Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2023

[Lylddlebit]

I know we used to discuss trimming hair by the moon so here is this year’s schedule

View attachment 486505

I still use this. Trimming by season's and by farming almanac is a practical schedule for me and helps me to remember. It's really good for a schedule.

 

[Chicoro]

Thank you. I have never dyed my hair lol. As the grey's are peeking in there, I am just going to let it ride as I get older. The sun will turn part of my hair brown or even the older tips become natural auburn over time. I just let it ride lol.

It’s riding cutely!

 

[IDareT'sHair]

@VinDieselsWifey
.....

 

[keranikki]

I tried à thing. I stuck to my regimen, except I decided to do a WNG. Instead of using UFD and Jelloshot, I used my Shea butter concoction and Jelloshot. To minimize a white cast or pilling, I let the Shea butter emulsify into my hair first. I’m still waiting for my hair to dry. So far it looks good. I’ll take a picture in the morning.

 

[keranikki]

I tried à thing. I stuck to my regimen, except I decided to do a WNG. Instead of using UFD and Jelloshot, I used my Shea butter concoction and Jelloshot. To minimize a white cast or pilling, I let the Shea butter emulsify into my hair first. I’m still waiting for my hair to dry. So far it looks good. I’ll take a picture in the morning.

Next day hair came out great! My hair has a hard cast and not much movement, which is okay for me. My goal was to style my hair differently, while still protecting my ends. So far so good.
I can’t get the picture to download. I made it as small as I possibly could, Le sigh.
Edit: Thank you @caribeandiva it worked!

 

[caribeandiva]

Next day hair came out great! My hair has a hard cast and not much movement, which is okay for me. My goal was to style my hair differently, while still protecting my ends. So far so good.
I can’t get the picture to download. I made it as small as I possibly could, Le sigh.

Use the app: “Image size” to resize your pic to under 1 mb or less.

 

[Chicoro]

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I'm not for sure, BUT, I think I am starting to be able to tell when someone uses shampoo on their natural, afro-textured hair. It's kind of similar to how I can tell when people with natural, afro-textured hair use Shea butter in their hair. There is a certain 'look' to the hair.

The shampoo look gives a 'webbing' of the hair from the ends up. You can see it when people are undoing braids and twists. I need more intel to be sure. It's not just an 'unraveling' of the hair.

I just noticed this today. A part of me hopes this is not the case because if so, all that hair I've lost because of using shampoo all these years...

 

[Chicoro]

I decided to go for a second week without washing my hair. With the oil pre-treatment and the clay, my hair still looks clean, fresh and neat from the clay wash I did going on 7+ days. I have not handled or groomed my ends. They are safely tucked away. You can see the plastic peeking out of the nylon on the ponytail.

 

[Chicoro]

Next day hair came out great! My hair has a hard cast and not much movement, which is okay for me. My goal was to style my hair differently, while still protecting my ends. So far so good.
I can’t get the picture to download. I made it as small as I possibly could, Le sigh.
Edit: Thank you @caribeandiva it worked!

Your hair is really thick and beautiful. It looks vibrant and so full!

 

[snoop]

I decided to go for a second week without washing my hair. With the oil pre-treatment and the clay, my hair still looks clean, fresh and neat. I have not handled or groomed my ends. They are safely tucked away. You can see the plastic peeking out of the nylon on the ponytail.

View attachment 486581

You washed it...just not shampoo'ed it.

 

[snoop]

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I'm not for sure, BUT, I think I am starting to be able to tell when someone uses shampoo on their natural, afro-textured hair. It's kind of similar to how I can tell when people with natural, afro-textured hair use Shea butter in their hair. There is a certain 'look' to the hair.

The shampoo look gives a 'webbing' of the hair from the ends up. You can see it when people are undoing braids and twists. I need more intel to be sure. It's not just an 'unraveling' of the hair.

I just noticed this today. A part of me hopes this is not the case because if so, all that hair I've lost because of using shampoo all these years...

This is an interesting observation and I can't wait to hear more. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find many afro haired people who no-poo/use alternatives to shampoo or shampoo very infrequently, but I'd love to get a collective view of how our hair behaves under no-shampoo conditions. Right now, I only see straighter hair folks talking about their experiences (including finding out that once they stop shampooing, their hair isn't as straight as they thought).

Hard water vs soft water seems to be a factor in how non-shampoo or even shampoo will react to hair. Reverse osmosis water is something that I'm hearing about now in those circles. I'm not entirely sure what it really is, but I want to try it...though my pocket book is saying nope....

 

[Chicoro]

You washed it...just not shampoo'ed it.

My wording was poor, excuse me. No, I did NOTHING last week. It's been two weeks now. I will wash with clay this weekend.

 

[Chicoro]

This is an interesting observation and I can't wait to hear more. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find many afro haired people who no-poo/use alternatives to shampoo or shampoo very infrequently, but I'd love to get a collective view of how our hair behaves under no-shampoo conditions. Right now, I only see straighter hair folks talking about their experiences (including finding out that once they stop shampooing, their hair isn't as straight as they thought).

Hard water vs soft water seems to be a factor in how non-shampoo or even shampoo will react to hair. Reverse osmosis water is something that I'm hearing about now in those circles. I'm not entirely sure what it really is, but I want to try it...though my pocket book is saying nope....

I agree that all these things can be factors on different hands, depending upon the health or lack of health of the hair. I know simply water filters can make a positive impact on hair. But I've not used one since moving to France ten (10) years ago.

When you mentioned straighter hair folks, are you talking about people with non-afro-textured hair? I haven't thought about the straightening effect of shampoo on my hair. I can most definitely say that clays and powders straighten my afro-textured hair. Shampoo does not straighten my particular head of hair. The straightening effect of shampoo is another facet to put under consideration or to take into consideration.

 

[Chicoro]

I think the 'webbing' that women with afro-textured hair complain about that causes tangles, may be due in part to using predominantly anionic surfactant systems with mild cationic components.

I use these terms not to try to dazzle and impress anyone, but because those are the components in hair care formulations, specifically commercial shampoos, that are eating up my hair ends.


Anionic components - used for cleansing hair (in general)

Cationic components - used for conditioning the hair (in general)

 

[Chicoro]

Webbing is another way that I reference 'velcro' or sticky hair ends and hair strands. Hair naturally is attracted to other hair but this is not the same idea. I'm starting to really see and notice the degradation shampoo may have on some heads of afro-textured hair, over time, including my own hair.

 

[GettingKinky]

I’ve been washing my hair with shampoo weekly for almost 4 years now and I haven’t noticed any webbing issues.
For at least 5 years I rarely shampood and washed with very dilute baking soda and that did so much damage to my cuticles. I didn’t realize my hair was damaged because I used the LOC method to seal my hair and the oil/cream made my strands feel smooth, but in reality they were very rough.

 

[Chicoro]

I’ve been washing my hair with shampoo weekly for almost 4 years now and I haven’t noticed any webbing issues.
For at least 5 years I rarely shampood and washed with very dilute baking soda and that did so much damage to my cuticles. I didn’t realize my hair was damaged because I used the LOC method to seal my hair and the oil/cream made my strands feel smooth, but in reality they were very rough.

That's good shampoo is working for you and your hair.
You're natural, right? Do you wear your hair straight most of the time? Also, have you kept your hair the same length for the last four (4) years.

I am not a fan of baking soda on or in afro-textured hair. I don't even think it is good to use it to cleanse or exfoliate the scalp. Yes, I agree that baking soda can be very damaging to afro-textured hair.

Are you rotating different shampoos in and out of your routine? What are your staple shampoos?

 

[keranikki]

Your hair is really thick and beautiful. It looks vibrant and so full!

Thank you!!

 

[snoop]

I agree that all these things can be factors on different hands, depending upon the health or lack of health of the hair. I know simply water filters can make a positive impact on hair. But I've not used one since moving to France ten (10) years ago.

When you mentioned straighter hair folks, are you talking about people with non-afro-textured hair? I haven't thought about the straightening effect of shampoo on my hair. I can most definitely say that clays and powders straighten my afro-textured hair. Shampoo does not straighten my particular head of hair. The straightening effect of shampoo is another facet to put under consideration or to take into consideration.

Yes, non-afro heads of hair. Also these people are using water only which I find fascinating in that it's almost baseline of what your hair wants needs (outside of sebum only). When I say baseline, I mean if you start with nothing on your hair, you have a better idea of what your hair/scalp looks and feels like adding one product at a time to it, thereafter. Or working in reverse, when you take away one product at a time.

So, in that manner, I don't think that shampoos "straighten" hair per se... I think that maybe some of the ingredients that people were using in whatever shampoo they were using was weighing their hair down? I know their hair is different than ours...heck, your hair is very different than mine, so seeing how certain products or techniques work on other heads of hair gives me an idea of how things may actually work on mine even if the differences are slight or inperceptable to the naked eye.

I find that clay doesn't make my curls pop unless I rake it through. On its own it does nothing of the sort. When I separate the strands it allows my coils to clump.

 

[snoop]

I’ve been washing my hair with shampoo weekly for almost 4 years now and I haven’t noticed any webbing issues.
For at least 5 years I rarely shampood and washed with very dilute baking soda and that did so much damage to my cuticles. I didn’t realize my hair was damaged because I used the LOC method to seal my hair and the oil/cream made my strands feel smooth, but in reality they were very rough.

I also think that we'd have to examine the raw ingredients used in each kind of shampoo and roughly what quantities to make this discussion more meaningful. That and that characteristics of your hair (silky strands vs cotton strands, etc.)

Baking soda wrecked so many heads of hair. I'm sorry that you went through that.

 

[Chicoro]

Contrary/contrasting opposite hair philosophies and information, yet both have GORGEOUS hair results:

Keeping the same parts in the hair vs Changing the parts​

Keeping the same parts!
This lady has kept her same parts for 14 years. She is about 6 feet tall and her hair about 37 to 40 inches long. She has 4b/4c hair.



Changing the parts!
This lady changes her parts. She is about 5 feet tall and her hair looks to be about 28 inches long. She has 3b/3c hair.

 

[ckisland]

I went through a phase where my hair would "act up" every few months. I got so frustrated that I turned away from commercial products and started using homemade products only. I was using bentonite clay, oils, aloe vera juice and acv. It was great at first, but overtime I wrecked my hair. My hair literally thinned out, and became super limp. Come to find out, my hair doesn't just hate shea butter (found this out the first year I was natural). It hates all butters. So many products back in the day were butter and oil heavy. I also didn't shampoo my hair regularly, so those products were causing me build up.

Fast forward to this big chop, and my hair hasn't "acted up" once in almost three years. I haven't let a single butter touch my hair in that time. I check on my hair from time to time by wearing it naked (letting it dry with absolutely no product in it) and the quality of my hair is so good now. It took me awhile to figure things out and I'm glad that I didn't give up.

 

[Lylddlebit]

I decided to go for a second week without washing my hair. With the oil pre-treatment and the clay, my hair still looks clean, fresh and neat from the clay wash I did going on 7+ days. I have not handled or groomed my ends. They are safely tucked away. You can see the plastic peeking out of the nylon on the ponytail.

View attachment 486581

Looks Great! Especially, if it was minimal to get that effect. Shiny and supple looking.

 

[GettingKinky]

That's good shampoo is working for you and your hair.
You're natural, right? Do you wear your hair straight most of the time? Also, have you kept your hair the same length for the last four (4) years.

I am not a fan of baking soda on or in afro-textured hair. I don't even think it is good to use it to cleanse or exfoliate the scalp. Yes, I agree that baking soda can be very damaging to afro-textured hair.

Are you rotating different shampoos in and out of your routine? What are your staple shampoos?

I also think that we'd have to examine the raw ingredients used in each kind of shampoo and roughly what quantities to make this discussion more meaningful. That and that characteristics of your hair (silky strands vs cotton strands, etc.)

Baking soda wrecked so many heads of hair. I'm sorry that you went through that.

@Chicoro @snoop

I’m natural. My hair strands are medium thickness and my surface texture isn’t silky, but it isn’t coarse I guess it’s smooth-ish. I wear my hair curly ALL the time. I haven’t had it straight since late 2017. I don’t have a really good idea of my hair length because I never straighten and I have a ton of shrinkage. It’s probably a bit longer than it was when I started shampooing regularly 4 years ago, but that’s mostly because I’ve had the damaged hair slowly cut off. I’m hoping that now I can start accumulating length.

In terms of the shampoos I use I have been consistent for years.
- once every 4-6 weeks I clarify with Kinky Curly Come Clean. This shampoo is strong/uses very strong surfactants. I love this shampoo, it gets my hair super clean and it absorbs water extremely well after I use it.
- every week I double shampoo.
-First with an “all purpose” shampoo. I use Innersense Color Radiance Hairbath. This is also a fairly strong shampoo, but not as strong as the Kinky Curly. Recently I’ve started using this shampoo only on my younger hair.
- then I follow it with a moisture shampoo. I use Elucence Moisture shampoo

 

[Chicoro]

@Chicoro @snoop

I’m natural. My hair strands are medium thickness and my surface texture isn’t silky, but it isn’t coarse I guess it’s smooth-ish. I wear my hair curly ALL the time. I haven’t had it straight since late 2017. I don’t have a really good idea of my hair length because I never straighten and I have a ton of shrinkage. It’s probably a bit longer than it was when I started shampooing regularly 4 years ago, but that’s mostly because I’ve had the damaged hair slowly cut off. I’m hoping that now I can start accumulating length.

In terms of the shampoos I use I have been consistent for years.
- once every 4-6 weeks I clarify with Kinky Curly Come Clean. This shampoo is strong/uses very strong surfactants. I love this shampoo, it gets my hair super clean and it absorbs water extremely well after I use it.
- every week I double shampoo.
-First with an “all purpose” shampoo. I use Innersense Color Radiance Hairbath. This is also a fairly strong shampoo, but not as strong as the Kinky Curly. Recently I’ve started using this shampoo only on my younger hair.
- then I follow it with a moisture shampoo. I use Elucence Moisture shampoo

Thank you for responding with such detail. I appreciate the time and thought you have put in to explain and communicate your process!

I think a key element in your process is that you have been maintaining your hair at a certain length. In your case, you have been eliminating damage from using baking soda on your hair. As a result of the cutting, even if it has been slowly over time, your hair strands are not super old.

When I see webbing in natural, afro textured hair, the hair is usually un-straightened natural and the hair tends to be braided or in twists. Thirdly, I've noticed this webbing in hair that is very long. Hair that is very long tends to be older hair. Your hair is a lot younger and fresher because of the regular trimming over the last 4 year period.

I am starting to think that it is the older hair that suffers more from the cumulative assault of shampoos. Meaning, it is with older, afro-textured hair that the results of the damaging effects of shampooing can be more readily seen. Again, not all hair is the same or will have the same vulnerabilities. Thus, some hair types may thrive with shampoo for as long as the hair strand is attached to the head.

I'm still observing and assessing. Unfortunately, I think the webbing and shampooing are related for some heads of hair.

It's like with teeth. There are hundreds of teeth whitening products on the market and EVEN dentists provide this service. But teeth whitening degrades and destroys the teeth. It's a question of trade off. For teeth it's bright white smiles at a risk of weakening teeth. For hair the trade off is clean hair with a risk of hair damage.

 

[Chicoro]

Looks Great! Especially, if it was minimal to get that effect. Shiny and supple looking.

Thank you! I would say it is a continuation from the prior wash that was almost two weeks ago. I do a pre-treatment with oil and use Snoop's Super Clay Mix to cleanse.

 

[Chicoro]

I went through a phase where my hair would "act up" every few months. I got so frustrated that I turned away from commercial products and started using homemade products only. I was using bentonite clay, oils, aloe vera juice and acv. It was great at first, but overtime I wrecked my hair. My hair literally thinned out, and became super limp. Come to find out, my hair doesn't just hate shea butter (found this out the first year I was natural). It hates all butters. So many products back in the day were butter and oil heavy. I also didn't shampoo my hair regularly, so those products were causing me build up.

Fast forward to this big chop, and my hair hasn't "acted up" once in almost three years. I haven't let a single butter touch my hair in that time. I check on my hair from time to time by wearing it naked (letting it dry with absolutely no product in it) and the quality of my hair is so good now. It took me awhile to figure things out and I'm glad that I didn't give up.

Congratulations on your success! You persisted. You conducted trial and error processes with thought and analysis behind them. That takes time, persistence and patience and consistency. I am sure you documented your process because you have before and after pictures. Also, you do checkpoints to make sure your process is working, by looking at your 'naked' hair. Bravo, @ckisland ! Your analysis, thought and hardwork have definitely shown up in your beautiful, healthy, thriving hair! Your incredible length gains and retention are outcomes of the work you have so diligently performed and are definitely the cherry on top!

 

[Chicoro]

Positive results.

This is why I am constantly saying that growing healthy, afro-textured hair is a THINKING GAME not a guessing game. You have to analyze and think about your hair situation. You just can't guess.

I also say that hair is NOT rocket science because hair is FAR more complex. You really do have to, "Know thyself".

It's a journey.

And it can be daunting and hard with ups and downs along the way.

 

[Chicoro]

Setbacks are Setups for a Come-up and a Come-back!​

Iterations deepen and widen your knowledge. Don't think because you've had a setback that all is lost. Yes, you may lose some length in your hair and even some health of your hair. But, what you gain is experience and knowledge.

If you gather up that knowledge and concentrate it down and INVEST it in your NOW, you become rich. As a result, your hair becomes rich, radiant and beautiful. This is exactly what @GettingKinky, @ckisland, @snoop, @caribeandiva , @GGsKin, @VinDieselsWifey , @Lylddlebit , @yamilee21 , @Napp and others have so generously SHOWN and demonstrated here in this thread. They have HEALTHY hair. They have LONG hair. They have BEAUTIFUL hair.
(If I didn't mention your name, correct me - for real, let me know. The oversight was not intentional!)

 

[Chicoro]

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Focusing on your hair to gain gorgeous, luscious ends is not a superficial endeavor. The process teaches you and is transferable. You learn to identify a problem or challenge, which is your starting point, Point A. Then you learn to identify your goal which is your ending point, Point B. Then you figure out how to get from Point A to Point B successfully. That's the development of a process for success. Then you learn to optimize that process and make it more efficient and effective.

I've seen it over and over again: You can then transfer that successful process over to other areas of your life and to other people.

​

Cumulative, concentrated hard-won knowledge and experience pays dividends and shows up as tangible, wealth somewhere in your life. It is when you are a better version of yourself that you make an impact and positive difference in the lives of others.

See, I told you hair was complex! Look at all the stuff it impacts.


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