Deep conditioning and protein treatments are some of the best methods. Our hair generally loses its elasticity through excess heat, manipulation and even improper color-treatments. Refraining from heat, doing protective styles more often and making sure you’re color-treating your hair properly are also good tips. Here are some blog post articles that might help:

http://www.naturalchica.com/2012/08/understanding-hair-elasticity-by-trichologist-dr-kari-williams/

http://www.curlynikki.com/2011/06/elasticity-and-healthy-natural-hair.html

Hope I’ve helped :)

I think a simple twist-out is always cute. Just twist your hair in medium to larger twists, depending on how much definition and volume you want, then untwist your hair the next day. Buns are also nice protective styles, as are wash-and-gos. I say just experiment with different styles until you find a few that suit you. Also, check out the my list of my favorite “natural hair gurus.” Several of them offer GREAT hairstyle tutorials for many different lengths. Hope I’ve helped and feel free to submit any hairstyles you decide to try. :)