back even LONGER than it was before I trimmed it July 2023. That four inches, and then some, was back.
And that hair was relatively even, mostly free of split ends but a bit wispy. So I got back those cut 4 inches from July 2023 to January 2024, in about a six (6) month period.

BUT, I can set all this progress back with ONE messed up snip of the shears. So I'm cautious, thus, the micro [nano] trims were born.

I trim in three sections.

• I part my hair at the hair line, down the center of my head to my nape.
• Then, use that center part and part my hair vertically going down from that center part, to just behind my ears. So I have a ponytail, and two sections on the left and ride sides of my head.
• I smooth the back pony so the part is erased. I trim the very ends of the pony and the very ends of the two sections on the side.
• That's it.

NANO! NANO!

 

[snoop]

Thank you for the detailed response! It makes a lot of sense.

I still have a fear of scissors so cutting off so much hair in such short time, by myself... my brain is still trying to work through that, but I'm glad that you've set a detailed plan in place so that you can take care of your ends without loosing much of what you've retained.

 

[Chicoro]

Thank you for the detailed response! It makes a lot of sense.

I still have a fear of scissors so cutting off so much hair in such short time, by myself... my brain is still trying to work through that, but I'm glad that you've set a detailed plan in place so that you can take care of your ends without loosing much of what you've retained.

I trimmed. It was shorter in the back at the nape. I trimmed to even it up. But one side was then shorter. I trimmed some more and by the time I realized it, trying to getting things even turned into 10 to 12 inches gone literally overnight.

But… that turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it led me to Queen Shea.

 

[faithVA]

What products are you using to treat and/or seal your ends, please?

I don't use anything special on my ends. I used K18 and a leave in. I should have done a double layer of leave in but maybe next time.