Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2026

[Chicoro]

Thank you!

In November and December of last year, I bought the GHD Duet Blow Dry (which I love so much I got a second one while it was on sale for more than half off around black Friday) and used that back to back. From January, my press this week I didn't do anything special. Once a month I washed with Sedal ceremidas shampoo. I applied deep conditioner as though it were leave-in. The conditioners I used up these three months were Naturalle Mega Grow DC (used up..godo DC on my hair), Naturelle Indian Clay DC (used up not bad but not moisturizing enough for me), and I partially used a jar of Curl Mix Brown Sugar Baby DC(Loved this one the most out of the three, although the other two were good). After I applied my deep conditioner I layered my hair with an oil. I either used straight safflower oil or an oil mix of avocado, Haitian black castor oil, ashwaghanda, Fenugreek powder(from henna sooq, I haven't graduated to making my own like you ladies), and Chebe powder. I'd apply hair butter on my ends. Sometimes my hair butter was straight shea butter, other times a blend like Aethiopika from Qhemet Biologics or the H2Pro Healing butter shine. All the butters I used had a shea butter base. I twisted or braided my hair in 5-10 sections. I would unravel and swoop in a bang in the front after it finished air drying. I kept the rest of it on an updo or under a hat. If I wanted to skip a wash then I would rinse my hair and just apply more deep conditioner to it or a moisturiser and reseal with the oil and butter. One more thing. I co-washed from week to week but once a month I would shampoo and also detangle with the Olivia Garden CurlyHair Brush. My hair grew but I had more splits than I should have so it was a wash when I dusted off the straggly parts. I did enjoy my hair these past few months, so no complaints; but I expected more retention than where I landed.

Thank you for the detailed information. I appreciate the courtesy of taking the time to explain your process. I love details and getting into folks' [hair] business.

Your hair looks different to me.

So this was a December to March process that you newly implemented?

It's denser, thicker, darker and longer [based on the pictures I've seen].

To check my understanding, you did more oil and butter saturation than usual? Or, have you always done lots of oil an butter saturation as the end step of your hair process? My gut says no, no you did not always do this. But, you know your process and can correct me.

You are a Shea head. If I didn't e-know you, my Spidey Senses would be twitching because the hair is 'otherwordly' in its length, thickness and density. The marks of a Shea head.

But I think I know everything. So, I am looking forward to be enlightened!

 

[Chicoro]

Honestly I'm very pleased. It's starting to look a little frizzy tonight, but tomorrow is day 5 and still looking better than the previous week's day 1.

The thing that I believe made the biggest difference is smoothing the products into my hair between my palms.

Other things I think helped was the protein treatment I did the previous week, the HOTs I've done the two prior weeks, oil and protein both have smoothing properties, so I think they may have assisted.

Honestly, I've been fighting frizz since I stopped relaxing my hair almost 30 years ago. I don't think I have have been focused enough on the issue, or more like, I was focused on other stuff during other points of my HHJ. It feels so good to get here. I can make little tweaks here and there where I need to to improve on this new foundation.

I'm very glad I really got to know and understand my hair early on. It definitely makes it easier to think of solutions to my problems. I do feel confident in the breakthrough, confident in my processes and confident in the direction my hair and I are moving in.




It sure is! I'm glad to have gone back to my love.

30 years in the making, or getting to the solution and you are finally here! if that doesn't reflect the complexity of hair, I don't know what does! That's a super significant AHA!

 

[Chicoro]

I made some oil blends today, I made one to target growth, I infused this one with whole cloves, rosemary and mint. I may split it and add some onions to one half. I have a double boiler now, so it will help me to infused the onions on a low heat.

I used these oils:
Blackseed oil
Castor oil
Hempseed oil
Jojoba oil
Pumpkin seed oil
Sunflower oil

This is not one I'm making for myself but I do look forward to hearing the feedback

I made a blend for myself, no infusions just the blending of 10 different oils, I'm super excited to try this on washday. It looks good, I've got oils that helps with frizz so I'm expecting good things to happen on Sunday.

I saw @Lylddlebit post a silk durag in another thread. I think this might work better than a scarf because of the shape, as it's the front/top parts of my ponytail I want to smoothen. I'll use a scarf for now, but I intend to get one.

What's the hair challenge of the person for whom you are making the oil?

 

[Chicoro]

I think I am going to use my oil next week. It smells so sweet and pretty!

 

[Angel of the North]

What's the hair challenge of the person for whom you are making the oil?

Receding hair line and density reduction.

 

[Chicoro]

I redid my braids this morning. I also put on my layers and took my time. Then, I braided my hair really tightly. After that, I put my scarf on my head to lay down my hair. My hair came out so neat and pretty, with very little fuzzies or frizzies.

I have been super saturating my hair every day and covering my head at night for the last 20 + days. I am noticing some changes.

My hair is laying down better. It seems to elongate further. The moisture seems to penetrate deeper.

 

[Chicoro]

@Lylddlebit

I woke up with you and one other person in this thread at the top of my mind.

The image I got was that if your hair looks like it does now, I believe by December 2026 your hair will be thick and full half way past your behind. So, you may not have gotten the retention you expected this time around, but I believe it is coming, thick and full and beyond your expectations in December.

 

[Chicoro]

The other person I woke up with on my mind from this thread was @Angel of the North .

You mentioned 30 years and 5 days. You have been struggling with fuzzy hair for 30 days. As of now, you have arrived at five (5) days of hair that did not get fuzzy.

What came to mind for you is that I believe you are going to gain and retain at least four (4) inches by December. I don't know if that will get you to the goal length that you had in mind for yourself, though.

 

[Angel of the North]

The other person I woke up with on my mind from this thread was @Angel of the North .

You mentioned 30 years and 5 days. You have been struggling with fuzzy hair for 30 days. As of now, you have arrived at five (5) days of hair that did not get fuzzy.

What came to mind for you is that I believe you are going to gain and retain at least four (4) inches by December. I don't know if that will get you to the goal length that you had in mind for yourself, though.

Thank you for thinking of me IF I get 4 inches of growth with retention this year, I will have superseded my goal by somewhere between 1 - 1.5 inches

I'm definitely not playing this year. The things that could set me back are:

Protein overload: Low risk - I'm not too concerned by this because it's very unlikely to happen, I am also able to fix that relatively quickly if it did happen

My ends: High risk - This is where I need to remain vigilant and on top of my game. I need to baby, seal and protect my ends.

Falling off regimen: Low - medium risk - I'm back to loving wash days again so it's highly unlikely that this will happen unless for physical reasons, hence medium risk. In any case, my hair has spoken, and she says "Absolutely not!"

 

[Lylddlebit]

I made some oil blends today, I made one to target growth, I infused this one with whole cloves, rosemary and mint. I may split it and add some onions to one half. I have a double boiler now, so it will help me to infused the onions on a low heat.

I used these oils:
Blackseed oil
Castor oil
Hempseed oil
Jojoba oil
Pumpkin seed oil
Sunflower oil

This is not one I'm making for myself but I do look forward to hearing the feedback

I made a blend for myself, no infusions just the blending of 10 different oils, I'm super excited to try this on washday. It looks good, I've got oils that helps with frizz so I'm expecting good things to happen on Sunday.

I saw @Lylddlebit post a silk durag in another thread. I think this might work better than a scarf because of the shape, as it's the front/top parts of my ponytail I want to smoothen. I'll use a scarf for now, but I intend to get one.

Many I am about to get that too lol @Angel of the North & @GraceJones drafting that post talked me into it lol ha!