Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2022

faithVA

Well-Known Member
I have been missing in action per usual but still here. I have been in some type of twist since June and enjoying the break. I decided to color my hair this weekend so began the journey yesterday. I shampooed and conditioned yesterday and put my hair in bantu knots to dry. This morning I took my bantu knots out and clipped a lot of splits. Most of them are in the bottom layer which is my finest layer.

I'm happy with my progress. I'm retaining, so I'm happy with that.
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
I un-did my braids and put some olive oil on each section. I removed the shed hair with my fingers. I came across a photo of my hair in an elongated style. I am relieved to see that my current length is about the same.

My hormones must be undergoing some changes. I said that because the texture of my hair is changing again. It's becoming coarser and that means I want to continue to be attentive to the needs of my hair. I have horrible melasma on my face and am noticing that is receding without me doing in special intervention or treatments. I mention the melasma because it too is impacted by hormones.

I'm taking it one day at a time. I'll see where it takes me December 2022.
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
View attachment 483789

Proof that daily moisturizing ,low heat and protective styles works! No trim was needed and my ends feel great. I will probably not trim again until my next length check.
I think your hair in Oct 2022 may be even longer than pictured. I say that because your head is leaning slightly forward in the Oct 2022 picture. If your head were not leaning forward, I’d say it probably would hang longer down your back by at least 1/2 inch, up to 1 inch more. Great progress!
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
I had my maintenance cut yesterday so my ends are nice and fresh through the end of the year. I won't go back for another appointment until February. I will blowdry and maybe flat iron in December. I will on clip splits I run across then and not do my end of year trip which I usually do.
 

Fine 4s

Well-Known Member
Not sure if my stylist cut enough off but what do you think? The first pic is my hair chopped off A LOT in October 2022 and the second is before the trim and the last is after. I used the RevAir to straightened. Should I ask him to cut more? Instead of waiting 4 months, I think I'm going in January.
Back in 2007-2010 I only went for professional trims once per year so why I'm going more now I can't figure out but I am now in my 40s so body changes I guess. My edges are also thinner than they were back then. My avatar was 2013 after a big trim that made me sad but I'd take that over this struggle any day. The front panel sides are what I need to catch up they are totally thinner, see through and shorter.

Do you see three different pics?

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View attachment 4838177C40E477-6EE9-49FC-AD13-6ED56D50AB5C.jpeg
 

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Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
Not sure if my stylist cut enough off but what do you think? The first pic is my hair chopped off A LOT in October 2022 and the second is before the trim and the last is after. I used the RevAir to straightened. Should I ask him to cut more? Instead of waiting 4 months, I think I'm going in January.
Back in 2007-2010 I only went for professional trims once per year so why I'm going more now I can't figure out but I am now in my 40s so body changes I guess. My edges are also thinner than they were back then. My avatar was 2013 after a big trim that made me sad but I'd take that over this struggle any day. The front panel sides are what I need to catch up they are totally thinner, see through and shorter.

Do you see three different pics?

View attachment 483811
View attachment 483817View attachment 483819
Hair Gorgeous -ness in every single photo!!!!’
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
Welp,
I am going back to the drawing board. I going on a 10 month hair journey. My hair continues to break. My ball of shed hair looks like it weighs more than a gerbil. So, I am going to do intense focus and care on my hair. My hair is changing. It is becoming super straight and fine, like when I was around 5 years old. My hair texture does swing back and forth and so does my skin color. It's usually about a 7 year timeline. So my hair is moving from coarse back to a straighter hair texture. So, back to the drawing board. For my ends, I'm going back to Vaseline like I said.

Hair Journey Round: 489!
<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/xwEaSsLefoVCVnpeBj" width="480" height="480" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="">via GIPHY</a></p>
 

long.hair.dont.care

Well-Known Member
Welp,
I am going back to the drawing board. I going on a 10 month hair journey. My hair continues to break. My ball of shed hair looks like it weighs more than a gerbil. So, I am going to do intense focus and care on my hair. My hair is changing. It is becoming super straight and fine, like when I was around 5 years old. My hair texture does swing back and forth and so does my skin color. It's usually about a 7 year timeline. So my hair is moving from coarse back to a straighter hair texture. So, back to the drawing board. For my ends, I'm going back to Vaseline like I said.

Hair Journey Round: 489!
<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/xwEaSsLefoVCVnpeBj" width="480" height="480" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="">via GIPHY</a></p>

Hi @Chicoro! Vaseline over shea? (for the ends)
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
So need to cut more?
Absolutely not! That beautiful hair of yours is super gorgeous! There is no need to cut. I was trying to be clever and so I accentuated the word gorgeousness. I was in no way staying something negative about your lovely hair. I was trying to communicate that your hair is super, super gorgeous. I am sorry if that did not come across correctly.

I think the ends of your hair look perfect. Your hair is thick and full!
 
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Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
@caribeandiva ,
I was looking at your last, posted hair pictures. Your hair grows very long from the nape. It looks like the middle part of your hair, in the back, might be vulnerable to breakage. Would you consider sectioning your hair in the back, at night? Perhaps, instead of parting your hair down the middle , maybye do a center braid or section. That way, that vulnerable hair is cradled and not stressed. I've seen your hair drop down your back, to your bra-strap. The trick for you is retaining that super long length, indefinitely. Does it make sense? For example, in the back, instead of parting hair down the center and having two braids, you would section the back in three parts. Where you would usually have the part, make that section a braid. Let me know if this is not clear. I can draw a picture or maybe find a video.

I think if you can find a way to protect that section, you will not only hit below bra-strap (again), but that section will thicken and continue to lengthen. That's the pattern I notice with your hair.
 
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Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
Already, I am starting to see less breakage. My ends stick together, even with Shea butter. If I re-do my hair every day, I have no problem with velcro type ends, meaning the hair does not stick. But, I only do my hair daily when I am on vacation so somethng needs to change. Even if I unbraid every two days, the hair still sticks, and breaks when I am braiding and unbraiding.

The process of having healthy, afro-textured hair is truly iterative. It is iterative in the sense that we have to constantly adjust and refine our processes, sometimes needing to go back to the very beginning.

I am not leaving my beloved Shea butter mix behind, though. But, I know that Shea butter and petroleum don't mix. On my hair, in the past, mixing the two left a dull cast and coating on my hair. So, time to get back to the hocus pocus of formulation and tweaking things.

The great part about all this is that I'm not regressing. For me, my knowledge and understanding continue to deepen. The learning process is in no way linear. It is quite serpentine or trignometric, going up in down like a wave!

I haven't seen my ends since I washed my hair. Planning to wash and vaseline this weekend.
 

caribeandiva

Human being
@caribeandiva ,
I was looking at your last, posted hair pictures. Your hair grows very long from the nape. It looks like the middle part of your hair, in the back, might be vulnerable to breakage. Would you consider sectioning your hair in the back, at night? Perhaps, instead of parting your hair down the middle , maybye do a center braid or section. That way, that vulnerable hair is cradled and not stressed. I've seen your hair drop down your back, to your bra-strap. The trick for you is retaining that super long length, indefinitely. Does it make sense? For example, in the back, instead of parting hair down the center and having two braids, you would section the back in three parts. Where you would usually have the part, make that section a braid. Let me know if this is not clear. I can draw a picture or maybe find a video.

I think if you can find a way to protect that section, you will not only hit below bra-strap (again), but that section will thicken and continue to lengthen. That's the pattern I notice with your hair.
Oh my gosh! Thank you!! That’s always been my weak area. If you can find a video I’d love it to help me visualize it better. You are a lifesaver. For that I’ll be forever grateful.
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
Oh my gosh! Thank you!! That’s always been my weak area. If you can find a video I’d love it to help me visualize it better. You are a lifesaver. For that I’ll be forever grateful.

Reduce nape breakage (relaxed hair) by Madame Gemini (You make a mini nape ponytails, see end of video. I suggest you make three separate mini braids and do NOT use a ponytail holder. Just do 3 braids: Left side, right side, in the middle) - With suggested variation about the three braids, this is my favorite.)



HOW TO REGROW YOUR NAPE HAIR/EDGES| *HIGHLY REQUESTED* by Essence Tiera ( You make a horizontal braid at nape)​



How To Grow Your Nape Area Long and Healthy by Black Hair Information​


NATURAL HAIR | GROW YOUR NAPE HAIR AND EDGES | TEEWA TEE by Tewa Tee​


Regrow Nape Breakage Routine UPDATE | Natural Hair | Melissa Denise​

 

caribeandiva

Human being

Reduce nape breakage (relaxed hair) by Madame Gemini (You make a mini nape ponytails, see end of video. I suggest you make three separate mini braids and do NOT use a ponytail holder. Just do 3 braids: Left side, right side, in the middle) - With suggested variation about the three braids, this is my favorite.)



HOW TO REGROW YOUR NAPE HAIR/EDGES| *HIGHLY REQUESTED* by Essence Tiera ( You make a horizontal braid at nape)​



How To Grow Your Nape Area Long and Healthy by Black Hair Information​


NATURAL HAIR | GROW YOUR NAPE HAIR AND EDGES | TEEWA TEE by Tewa Tee​


Regrow Nape Breakage Routine UPDATE | Natural Hair | Melissa Denise​

Perfect! Thank you!!
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
@caribeandiva,

For the first time EVER, I too am going to implement the nape process. I'm doing three braids in the nape area. My hair breaks all the time back there in the nape area and I've never cared before because I had 'hair to spare'. But now, the breakage has become cumulative all over my head. So it's time to make another change and add this to my regimen.

I will start Saturday, along with re-implementing the baggie and Vaseline and wet bunning. My Ends Routine will consist of slathering my ends with Vaseline, rolling the ends up, putting a coated rubber band loosely on the balled up ends and baggie-ing the entire pony. I wear a plastic cap at night, too.

I will know around April if things are turning around. I need about 4 months to see if something is working.

Queen Shea will be present. She goes on after a water based product, but before the vaseline. I might have a coated dull mess on my head, but we gone see.


*I will be putting a dab of melted Shea into my deep conditioner EVERY time I wash and condition: 1x per week.
 
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