It's been stated on here before but for the benefit of 'newbies' it bears repeating: Sleep on a satin or silk pillow case--not cotton. Cotton does two things to a unit. #1. Cotton 'wicks' the hair and dries it out causing the hair to break and look dull. #2. Cotton 'hooks' the hair and pulls on it causing breakage. Going with a silk or satin pillow cause avoids these issues. Also, use a charcoal shower filter to 'soften' the water and remove chemicals that are hard on the hair (and your skin). And only shampooing the hair when it needs to be shampooed. But even doing these things most people don't get a year out of a system. I wonder if he's got really soft water at his house.