HAPPY ENDINGS: Sealing your ends for ultimate length retention

Life has been pretty darn good ever since I learned of Yayha's technique of applying additional protein products to the ends of our hair.  I've seen a noticeable improvement in the number of the small broken hairs that I used to be plagued with.  I didn't think things could get any better....until now.

Somehow, I stumbled upon another technique that also fortifies our ends and I'm excited to share it with you today.  This technique, my friends, is known as "sealing the ends." 

 

 

Here's how it would work.  You moisturize your hair as you normally would.  Perhaps you are employing the L.C.O. method where you start with a liquid, then your moisturizer followed by some oil to seal in the moisture.  But wait!  You're not done yet.  Finally you go back and apply another layer of oil to the ends, sealing them with even more moisture trapping goodness. 

 

Which oil should I use?

Preferably, when you are sealing your ends, you might want to reach for something that's a bit heavier in consistency than what you normally use on the rest of your hair.  I've experimented for the past several days using my Unpetroleum Jelly, which basically consists of castor oil, coconut oil, beeswax and vitamin E.  It has a thick consistency like Vaseline so I "diluted it" by mixing a little coconut oil into the mix and applied it to the last 3 inches of my hair. 

 

I also experimented with just plain coconut oil and pure vitamin E.  So far, I really like how the vitamin E feels in my hair.  As the weather conditions get harsher, I may experiment with even richer products like castor oil or pure shea butter.  This idea reminds me that I need to whip up another batch of my "Mega Omega" oil blend which I know my ends will love.

 

If some of you are concerned with walking around with greasy, oil ends, may I suggest to you to try this method at night if you want to experiment with heavier oils.  This gives the product ample time to absorb into the strand overnight.  It's been a few days since I've been utilizing this method and so far so good.  Depending on how your hair responds, you may only need to do this every few days. Or perhaps nightly, if you normally wear your hair out.  Maybe you find that you only need to seal once a week if you are constantly protective styling.  Your hair will tell you what to do. 

 

 I have a new found sense of confidence in the health of my ends.   First I learned a way to make them stronger, now this method for keeping them moist.  The timing couldn't be more perfect since drier air is fast approaching.  I should also mention that this method has been long revered by naturals to keep their ends in tip top shape.  Add this to the list of lessons we've learned.  I will keep my eyes and ears open for any other tips on creating amazingly healthy ends and post them as a part of this series. 

 

Do you have any special tips to keep your ends in tip top shape?