I was most shocked recently when someone told me I have "rich girl" hair.  I didn't know whether that was a complement or an insult, so I asked for details.  I was assured it was a complement and meant that my hair looks thick, shiny and healthy.  I had never heard this expression before (maybe it's not in my over 40 vernacular).  Here are some things I do for my hair.

1. I don't wash it every day.  As a matter of fact, I usually only wash it every 3 - 4 days.  This started because I just have so much of it (see #2) that it is a pain and takes hours to wash and style.  Now you read pretty much everywhere that it's better for your hair to let the natural oils come out.
2. I was lucky enough to be born with really thick hair.  Which is a really good thing, but my really thick hair is also kind of coarse, so when I do wash it, I make sure I use a really deep conditioner.  
3. I always let my hair air dry.  This is another reason I don't wash it every day.  It takes 3 - 4 hours for my hair to air dry.  I generally wash it at night about an hour before I go to bed then I tie it up and sleep on it.  When I wake up in the morning, it's damp but not wet.
4. I never use heat on wet hair.  I do get a professional blow out occasionally, but I blow out my hair at home when it's already dry.  This sounds counter-intuitive, but I am the worst blow dryer in the world.  Doing it dry takes away most of the frizziness, takes less time, and gets a better appearance than I would get trying to do it myself from a wet head.
5. I always use some other kind of hot tool.  I am an equal opportunity ironer, and I will even do hot rollers.  I think heat adds to the shine and the softness.
6. I am a dry shampoo addict.  I start spraying at the first sign of oil.  I have found that the cheap brands are not as good as the more expensive brands such as Oscar Blandi.  

This is typical day 3 hair, washed, air dried, blown out, a deep side part and curled with a large barrel curling iron.  I did use hair spray here, but I think it's always sticky and hard, so I don't often use it.

What are your hair secrets?