SmilingElephant's Hip-Tailbone Challenge 2026

[snoop]

So far I've tried shampoo bars from Chagrin Valley and another site called Nightblooming.

I like the bars from Nightblooming bc they are moisturizing and smell pretty good, to me. I got both the Lassëa shampoo and conditioner bars and I actually like them. I was surprised how well the conditioner bars worked in my hair.

I also bought the Triple Moon oil from them and it's pretty okay.

I had seen some yucca shampoos on Etsy, both liquid and bar form. I want to try one of them. I wonder if the yucca is strengthening though? I don't like too many strengthening products on my hair.

I'm not sure if the yucca shampoo would be strengthening, but I find that the herb itself is gentle and softening. I turned DH to a no-poo routine starting with yucca washes. I swear that it halted and slightly reversed his hair loss. I'm not sure if it was the herb or the lack of shampoo (I think he was using Head and Shoulders at the time.) His dry scalp issues also went away. I think that he can now go longer between washes. I'll also add that the pandemic also happened during that time and I think working from home relieved a lot of stress for him.

 

[SmilingElephant]

I'm not sure if the yucca shampoo would be strengthening, but I find that the herb itself is gentle and softening. I turned DH to a no-poo routine starting with yucca washes. I swear that it halted and slightly reversed his hair loss. I'm not sure if it was the herb or the lack of shampoo (I think he was using Head and Shoulders at the time.) His dry scalp issues also went away. I think that he can now go longer between washes. I'll also add that the pandemic also happened during that time and I think working from home relieved a lot of stress for him.

Okay now I really wanna try it!

 

[SmilingElephant]

Today I started off co washing, but then realized I had product build up and shampooed with L'Oreal Hyaluron Plump shampoo.

Then, I deep conditioned with Mixed Chicks deep conditioner while I did my girly thing in the shower.

Used Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Super Wet gel.

I noticed when I rinsed the Mixed Chicks conditioner out, my hair felt strengthened and kinda squeaky. I never had that problem before with it.

Anyway, here's a picture of my results. I guess it's growing. It feels like it's not but that may because I'm always constantly checking it. I need to go on a "No Check" challenge

ETA: I used my Bounce Curl brush to get the front ringlets. Otherwise those hairs do what they want lol

 

[25InchesStarting'25]

@SmilingElephant Ringlets in the front came out pretty!

 

[25InchesStarting'25]

Reggie Check
S - Henna 2 Step "Water Rinse" (No conditioners should be used when using Indigo)
M- S-CW
T - H-CW
W - S-CW
R - S-CW
F - S-CW
S - W

 

[SmilingElephant]

Thread Question: What Tools Do You Use On Your Hair?

I mostly finger comb, even though I have a lot of different brushes. If I do reach for a brush, my go to's are my CurlKeeper Flexi Brush and my BounceCurl defining brush (for my front curls).

 

[25InchesStarting'25]

Thread Question: What Tools Do You Use On Your Hair?

I mostly finger comb, even though I have a lot of different brushes. If I do reach for a brush, my go to's are my CurlKeeper Flexi Brush and my BounceCurl defining brush (for my front curls).

Hands, Pin Tail Combs for parting, RevAir for straightening, Flat Iron for length checks

 

[snoop]

Right now, only my fingers.

It's been over 3 years since I've used a comb or brush for detangling.

I do use a goat hair baby brush every once in a while to help distribute sebum along my hair after massaging.

 

[JoyBloom]

I saw one of my nephews a few weeks ago who has locs too. They were so cute! He said he never retwists, he just braids his roots every wash (once or twice a month) and after they dry, he wears it that way until the next wash. Well I tried his routine this past wash day and I think I’mma stick to this. I’ve only retwisted twice since loc’ing and disliked the process….but this…I can do.

 

[Theresamonet]

I'm trying to grow out my thin ends, so I've decided to keep trimming back to waist length throughout the year until my ends are full again. My sister says they look fine unless I’m wearing a hot pink shirt, but this is the worst they’ve ever looked, so my main priority is improving them. That said, I’m also hoping to squeeze out a few extra inches and get past waist length.

I’ll take an updated picture at the end of the month after my next trim.



Regimen:

• Texlax every 4-6 months
• Pre-poo, detangle, and wash every 7-10 days, followed by one of the following treatments:
  • Moisturizing deep conditioner (with heat)
  • Bond builder
  • Protein treatment
  • Amino acid treatment
  • Full henna treatment
  • Henna gloss
• Alternate between clarifying and moisturizing shampoos
• Scalp massage 3-4 times per week
• Scalp scrub/exfoliation 1-2 times per month
• Greenhouse Effect (GHE) every other night
• Moisturize and seal (M&S) every other night
• Protective styling 99% of the time (braided bun)
• Trim/search & destroy (S&D) every 12 weeks
• Heat (blow dry) only for trims

Main Changes This Year:

• No new products
• No scalp oiling except on wash day
• Transitioning from relaxing to texlaxing
• Avoiding middle parts in protective styles
• Focusing on consistency

 

[SmilingElephant]

I'm trying to grow out my thin ends, so I've decided to keep trimming back to waist length throughout the year until my ends are full again. My sister says they look fine unless I’m wearing a hot pink shirt, but this is the worst they’ve ever looked, so my main priority is improving them. That said, I’m also hoping to squeeze out a few extra inches and get past waist length.

I’ll take an updated picture at the end of the month after my next trim.

View attachment 502142

Regimen:

• Texlax every 4-6 months
• Pre-poo, detangle, and wash every 7-10 days, followed by one of the following treatments:
  • Moisturizing deep conditioner (with heat)
  • Bond builder
  • Protein treatment
  • Amino acid treatment
  • Full henna treatment
  • Henna gloss
• Alternate between clarifying and moisturizing shampoos
• Scalp massage 3-4 times per week
• Scalp scrub/exfoliation 1-2 times per month
• Greenhouse Effect (GHE) every other night
• Moisturize and seal (M&S) every other night
• Protective styling 99% of the time (braided bun)
• Trim/search & destroy (S&D) every 12 weeks
• Heat (blow dry) only for trims

Main Changes This Year:

• No new products
• No scalp oiling except on wash day
• Transitioning from relaxing to texlaxing
• Avoiding middle parts in protective styles
• Focusing on consistency

Welcome to the challenge!

I'm with you on the thin ends. I'm waiting to get to Hip and just trim there.

What do you use for exfoliating?

 

[Theresamonet]

Welcome to the challenge!

I'm with you on the thin ends. I'm waiting to get to Hip and just trim there.

What do you use for exfoliating?

I go between the Inkey List salicylic acid treatment and Kerastase Symbiose scalp scrub. The Kerastase Symbiose line is discontinued now, so I’ll just be repurchasing the Inkey List.

 

[MzSwift]

Your progress is fantastic @Theresamonet !!

I know you said that you're focused on the ends but I can see the improvement even from the scalp!

 

[25InchesStarting'25]

@SmilingElephant How is it going with daily co washing? I feel like it's been 2 months and it's only been a week and a half since I started I ready for APL so I can go back to DC 3 to 2 times weekly

 

[SmilingElephant]

@SmilingElephant How is it going with daily co washing? I feel like it's been 2 months and it's only been a week and a half since I started I ready for APL so I can go back to DC 3 to 2 times weekly

To be honest I haven't been keeping up. I've been in a bad depressive episode (I have Bipolar) and barely have the motivation to even get in the shower

I'm trying to motivate myself today to get in there and do it. My hair has been stuffed in my bonnet for 3 days now I talked with my therapist today...I've been in a deep depression.

 

[MzSwift]

@SmilingElephant

((BIG HUG))

 

[25InchesStarting'25]

To be honest I haven't been keeping up. I've been in a bad depressive episode (I have Bipolar) and barely have the motivation to even get in the shower

I'm trying to motivate myself today to get in there and do it. My hair has been stuffed in my bonnet for 3 days now I talked with my therapist today...I've been in a deep depression.

I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this at the moment, but you will come out of it soon, we are here for you and hope you feel better soon!

Do you exercise, listen to upbeat music, play instruments, research optimal healthy diets for you (diet can effect mood), are you able to be in the sun for an hour a day (wear zinc oxide sunblock on your body but especially your face)?

Do you ever do Knotless Braids, Twists, Traditional Braids, or other types of braids? This can give us a break for Co Washing daily which is a demanding schedule
I'm developing my braid regimen because I can't wait to take a break But I am sticking to the regimen to maintain accelerated growth

I was planning to braid my hair May 4th, keeping them in 3 weeks Max. Let me know if you want to be on a braid schedule together for the summer and we can discuss

 

[SmilingElephant]

I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this at the moment, but you will come out of it soon, we are here for you and hope you feel better soon!

Do you exercise, listen to upbeat music, play instruments, research optimal healthy diets for you (diet can effect mood), are you able to be in the sun for an hour a day (wear zinc oxide sunblock on your body but especially your face)?

Do you ever do Knotless Braids, Twists, Traditional Braids, or other types of braids? This can give us a break for Co Washing daily which is a demanding schedule
I'm developing my braid regimen because I can't wait to take a break But I am sticking to the regimen to maintain accelerated growth

I was planning to braid my hair May 4th, keeping them in 3 weeks Max. Let me know if you want to be on a braid schedule together for the summer and we can discuss

Thank you

I do everything to try and keep my mood up. I like listening to reggae and soca.

I had been going on power walks around my complex but the depression just really doubled down and I stopped everything.

I don't really even have an appetite I just eat so I don't die. I had been feeling suicidal also but I'm too scared to do anything to myself.

My hair doesn't do well with braids, they break my hair off and my hair gets frizzy within a week and it's a complete waste of time for me

Thank you ladies for your support, it means a lot. I try to keep it to myself but then it feels like I'm being eaten alive by a monster no one else can see...so I appreciate it.

Maybe I should call off the co-washing challenge.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Although, I did just shower and cowash a little while ago!

 

[25InchesStarting'25]

Thank you

I do everything to try and keep my mood up. I like listening to reggae and soca.

I had been going on power walks around my complex but the depression just really doubled down and I stopped everything.

I don't really even have an appetite I just eat so I don't die. I had been feeling suicidal also but I'm too scared to do anything to myself.

My hair doesn't do well with braids, they break my hair off and my hair gets frizzy within a week and it's a complete waste of time for me

Thank you ladies for your support, it means a lot. I try to keep it to myself but then it feels like I'm being eaten alive by a monster no one else can see...so I appreciate it.

Maybe I should call off the co-washing challenge.

Soca! Like your style

We can forget about the braids I agree, you should probably develop a regimen that is less demanding until you're feeling a lot better. Maybe wash 1-2x/wk, DC 1x/wk on a wash day, and bun the whole time
That's great you're staying active Push yourself to do 1 hour in the sun if you can. That is the best form of Vitamin D we can get that will improve so many cellular processes in our body, especially our immune system

Omgsh! Don't say that, you're going to be okay!Do you have your mom, a sister, or aunt around? If you believe in Jesus Christ, are you part of a church?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I have researched a lot on diet and it is a critical aspect to overall health and I encourage you to research this as well

This man suffered from depression for 10 years and was on many medications for depression and he said none of them helped. His life changed so much for the better (depression free and no longer on meds) he wants to make a documentary to help others who are suffering like he was before. You will not hear about this from a medical doctor in a traditional practice setting as of today, hopefully in the years to come. There are some doctors with private practices that do help their patients with this way of life, but there are not many. I have not watched all these videos, but have watched a video of his in the past where I will always remember his story of curing his clinical depression and getting off medications Please watch at least the first 4 videos and let me know what you think!

His Mission

https://youtu.be/z3GOHB1cS5w?feature=shared



His First 30 Days



Day 78



Personal Stories Of Others Curing Their Depression



https://youtu.be/z3GOHB1cS5w?feature=shared - JOURNEY WITH DEPRESSION AND COLITIS

 

[Theresamonet]

Your progress is fantastic @Theresamonet !!

I know you said that you're focused on the ends but I can see the improvement even from the scalp!

Thanks! I appreciate you saying that. I took those pictures for the EoY reveals for a different challenge, but I was so upset by how my ends looked that I didn’t even post them. I’ve since calmed down and feel hopeful about filling them in without having to cut back to APL. The ends are in good condition, so it didn’t make sense to chop that much. I only wear my hair like that for progress pictures anyway—it’s mostly bunned.

Also, most of the time when I see my hair, it looks like the photo below because I don’t use heat. So, I thought I was keeping the breakage I complained about last year under control. But these flat-ironed progress pictures keep surprising me. I can see the wispiness of the ends even in this photo, but I had attributed that to my ends being relaxed straight.



One good thing, though, is that I had thought my growth rate had slowed down, but these last progress pictures show that it didn’t. My growth pattern has just changed. I used to get a steady 0.5 inches per month all over my head, but now it slows down at times and increases at others. It’s also growing faster in the back now. I’m not sure what to attribute all of this to other than age and hormones.

 

[SmilingElephant]

My Mom just died in November. She and my Grandmother...her mom, died with 3 months of each other. I've been spiraling since they died.

I believe in God but I'm not religious. I have my own belief and honestly I've been doing a lot better since I let religion go and just believe in God as the Source of all energy...the Great Spirit. I respect the beliefs of others though.

Me without meds is a huge nono. I tried to go that route and I ended up in the psych ward twice.

I think I will follow the regimen you suggested though. And get some sunlight. I do sit on my balcony everyday...even on the days I can barely get out of bed. I'm actually feeling a little better today than I'd been feeling over the weekend.

Thank you for your concern

 

[25InchesStarting'25]

My Mom just died in November. She and my Grandmother...her mom, died with 3 months of each other. I've been spiraling since they died.

I believe in God but I'm not religious. I have my own belief and honestly I've been doing a lot better since I let religion go and just believe in God as the Source of all energy...the Great Spirit. I respect the beliefs of others though.

Me without meds is a huge nono. I tried to go that route and I ended up in the psych ward twice.

I think I will follow the regimen you suggested though. And get some sunlight. I do sit on my balcony everyday...even on the days I can barely get out of bed. I'm actually feeling a little better today than I'd been feeling over the weekend.

Thank you for your concern

My sincerest condolences! I hope you have other family you can reach out to

I did not say to stop your medications Proper nutrition is the key to improving overall health - meds or no meds

I strongly encourage you watch at least the first four videos, but no worries if you don't!

Wish you the best and hope the new reggie works out

 

[SmilingElephant]

So today after I cowashed I used this...



It's a "combing cream" with gel mixed in. It's okay, I don't care for it too much because it doesn't give me the definition I want...it needs more gel to it.

I've had it for a while so I think I'll work on using it up.

I prefer this one with a gel...



It's more moisturizing

 

[VarieYvette]

Big hug @SmilingElephant. I hope you get out of the depressive episode soon.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Anybody still up?

 

[MzSwift]

Thanks! I appreciate you saying that. I took those pictures for the EoY reveals for a different challenge, but I was so upset by how my ends looked that I didn’t even post them. I’ve since calmed down and feel hopeful about filling them in without having to cut back to APL. The ends are in good condition, so it didn’t make sense to chop that much. I only wear my hair like that for progress pictures anyway—it’s mostly bunned.

Also, most of the time when I see my hair, it looks like the photo below because I don’t use heat. So, I thought I was keeping the breakage I complained about last year under control. But these flat-ironed progress pictures keep surprising me. I can see the wispiness of the ends even in this photo, but I had attributed that to my ends being relaxed straight.

View attachment 502170

One good thing, though, is that I had thought my growth rate had slowed down, but these last progress pictures show that it didn’t. My growth pattern has just changed. I used to get a steady 0.5 inches per month all over my head, but now it slows down at times and increases at others. It’s also growing faster in the back now. I’m not sure what to attribute all of this to other than age and hormones.

Yes! When I was transitioning from bonelaxed to texlaxed, my ends looked the same way. My hair was otherwise healthy, just the huge difference between the two textures made the bonelaxed portion look like damage. Upon the advice of someone here, I cut it back and immediately regretted it. If I had to do it again, I'd just gradually cut them off or allow them to go away on their own via regular dusting and trims as my hair grew out.

Ma'am, I'm trying so hard to see wispy in that pic but just see pretty, happy hair. lol I'm excited to see the progress of your hair! It'll be nice to see more long texlaxed hair around here. Welcome to the club!

 

[SmilingElephant]

Thread Question: What Do You Plan to Do With Your Hair at Hip/Tailbone Length? Any Fantasies?

I want to wear my hair in a long braid, especially a French/Dutch braid, as my go to style.

I want to be able to wear my hair straight once I get a better flat iron and straightening routine. I want to dress up with my straight hair and take more pictures and just feel beautiful, and go different places with folks breaking their necks to see me

It's vain, I know...but I'm overdue for a Bad Bit*ch Moment

 

[snoop]

My shrinkage is so extreme that I haven't really fantasized about what I would do with my hair. If I wore it in it's natural state it would look like shoulder length hair.

What I'd probably do is blow it out and install two strand twists and wear them like Naturally High or Naturally Nica. But only after I pick the windiest day to walk with my hair loose and feel it blowing all ways and everywhere.

 

[25InchesStarting'25]

Thread Question: What Do You Plan to Do With Your Hair at Hip/Tailbone Length? Any Fantasies?

I want to wear my hair in a long braid, especially a French/Dutch braid, as my go to style.

I want to be able to wear my hair straight once I get a better flat iron and straightening routine. I want to dress up with my straight hair and take more pictures and just feel beautiful, and go different places with folks breaking their necks to see me

It's vain, I know...but I'm overdue for a Bad Bit*ch Moment

Will reply tomorrow, so tired from braiding hair myself today and past bedtime. Will reply tomorrow