Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2019/2020

After spraying my hair and scalp with my fenugreek tea rinse, I gelled my hair with Wetline Xtreme gel and seal it all in with Mielle Organics Pomegranate and Honey Curling Custard.

This curling custard is the magic bullet for my hair right now. My bun is still soft and shiny from this morning. I will continue to seal in all my buns and or wash and goes with this custard. I absolutely love it.
 
This week I will be:

-Prepooing with Chicoro's Moisture Drench Prepoo - AVJ, EVCO and EVOO
-Shampoo with Afro Love Mint Eucalyptus Rosemary Shampoo

-Protein Deep Conditioning with Natur Growth Bambu Nourishing Treatment
-Moisture Deep Condition with Afro Love Raw Honey and Shea Butter Hair Treatment
-Leave-in with IN Aloe and Hibiscus

-M/S with CFCG Curl Moisturizer and Shea Butter/Blue Magic Grease
-Styling - Bunning with Wetline Xtreme Gel, MO Curling Custard.
 
Today I gave myself a mini-trim of about 1/4". I was super pleased that the bottom 2/3 of my hair was in superb condition. They actually looked like they had just been cut, which I did at the beginning of the year. The top portion was in more need of a trim. And I think more than that, a shaping. So I'm going to sit on that for a while and maybe watch some youtube videos on the DIY Deva Curl techniques.
 
EndsApril15th 2019.jpg

This is a picture of my hair ends for April 15th, 2019. I have been wearing a baggie since Sept/Oct 2018. But on the weekends, when I re-do my braids I leave them out one day as a 'treat'.

My ends don't tangle, even when they curl up. I try to keep them stretched during the week, though. Shea butter and my Ends Routine with castor oil continue to work for me.
 
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Thought I'd get off my butt and check my stash for what I will be using this weekend and here it is:

-Prepoo with JMonique's Dead Sea Hair Mud Wash
-Shampoo with Follicle Care Bambu Shampoo
-DC with Follicle Care Bambu Strengthening Conditioner (Protein)
-DC with Afro Love Shea and Honey DC (Moisturizing)
-Leave-in with IN Aloe and Hibiscus Leave-in
-Moisturize with Lustrasilk Curl Max Moisturizer

-Style in a bun to wear for a week.
 
Currently have some herbs steeping on the stove for my herbal tea rinse. In it I have:

Rosemary
Lemongrass
HOPS
Black Tea (for hair growth stimulation from the caffeine)
 
Used some of my diy Fenugreeek oil on scalp and I used up a bottle of IN Aloe & Hibiscus Leave-in tonight as my cream moisturizer for tonight.

No backups left of the latter and probably not a repurchase either. I liked it but don't actually NEED it.
 
My regimen this week:

-Prepoo - Curl Origin Overnight Hair Mask
-Shampoo - Follicle Care Bambu Shampoo
-Deep Condition - with a combination of Follicle Care Nectar Repair, Olaplex #3, and Follicle Care Bambu Repair and Moisturizing Treatment

-Leave-in - SSI Green Tea Coconut Hair Milk
-M/S - Lustrasilk Curl Max Moisturizer and Shea Butter
-Style - Braided hair under wig as my protective style for the week.
 
This afternoon I made some herbal tea rinse tonight with HOPS, black tea and brahmi powder. This I will be pouring on my hair while in the shower.

I also made some Fenugreek/AVJ tea rinse to spray my scalp and hair with for strength and moisture through the week.
 
Interruption in my Length Retention Marathon!
Lost some hair.
I got tangles and breakage on 3 of my 8 braids. I was trying to be a rebel and be cute by leaving my braids out of the baggie. The ends of the braids curled up beautifully, but over time they collect dust and hair product and tangle and knot. So, it's back to the baggied braids for me. It's not cute and fun, but it helps me retain length.

I am on a length retention marathon until February 2020. Got to do what I got to do. I've lost some length on those braids, but I am so glad I am conscious and aware of it. I know definitely I've got to continue with the baggie to retain the length I desire.
 
I think I am going to make this my first challenge on LHCF! My hair retains length fairly well, but I have always wanted my ends to have a bit more luster and softness.

1. Are you relaxed, texlaxed, natural, transitioning, etc
I am natural.

2. Current Hair Length
It differs, but most is waist and some is hip length.

3. Why are you joining this challenge? Although my record for not trimming is over 3 years, I noticed that I liked the feel of trimmed hair when detangling so much so that I prefer to maintain my ends as closely as possible to that state. The ends tend to curl more and I can maintain fewer knots and no breakage if I use cassia (I need to get back to doing that...).

4. What have you tried to improve your ends? I style on either wet, damp, or dry hair depending upon the style, I roll my ends with small rollers that mimic little ringlets, and I apply Shea butter regularly.

5. What are you going to try to get those healthy ends? I intend to continue with what I have as of now. In addition, I think that I am going to put cassia or henna on my ends weekly (bi-weekly for henna) to strengthen them by making a paste with cassia and a fenugreek and hibiscus infused water that I made.

6. Any helpful tips you learned for your fellow challengers... I may have an unpopular opinion, but I have never had issues retaining length and fullness even with SSK's. I generally just try to avoid the knots tangling on other strands, which is annoying when detangling because it leads to breakage. However, if detangling your ends becomes nigh impossible without having to remove the knots from hair or cut knots out, you need a trim! When I first got my trim after three years, I was baffled as to how easy it was to rake through my hair after separating from root to tip. And I was able to maintain that only when I used cassia.
 
1. Are you relaxed, texlaxed, natural, transitioning, etc
Natural 4b

2. Current Hair Length
Grazing APL

3. Why are you joining this challenge?
Looking for tips on how to avoid SSKs.

4. What have you tried to improve your ends?
Been trying to find ways to keep the ends stretched. Have tried African threading which worked well on the first try.

5. What are you going to try to get those healthy ends?
Trying to find a heavier product for the ends to keep them stretched and moisturized. Also something that will keep them from knotting on wash day when my hair is loose.

Pictures
Pictures taken today of the left and right sides. My hair has heat damage and thinning from illness and abuse that I have started to grow out. My last trim was June 9th, 2019 so they are still in really good shape.
left.JPG right.JPG
 
I've been protecting my hair but have not used a baggie since around May 15th. It's time to go back into the baggie!
 
I've started to notice a little breakage this month. I think I might need a protein treatment but I loathe having to find a protein treatment. I think I still have a jar of the Ouidad Curl Recovery mask so I'll try that first when I take these twists down. So close to APL that I would be really upset if I had a setback now.
 
Welp, I just couldn't help myself. I just had to have jet black hair. My scalp still feels sore from when I use the permanent hair dye last weekend and my ends are trashed. So many knots and splits. And the breakage, I haven't seen my hair break off in a long time.

I don't understand why I take things out on my hair. Whenever I get stressed I start abusing it. Cutting, relaxing it, and now coloring it. Sigh, I put my hair up in two-strand twists but my hair needs a cut which means probably all my progress is about to get chopped away!

I am going to get this hair cut and put my hair right back into the two-strand twists. Will probably need to get some scarves to wrap it up to protect it from myself. Things are about to get real hectic and stressful at work so I already know the urge to mess with my hair is about to kick in even more. Goodbye APL, I hardly knew ye. :cry3:
 
Welp, I just couldn't help myself. I just had to have jet black hair. My scalp still feels sore from when I use the permanent hair dye last weekend and my ends are trashed. So many knots and splits. And the breakage, I haven't seen my hair break off in a long time.

I don't understand why I take things out on my hair. Whenever I get stressed I start abusing it. Cutting, relaxing it, and now coloring it. Sigh, I put my hair up in two-strand twists but my hair needs a cut which means probably all my progress is about to get chopped away!

I am going to get this hair cut and put my hair right back into the two-strand twists. Will probably need to get some scarves to wrap it up to protect it from myself. Things are about to get real hectic and stressful at work so I already know the urge to mess with my hair is about to kick in even more. Goodbye APL, I hardly knew ye. :cry3:
:bighug: Did you ever do that protein treatment? Maybe do a small trim and do keratin protein every 4 to 6 weeks, deep conditioning weekly. Sounds like the color may gave been on too long.

Aphoghee has an amino acid treatment as well to help with hair recovery.
 
:bighug: Did you ever do that protein treatment? Maybe do a small trim and do keratin protein every 4 to 6 weeks, deep conditioning weekly. Sounds like the color may gave been on too long.

Aphoghee has an amino acid treatment as well to help with hair recovery.
Thanks for the reply. I agree, I think the dye was on my hair way too long. I did do a treatment Friday but I don't think it helped much. When I went to do the two-strand twists the damage was very apparent and upsetting.

I just got back from my appointment at the hair salon actually. The stylist showed me how much he felt needed to be cut. It looked to be about 2 inches. I told him to go ahead and do it, so he cut my hair into some long layers and chopped off the damage.

I'm avoiding pulling on my hair to check the length because I know it will make me upset and depressed. Every time I think about it there are tears in my eyes. But the cut had to be done. I ripped through my hair, caused heat damage, and now color damage, plus, poor health that I just started to work on. It was time.

Third times the charm to making it to APL.
 
Thanks for the reply. I agree, I think the dye was on my hair way too long. I did do a treatment Friday but I don't think it helped much. When I went to do the two-strand twists the damage was very apparent and upsetting.

I just got back from my appointment at the hair salon actually. The stylist showed me how much he felt needed to be cut. It looked to be about 2 inches. I told him to go ahead and do it, so he cut my hair into some long layers and chopped off the damage.

I'm avoiding pulling on my hair to check the length because I know it will make me upset and depressed. Every time I think about it there are tears in my eyes. But the cut had to be done. I ripped through my hair, caused heat damage, and now color damage, plus, poor health that I just started to work on. It was time.

Third times the charm to making it to APL.
Well at least you caught it early and got a fresh cut. Maybe it's out of your system and you can move forward positively today.
 
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