The Sub: Curly Nikki's Top 10

It's that time again! Nikki (from curlynikki.com) is taking over HBS today to share her top 10 list of things she's learned along her natural journey. For my top 10, check me out on her site!

10 Things I've Learned... 
By Nik of CurlyNikki.com 

10. Find a regimen and stick to it- Although my products change often, my routine stays the same (wash, detangle, deep condition, conditioner styler, seal). I try not to do too much to my hair and that seems to aid in length retention.  A good rule of thumb is to try a routine for 3 weeks, assess the situation, and make adjustments accordingly.   
 
9. Moisturize and Seal- Moisturize with a water-based product and seal with a heavier-oil laden one, or oil. Some fine haired ladies don't do well with butters or heavy creams...I thought I was one of them, but my hair looooves rich, heavy butters.  Usually, DevaCare One is my moisturizer of choice, and 100% Shea Butter seals in the goodness.  
 
8. Stretch the ends- Find a low-mani way to elongate the ends of the hair. My fine strands curl up on themselves, knot and then split. Wearing twist-outs, curl-former sets, or curling the ends, when I want to wear my hair down, really keeps my ends stretched out and happy. For some reason, they seem to retain moisture better in this state.  For the 3 months that I consistently wore a curl-former set, rolled up into a low-stress bun, my hair THRIVED.   
 
7. Use the Denman sparingly- it's very tempting to grab the denman to detangle or style...it makes the process much quicker, and makes the hair so much smoother. However, my wet hair and any brush is bad news. I learned this the hard way. The best way to detangle these fine strands is with my fingers (and/or a wide tooth comb) and a crap load of moisturizing, slippery conditioner. It takes longer, but  I don't lose as much hair. 
 
6. Avoid product build-up- Do this by lo-pooing or using products that don't contain cones or other ingredients that can build up over time. For me, build-up always leads to dry hair that tangles and breaks. I'm not a strict no-coner, but I try to only use amodimethicone (designed not to build-up), and water-soluble ones.   
 
5. Only co-wash a few times a week- my fine strands didn't do well with all of the manipulation and over time I lost more hair than I should have. I did daily co-washing for a year or more and my hair never showed an inch of growth. Sad.    
 
4. Use protein sparingly- my hair just can't handle it...not even in small amounts. My hair gets hard, brittle and generally unhappy.   
 
3. Weekly Deep Treatments- this has been a tremendous help. I try to DT every time I wet my hair. Its hard, because I always feel pressed for time, but my hair thanks me later. 
 
2. Henna- Need I say more?! My hair has never been thicker, softer or happier. It also helps with number 8 since the henna elongates my curl. 
 
1. Gentle Handling- I know you've heard it before, but it can't be said enough- treat your hair like old fine lace. Be patient when detangling and styling and please, please, please keep your hands out of your head as much as possible. I have serious HIF (hand in fro) disease, and I'm sure this adds to the splits and knots I do get. 
 
Disclaimer:  What works for me, may not work for you.  These tips are merely meant to serve as a helpful starting place for those trying to build a regimen... Especially for those of you with fine strands.