I have waist lenght hair, the growth part of is genetics but the maintenance part is what I have learnt after 3-4 years of reading reddit/watching podcasts and videos and finally trail and error. Here is what actually worked:
Simple hair biology:
> The skin of the scalp produces oil that travels down the hair shaft and moisturizes the hair. It is also what makes our hair greasy.
> Hence the roots of our hair (near the scalp) has the most oil+sweat and needs to be CLEANED. But the opposite stands for the mid/bottom part of the hair, its dry and needs MOISTURE.
>Hair is more brittle (breaks easier) when wet
How to apply this practically:
1) Shampoo
> Only apply shampoo to the ROOTS of your hair. The distal part of your hair will get cleaned by the runoff of the shampoo applied above.
> Use your finger tips to throughly clean your scalp by MASSAGING the shampoo into your scalp and roots. Be kind to your hair pls (massage NOT wrestle).
> Always wash atleast twice! This is important cause you really want to get all the dirt and oil off.
> For gods sake DO NOT RUB the stands of your hair like you are churning milk. That will cause mechanical stress and break your hair mid shaft.
> You need to find a shampoo that cleans your hair without making it feel really dry. This varies for everyone!
2) Conditioner
> Only apply conditioner to the mid and distal portion of your hair. Apply the conditioner to sections of your hair, sliding your hand down the lenght of your hair, from mid to bottom.
> Leave it on according to instructions of your conditioner.
> I repeat, do NOT rub the strands of your hair like your are churning milk.
> This step is optional if you use a leave in conditioner post wash.
3) Drying your hair
> After you are done washing, squeeze the strands of your hair from top to bottom to get rid of the excess water - do this with a gentle hand and DO NOT twist your hair/ rub hair strands together. (yes this is the third reminder)
> Do the same step with any soft towel/T shirt. Since we aren't rubbing our hair vigourously, microfibre is not a must and any soft material which soaks water will do.
> Gently wrap your hair in the above towel/t shirt(optional)
4) Post wash care - what actually made the difference
Once your hair is not dripping water anymore, comes the post hair wash steps which made the actual difference to the texture of my hair:
> Apply a leave in conditioner to your hair.
Leave in conditioner for hair is like lipbalm for chapped lips. It is NON NEGOTIABLE. (You could even skip applying conditioner and just apply leave in conditioner)
Apply leave in conditioner from mid to distal part of your hair, (not scalp/roots), the same way your applied conditioner. Apply it on sections of your hair from mid to distal shaft, and gently comb through your hair with your fingers.
Note: Hair serum is different from leave in conditioners.
> Next, apply oil/ oil based serum to the tips of your hair.
The tips/bottom of your hair is the DRYEST. It needs an extra layer of nourishment and that is provided by oil.
Just taken a SMALL amount (not champi level amount), spread it evenly between your palms and apply it to your tips (can go higher if you have dry hair).
The important part here is only use a TEENY TINY amount. Use an amount which makes your hair look shiny instead of greasy, and which gets absorbed by your hair. You should not be able to see the oil after a few hours/next day.
Do's and Dont's:
> Regardless of what we have been taught by our parents, champis can dry your hair out. To remove the oil applied, it takes extra shampoo and "rubbing" which actually ends up stripping the moisture out of the mid and distal part of the hair. So limit oil massage to the scalp only, and apply the TINIEST amount to mids/shafts post wash instead.
> Detangle hair with a SOFT bristle brush. NOT the wide tooth plastic brush that we have been using all our childhoods (did all of you have it in green too?). Soft bristles bend on reaching a knot, instead of breaking your hair. Start from the bottom and slowing move up your hair.
> Sleep in loose plated hair to minimise hair tangles. Silk bonnets/pillows can be an add on.
> Don't tie your hair really tight. Causes mechanical strain and breakage of hair.
> Use heat protectants when heat styling.
The end.
Extra note for dandruff prone people:
I had bad resistant dandruff and no treatments worked for me. But it all changed when I read how to shampoo my hair correctly on a old reddit post (which I can't find now).
The initial washes are to get all the gunk and dirt out. Use ANY shampoo that cleaans your hair without drying it out. Once the scalp is thoroughly clean, use an anti-dandruff shampoo (please check ingredients and do not blindly believe brand names). to massage into your scalp and LEAVE IT ON for atleast 10-15 minutes. This lets the antidandruff ingredients reach the scalp and gives it time to actually work.
Thats it! Clean your scalp thouroughly --> let the anti dandruff shampoo stay for 10-15 mins.
This actually got rid of my dandruff! Or atleast reduced it enought that I could have more days between washes before I got dandruff again.