So after years of babying, I finally have my hair down to a nice length, and I'd like to grow it longer, but I think I'm going to have drastically change my hair routine if I want to do so. My hair is long, curly, and dry and has been split end prone my entire life. I seriously can't recall a time I've been sans split ends.

Currently what I'm doing is using a Suave shampoo and conditioner I got on sale, which is what it is. I deep condition once a week or so and I trim my ends often, every 4 weeks or so, as well as little dustings inbetween. I JUST dyed my hair, but the last time I dyed it was about 6 months ago, and I don't straighten or use any sort of heat on my hair anymore, also for the last 6 months.

This is what I'm considering. I use a cheap drugstore brush and comb, and I think they have to go. Right now I'm considering buying this brush, and this comb. I don't brush my hair very often and I usually use a wide tooth comb in the shower to detangle my hair, but I think investing in the better products will cause less stress on my hair.

I'm also considering these shears. I have hair-cutting shears, but they were cheap and I'm not unconvinced that they're not giving me more split ends, which is the last thing I need. these definitely aren't the priciest shears on the market, but the free sharpening is note-worthy, and they have good reviews, and I'm only using them for trims.

I also think I'm going to try the Mane and Tail shampoo. A friend of mine with similar hair switched over to it and she just loves it. It's super cheap so I figure it can't hurt!

I'm ALSO going to start taking Biotin along with my other vitamins.

SO. I'd like opinions on the products please! I suppose other relevant information is that I sleep with my hair in a bun or a braid to prevent tangling and snags. I TRIED a satin pillowcase and a silk one and just couldn't stand it. I also tried a silk scarf, but it slipped off my head every night and it didn't seem worth it to bobby pin it on. I do a condition-wash-condition method where I condition my hair from my ears down and then wash my scalp and then do an overall condition, and I wash my hair probably twice a week, though I'm considering conditioning it more often. I use a leave-in conditioner, Bedhead's Split End Mender, but I'm open to suggestions on that as well.

I'd upgrade the quality of shampoo you're using. You're going to plunk down $47, before shipping, for a hairbrush and a comb, but you use $3 shampoo? I've never cared for Mane And Tail. Mane and Tail kind of picked up it's notoriety for helping hair grow when people were using the horse version. They people-ized it, and now it's not the same. And trust - I've used the actual horse version. The horse conditioner is far and away the most emollient conditioner I've ever used in my life. I started using it in hopes it would grow out a bad bang job, lol...I can't say that they did. :/

I've also got those sheers, or at least, I've got a pair of sheers made by tweezerman. Indestructable. Not pro quality (in fact, they couldn't stand up to the demands of pro work, tried that too). But the buggers go on forever.

I haven't tried the Mane and Tail stuff yet. I'm willing to try it because it IS so cheap, so if it doesn't work it's no big deal, and if it makes the difference in my hair that it did in my friend, AWESOME. I've spent $30 on bottles of salon-quality shampoo and conditioner that my hair just HATED, so I figure the $3 investment is worth it. I'm willing to drop the $50 on the brush and comb because I'm pretty sure my cheap-o ones aren't doing my hair any favors, and all the research I've done on growing long hair has been in favor of investing in a higher quality brush and comb. But oddly enough, one of the favorite shampoos and conditioners on thelonghaircommunity.com is a Suave one, or the Aussie 3mm one? At this point, if I could find a $30 bottle of shampoo that really made a difference I definitely would dish out for it, so if anyone's got a suggestion I'm open to it!

Thanks for the input on the Tweezerman! So they stay sharp for a reasonably long time as well?

You can find nearly identical brushes and combs for less than half that price at a drugstore. I have a big comb with wavy teeth. You don't have to spend an arm and a leg on salon quality shampoo, you just need to stop using Suave. I don't get split ends, but my hair is long and somewhere in between wavy and curly and I can get breakage with the wrong hair ties. I like to wear my hair down at work, but it is up the rest of the day because I work out. I use Organix shampoo and conditioner www.cvs.com . . . I like this one and the one with Moroccan oil in it. Retail price is $6.99 but I usually use an ULTA coupon or get it when there is a good deal on it at CVS. You might like this one www.cvs.com . . .

^The problem with the drugstore combs and brushes is the quality of the materials. Drugstore combs have a seam that snags and tears at hair, and drugstore brushes are generally made of nylon, which isn't as good for your hair as the boar bristle.

I REALLY appreciate the input, I'm SO not trying to sound like I just know what I want and want everyone to agree, I'm just explaining why I made those choices and am willing to invest in the higher quality, seamless comb and fully boar bristle brush.

The Suave shampoo was sort of a last minute impulse buy when I was out of shampoo, at a walmart, and my hair was a mess. I'm glad to know that you recommend the Organix stuff! I've almost bought it before, and I think I'll try it.

^ understandable, it is your money. I get the expensive brush, I have an Aveda one myself, it was just the price of the comb that threw me off. If you try Organix, I hope you like it! If you do you might be interested in some of their other products too, I like the whole line.

Try Morrocan Oil. It's the best for split ends and for damaged hair. You can see the results instantly. It makes the hair really soft.

I also have long-ish curly hair that is prone to split ends.

I second the Moroccan oil (also sometimes Argan oil I believe). My hair dresser recommended it for me in August, and I have used it since then. The difference is incredibly. I used to get bad tangles and split ends at the nape of my neck (the never ending cycle, the dry split ends would cause more tangles, and the tangles would cause more damage). I started using it and concentrating it on my ends and on the nape of my neck. It has made a world of a difference.

For shampoo and conditioner, I was in love with Curls Rock in the Catwalk line of Tigi. They just recently revamped it as the Curlesque line and it still works very well for me. The new formula is sulfate free. From what I understand sulfates are very damaging for hair. You have to look around for this stuff though to get a decent price. It can be very expensive, but I have found large bottles of it on sale many many times. Even when not on sale, different salons will sell it at vastly different prices. Not sure why that is.

Before I used this shampoo I would never wear my hair curly, always straightened it because it looked horrible natural. But now I never straighten it!

I'm also going to recommend the Moroccan Oil, I also actually use the shampoo and conditioner of that brand, and I have a Redken deep conditioner that it working really well for me. I used to get bad tangles all through the ends of my hair, but that's gone away now, and my hair is actually growing, yay!

I like the Organix line, but if you can splurge more, I would go with Aveda. I used this: www.aveda.com . . . when my hair was recovering from swimming in chlorine everyday and heat styling. I absolutely love it. I have some Argan oil from Morocco, but I don't think it helps my hair much, but you could definitely give it a try.

Thanks for all the replies friends! I appreciate it!

GLAD to know about the Organix line. I've almost bought it so many times but no one I know had used it and I wasn't sure whether the splurge was worth it. Totally going to try it now.

It's also good to know about the Curlesque and Aveda stuff. One of the smaller salons near me sells high end shampoos at a much cheaper price than I can usually find, so that's good to know.

Have you heard of the Curly Girl Method? I've got completely straight hair, so I've never tried it, but the photo's I've seen online are dramatic.
www.naturallycurly.com . . .
Eg:

The basic idea is to cut out detergent-based shampoos, and wash your hair with silicone free conditioner instead.

I'd suggest trying to wash your hair with conditioner. Suave is VERY common to clean hair with. If you want more details, just ask. I have been cleaning my hair with conditioner for a few years now. And my curly haired friend has washed with conditioner before and she had gorgeous hair.

Also, do you use any leave in product? Any leave in conditioner or oils? I personally have a homemade hair cream which I LOVE but I also love using a touch of coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil or sweet almond oil) after my showers.

As well, what do you do for deep treatments? I would suggest doing deep oilings (apply lots of extra virgin olive oil, braid hair and sleep on it then wash out with conditioner next morning) or masks with eggs (especially the yolks) such as conditioner, honey, oil and egg.

moara I have been interested in something like that before, as I suspect that my hair is curlier than I give it credit for, if I could only keep it that way. I have looked all over that site and although there are a lot of videos and tips, is there any one article that explains what the "method" is in detail? If there is, I am completely missing it, so I would love it if you had a direct link to that or could explain how to navigate that site better.

My hair stylist recommends the Suave professionals line, especially the green bottle, (which is the shampoo I use) so don't discount that it's not a good shampoo/conditioner. I also use the Aussie 3MM and deep condition DAILY.

I recommend giving up the hairbrush entirely or just using it very sparingly. Use a wide tooth comb or detangler instead and work slowly. I also use a leave in conditioner, right now it's Infusium 23 and I dilute it half and half with water and spray it in my hair whenever it's feeling frizzy or anytime I comb it.

My hair grows very fast so I don't put much effort into growing it out. It gets long and poufy before I even notice and I'm not afraid to hack off four to six inches at a time. A nice deep trim always makes things more managable. Of course, I color, too, so getting rid of the ends pretty often is best.

kk~

^^ I also find that site really confusing, but these are the first three hits off google for "curly girl method". They look quite helpful.

www.wikihow.com . . .
www.nobody-knows-anything.com . . .
www.naturallycurly.com . . .

I also recomend the curly girl method. Here is a very quick breakdown:
Curly Hair is more coarse and dry than straoight hair and needs to be treated differently.
Shampoo- you want a non-sudsing shampoo, because what makes suds will dry out your hair. there is the diva curl no-poo made by the curly girl lady, or you can look around whole foods or other natural stores. I got Queen Helene royal curl shampoo for $8 a bottle, and it works great.
Conditioner- avoid anything with silicone or anything with the label "smoothing" in it. Use lots and run your fingers through your hair while the conditioner is in it- this is the only time you will comb your hair. Don't rinse it all out, just splash some water over your head to get excess off.
When you dry your hair, use a microfiber towel, and squish your hair up toward your scalp, don't rub it or twist it.

When you get out of the shower, turn your head upside down and scrunch gel into your curls. Use more than you think, because this will lock the moisture into your curls, and prevent frizz.

Turn your head right side up, shake back your hair, and let it air dry. If you must use a hair dryer, use a diffuser.

With long hair, watch when you put on a coat, purse or back pack. lift your hair out of the way, don't yank it free. This will help prevent split ends. Finally, don't let your stylist use a razer on your hair because that will garuntee split ends.

Thanks so much for all the advice!

BeautifulMistake: I'd love some recipes! I tried a hair mask with egg in it once and my hair got so dry! I wonder if my proportions were wrong.

KK- I've heard great things about the Infusium conditioner, I'd like to give it a try.

PogMo- thanks for the breakdown of the method. I'm considering buying the book now, as well! Whenever I don't completely rinse conditioner out of my hair, my hair feels scummy, though, and I hate using gel because the alcohol dries my hair out, I like leave in conditioners much better. I'm really interested in this method though, and making it work for me.

I kind of do need to brush and comb my hair because I smooth my hair into updos a couple of times a week to give my ends, which is why I'm going to be investing in the high quality brushes. Hmm, this thread has given me a lot of great info!

Also braid it when you go to bed. Secure the ends with the non snagging hair ties, stuff like that. Use a dab of oil on the ends when you braid it for bed. I use coconut oil. I leave the olive oil to winter time when the sun won't FRY my hair. My hair seems to do best when I do one long french braid down the back at bedtime.

I forgot something that helps is a satin sleep cap. I can't wash my hair everyday and it helps keep the frizz down for your 2nd day hair. You can braid it like Cele suggested and then just stuff it into the cap. You could get satin pillowcases too, but they are harder to find and expensive.

The thread makes me want to tease the curl and wave outta my hair! I wear my hair natural (wavy) in the summer because the midwestern humidity makes it a dumb idea to straighten it. It's really amazing how much heat products damage the hair. My hair looks so pretty and shiny in the summer when i just let it go (even with exposure to pool chemicals!)

Well, if you use egg only use the yolk. The egg white can be drying.

I never actually follow recipes. I tend to use conditioner, oil, egg, aloe vera gel, honey, and coconut milk usually. I know a lot of people soak their hair in straight coconut milk. I also like to just add an egg yolk to my conditioner and let it sit in my hair for half an hour before I shower. I also sometimes just add honey to my conditioner.

I'd suggest playing around with the amounts. Everybody's hair is different so you'll just have to play around to find the right amount for your hair. I would definitely suggest using egg yolk and trying honey, coconut milk and oil for sure.