Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2026

[faithVA]

Bond treatments are the most dangerous products for my hair. I just can't use them. I've tried a couple and each time, I have had a serious hair set-back. The first one left a sink full of broken hairs in the sink. All the hairs were the exact same length. I realized that the bond product was so drying to my hair that it popped off the cuticle layers of my hair strands. The second bond treatment was too harsh and it disintegrated my hair over a four month period. I do not think bond products are bad and I do not think they should be avoided. I just think they are bad for my hair and should be avoided by me.

I've learned that there is no such thing as an innocuous hair care product, as it pertains to my hair. I used to think that only relaxer products were to be approached lightly. Not anymore. My hair is so sensitive that even the wrong shampoo choice can set my hair back with extreme dryness after the wash. Or, worse case scenario, usher in another breakage cycle.

Part of the joy of hair care for me was trying different products. But, I have learned that I have to choose from the immediate and short-term gratification of using a new product, or maintaining the health and length of my hair for the long-term, using tried and true products.

I'm tired of setbacks and watching years of care and attention destroyed by a wrong 'new' product choice. I'm grieving the loss of being able to 'experiment' and try new products. But a set-back, from my poor product choice- for my particular hair type, is worse and far more grievous.

Sorry to hear about your issues with bond products. One of the things this particular stylist stresses is understanding when a product is needed. Both bond builders and protein treatments are only for certain situations. And bond builders are primarily for hair that has been stressed by chemicals or heat or other things.

Using those things when not needed can have adverse affects. But when needed, using a quality one can make a big difference.

 

[Chicoro]

T

Sorry to hear about your issues with bond products. One of the things this particular stylist stresses is understanding when a product is needed. Both bond builders and protein treatments are only for certain situations. And bond builders are primarily for hair that has been stressed by chemicals or heat or other things.

Using those things when not needed can have adverse affects. But when needed, using a quality one can make a big difference.

Thank you so much for acknowledging my situation.

I agree with your statement about using only what you need when you need it.

I understand when I need protein and when to use it. I’m not willing to experiment on my hair to learn about bonding treatments.

My hair thrived before many of the bonding treatments came on the scene. So, I’m going to avoid them and stay blissfully ignorant to them and navigate my hair journey without them. I’m just going to have to accept this gap in my hair care knowledge.

I’ll watch, listen and learn from you all, from the sidelines.

 

[Yvette 2.0]

@Yvette 2.0 , I believe it was you, I promised a write up about bond-builders versus protein treatments. When I'm speaking of protein treatments, I'm referring to the basic treatments we tend to do a home. This wouldn't be referring to full blown, in-salon keratin treatments. Anyway.

I watched the video again and took notes. Will be interesting to see what your stylist says.
Let me know if you want me to clarify anything. I tried to summarize it because there were a lot of points.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bond Builder: Primary Purpose is to help the hair become stronger by addressing internal damage
Protein Treatment: Primary Purpose is to help the hair act stronger

Some hair may need both but used at different times for different reasons. They are not interchangeable

Protein Treatment - external, immediate
--gives support to the structure the hair already has.
--use when hair feels: weak, overly stretch, breaks during styling or hair doesn't hold up well between shampoos for stretched, heated, out styles
--can help the hair feel firmer, less floppy and easier to style
--it is support, not repair; it does not rebuild damage
--may help hair feel better and perform better immediately
--stiff hair after treatment may indicate that the hair did not need protein or that it needs more moisture/protein balance
--is meant to provide immediate results
--performance: looks, feels, behaves, handles stress
--can provide a temporary reinforcement immediately after a heat or chemical treatment to help the hair immediately after it has been stressed, to help the hair behave better right now.


Bond Treatment - internal, over time
--internal damage is not immediately noticeable but shows up over time.
--focus is on repairing internal damage caused by chemical services, heat, long-term wear & tear or other stressors
--reinforces what is happening with the hair strand
--provides internal results which are seen over time and not immediately
--over time should result in less breakage, length retention and handles styles better over time
--integrity: survive stress
--with chemicals and heat, can strengthen the internal structure of the hair and help the hair survive over time
--used for maintenance for hair that is routinely under stress

Very helpful! Many thanks! K18 has worked well for me, so now I know how to think of it, especially compared to regular protein treatments.

 

[faithVA]

Very helpful! Many thanks! K18 has worked well for me, so now I know how to think of it, especially compared to regular protein treatments.

K-18 works well for me as well. I used protein for years in various formats. But when I did the 4 to 6 back to back applications, on that last application, there was a definitive change in my hair. I noticed a difference during the 1st use but they last application changed my hair. I had been coloring my hair for a couple of years by then so it really needed some help.

I'm glad I finally delivered (lol). Can check something off my list

 

[Yvette 2.0]

K-18 works well for me as well. I used protein for years in various formats. But when I did the 4 to 6 back to back applications, on that last application, there was a definitive change in my hair. I noticed a difference during the 1st use but they last application changed my hair. I had been coloring my hair for a couple of years by then so it really needed some help.

I'm glad I finally delivered (lol). Can check something off my list

That's very encouraging to hear. Also, I'm never in a rush about these things. We'll, I guess I should say if I ever am in a rush, I'll ask.

Thanks again!

 

[snoop]

I saw this on the Hercules Sagemann website. I kind of want it just to say that I have it, but I don't think it would work on highly textured hair.

The video of how to use it is in this link:
https://www.hercules-saegemann.de/splissart/

 

[Chicoro]

I saw this on the Hercules Sagemann website. I kind of want it just to say that I have it, but I don't think it would work on highly textured hair.

The video of how to use it is in this link:
https://www.hercules-saegemann.de/splissart/


View attachment 507808

It will work beautifully on heat straightened hair! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Chicoro]

Update for the Month Of January 2026
Posted on February 8th, 2026


I made some fenugreek oil. I made a MISTAKE. I bought coffee grounds because the store I was in did not have whole beans. It made my hair DIRTY. Never again. I learned my lesson. I have to re-sprout my fenugreek and make me some more oil from scratch.

Also, I lost two WHOLE curls. That's okay because the rest of my hair did not break. I can see my hair is gaining length again. My trim date is the end of April 2026. Repeating to myself, "Ms. Chicoro, this is ONE whole year from your last trim. Don't be crying if your hair doesn't turn out the way you hope, want and expect."

I have some Shea butter mixed with coconut oil on my counter, sitting here waiting to be mixed down. I would like to get some lemongrass essential oil to put in it. Of course, I do not have any right now. But I can get me some later.



How are you progressing?
I'm feeling good about my hair and my hair progress. I just finger detangled my hair and pulled out the shedded hairs. The ends look okay. My hair is powder puff soft. I usually get lint wrapped up in my hair and I can't separate it out. That has minimized and I think I found maybe two pieces of lint in my hair,


What are those ends looking like?
My ends look like they need a trim due to the varying lengths but there are no major splits. The ends of my hair feel good. They do not feel dry, brittle or like Brillo pads.

Have you had any epiphanies?
Yes, but more in the form of a reminder.
I learned that I can wash the ends of my hair in between whole had washes. This will help me with my lint problem in my hair. So, I really liked this idea that I learned from Ms.Mississippi on YouTube.

I was reminded that women who retain lots of healthy length on afro-textured hair are Masters or Mistresses at protecting and preserving the ends of their hair. They go above and beyond protective styling. And, they are consistent.

Have you set bolder goals?
I'm starting to get my hair confidence back as my hair has finally stopped breaking after YEARS of breaking due to different causes. All of which were SELF inflicted by me, onto my own hair.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
No. I can see my hair dropping down to longer lengths and gaining thickness at those longer lengths. I am keeping it simple and trying not to do anything new or different. Because I am super and uber tired of set-backs.

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
The first set back I had was when I over trimmed my hair. I took off about 10 to 12 inches over a course of a couple of days trimming. Years of health, growth and care gone in a matter of moments. It took me until 2025 to get confident at trimming and good at it enough so I like my own trimmed result. That was a great feeling of success.

The next setback for me was when my one braid turned in on itself and knotted. I couldn't believe that happened. I had to cut away about 3 to 4 inches. I have never had an entire thick braid get knotted.

The last setback I had was when I used a bond product and it literally disintegrated my hair. What I learned is that EVERY product must be treated with respect and wariness as it were a relaxer, no matter how innocuous the product may seem. My hair was FINALLY getting back to its pre-trim length when I put on the bonding product. BUT, I learned that it was beloved Queen Shea that got me back to that link before I put in that bonding product and the sprouted fenugreek oil helped too. Both of these are coming back into my hair life as I get settled back into my routine here in the US.

So it's full circle. I am actually headed toward my longest length I had which was when I first left the United States for France. Interestingly, I am approaching that length again as I reintegrate back into the US.

How is your consistency?
Meh, it could be better. I am slipping on my trims. But, at lease I am cognizant of it and am bracing myself for the outcome in April. Actually, I'm open to what comes. The one thing I do consistently is keep my ends protected.

Extending grace to you?
This has been the best thing I've learned to do. It's been a long time coming. It makes life so much more pleasant when one just relaxes and stops riding oneself. Extending grace to myself has been a big part of my joy cultivation.

 

[Chicoro]

 

[Chicoro]

It's February already! The year is out the GATE! Will your healthy hair growth be out the gate, too? Hmmm? Especially if you take care of those luscious ends! So, what do you say? Come wit' it!

 

[Chicoro]

Interesting video about bonding hair products just published today on YouTube.

Lots of, if not mostly positive comments, especially about K18.

The part that interested me starts at 16:11, where she specifically references Olaplex. She describes what I learned the hard way in practice: Olaplex can coat the hair and block out water, which is moisture for my hair. It dehydrates the hair or ushers the hair to dehydration. The coating adds roughness and coated, rough, dehydrated, afro-textured hair is a recipe for disaster. A recipe in which I indulged and got hair sick.


Starts at 16:11
"Some people find that their hair seems to get worse with Olaplex. It feels rough and it breaks more. What's likely happening there is it's just not conditioning enough for their hair, so the hair surface isn't smooth enough. The formula also has proteins which stick to the surface and add to the roughness. That roughness means it gets snagged on stuff and breaks.

On top of that hair science is a mess because hair is diverse and damage is also diverse. So. something that works on hair damaged by bleach might not work on natural coily hair that is damaged by brushing."

How Do Bond Work? The Science
by Lab Muffin




So the important question I got is what @faithVA already answered. That, you need to know what KIND of damage you have. Because as the video stated, all damage is not equal.

Thus, based upon my current understanding, bonding products seem to do BEST on chemically damaged hair. Hair that is primarily mechanically damaged and that is natural, may not benefit from a hair bonding product. In fact, as was the case for me, a hair bonding product may usher in new damage. Hair bonding products may not be formulated for the purpose and benefit of natural hair.

Know Thyself. Know Thy Hair.

 

[faithVA]

Interesting video about bonding hair products just published today on YouTube.

Lots of, if not mostly positive comments, especially about K18.

The part that interested me starts at 16:11, where she specifically references Olaplex. She describes what I learned the hard way in practice: Olaplex can coat the hair and block out water, which is moisture for my hair. It dehydrates the hair or ushers the hair to dehydration. The coating adds roughness and coated, rough, dehydrated, afro-textured hair is a recipe for disaster. A recipe in which I indulged and got hair sick.


Starts at 16:11
"Some people find that their hair seems to get worse with Olaplex. It feels rough and it breaks more. What's likely happening there is it's just not conditioning enough for their hair, so the hair surface isn't smooth enough. The formula also has proteins which stick to the surface and add to the roughness. That roughness means it gets snagged on stuff and breaks.

On top of that hair science is a mess because hair is diverse and damage is also diverse. So. something that works on hair damaged by bleach might not work on natural coily hair that is damaged by brushing."

How Do Bond Work? The Science
by Lab Muffin




So the important question I got is what @faithVA already answered. That, you need to know what KIND of damage you have. Because as the video stated, all damage is not equal.

Thus, based upon my current understanding, bonding products seem to do BEST on chemically damaged hair. Hair that is primarily mechanically damaged and that is natural, may not benefit from a hair bonding product. In fact, as was the case for me, a hair bonding product may usher in new damage. Hair bonding products may not be formulated for the purpose and benefit of natural hair.

Know Thyself. Know Thy Hair.

Im glad you found something that broke it down and gave a fuller explanation.

 

[snoop]

Update for the Month Of January 2026
Posted on February 8th, 2026


I made some fenugreek oil. I made a MISTAKE. I bought coffee grounds because the store I was in did not have whole beans. It made my hair DIRTY. Never again. I learned my lesson. I have to re-sprout my fenugreek and make me some more oil from scratch.

Also, I lost two WHOLE curls. That's okay because the rest of my hair did not break. I can see my hair is gaining length again. My trim date is the end of April 2026. Repeating to myself, "Ms. Chicoro, this is ONE whole year from your last trim. Don't be crying if your hair doesn't turn out the way you hope, want and expect."

I have some Shea butter mixed with coconut oil on my counter, sitting here waiting to be mixed down. I would like to get some lemongrass essential oil to put in it. Of course, I do not have any right now. But I can get me some later.

Was the loss of your curls due to the oil?

 

[Chicoro]

Was the loss of your curls due to the oil?

No, not at all. It was due to not detangling well. There was some gumminess in the hair. By the time I spotted the problem, the hair had already broken off. I need to ensure I thoroughly detangle with my fingers. I missed this small, section. It happens. Thank you for asking.

 

[Chicoro]

All is quiet on the Western Front.

Hello out there!

I think everyone is super busy...

I hope those hair ends are doing okay!

 

[faithVA]

OK Ladies. The end of February is near and its a good opportunity to take note and make changes or stay the course.

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?

 

[faithVA]

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

I really have no idea. My coils are so tight and clingy, it is really difficult to get a gauge on what is happening from week to week and month to month.
I'm just going to have to wait it out until the end of March to see what is going on

Have you had any epiphanies?
None that I can think of.

Have you set bolder goals?
No. Maybe reframing them some. I care more about styling options versus length. And I'm not sure how the styles I want to wear correlate with length. Initially, I just want to put my hair in large twists, pull them together and tuck the ends. Maybe that is APL.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
Same answer as above.

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
That I don't need to blot water off my hair with a towel. My hair is never dripping wet, so not sure why I was bothering with that step. I just wick the water off my hair with my hands and that way I'm not removing water from my hair that I can't afford to give up.

I'm trying out different things with my leave-in and moisturizer step to see if I can determine the right products and the right layering.

How is your consistency?
Weekly as usual. No change.

Extending grace to you?
Yep.

 

[ScorpioLove]

It’s been a bit but I am alive. Having our baby took so much out of me but slowly crawling out from that rock. the braids i did before labor absolutely wrecked my hair and basically i am starting over. not surprised just disappointed. a segment of my hair burnt off when the stylist put fire to the braids for some reason. there’s still some longish sections but eventually will be cutting them. i’m thinking i’ve got about 6-8 inches of healthy hair to start from.


How are you progressing? What are those ends looking like?
ends are pretty shot in some sections. the hair that wasn’t relaxed faired better to the neglect so there’s that. i’ll probably be natural for a bit out of necessity and if we have a second kid since my relaxed hair clearly noped out of being neglected. it’s been hard to have a routine in our temporary living situation. i resumed at least attempts at weekly washing about 6 weeks post partum. 2x a week is the goal but generally not going to do anything till we move later this year.


Have you had any epiphanies?
not an epiphany exactly but just think it’s crazy for all the hard work to go down the drain over maybe 3 -4 months of a break. my hair is fine in texture but i was hoping it’d be at least a little more resilient. my hair needs products lik oils, leave ins, conditioners etc constantly.

Have you set bolder goals?
my goal is to try to maintain weekly washing till we move. a few times i left it for two weeks and it was such misery detangling and breakage wise. it’s just been hard with the baby. goals are quick wash days, cleanish scalp, and non tangled hair.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
any length goal is pointless atm.

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
what i was doing pre pregnancy really did make a difference. going from bsl to probably ear length once i cut definitely sucks.
maybe i’ll manage natural hair a bit better with the products ive been using to help with detangling. i dont know i want to be natural forever especially since it would take like 6 hours every weekend. 5 months would have been the perfect time to relax but i dont feel comfortable doing it during pregnancy.

i rediscovered a product in my stash that i didnt really need anymore while relaxed - the incredible reshaping lotion in my kerastase stash. i will see if there’s a cheaper version out there with the same top 3 ingredients ( water beeswax and dimethicone). works really well with my rev air and the kenra serum. it gets my hair pretty straight minimizing ssks. dealing with ssks again will really suck. that plus detangling time is why i couldn’t successfully stay natural. i’m thinking i should edit my routine in shower ( once im in my new place) to finish my hair with some leave in conditioner sprayed really thoroughly, some nourishing oil mix, then some coney oil on the ends like the chi one. that way i have products in my hair before it curls back in on itself. once i get my blow drying setup, i’ll add the reshaping lotion and kenra serum. the goal is to fully do my hair in 2 hours every time. that’s sustainable for me. back when i was washing 2x a week detangling was quicker so i would say eventually getting down to 1.5 hours total or maybe even an hour would be a dream.

also want to prepoo again one day and maybe monthly to deep condition with heat for 30 min. i just dont have time to hop in and out the shower like that any more. maybe i can deep condition before shampooing in the shower and a quick deep condition in shower? i’ll try a few variations and see what end up working for my lifestyle now.

How is your consistency?
not fantastic but getting better as LO gets older. it will improve once we move into our own space. it’s cramped where we are and i just don’t feel as motivated to do much.
the last time i felt i really took a normal wash day was may 2025…. i guess it’s been longer than i thought. everything was a blur after that.

Extending grace to you?
i probably need a lot of it.

 

[Chicoro]

@ScorpioLove

Hang in there! A new baby is new for a long time as they are ever changing. Your body is changing and healing, too. I hope you are able to get to your new, permanent place soon. Having your own private space is very important for one's well-being.

 

[Chicoro]

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

I really have no idea. My coils are so tight and clingy, it is really difficult to get a gauge on what is happening from week to week and month to month.
I'm just going to have to wait it out until the end of March to see what is going on

Have you had any epiphanies?
None that I can think of.

Have you set bolder goals?
No. Maybe reframing them some. I care more about styling options versus length. And I'm not sure how the styles I want to wear correlate with length. Initially, I just want to put my hair in large twists, pull them together and tuck the ends. Maybe that is APL.

Have you pulled back on some goals?
Same answer as above.

Have you had any realizations about your hair or your hair care practices?
That I don't need to blot water off my hair with a towel. My hair is never dripping wet, so not sure why I was bothering with that step. I just wick the water off my hair with my hands and that way I'm not removing water from my hair that I can't afford to give up.

I'm trying out different things with my leave-in and moisturizer step to see if I can determine the right products and the right layering.

How is your consistency?
Weekly as usual. No change.

Extending grace to you?
Yep.

It's the small things that make a difference. Wicking, or not wicking. Layering with product A as opposed to product B. There are a myriad of combinations and possibilities. Keep us posted.