Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2025

[GettingKinky]

Yes, that is exactly how I do it.

I’m glad you caught the signs early. Many stylist on IG post about ponytail damage that their clients have.

I have been trying to avoid this by not using a ponytail holder for my buns. I haven’t noticed any broken hairs around the base of my bun, but my hair is always up and usually damp so maybe I’m not seeing potential damage. The hair around my perimeter has always been short, so I don’t think it’s from buns and ponytails, but maybe it is

 

[BeautifulRoots]

Maybe you should try just using 1 scrunchie to hold the bun. It could be that using two scrunchies is too much tension on your hair.

@ItsMeLilLucky

Ahhh, good idea.

I usually use two because my hair tends to unravel from the bun inside my bonnet while sleeping. Two keeps it mostly secure so it's just a super loose bun by morning.

But I have not tried just using one yet. Too much tension may be the issue after all.

I’m glad you caught the signs early. Many stylist on IG post about ponytail damage that their clients have.

I have been trying to avoid this by not using a ponytail holder for my buns. I haven’t noticed any broken hairs around the base of my bun, but my hair is always up and usually damp so maybe I’m not seeing potential damage. The hair around my perimeter has always been short, so I don’t think it’s from buns and ponytails, but maybe it is

Yes, I've seen the same on various stylists pages which got me to be more vigilant about it.

It's honestly not that bad, I just noticed some shorter wispy hairs recently. I think the issue may also be because I've been heat styling a lot more lately (straight hair natural), so my hair is a little more prone to breakage than normal from the heat.

Your hair is most likely fine if you haven't noticed anything new or out of the ordinary. I would just keep an eye on it.

 

[Chicoro]

Caveat - She has afro-textured hair that is toward 2C to 3A texture. I hate hair typing but want to set the expectation.

One person's version and results after arriving at luscious healthy ends:

 

[Chicoro]

I work with a lot of young people and about 50% are young men. At the beginning of each year I explain a bit of my background and invariably mention haircare and my books I've written about hair.

Fast forward to one young man being in my sphere for about two years. He catches me in moment of repose in between work and quietly takes me aside and says in a low voice, "Do you know anything about hairloss, hairfall and bald spots in men?" He's probably about 21 years old and a real quiet type of person and is not someone that asks questions just to be talking. So I did some research and got some information, got back to him and provided it to him.

A month or two later he told me that he was implementing the changes and they were working. But, I didn't need to speak to him because I could 'see' the changes. His hair was fuller in the crown and shiny and soft looking and the strands of hair looked better. Before his hair was flat, oily and the strands were thin looking. The other thing I could 'see' was the new swagger in his walk. It was oh so subtle, but it was apparent enough for me to notice his new found confidence. He feels so much better about himself and his situation. He feels hopeful and he feels good.

I know this bag of bones we inhabit in this life eventually turns to dust, along with the hair upon our heads. Yet, I think pursuing hair goals can go beyond mere, personal vanity. All of us have purpose. I used to do myself a huge disservice because I belittled my interest and passion in hair and dubbed it superficial and unimportant. But now I see that individual purpose does not have to be on a grand scale for it to be important and meaningful. It just has to be meaninngful and important to the person who embodies the passion.

 

[MzSwift]

I work with a lot of young people and about 50% are young men. At the beginning of each year I explain a bit of my background and invariably mention haircare and my books I've written about hair.

Fast forward to one young man being in my sphere for about two years. He catches me in moment of repose in between work and quietly takes me aside and says in a low voice, "Do you know anything about hairloss, hairfall and bald spots in men?" He's probably about 21 years old and a real quiet type of person and is not someone that asks questions just to be talking. So I did some research and got some information, got back to him and provided it to him.

A month or two later he told me that he was implementing the changes and they were working. But, I didn't need to speak to him because I could 'see' the changes. His hair was fuller in the crown and shiny and soft looking and the strands of hair looked better. Before his hair was flat, oily and the strands were thin looking. The other thing I could 'see' was the new swagger in his walk. It was oh so subtle, but it was apparent enough for me to notice his new found confidence. He feels so much better about himself and his situation. He feels hopeful and he feels good.

I know this bag of bones we inhabit in this life eventually turns to dust, along with the hair upon our heads. Yet, I think pursuing hair goals can go beyond mere, personal vanity. All of us have purpose. I used to do myself a huge disservice because I belittled my interest and passion in hair and dubbed it superficial and unimportant. But now I see that individual purpose does not have to be on a grand scale for it to be important and meaningful. It just has to be meaninngful and important to the person who embodies the passion.

Can you please share with me the information you discovered?? I have a young male family member, also 21, suffering with hair loss in his crown as well. I've tried to mix up a few things for him and I would love to give him more info.

 

[Chicoro]

Can you please share with me the information you discovered?? I have a young male family member, also 21, suffering with hair loss in his crown as well. I've tried to mix up a few things for him and I would love to give him more info.

These are the two videos I settled on. I watched probably 20 to 40 videos on balding. What I do is look for patterns of SUCCESS. These two videos showed people having success and they had similar processes.

Process:

• Use specialized shampoo and conditioners that are specifically made for someone balding. It is not enough that the shampoo be gentle, it needs to have stuff like finistride or other things for hair loss prevention. You are looking for an ingredient that creates VASODILATION on the scalp, which increases blood flow to the hair follicle.
• The men use finistride and Minoxidil DIRECTLY on the scalp. Some may take pills.
• They pre-treat the hair using freshly made rosemary water.
• They use oil in their hair to coat the hair before washing.
• They dermaroll their scalps.
• They take supplements like saw palmetto and other things. I don't remember but the info should be in the videos that I posted below.
• Their actions are not haphazard or guessing. What they do is process-based.
• I think they should wrap their hair at night, but that was not mentioned in either video, I don't think!

​

How I Reversed My Receding Hair Line In 12 Months​

Tom Peat

Preventing Balding: What I Did Before It Was Too Late.​

Billberg

 

[Chicoro]

@MzSwift
It takes about 2 months to notice any small changes. Have him take before and after pictures of the front, back, top and sides of his head and hair and write down where the issue is or what the issue is. In other words, document what is going on now to know what to do in the future.

The other thing I noticed about the young man was he ate candy and drank sugary sodas all the time. I told him that sugar was messing him up. So you may want to check with your family member to see what he is consuming in terms of food and drink. You may find that his diet is full of sugar. I am starting to think that has something to do with these young men starting to lose their hair at such young ages, the overconsumption of sugar.

I also watched other videos on how to choose the right dermaroller. I don't think that discussion happened in those two videos that I posted above. So, I followed their processes, and then used what they did to search for detailed and more clarifying information on things in their videos that were either touched upon quickly, hinted at or were sort of referenced without detail. So be prepared to dig a little deeper and look further even after watching these two videos.

 

[snoop]

These are the two videos I settled on. I watched probably 20 to 40 videos on balding. What I do is look for patterns of SUCCESS. These two videos showed people having success and they had similar processes.

Process:

• Use specialized shampoo and conditioners that are specifically made for someone balding. It is not enough that the shampoo be gentle, it needs to have stuff like finistride or other things for hair loss prevention. You are looking for an ingredient that creates VASODILATION on the scalp, which increases blood flow to the hair follicle.
• The men use finistride and Minoxidil DIRECTLY on the scalp. Some may take pills.
• They pre-treat the hair using freshly made rosemary water.
• They use oil in their hair to coat the hair before washing.
• They dermaroll their scalps.
• They take supplements like saw palmetto and other things. I don't remember but the info should be in the videos that I posted below.
• Their actions are not haphazard or guessing. What they do is process-based.
• I think they should wrap their hair at night, but that was not mentioned in either video, I don't think!

​

How I Reversed My Receding Hair Line In 12 Months​

Tom Peat

Preventing Balding: What I Did Before It Was Too Late.​

Billberg

I haven't watched the videos yet, but thank you for sharing this information.

 

[Chicoro]

Double post !

 

[Chicoro]

I feel like my hair ends are thinning. I am HOPING my hair is dropping in length and what I may be seeing are scraggly ends that have come about due to my hair dropping to longer lengths.

I won't know until the end of April when I trim. But, I really feel like I am protecting my ends. I have slacked on oiling my scalp and covering my head at night. Worse case scenario, I can whittle down to the fact that if my hair is not thriving like it was, I will now know that it is the oiling and the covering at night that are more important than just protecting my ends.

Here's to learning!

 

[Chicoro]

I haven't watched the videos yet, but thank you for sharing this information.

You are welcome. I am surprised I remembered the videos and found them so quickly. I wrote the information down and then threw it in the trash thinking I'd not have any additional need for it in the future.

 

[MzSwift]

@Chicoro , you are SUCH a blessing!! THANK YOU!!

 

[MzSwift]

I feel like my hair ends are thinning. I am HOPING my hair is dropping in length and what I may be seeing are scraggly ends that have come about due to my hair dropping to longer lengths.

I won't know until the end of April when I trim. But, I really feel like I am protecting my ends. I have slacked on oiling my scalp and covering my head at night. Worse case scenario, I can whittle down to the fact that if my hair is not thriving like it was, I will now know that it is the oiling and the covering at night that are more important than just protecting my ends.

Here's to learning!

Lead hairs!! and

 

[Chicoro]

@Chicoro , you are SUCH a blessing!! THANK YOU!!

You are welcome. Keep me posted and let me know if your family member decides to try it. If he does decide to try it, please let me know how it works out for him.

 

[Chicoro]

Lead hairs!! and

That would be nice and that is what I am hoping for. We will see, though!

 

[faithVA]

I work with a lot of young people and about 50% are young men. At the beginning of each year I explain a bit of my background and invariably mention haircare and my books I've written about hair.

Fast forward to one young man being in my sphere for about two years. He catches me in moment of repose in between work and quietly takes me aside and says in a low voice, "Do you know anything about hairloss, hairfall and bald spots in men?" He's probably about 21 years old and a real quiet type of person and is not someone that asks questions just to be talking. So I did some research and got some information, got back to him and provided it to him.

A month or two later he told me that he was implementing the changes and they were working. But, I didn't need to speak to him because I could 'see' the changes. His hair was fuller in the crown and shiny and soft looking and the strands of hair looked better. Before his hair was flat, oily and the strands were thin looking. The other thing I could 'see' was the new swagger in his walk. It was oh so subtle, but it was apparent enough for me to notice his new found confidence. He feels so much better about himself and his situation. He feels hopeful and he feels good.

I know this bag of bones we inhabit in this life eventually turns to dust, along with the hair upon our heads. Yet, I think pursuing hair goals can go beyond mere, personal vanity. All of us have purpose. I used to do myself a huge disservice because I belittled my interest and passion in hair and dubbed it superficial and unimportant. But now I see that individual purpose does not have to be on a grand scale for it to be important and meaningful. It just has to be meaninngful and important to the person who embodies the passion.

I am glad you followed and are following your purpose. You never know who you touch and how.

 

[Chicoro]

I am glad you followed and are following your purpose. You never know who you touch and how.

Thank you @faithVA
I appreciate what you have written and I appreciate you.

 

[Chicoro]

Can you please share with me the information you discovered?? I have a young male family member, also 21, suffering with hair loss in his crown as well. I've tried to mix up a few things for him and I would love to give him more info.

Yesterday, I saw the young man and asked him how it was going with his hair. His exact words were, “It’s great.” At first, I thought he said not great.

Now here’s the doubly goodness, as I was talking to him, the other young man I had HIM speak to about hair crossed our paths, while I was in midst of the conversation.

The second young man had gotten a hair cut and a shave probably a week or so below. His hair looks different, too. He has curly hair and it was fuller and shinier. I asked him about his hair and if things were working. He said yes and when I asked what was working exactly within the process he said he couldn’t explain it because he didn’t have the words and didn’t know how to explain it.

I forgot about a third young man who is of mixed heritage in my environment. He is about 19 years old. He asked me about his hair fall. He has hair that is like loose soft, curls. I did recommend that he protect his hair and cover at night. We talked about the importance of using conditioner and protecting the hair at night by covering it. He came back to me and volunteered how well his hair was responding and the changes he was already seeing in only about 2 weeks.

 

[Chicoro]

A fourth young man, who used to ask me about gaining length for his braids used to send me photos of his progress. He gave me permission to use and share the photo with you online. I have been helping him with his hair for about three years.


He is French-Algerian. He started off with short hair that was a low afro. This is a screen shot of a video he sent me as he was spinning in the stylist's chair after just getting his hair freshly done and finished, here in France. This is all his natural hair and there are no extensions.

The braiders of the young men's hair here in my part of France are other North African (Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian), young men. The young men go to their peers, who are hair professionals or side hustle braiders, to get their hair done.



He had just gotten his hair done and sent me a video asking if I liked his hair style. I taught him how to preserve his braids by covering, using gel and dry shampoo. I also taught him how to protect his ends.

I was standing around during a break and this young woman came up to him. She was already reaching for his hair when she asked if she could touch it.

He said, "No," and kept on eating his snacks. She was quite taken aback but he didn't care. He always would let me touch his hair to check. But I always asked for permission first and I never lift my hand up to touch someone's hair until I have first received explicit , clear permission.

I tried to diffuse the situation and explained to the young lady that it is always best to ask for permission before attempting to touch someone's hair. Although the young lady was a strawberry blonde, in her defense, she is the godmother of a child with afro-textured hair and her significant other is a black man so I don't think her intentions were bad. But....the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

So, I stepped in so that perhaps the next time this opportunity to touch someone's hair comes up again, both the hair wearer and the want-to-toucher will both feel respected and appreciated.

 

[Chicoro]

A fifth young man has afro textured hair. He was washing his large afro in braids and the ends got tangled up. So, I explained to him how to detangle his ends to try to retain the length that he cultivated. He has about 3c hair.

Hair knowledge is fused into my DNA. I dispense information about hair and hair care as easily as I blink or breathe. It's just automatic and natural for me to do. I say this because I had forgotten, until I started documenting in this thread, how many young men have approached me and asked me for help with their hair.

 

[Chicoro]

Listen up, My Pretties!!

​

It is officially the end of the month. There is NO obligation to do so. But if you want, there are some questions for you.


Attached below are some questions perhaps you want to mull over and muse about as we get ready to enter our fourth (4th) month of this Luscious Ends Challenge for 2025.





Monthly Update Series of Questions added Sunday, March 23, 2025: (Send out 1 week before the end of the month!)

Alright, we are heading into the last week of March 2025.

How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?

Have you had any epiphanies?

Have you set bolder goals?

Have you pulled back on some goals?

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?

How is your consistency?

Extending grace to you?

 

[Chicoro]

Alright, we are heading into the last week of March 2025.

How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?
I think things are progressing along okay. My ends look a little thin and scraggly to me but I am hoping that my hair is dropping to longer lengths. I am hoping that I am doing such a great job retaining every single hair and every single inch of hair that this is the reason I have so much perceived stringiness at the ends of my braids.

Have you had any epiphanies?
Yes! I forgot about my amino acid mask I used to do to strengthen my hair. I still have some of the amino acids here. I know that it works for my hair and it does not destroy my hair like bonding products do. So, I may start back implementing my amino acid pre-treatments from this week forward.

Have you set bolder goals?
My confidence has taken a hit. I thought I would have gained some more length at this point, by now, but my retention and growth don't seem to have progressed since December 2024. In the scheme of things, this assessment may be premature because my hair is dry and in its natural state so it is hard to see length gains. And, three (3) months is really NOT that long in 'hair life'.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
A little bit. I thought for sure that my hair progress would demonstrate to me that I would be able to have hair that goes past my booty and starts to follow the curve of my behind. But my hair is still way above my behind so I am not sure if I have set a realistic goal or not. Patience is the key here.

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
Yes. When I have sadness or disappointment or fatigue in my life, I let my haircare practices slip. And sticking with my hair care through my emotions will be the deciding factor or part of the deciding factor that determines if I reach my goals or not. I am reminded that even as it relates to haircare, it is about discipline and consistency and NOT [only] about how I feel.

How is your consistency?
My consistency is waning a bit. I am always soooo tired. I have just started back to exercising and doing and feeling some other things. So, it is to be expected. But it is about consistency over the long term, not about perfection. Which leads to the final question below.

Extending grace to you?
Yes, I am extending myself grace or extending grace to myself. I am being so nice to ME. It feels good to cultivate a 'safe space' for myself, within myself. I continually tell myself how proud I am of myself. And it is true, genuine and authentic. It's not just 'mirror' talk.

I drop things. I break things. I make incorrect assumptions. And yet, I now gently correct myself instead of the hard condemning I so frequently used to do. This extends into my hair care practices, of course. I tried to identify the minimum of what I need to do for my hair, such as keeping my ends protected. The rest is great, but if I am tired I rest. I am deepening and expanding my Sphere of Inner Peace that is within me, from without and around me. And indubitably, that encompasses my hair car practices and my hair. For the most part, my hair and I feel so loved and cared for just like the beautiful @Nay and her moniker, the hairy monster below.

 

[faithVA]

You have a calling Chicoro. I don't know how to put it into words. I'm just wondering if you are supposed to have some type of channel or podcast or something.

People ask you for help, they listen to you, they do it and then are helped. That is not a small thing.

Keep doing what you do.

 

[GettingKinky]

@Chicoro I had no idea that you also helped so many people with hair out in the “real” world. You truly do have a gift. And I am sure that before too long you will have hair that goes past your booty.

 

[faithVA]

Alright, we are heading into the last week of March 2025.

How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?
I think things are progressing along okay. My ends look a little thin and scraggly to me but I am hoping that my hair is dropping to longer lengths. I am hoping that I am doing such a great job retaining every single hair and every single inch of hair that this is the reason I have so much perceived stringiness at the ends of my braids.

Have you had any epiphanies?
Yes! I forgot about my amino acid mask I used to do to strengthen my hair. I still have some of the amino acids here. I know that it works for my hair and it does not destroy my hair like bonding products do. So, I may start back implementing my amino acid pre-treatments from this week forward.

Have you set bolder goals?
My confidence has taken a hit. I thought I would have gained some more length at this point, by now, but my retention and growth don't seem to have progressed since December 2024. In the scheme of things, this assessment may be premature because my hair is dry and in its natural state so it is hard to see length gains. And, three (3) months is really NOT that long in 'hair life'.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
A little bit. I thought for sure that my hair progress would demonstrate to me that I would be able to have hair that goes past my booty and starts to follow the curve of my behind. But my hair is still way above my behind so I am not sure if I have set a realistic goal or not. Patience is the key here.

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
Yes. When I have sadness or disappointment or fatigue in my life, I let my haircare practices slip. And sticking with my hair care through my emotions will be the deciding factor or part of the deciding factor that determines if I reach my goals or not. I am reminded that even as it relates to haircare, it is about discipline and consistency and NOT [only] about how I feel.

How is your consistency?
My consistency is waning a bit. I am always soooo tired. I have just started back to exercising and doing and feeling some other things. So, it is to be expected. But it is about consistency over the long term, not about perfection. Which leads to the final question below.

Extending grace to you?
Yes, I am extending myself grace or extending grace to myself. I am being so nice to ME. It feels good to cultivate a 'safe space' for myself, within myself. I continually tell myself how proud I am of myself. And it is true, genuine and authentic. It's not just 'mirror' talk.

I drop things. I break things. I make incorrect assumptions. And yet, I now gently correct myself instead of the hard condemning I so frequently used to do. This extends into my hair care practices, of course. I tried to identify the minimum of what I need to do for my hair, such as keeping my ends protected. The rest is great, but if I am tired I rest. I am deepening and expanding my Sphere of Inner Peace that is within me, from without and around me. And indubitably, that encompasses my hair car practices and my hair. For the most part, my hair and I feel so loved and cared for just like the beautiful @Nay and her moniker, the hairy monster below.

One thing I am curious about is if some of us have hair growth related to the seasons.

Does my hair growth bloom in the Spring and take off through the summer? Does my hair growth slow down with the Fall and the Winter?

My body is definitely impacted by the seasons. This year I plan to pay more attention to my growth in each season.

Not saying my hair doesn't grow in the cooler months but maybe the Spring and Summer produce more.

Will keep posting since we just moved into Spring.

 

[pikkonoloidlee]

How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?

They're okay. I do have quite a bit of splits at the very end of my hair. I'm not too happy about those but as I've been trimming up I do think they're making up less and less of a percentage of my length.

I take this to mean that my process is maintaining things enough that they're not creating more damage than the growth. I am hoping that at some point there will be a minimal amount.

The very front of my hair has always been shorter than the rest. I'm not sure if there's anything I can do about it but I also recognize that that's an area of my hair that has the most exposure to the elements. I've started making sure to put grease among my hairline just like I do my ends for extra protection. I'm not sure if it's doing anything as of yet.

Have you had any epiphanies?

Maybe? Last year I decided to try stretching out my washes. (Also I had dandruff anyways so it wasn't like washing frequently was fixing that.)

Ultimately, I don't think that's best for me because my scalp really does better with more frequent washes.

However, because my scalp was so unhappy I really did do more research into scalp health to mitigate that. I found that a combo of chemical exfoliation (glycolic acid) and Pyrithione Zinc do wonders in calming down my scalp. Even though I am now washing more frequently I have these in my tool belt and I'm finding that I haven't had any dandruff or inflammation at all. The little I did have was because I was trying to go weeks without washing my hair and now that that's not a factor.

I have washed my hair frequently for most of the time that I've been natural so I think it's fine as long as I use a chelating shampoo from time to time and try to use products with chelating ingredients in them.

Have you set bolder goals?

Not really. I have other things taking up space in my mind so my hair routine and goals has been more on autopilot that a main priority at the moment.

My main goal is to get enough healthy length that I can bleach/color my hair and be able to maintain length instead of trying to grow it longer at the same time.

Have you pulled back on some goals?

No, I think I more tend to go on autopilot and continue with what I'm already doing. In some ways it keeps me from over examining things.

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?

I really like spray liquid have ins more than cream based. I find ones that have a little oil in them work especially well in my hair.

I like washing my hair frequently and I enjoy taking care of my hair on a regular basis.

I am considering doing styles that keep most of my hair braided going back as a protective style that's easy to take out and put in until I do mini twists for the summer. I think this will also give me something else when I don't want to wear a bun.

How is your consistency?

This is the one area I've been pretty strong in. Once I decide on a path I'm good at keeping to it.

Extending grace to you?

Always.

 

[GGsKin]

How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?
I think progress is going well. Whenever I redo individual braids, I try to asses condition as I go, but I am looking forward to taking my hair down in about two weeks time, and seeing it overall. I intend on trimming then. I will also put in some short twists with added human hair.

Have you had any epiphanies?
Simple enough but sometime last year, I finally realised I don’t moisturise my hair nearly a frequently as it requires. Since then, I’ve been becoming slowly consistent with upping my application to more than just on wash day (outside of redoing braids- I do LCO as standard practice for that. I will use water or any liquid leave in, followed by something thicker- a leave-in or cream, usually with Shea in the mix. Sealing everything with JCBO.

Have you set bolder goals?
No, I haven’t for my hair yet. But I definitely want it healthy and swinging when straightened.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
No.

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
I think I am gentle with my hair. I have noticed shorter hairs within some sections of hair/ braids. I am hoping that they are new growth hairs, as opposed to breakage from my braids. The ends look like it. I’ve also noticed confident grey coily hairs have sprung up, so that is a positive sign that it is a growth/ thickness spurt- even if some are grey (I’m not ready).

Moisturising at more frequent intervals does bring more build-up. I need to be more active when applying, so that I am not really doing anything to my roots but massage. I like watery/ lotion-y leave-ins as the L in my braids moisturising routine. I’ve run through several bottles of the Amika Hydrating leave in. I like it, but that bottle is way too small for my usage. I am more consistent when I have something I can spray into my braids. I’m repurposing the bottles while I wait to re-up.

How is your consistency?
Better

Extending grace to you?
Yes, always.

 

[ScorpioLove]

How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?

my end aren’t terrible considering how long it has been since a proper trim. I’ve been searching and destroying/ micro trimming for a while.

I decided to go to a salon next week to get a reset because I have been wanting that for a while. Im getting a trim, blow out and a Kerastase in salon treatment which I’ve been wanting to try. I’ve been able to find most salon only products from every other brand but they must be super strict on distribution.
I met the stylist and he had type 3 fine hair so i hope it goes well. It would be so nice to get pampered once in a while. They are located close by which is another bonus.


Have you had any epiphanies?
I always twist my hair from left to right when I put my hair in a claw clip. I’m probably sub consciously doing other things like that too. The left side has been shorter than the right since I could remember so there must be some thing else I’m doing as well since claw clips are more recent for me.

It has also been helpful to read / watch more fine hair/ smedium density people (there aren’t that many). The longer hair folks on yt tend to have thicker strands no matter what hair type.

Have you set bolder goals?

nope, but once this baby is out and I’m out of the shedding phase, I definitely will. I want to have thick ends and everything else will come eventually.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
length is my ultimate goal but it just can’t be my priority right now. 2026 definitely going to restart

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?

I need to wash my hair 2x a week. It solves so many issues (tangles in particular) for me when I get that extra water/ conditioning and in examining my scalp by day 3/4, my hair follicles start accumulating a lot of wax. Perhaps when I go a long time without clarifying that makes it worse and I ran out of that shampoo months ago but hadn’t restocked. I clarified on Friday so I’ll have to check my scalp microscope tomorrow to see if that made the difference.

My first journey, I was rinsing mostly daily/ wet bunning since I was in a hot environment and in college so I didn’t have to look as put together. i also used the sulfur based “virgin hair fertilizer“ which smelled incredibly terrible but kept my scalp ‘clean’. That was the only time in my life I could say I was waist length (although probably needed more thickness). I can’t exactly do those things anymore. So replacing the sulfur with more frequent moisturing shampoo and conditioning 2x a week is the best I have for now. I’m really excited for summer since I have less issues washing/ drying in the summer.

How is your consistency?

Getting better but not where it should be. I always forget my bonnet and I lay down on the couch a lot (yes I know, bad). I recently did an oil treatment which I skipped for a few weeks unintentionally. My energy levels are inconsistent so when I feel the mood strikes, I hop on it.


Extending grace to you?
definitely