Making Crispy Hair Amazing on a Making-Do Budget

Yick! Every winter, it's the same story. My hair goes from glowing with health to crispy, breaking, and with split ends everywhere. After trim and trim again, I'm left feeling like all the work I've put into length has been lost.

What is the culprit? Well, I looked up some possible ones, and ranked myself on how mean I was being to my hair:

Hot air dryer (blow dryer): Nope. I use it once or twice a year. Air dry for me.
Curling/straightening irons: Again, super rarely. Not enough to explain this.
Shampoo with alcohol in it: Probably. It's cheap stuff, but I only shampoo the roots.
Shampooing daily: Nope. Two-three times a week, and again, only the roots.
Not conditioning enough: Haha, no. I condition (often deep condition) every time I wash.

Not trimming: Probably not enough. I trim every few months or so... when it gets scraggly.

Hot showers: Um, yes. I wash my hair in really warm, kinda hot showers. Not changing that.

Another thing not mentioned that I think might bear some weight: Pregnancy. My body oils are being re-routed as fat blobs on a certain tiny creature growing inside me. I'm not complaining, but probably should take some fish oil. Catholics and Lent means no wild-caught fish on sale for me.

SO, what's an amazing solution on a making-do budget?

Apparently, hair masks are easy, cheap, and quick to make yourself. Got any of these lying around?

Honey

Apple cider vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

Almond oil or coconut oil

Avocado

Egg yolk

All these things are great mask ingredients! I used what I had on hand (avocado, honey, and olive oil) and made a thick goop to put on my hair. I clipped it up (not easy when hands and hair are covered in goop) and left it for at least an hour, then rinsed the worst out, braided it, and washed it the next morning.

The result: I still have split ends. Nothing will make them heal back, but my hair is no longer dry, crispy, or threatening to break off. It feels soft, thick, and healthy again. A trim will finish off the breaks that already are there, but this should stave off the new ones and allow the hair to keep growing through the last of this winter.