u/Apprehensive-Key5669

So I've had short, pixie type hair for years, bleach and dye it myself (products at end), trying to maintain health by not bleaching the same hair twice (letting it grow out and then chop between color changes, etc). I'm considering growing it out long again, but I think I'd miss getting to color it. My hair frequently feels scarecrow straw dry and frizzy after shampooing, definitely damaged, so yeah I've got to change some things.

What would that practically be like? Can I bleach hair and have it not be all dead feeling, or am I just going to be doing color over my natural light brown?

I have wavy hair (used to get full ringlets on the ends, but wavy throughout) but it's short enough that right now it acts like straight hair basically. When it gets longer, the texture will come out again, and as a kid I don't think I ever took care of it right. Lots of tangles, pain in brushing, dry and frizzy (before bleach so less bad but still). Maybe I should have brushed it wet? I don't know, it was so long ago that I'm basically building from zero.

Right now I use Method color protect shampoo (x2ish per week) and kitsch rice protein strengthening conditioner bar, sometimes 'pantene lengths' or something when it feels extra dry. I use ion violet bleach, ion 10 volume developer, ion permanent brights color, plus their pre and post color treatments. I recolor/bleach roots every few months.

What should I be doing or using to gain length and be good for my texture? Additionally, what's like the least bad way to get some color in while keeping good hair health?

The corners of my mouth, and sometimes lips, will just split open every couple weeks. Why does this happen, how do I prevent it? Better ways/products to handle it?

I do not generally have a dry skin type, this has been an issue on and off for a year or two, worse in winter. I use mostly eos lip balm, anywhere from 3-10x per day and I always bring it to the corners of mouth too. Occasional vaseline at night. Have been doing this more intense situation (more lip balm) for months.

Generally is minor, but painful and takes a long time (one week minimum, longer than any other thing for me) to heal as opening/moving mouth will tear scabs and reinjure.

When it's not actively splitting/is fully healed, the corners of my mouth have some redness, but I'm not sure if that's irritation/dehydration or like a type of scarring or something.

I do not usually lick my lips or pick at them much, I do not have eczema or anything (only skin thing I have is vitiligo but that's not on my face). Only thoughts I have is that maybe I stretch that area more than an average person because my jaw opens quite wide, like audible popping out. So maybe dryness is then stretched and then that's what causes it? But why is it dry there are nowhere else on my body?

I'm new, I hope this follows the rules, let me know what more information is needed. I do have a basic routine for my face but I never bring it near this area so I don't think it makes much of a difference. Thank you for any advice.