Deano....you`re washing too frequently / severely ....dryness is always the main issue with system-hair...... anything which preserves moisture will prolong the life-span of the system. Unless you work in a dusty environment, the hair won`t be truly ` dirty`. If you have an oily scalp [scalps naturally produce lubricating oils even when no hair is present any more] you can easily rinse/wash your lace base in the interest of hygiene, without shampooing the hair itself, by just applying some shampoo to the base, lathering it, and then rinsing it off..... yes, some will get on the hair, but minimal amounts....I shampoo the hair about twice a month max. Using gels /waxes can also be negative....many off-the-shelf products have alcohols in them which have a drying effect, and they also build-up on the hair necessitating heavy shampooing and so, the vicious cycle begins. I`ve used the Equave conditioner.... I found it to be a little ` oily` on the hair and left it looking a little ` tired` [as you`ve described] ..... I use ``PPI Enhance`` leave-in conditioner all the time now....... it definitely prolongs the life of my systems and doesn`t build-up....has the consistency of water and has sun-screen in it [not that we need a lot of that in Ireland as you know !] ...you can get it at Bargainlacewigs.co.uk ... a bit pricey compared to Hairdirect in Holland, but the shipping from Holland is prohibitive so I get mine there, as the shipping is more reasonable.....a few darts of that into the [ damp] hair will work wonders. I also use a system-specific shampoo / conditioner...... in my opinion / experience, ` less is best` when it comes to system hair....... the hair gets no moisture or lubricating oils and treating it like growing hair in terms of gels /waxes/shampoo, will only make things worse....keep it simple and preserve moisture as much as you can and you should get a longer serviceable life from your system/s.