What do you recommend my hair routine be?

What sort of shampoo are you using? If you aren’t using any heating appliances, and you don’t have your hair dyed or treated in other ways, I’m not sure why your hair should be so damaged.

To reduce washing your hair, I would gradually reduce how often you wash your hair. The more you wash it, the greasier it will be. Perhaps try using a dry shampoo for one day and wash on alternate days. You could then try to extend this to washing every three days.

I would buy some intensive conditioning products. Go to your local salon and see what they recommend for your hair type (or one of those shops where they sell hair products). I like Kerastase intensive hair mask treatments. That leaves my hair feeling very soft and shiny. You could try some of the Morrocan oil type treatments too. Edit. Just read you don’t want to use any products. So I would recommend asking for home treatments in a separate question as I mentioned below.

However, I’d speak to a hair professional you trust not to just sell you expensive products and who knows your hair type too. Treatments can cost a fortune. If your hair is in really bad condition, you might need some treatments to help get it into reasonable condition. You could ask a question about some cheap, homemade hair treatments too. I bet some people here will have some tips.

I use a quality shampoo designed for oily hair, but not a strong shampoo that strips it all out. I comb it while it is still wet, and it dries in fifteen minutes and stays fine for twelve hours.

Why does the hair dresser say your hair is damaged? The hair dresser was probably trying to sell you product. Find one hair stylist you like and trust, and don’t go anywhere else. A good stylist will recommend a shampoo that is good for your hair.

@zenvelo The hairdresser I went to is probably not lying (I hope!). Overall, the price to get anything done there is expensive and they put a lot of care into their customers. It’s a highly professional salon. The hairdresser said because all I have been doing my life is washing my hair, drying it, washing my hair, drying it, washing my hair, drying it, it damaged my hair. He’s probably right…. I shower every day and I comb it around 2–3 times a day…. This is why I am seeking a better routine for my hair!

@kimchi, I wash my hair often. I use a hairdryer and a round brush. I don’t condition my hair regularly (I’m too lazy). My hair is in great condition. If you’re not using a very harsh shampoo, I can’t understand why your hair is in very poor condition. It’s usually dying, perming and using heat that causes extreme damage. I would think about getting a second opinion before you stress too much. How does your hair feel to you? Does it feel dry, brittle, flyaway?

I wash my hair almost every day and blow dry my hair most days and my hair is in good condition. I won’t recommend specific products, but I will let you know what I look for in the three hair products I use:

I’m not sure what shampoos you use, but I would guess that they might have sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate, etc. Those aren’t really “bad,” but they are more harsh on hair and strip more oil than most sulfate-free soaps. But not all SLS-free shampoos are sulfate free, and some sulfate-free shampoos are still as harsh on hair. Looking for a shampoo that is color-safe is usually a good bet… The harsher soaps tend to open up the follicles of the hair shaft, which leaches hair dye out of hair and leads to fading, which is to say: to be color-safe, the shampoo has to be gentler on hair. Focus on the roots of the hair, which will be the oiliest, and work the soap down the strands, but don’t really touch the ends, which will be the driest.

Conditioners also make a big difference for me. I look for ones that boast making hair “manageable” or that boast “detangling” hair—those are the conditioners that are rebalancing the pH of the hair shaft most effectively, consequently closing the follicles and leaving the hair smooth and shiny. (The shampoos are slightly base and open up the hair follicles. Color-safe shampoos do this significantly less than other shampoos, but they still do it to some extent. When the follicles are open hair gets somewhat rough, tends to stick to itself making brushing a chore, and dulling the appearance of the hair. Conditioners are for slicking the follicles back down, and conditioners which boast manageability/tangle-free in my experience to do this most effectively… ironically, in my experience, conditioners which boast “shine” usually just use the silicon compounds I’ll mention below—those are coating the hair but not smoothing the shafts.)

I also use a smoothing/shining serum. I like ones with olive oil or argan oil, but the main ingredients are cyclopentasiloxane and/or dimethicone, and/or a few other silicon-based compounds. I put a small amount (maybe a nicke’s worth) in my hair when it’s wet, working it into the hair. The silicon kind of seals the hair from hair-dryer heat damage, especially the ends of the hair. It also helps to smooth out or calm down any frizz associated with air-drying or heat-drying. And, as a bonus, the silicon compounds add another layer of shine to the hair. Focus on the ends of the hair, which will be the driest, and work the product up the strands. Don’t really touch the roots, which will soon be the oiliest.

I know some people have had success with ACV. The theory is that it, like conditioner, balances the pH of the hair. I tried it a couple of times… all I got was vinegar-smelling, rough-tangled hair. But it won’t hurt to try it, and if it works for you, then great!

PS I can let you know my favorite brands if you want! Or you can just experiment… I’ve experimented a lot with hair care products these last couple of years and I’ve finally found a routine that I’m happy with. But don’t experiment with Wen. Not sure you were going to, but I thought I’d just say it… There’s a growing lawsuit and claims that it causes extreme hair loss.

@Earthbound_Misfit My hair gets tangled easily, so overall, it feels thick but dry…. the back of my hair gets tangled easily. Because of this, I want to use conditioner. I don’t use it because of all the chemicals, though.

@kimchi—there’s a growing market in shampoos and conditioners that avoid using the more suspect chemicals. It’s probably worth the time spent familiarizing yourself with the names of chemicals you want to avoid, and then parking yourself in the hair products aisles of your local stores, reading through the ingredients on the bottles. You might also consider going to stores that are known for natural/organic/etc. products.

The right conditioner will make a huge difference in the health, feel, and appearance of your hair.

As @Soubresaut suggests, there are so many products on the market these days and many of them are developed to be gentler and to contain fewer chemicals. I would do some online research first to see if you can identify products that appeal to you. If you’re in the store, you might feel less inclined to read the backs of all the bottles. I like to look at the reviews on Makeup Alley before I try a new product. It gives you a bit more info about the reviewer and their thoughts on the product. Have a look at the hair care. Not all the products they review are fancy stuff. They cover cheap and natural products as well as brand name products.

Are you bleaching your hair? If you are, than you can probably eliminate most of the damage by not bleaching.

I had oily hair too. Do you use conditioner after you shampoo? If you are it may be making your hair greaser. Try just using a gentle shampoo like Johnson and johnson with no conditioner and see how your hair reacts to that.

When I was younger my hair would get greasy easily. I found avoiding hair conditioner helped it to stay cleaner longer. I only had to wash my hair every 3rd day instead of every day. If I was very active than maybe every 2nd day.

If you go out in the sun a lot you may want to use some sun block on your hair. Rub it in your hands and then work it through your hair when dry. Pay attention to the tips of your hair.
Use a comb with wide teeth or your finger tips. Brushes actually just fray your hair.
Comb at the ends first gradually working your way up to untangle your hair. Combing from the top down will only give you tangles
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Are you using a lot of hair clips or rubber bands on your hair? Rubber bands will split your hair. Try to use large tooth clips to hold your hair in place.

Best things I found for making your hair smooth and soft is to use VO5 conditioner (the one in the tube for everyday use) on the ends of your hair before you wrap your hair at night and put a smooth silk wrap around your hair. In the morning unwind your hair and you will see it it silky smooth. The problem with greasy hair is that it comes from your scalp. You don’t want to use conditioner that would go on your scalp. Your scalp doesn’t need conditioner.

If on the second day your hair is showing signs of being greasy, then just lightly wipe a cotton towel in your scalp to try to absorb and wipe off some of the oil off of your scalp.
Also be gentle to your hair when your are drying with a towel after you shampoo. Don’t rub. First squeeze the water out with your hands. Then use the towel to wring your hair dry. Rubbing your hair and scalp with a towel can cause your hair to fray.