Hi,Well you asked for it...so I hope I don't bore you. :-)When I am not testing new products (which lately is often) I follow this routine:I wash my hair every single day. I alternate hair care products and here is a close approximation of my shampoo and conditioning schedule:Day One Shampoo hair with Aveda Shampure, condition with Aveda Curessence, rinse with cool/old water, blot as much water out as possible with big towel, spray with detangler (I alternate with Aveda Curessence Spray, ARTec Kiwi detangler, Joico Integrity and Bain de Terre herbal conditioning seal).I carefully pick my hair out with a big pick or big toothed comb with smooth teeth.On some days I apply a little Aveda Confixer to my bangs, blow dry about 3 mintues on cold and then wrap my damp hair into a twist or bun and pin it with a claw clip and off I go to work.About 2 hours later I unpin my hair, and I have waves and soft curl. I finger pick it out and that is it. I might brush it once to detangle, but generally I don't mess with my hair during the day.Day Two Shampoo with ARTec Smoothing Shampoo and condition with Aveda Deep Conditioner OR Aveda Curessence. Do a cold water rinse (brrrr), towel blot the hair, spray on detangler and pick out the tangles, braid and then twist into a bun. A few hours later...lots of waves. I let my bangs air dry.Day Three Shampoo with Aveda Shampure, condition with ARTec Smoothing conditioner, spray with Aveda Curessence Spray and depending on my mood, air dry or blow dry my bangs.I ALWAYS wrap my hair in a bun and let it air dry. The only time I don't is very special events which is about 5-6 times a year.Day Four Shampoo with ARTec Kiwi Shampoo and condition with Aveda Cherry Almond Bark. This gives my hair lots of body and waves. It makes my thick hair look even thicker.Day Five Shampoo with Aveda Shampure and condition with Aveda Curessence and follow all the other detangling, picking and air dry steps.Day Six Shampoo with ARTec Smoothing Shampoo and condition with Aveda Curessence or Deep Conditioner.Day Seven Shampoo with Aveda Chamomile & condition with Aveda Deep Conditioner.I alternate shampoo and conditioners every day and I do it depending on the feel of my hair. When my hair is dry I use Aveda Curessence conditioner. When it is not so dry I use the ARTec or the Aveda Cherry Almond.I always spray on a detangler to protect my hair from split ends.I give myself an Aveda Beautifying Oil hair and scalp treatment once or twice a week and sometimes when I have time (not lately) I will do my olive oil treatment. I leave the oil on for several hours and will wrap a hot towel over a plastic shower cap.I get my hair trimmed 1/4" religiously every 8-10 weeks. I usually go on the same nite at the same time every appointment so it is easy to remember my appointments. I book my appointments months in advance too.Every new moon I clip my own split ends with a special Tweezerman scissors for cutting hair. I only clip a tiny amount. I also clip a tiny amount on the full moon to help the fullness.My hairstylist is Shelley Pryor at Salon Michelle in Plano, Texas (Dallas) and she highlights my hair for me about 3-4 times a year. She is a long hair expert and knows exactly how to help me keep my hair looking great. She also trims several of my other long haired friend's hair.To highlight my hair Shelley uses the cap method and pulls selected strands through and then paints the hair with Matrix Socol about 2 shades lighter than my natural blonde hair. She leaves it on about 40 minutes. The whole process takes about 3 hours but it is worth the results.Every day I take Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) every morning and evening, Vitamin B and E and I eat seaweed for snacks. I eat the Nori sheets that are used to make Sushi. I like them raw. I also take acidophilous and Biotin tablets and B6.I get scalp massages about once a month and do self-accupressure to my scalp to help stimulate the energy and circulation.I never use hot curlers, curling irons and rarely, blow dryers. I never perm my hair or apply any other chemicals except the Matrix highlights every couple of months that Shelley does for me.I use Aveda Confixer when I want some body to my hair. I have tried most of the Aveda products and like all of them but I find the Elixer to be beneficial only when I am going to blow dry and I want a leavein conditioner to protect from the heat. I like Phoemoellent but I prefer Confixer. I also like the Flax Seed when I want an iron grip of hold. I hardly use that though.I never brush my hair more than I have to and I use the best picks I can find. I have a Cricket Boar's Head Brush in 3 sizes (paddle, small and shaping) I have 5 Battalia brushes in 2 sizes, I have several other brushes that are OK but I don't recommend.I take a little magnifying glass with me to beauty supply stores and look at the knobs at the end of the brush. Conair makes a few decent brushes. Be sure to watch that the knobs are not thick and check to make sure the spokes are perfectly smooth.I generally wear my hair down, up in a bun with chopsticks or a claw clip or in braids (not that often).I buy all my hair care at World Wide Beauty. I think they have the best prices and I love Ace and Mickhael. They treat me right.I currently have over 200 different hair care products in my bathroom. This includes all types of detanglers, shampoos, deep conditioners, gels, foams. I even have some temporary color that I was considering trying. I should take a photo. You would not believe it.I recently tested Aura, Abba, Rusk and ARTec. I loved the ARTec but everything else was hard on my hair.That is why I love Aveda. No matter how horrible my hair gets from testing other products, a few days of Aveda Curessence conditioner and my hair is back to its awesome soft, shiny self.I love having long hair because it is easy to take care of and it feels wonderful.I think I covered just about everything.Hope that helped.Thanks for asking. I am flattered. :-)Karen
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TAKE CARE WITH YOUR HAIR!
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