You can read my previous post from on hair care here and then there is also a series of "My Hair Story". Someone had asked about hair care tips, so I thought I would do another post on it. You can click on the first link above and basically still do the same thing I have done for years with my straight hair, except I do curl it LESS now than I did years ago.
It's not just wash, condition and go - you have to be gentle with your hair and even rubbing your hair with a towel can damage it, cause frizz, etc. Here is my hair cleaning regime:
Shampoo mostly concentrating on the scalp and using the suds for the ends; Rinse. Condition with half-palm size of conditioner only from ears down! I don't use conditioner on my scalp or above my ears. I then very gently put the conditioner on my ends with my head flipped over. Then I gently use a wide-toothed comb (I keep one in the shower) from ends up to scalp. Then I put my hair in a loose bun at the nape of my neck and cover it with a shower cap. I leave it in the shower cap anywhere from 3-5 minutes. Then I rinse it out.
When finished, very gently work your hands from scalp to ends squeezing with your hands - don't twist or rub. Then I flip my hair over in the shower and squeeze from scalp to ends again to remove excess water. Then I put the towel over my hair and it give it a twist to secure it on top and wear it for about 5 minutes.
Next, I take a wide-toothed comb and fluff my roots up, then comb my hair gently and it glides straight through - because remember, I combed it with conditioner in the shower so its not tangled. Then I let it air-dry and depending upon humidity in the house, it usually takes anywhere from 2-3 hours and sometimes its dry enough to walk out the door at 1 1/2 hours, just damp underneath.
You can read about the coconut oil treatments here. I do those just monthly now or whenever I curled my hair to prevent breakage. I still clarify my hair about twice a month with Suave's Daily Clarifying Shampoo. This is to remove buildup from my shampoo/conditioner that is inevitable.
Most people don't think about how they sleep on their hair damages it. I always throw my hair back behind my pillow and I also taught my daughter to do this and she does it every night - its a habit for her now. It also keeps my hair looking good for the next day and I don't have to wash but every other day.
I comb and go - I no longer use ANY styling products! I don't use any hairspray, silicone sprays, gels, NOTHING! Just shampoo/conditioner......and my hair's natural state is allowed to flourish without all these added products. I also never blow-dry anymore. There were a few times I did but only in emergencies lol. I refuse to put my hair through that because the damage is so great.
I also don't use a flat iron - I don't need to because my hair is naturally straight now that the perm is grown out. The only curling iron I use is the one I told you about in the other post - the heat is so low, I can hold my hand on the iron and it will never burn. Its barely-there heat and it still curls my hair and it lasts till the next day.
My recipe for perfect hair - a good shampoo/conditioner; NO BRUSHING! Just a wide-toothed comb; NO HEAT and NO products with drying ingredients - like alcohol in hairspray.