not used to natural. please help me grow maintain and look tamed.

my hair was a beast to manage with a relaxer.. Over a year since I cut it all off six months since I let it grow out.. Had braids in I recently took out washed my hair and braided my edge line down a few days... And I'm taking a few days until I put it back in braids.. I stopped trusting shops with my hair.. But I'm at a place that I wear wigs or braid it up... Which is hard since I'm naturally tender headed as well as my hair is so thick getting a comb pick anything through is a task... I want to keep my hair natural but I'm losing the war... And every battle in it