>>713720194
it will depend on what hair type you have and every person is different, and i cannot speak for dead-straight hair, but some general rules are
1) maintenance trims every couple of months to get rid of dead and split ends
2) using shampoo and conditioner not from the drugstore, DO NOT FUCKING USE 2-IN-1s (or any N-in-1s. they are antithetical to the individual purpose of shampoo and conditioner). a common shampoo no-no is containing sodium lauryl sulfate (however, be aware that shampoos with an alternative ingredient of sodium laureth sulfate may be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane) because it is a strong surfactant and strips hair of its natural oils, though it can be used for a "reset" wash to remove buildup of products, but generally a SLS-free shampoo will suffice
2.5) dont shampoo every day. find out how long you can go before it starts getting too oily. shampooing too often just leaves it frizzy and dry, therefore brittle. personally i use conditioner every day and shampoo every third or so day, but my hair is sensitive to buildup so ymmv.
3) no heat. ever. yes, you will have to wait 1.5 hours for it to dry. possibly 2 hours in the winter.
4) no rubbing a towel on hair to dry it, only gently pat it. and even keep this to a minimum. some people use a cotton shirt but i dont think you have to go that far
5) avoid brushing when wet, use your fingers to do anything with it until its 99% dry
6) avoid overbrushing it. i practically dont use a brush except to finish styling it, as the rest of my hair doesnt need much more than a scrunch with my hands or just my fingers to style, but again ymmv
7) no polyester towels, clothes (yes even your polycotton shirt), or pillowcases. some people say to avoid cotton pillowcases but unless youre going into a grand mal seizure every night youll be fine with cotton
8) look into what products work for your hair. you can find stuff online but its also kind of a trial-and-error thing.
running out of space but thats kinda it
