I'm definitely going to grow it out.

Hi Miss Daisy!

I'd suggest washing less often. Less wear on the hair. If you must blow-dry, use the coolest setting and don't dry it until it's crispy; leave it just a tiny bit damp.

I am sure au naturel looks better than you imagine.

It sounds like you've made a beautiful decision. We wish you well in reaching your growth goal.

Congratulations on your decision. Long hair is great!

I think it´s hard to find a routine that works always. There are things to consider: are you tired, working hard? It will affect your hair. Is it winter or summer? It will affect your hair. Do you feel like wearing it loose or up? It will affect the condition of your hair, and it should be taken care of accordingly. And I belive all hairs are unique. Try different things. Wearing it au naturel may take some getting used to, but after a while, you might come to apprechiate your hairs natural beauty.

Me, I have a new gadget: a humidifier for my home! In this awful winter climate, it really makes a difference. So, it´s not all about conditioners.

I know in my heart it is what I want. I really want to let it grow to waist length. Who knows if I will like it, who knows if after that point I'll cut it off again or let it grow longer. But I want to do it really bad, so I MUST accomplish it. Tomorrow I am going to get my layers and actual length trimmed 1 inch or less, because the splitting is kind of bad. I refuse to sacrifice any more length than necessary.

So my question is.. my usual routine is blowdry my hair straight ever other day. It is naturally wavy. Not curly, not straight, just wavy. I have to blowdry it to get it straight, or use gel to get it curly. Au natural is not such a pretty thing, but it isn't terrible. What is the best way, gel or blowdry? Will it hurt to blowdry my hair maybe once a week (I think I can bend on that)?

What are some tips, is it better to wash more frequently/less frequently, a better time in wetness/dampness etc to blowdry? Is gel bad? Any advice and especially encouragement (Thanks so far John!) would be MUCHLY appreciated :-)