Very confused about hair care for my unique hair

by Jasmine
(Denver, CO)

Hi I'm a 25-year-old Black woman who has lived in Colorado my entire life. If you know anything about Colorado, you know it is considered the southwest and it is very dry. When I was younger my mother put relaxers on my hair for many years. Never knowing how to take care of my hair when using such harsh chemicals, my hair eventually broke off and fell out. When I was 12 my mom took me to a professional stylist and she put a Wave Nuveau (WN) on my hair. I have been getting the Wave Nuveau ever since, and I use all of the moisturizing products from the line.

My problem is my hair has never grown longer than the top of my shoulders. My stylist tells me to wash it once a month and and make sure I keep it very moist and wrapped up or put into a pony tail at night.

This has worked OK for the last 13 years, but I notice that my hair has yet to grow to a longer length than the top of my shoulders. I would like to keep the Curly/Wavy hair, but I also want it to grow and be very healthy.

I currently use Nexxus Shampoo an Conditioner (humetress). I also workout a lot (about 5-6 times per week) so I sweat a lot.

Questions:

1). Can I still use Wave Nuveau and achieve strong, healthy, long hair?
2). How often should I wash my hair (keep in mind the climate and my workout schedule)
3). Should I still find an oil to use on my ends every night and in my scalp daily?
4). If my hair is relatively healthy is it OK to only trim it 2x per year?
5). Is it OK that I wear my hair down most of the day and only pull it back during workouts or when I'm sleeping, or should I mix it up?
6). Can I grow my hair by myself (without a professional)? I would still go get the Wave when necessary, but I would like to help my hair on my own. There are not many hair stylist in Colorado that are familiar with Black hair care, so I haven't been able to get any of these questions answered.
7). Is Wave Nuveau OK or harmful to my hair? (I have found that straight styles don't work and I like my hair curly), but I have no idea if the WN is harmful.

I am going to stick to this site and commit however long it takes to get my hair healthy, strong and long.

P.S. I should mention I take a multivitamin supplement as well as eat a very balance diet, rich in Fruits, Veggies, and other Healthful foods. I also drink plenty of water daily.

Please help me!

Thanks

Jazzy!