I'm constantly told by strangers (and, in some cases friends) that if I keep dying, bleaching and straightening my hair the way I do it'll fall out one of these days. Despite this I somehow manage to maintain hair that looks and feels healthier than theirs. I have a few fairly idiot proof tips to help anyone keep their hair silkier without expensive shampoos and treatments.
1) This is easy. The easiest of all. Don't shampoo your hair as often. Unless your hair produces SO much oils that it gets limp, lanky and stringy in the span of one day, you don't need to be shampooing it every single day. It may not have -quite- as much body at first, but you'll find that no conditioner can make up for the healing and smoothing of your hairs natural oils. Some people's hair produce more oil than others, and you can determine the amount of time to spend between each shampoo based on your own hairs oil production.
If you don't want to risk a day with greasy looking hair, then every other day is your best bet.
2) This one some people will struggle with, but it's also pretty simple. Straighten your hair on a lower setting. A lot of people straighten their hair on the highest setting simply because it gets the job done faster. Take your time and go slower. Pulling it through your hair 4 or 5 times slowly on a low setting can be the equivalent of pulling it through your hair 4 or 5 times quickly on the high setting. If you've been straightening your hair nearly every day for a few years the heat setting doesn't need to be as high anymore. I found that even though I required a medium to high setting 3 years ago, I can successfully straighten my hair on the lowest setting now.
3) It also helps to have a nice flat iron. I actually don't like Conair (thanks to what a flop their steam straightener was in my hair.) But get yourself a nice new one every year or two to keep it at the top of its game. Save the old one, you may need it in the future (I used to leave mine at my old boyfriends house in case we were out in the rain or if I stayed the night and showered there. That way I didn't have to lug my nice one around with me all the time.)
4) In regards to #2, if you switch your shower schedule to night instead of morning you can allow your hair to dry naturally, and take your time straightening it since you aren't as rushed as you are in the morning. This will definitely make a lower setting easier for you. You may need to touch up small sections when you wake up (I personally have to touch up my bang in the morning) but it will also give you a lot more time to get ready if your like I used to be when you'd spend 30+ minutes straightening your hair.
5) This is more guess work on my part, since I've never tested the theory out (and don't wish to risk my hair to try to) but I think the only products you should use in your hair on a regular basis are preps for your hair if your going to be straightening it. The only product that graces my hair is Chi Straight Guard (you can get it at Target, it's worth the few extra bucks). No hairspray (no teasing. Seriously. Give it body by keeping it healthy. unless you don't tease it often.) no expensive gels, glues or any of that. Of course, this doesn't apply to curly haired girls, you need your mouse and I understand that. But if you straighten your hair after putting hair spray in it you just fucked it royally. Even just a little extra heat to re-straighten bangs will hurt it, because your opening up the hair follicles and letting that styling product get sucked in. Products like that are harsh on hair colors, so why would you want it IN the follicle when it damages it just being outside it.
6) Get a trim ever so often. Even if only the very tips of your hair are split or damaged it can effect the look and feel of all of it. If your hair is layered then all of your hair starting from the shortest layer to the longest will feel harsh. This can make you think your whole head is dead hair and then go out for expensive products or treatments when all you really need is a quick snip.
7) Bleaching your hair won't make it get uber damaged. Leaving it in for more than 30 minutes will. If your going for a really light look when your hair is a really dark color plan on doing 2-3 sessions set a week apart from each other. During those inbetween weeks you'll want to not shampoo or straighten (or blowdry) your hair for at least two days. You just used one of the most harmful things your hair can handle, why put more stress on it? Let the oils heal and put conditioner in it (I leave it in for about 15-30 minutes.) You also don't want to shampoo it more than 24 hours before your next bleach session, since it will make your hair and scalp dryer, and due to this your scalp may actually get irritated during the bleaching.
I may add more to this later, but it's all I got for now. I hope someone find this at least a little helpful, since proper hair care is actually pretty important to me. A trained stylist can't always help you out if your hair is breaking off at the ends or feels dry and lifeless because they don't know all that you do to your hair. A product can't always be the magical answer. Sometimes it's up to you to take proper care of it in the first place. Products are made to help enhance the natural health of your hair, not fix it once it's fucked.
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