I will continue to use after the challenge as I did before. I will have had my braids for a month on the 21st, when I got them, they were so tight you could all of my scalp. Now today on the 18th, you can see nothing but braids that need to be redone. I measured finally last night and it seems as though I have 3/4 to 1 inch of new growth. I don't think I will be able to keep my braids until January, they looked done now. I usually spray twice a day and put oil on scalp then jump in a steamy shower or got o bed (well before the challenge and braids), but now I spray once (maybe twice especially when braids were really tight, to relieve itching), and I spray Gueye (Renu Herbs) Antiseptic Braid Spray, then the oil and jump in a steamy shower or bath. My new growth is soft and partially straight (for natural hair) that it is hard to tell if it is new growth, but I measure where my braids seem to hang from the scalp and some of them are literally hanging. If I could keep my braids until January, I think I would have 3-4 inches of new growth total.