Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2025

[keranikki]

My press lasted a week with all this working out I’m doing, lol. I’m currently pre-pooing my hair with The Doux co-wash (not a repurchase), Bask and Lather Hair Oil (not a repurchase), and Infusium 23 Leave-In (staple). I’m trying to use up products I found after my New Year cleaning/organize session.

I have decided to install small braids (no weave) and keep them in for the winter. I will tuck the ends by flat-twisting the braids into a bun.

 

[VarieYvette]

Perhaps I have overlooked it, but I don't see the link to the product you use to moisturize your hair. Is it in another previous post within this thead?

Thank you for the detail regarding your process.

Ooops, it seems like the linking did not work. Let me look for actual links to the products where I got them

https://www.takealot.com/the-perfect-hair-grow-on-the-go-leave-in-repair-cream-250ml/PLID91126669

https://www.takealot.com/the-perfect-hair-mango-marula-whipped-butter-250ml/PLID91126672

https://www.takealot.com/mpl-sure-2-gro-fermented-rice-water/PLID90124075

I hope you will be able to see them now. These products definitely work for me, and I think I will buy more from this line

 

[faithVA]

My hair still feels good. But I still want to pampering my ends so I stuck to my schedule. I sprayed my scalp and ends. I tried Mielle leave in one the bottom half of my hair instead of the hair milk. Then I added a bit of water. I just need to make it to Saturday.

 

[Chicoro]

So ahm...I want to know why nobody told me that Snoopy had afro textured hair?

You know Snoopy got that bathroom door on LOCK!

Just because he hang out with Charlie Brown and his crew of friends, doesn't mean that
Snoopy can't enjoy his literal and figurative 'ROOTS'.

Do, it Snoopy!

I wonder if he does his hair care routine on Saturdays, or during the day when Charlie Brown
is at school struggling to hear that muffled voice teacher of his.

Afro Puff's Snoopy style, ya'll!



Look at that blow-dry technique, the healthy distance he maintains from the actual fur.


The fur on the tail must be a bit coarser and able to withstand the more intense and closer
proximity of the hot air from the blow dryer.


He loving his private time alone with him and his fur. I think that collar around his neck may be
be causing a bit of thinness of fur in that area.



Look at that expertise he got with the brush, to lay that fur down straight. I didn't see
any heat protectant. So he must be doing something right to avoid heat damage
all these years.

I'm not sure why he's chosen to not wear his natural fur out. Perhaps one day he'll
embrace it publicly as much as he does so privately. But what do I know,
this could be his Private Joy and he just doesn't want to share it with the world.

 

[Chicoro]

I KNEW it! I knew she was a Shea butter user!



In her instagram post is the confirmation of the use Shea butter on her hair:

 

[GettingKinky]

I’m adding my starting photo for the year. My ends are starting off in good shape and I plan to keep them that way. Bunning for the win!

 

[Chicoro]

I’m adding my starting photo for the year. My ends are starting off in good shape and I plan to keep them that way. Bunning for the win!
View attachment 500798

Beautiful! Long, full with thick even and gorgeous ends. Congratulations!

 

[Chicoro]

I got my funnel a few days back. It is much larger than I anticipated and I like the quality. I bought it so I can strain and decant my oils faster and retain more oil. I don't like paper filters as they suck up too much oil and take forever to work.

I will try this out with my next batch of oil. My current batch will probably last about six (6) months. But we'll see. Thus far, I am glad I came upon this by accident and happy that I purchased it. Of course the real test will be when I use it. I feel confidant that it will be a positive experience, too.

 

[mzteaze]

Is there a requirement to protective style your hair with this challenge?

Also, how do I learn about the process for sprouting fenugreek?

 

[Chicoro]

Is there a requirement to protective style your hair with this challenge?

Also, how do I learn about the process for sprouting fenugreek?

There are no requirements. We are here to learn and help one another. If you talk about a wolf, it still works. Why? Because if you feel the need to mention something or ask something in this thread, there is a reason. It comes BACK to the topic at hand some how, some way, ALWAYS. You are free to be yourself.

To sprout fenugreek, get a jar, a rubber band and a raggedy stocking or nylon knee hi.

Take 1 tablespoon of fenugreek. Put the seeds in the jar. Put in enough baby bath warm water to submerge the seeds. Put in that same quantify of water again to double the water. Stretch the knee high over the mouth of the jar and secure with a rubberband. This is your cover. Block out light on the jar of seeds by putting a dish cloth over the jar if it is on your kitchen counter. Or, put the seeds in a dark closet.

Leave them to soak for 24 hours. The seeds will just look wet.

Next, rinse the seeds with warmish but NOT hot water.

Drain the seeds of the water.

Put back in dark place.

Do this until they sprout.

Should sprout within 3 days.

Expert: Thread expert @newgrowth15

 

[Chicoro]

HEY Everybody,

Do YOU know your hair's growing pattern? If so, what is it?

 

[GettingKinky]

double post

 

[GettingKinky]

Here are the changes I’m going to implement going forward to be nicer/gentler to my hair. Gentleness and hydration are my themes for 2025

• start using Briogeo DDR conditioner (not the mask). I also have to finish up my Cecred conditioner
• Continue sleeping with hair in loose bun to keep the ends from tangling
• Start using Briogeo super food avocado deep conditioner
• Stop using detangling brush when wearing a bun
• Keep “washing” 2x a week but only use shampoo 1x

 

[Chicoro]

Here are the changes I’m going to implement going forward to be nicer/gentler to my hair. Gentleness and hydration are my themes for 2025

• start using Briogeo DDR conditioner (not the mask). I also have to finish up my Cecred conditioner
• Continue sleeping with hair in loose bun to keep the ends from tangling
• Start using Briogeo super food avocado deep conditioner
• Stop using detangling brush when wearing a bun
• Keep “washing” 2x a week but only use shampoo 1x

Why? What's the logic behind each of these changes represented by these steps, please?

 

[pikkonoloidlee]

HEY Everybody,

Do YOU know your hair's growing pattern? If so, what is it?

I haven't heard this before. Can you provide some clarity on the meaning? I feel like I know various qualities of my hair but I'm not always aware of the terms used to describe them.

 

[Chicoro]

I haven't heard this before. Can you provide some clarity on the meaning? I feel like I know various qualities of my hair but I'm not always aware of the terms used to describe them.

For example,

The hair at the back of my nape, in the middle drops down in length. It drops anywhere from 2 to 4 inches longer than the bulk. It looks like I have a little tail.

Then it WAITS there. Then, the rest of the hair in back drops down to close to or at that same length. The front of my hair grows slower or it seems, than the rest of my hair.

@faithVA and @GettingKinky both have hair that gains length from the crown, or center of the head, first. Then, once that hair gets to a certain length, usually close to the bulk of their hair, the back and sides of their hair start to drop in length and get longer. Then, their hair in the back 'waits' and their crown areas drop in length again. And the cycle repeats.


It's a matter of observing your own hair. Literally watching what one's hair does. It takes a trim or two and couple of growing cycles after each trim to see one's growth pattern. BUT, if you hair is damaged and having micro-breakage, these things could conceal what your hair is doing.

Hope that helps.

If you have pictures of your loosened hair, in about two to four different photos, in the same position, it may possible for us to see your growth cycle, too.

 

[GettingKinky]

Why? What's the logic behind each of these changes represented by these steps, please?

I have 2 goals for this year. 1) be gentler with my hair and 2) infuse more moisture into my hair.

• start using Briogeo DDR conditioner (not the mask). I also have to finish up my Cecred conditioner

This conditioner seems more moisturizing than the conditioner I’ve been using for the last few years. I’m trying to infuse more moisture in my hair to see if it will become “heavier” when it’s blown out. Also when my stylist did a steam treatment and said I was the only person she’d ever seen whose hair absorbed ALL the water, it made me think my hair must be parched

• Continue sleeping with hair in loose bun to keep the ends from tangling

This is to try to better protect my ends so I can retain more length

• Start using Briogeo super food avocado deep conditioner

This is a protein free deep conditioner. I love their protein deep conditioner, but I want something I can use as much as I want as part of my effort to infuse more moisture in my hair.

• Stop using detangling brush when wearing a bun

This is part of my gentleness effort. When I wear a bun I don’t need my hair as smooth or my curls as clumped as when I wear a wash n go. In my effort to be more gentle with my hair I’m going to minimize the use of the brush. I don’t think it causes much damage, but I’m sure it’s more than my wide tooth comb

• Keep “washing” 2x a week but only use shampoo 1x

This is also part of my effort to be gentler to my hair. When I wore wash n gos the cleaner my hair the better they looked. When that was my routine I would shampoo once a week each time I would use an all purpose shampoo followed by a moisture poo. But now that I’m bunning, I want to use shampoo less. I will still “wash” my hair 2x a week to get more water in my hair but only use a shampoo once a week. And a just a moisture shampoo.

 

[Chicoro]

I have 2 goals for this year. 1) be gentler with my hair and 2) infuse more moisture into my hair.

• start using Briogeo DDR conditioner (not the mask). I also have to finish up my Cecred conditioner

This conditioner seems more moisturizing than the conditioner I’ve been using for the last few years. I’m trying to infuse more moisture in my hair to see if it will become “heavier” when it’s blown out. Also when my stylist did a steam treatment and said I was the only person she’d ever seen whose hair absorbed ALL the water, it made me think my hair must be parched

• Continue sleeping with hair in loose bun to keep the ends from tangling

This is to try to better protect my ends so I can retain more length

• Start using Briogeo super food avocado deep conditioner

This is a protein free deep conditioner. I love their protein deep conditioner, but I want something I can use as much as I want as part of my effort to infuse more moisture in my hair.

• Stop using detangling brush when wearing a bun

This is part of my gentleness effort. When I wear a bun I don’t need my hair as smooth or my curls as clumped as when I wear a wash n go. In my effort to be more gentle with my hair I’m going to minimize the use of the brush. I don’t think it causes much damage, but I’m sure it’s more than my wide tooth comb

• Keep “washing” 2x a week but only use shampoo 1x

This is also part of my effort to be gentler to my hair. When I wore wash n gos the cleaner my hair the better they looked. When that was my routine I would shampoo once a week each time I would use an all purpose shampoo followed by a moisture poo. But now that I’m bunning, I want to use shampoo less. I will still “wash” my hair 2x a week to get more water in my hair but only use a shampoo once a week. And a just a moisture shampoo.

Thanks for responding and thank you for responding in such great detail!

 

[pikkonoloidlee]

For example,

The hair at the back of my nape, in the middle drops down in length. It drops anywhere from 2 to 4 inches longer than the bulk. It looks like I have a little tail.

Then it WAITS there. Then, the rest of the hair in back drops down to close to or at that same length. The front of my hair grows slower or it seems, than the rest of my hair.

@faithVA and @GettingKinky both have hair that gains length from the crown, or center of the head, first. Then, once that hair gets to a certain length, usually close to the bulk of their hair, the back and sides of their hair start to drop in length and get longer. Then, their hair in the back 'waits' and their crown areas drop in length again. And the cycle repeats.


It's a matter of observing your own hair. Literally watching what one's hair does. It takes a trim or two and couple of growing cycles after each trim to see one's growth pattern. BUT, if you hair is damaged and having micro-breakage, these things could conceal what your hair is doing.

Hope that helps.

If you have pictures of your loosened hair, in about two to four different photos, in the same position, it may possible for us to see your growth cycle, too.

I unfortunately do not have too many pics of my hair but I believe my growth pattern may be similar to yours. I've always noticed that my nape is the fastest to grow and tends to hang down more. (I call it a mullet lol.) Sometimes I have trimmed it to keep it closer to the bulk of my hair while I wait for the rest of my hair to catch up. The front is usually the shortest. It's always in stages back to front and then it evens out over time.

I think it is kind of visible in the photos I attached but also kind of not because I also have to mitigate damage due to bleaching.

Feb 2018 mostly even but the nape was maybe 1-2" longer than the bulk at that time. Dec 2018 nape really grew and retained length more than the rest and I had layers. Sep 2019 evened out again.

 

[Chicoro]

I unfortunately do not have too many pics of my hair but I believe my growth pattern may be similar to yours. I've always noticed that my nape is the fastest to grow and tends to hang down more. (I call it a mullet lol.) Sometimes I have trimmed it to keep it closer to the bulk of my hair while I wait for the rest of my hair to catch up. The front is usually the shortest. It's always in stages back to front and then it evens out over time.

I think it is kind of visible in the photos I attached but also kind of not because I also have to mitigate damage due to bleaching.

Feb 2018 mostly even but the nape was maybe 1-2" longer than the bulk at that time. Dec 2018 nape really grew and retained length more than the rest and I had layers. Sep 2019 evened out again.

Wow, that color is FABULOUS and so so pretty!

I'd say you are in a GREAT position as you do KNOW your hair's growing pattern. That is priceless and very valuable information. Now, you can leverage and optimize it.

I have found that I can hold on to the 'mullet' or tail in the back if I don't allow the care to get more than 4 inches longer than the bulk. I 'hold' the longer 'lead hairs' there with trims or micro-trims until the bulk drops down to meet that longer section.

Then, I let that longer section drop down in length again and repeat.

I try to NEVER cut that lead hair off and back up to the bulk. I HOLD it at the longer length and let the bulk COME to that longer section.

Most stylist do the opposite. They trim back those longer lengths, and put those once longer lengths farther up the back, closer to the neck, so that it is cut to the same length of the bulk.

 

[pikkonoloidlee]

Wow, that color is FABULOUS and so so pretty!

I'd say you are in a GREAT position as you do KNOW your hair's growing pattern. That is priceless and very valuable information. Now, you can leverage and optimize it.

I have found that I can hold on to the 'mullet' or tail in the back if I don't allow the care to get more than 4 inches longer than the bulk. I 'hold' the longer 'lead hairs' there with trims or micro-trims until the bulk drops down to meet that longer section.

Then, I let that longer section drop down in length again and repeat.

I try to NEVER cut that lead hair off and back up to the bulk. I HOLD it at the longer length and let the bulk COME to that longer section.

Most stylist do the opposite. They trim back those longer lengths, and put those once longer lengths farther up the back, closer to the neck, so that it is cut to the same length of the bulk.

Thank you. I am hoping to go back purple in maybe a year or so.

I've noticed if my nape gets too far away from my length that the stands become singled out and then they become prone to breakage. That was an interesting find to me because usually my nape is one of the hardiest parts of my hair. I never quite tracked an extract measurement but it is something I consider when I notice it really out pacing the rest of my hair.

I only go to stylists once a year or less. I do notice that they tend to have a certain idea of the perfect hair cut and sometimes they can end up cutting off healthy hair to make it blunt but if they do that I can end up not retaining any length. Looking back I do think that led to me not retaining length when I saw stylists more often when I was younger.

 

[GettingKinky]

I can’t remember if I shared this before, but the density, the length and the health of her hair is all to die for. Her ends are perfection.

 

[faithVA]

HEY Everybody,

Do YOU know your hair's growing pattern? If so, what is it?

When I start from a twa or shaved head my hairball grows about the same length at the same time up to about 3 or 4 inches. After that the perimeter of my hair grows at its normal growth rate and the remainder slows down. I typically end up with a mullet and long sides around my ears.

Then when my perimeter and front reach my chin they slow down and the remainder of my hair grows to catch up.

Just around grazing shoulder things start syncing up again.

I don't really know what happens when I reach full shoulder. When I was relaxed I always kept my front short and since natural I've always had a setback before reaching full shoulder. We will find out in 2025.

 

[keranikki]

HEY Everybody,

Do YOU know your hair's growing pattern? If so, what is it?

My hair grows in layers every 90 days from back to front. The nape grows the fastest upfront, then slows down around day 60. The rest of the hair spends the next 30 days catching up, then the cycle starts over. During mid to late summer, I get a boost of growth, which allows my hair to grow evenly for approximately 45-50 days before going back to its normal cycle. Now that I think about it, I should use this time to really nourish my body to support my Summer 2025 growth spurt.

 

[Chicoro]

2025 is the year of Gazelle Intensity for Your Hair and Luscious Ends.


So survey the landscape. Get an overview of your overall hair situation.

Identify and intensely and unrelentlessly FOCUS on your goals.

Have some fun with and while pursuing your hair end goals.

Work in cohorts and in concert with one another to optimize the knowledge and power of the whole over the sum of the parts.

Lastly, continue to run hard and hold fast to your goal in 2025 with gazelle (or antelope ) intensity.
Go, Girl, go!

Remain vigilant because that set-back 'cheetah' can come out of nowhere
and you got to do all you can to avoid it or escape it. If you manage to
get away if he catches you, do your damage control as best as you can.

Good luck and stay safe!

 

[Chicoro]

This is similar to Apogee Tea Tree Leave-In. I paid about 1.85 per bottle.

I find the BYPHASSE easier and cheap. It's right down the street at like a dollar store place called ACTION in France.

This is NOT a new addition to my process but something I have been using since the beginning of 2024 regularly so I know it is part of my successful hair care routine. I use it 1 x per week.

I undo braids and put hair in bantus. Then, I wet hair with warm water in a spray bottle. Then I spray this throughout, grease up the ends with Vaseline and re-bantu, put on plastic cap. I leave on until Monday morning when I undo bantus and rebraid hair, grease ends with Shea butter and roll up ends and go to work.

I doctor it up by adding other things like oil, ceramides, creatine and liquid or powdered keratin if I have it.

 

[Chicoro]

These bantus are not meant to be stylish or cute, just functional to protect and minimize manipulation so as not to have to handle the hair just to go out briefly.

I wore these bantus out yesterday to run some errands. They are not soaking wet but just misted with water and gelled.
The white particles in my hair are actually white points of light from gray hair strands or light reflecting off the metal bobby
pins I have in every bantu. There is no dandruff in my hair.


These bantus illuminate my progress due to my routine and products (Water, Clay mix, Fenugreek oil, Shea butter, Vaseline)

• Thickness and puffiness at the root that I can't lay down flat. This is good.
• Fewer broken short hairs visible.
• Wiry-ness of hair has greatly reduced.
• Shiniest on ends.
• Velcro-free ends at end of bantu.
• Micro breakage at roots and ends has decreased
• I can see the thickness and health returning to my hair.
• I can see the length returning indicated by the thickness of each bantu in the back.

My next blow out and trim are scheduled for end of April. I am treading very lightly with my
hair, processes and products. I used to add products on a whim, all over my head without
testing them on a section.

After losing so much hair from Olaplex, I change NOTHING in my hair routine without first
giving it great thought and trialing it. Olaplex set me back 5 years. That is NOT the product's
fault but my poor selection and implementation process. Everything is NOT for everybody.

I don't ever want a 15 dollar bottle of product or tool to set me back 5 years again. I am now even
more fiercely protective of my hair.

 

[Chicoro]

@snoop is this you at 1minute and 46 seconds?

 

[GettingKinky]

@Chicoro do you know how long in inches your hair is in your avatar photo? I think that’s my dream length.

 

[Chicoro]

@GettingKinky

I am not sure of the length in inches. But on my body it was bra-strap length. These were taken from my fotki album from October 2006.