One more thought - Great advice above and... if you’re washing daily try alternating with a co-wash or a water rinse, and keep water lukewarm with a cool rinse at the end to help the cuticle lie flat. On labels, besides those gentle cleansers, look for glycerin or panthenol and skip hydrolyzed keratin/silk/wheat for now which, yeah a tiny bit of leave-in or a few drops of light oil on damp ends can make a big softness difference on a budget.
On a budget I use cotton blend sheets at 300 gsm and clamp them on a board with wide tape and binder clips, honestly then flood away, and yeah there is a little wobble while wet but it dries flat enough which, yeah when I need perfect flat I borrow a heavier 640 gsm sheet. For your sizes the microperforated pads pop out cleanly and save you from trimming.
