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View Full Version : Help! Cone damage or just dryness?



rags
January 26th, 2009, 04:35 PM
Okay, I have always used cones. Since I have found LHC and read and read I decided that my one big first change was going to be going cone-free.

My question: after I clarified my hair it is so much drier! It is like a totally different texture - instead of being sleek and shiny it is very very soft and fluffy. (buildup maybe?)

I have tried SMT's - my hair hated them! I have tried a couple of commercial deep conditioners - the Burt's Bees avacoda preshampoo treatment and the deep conditioner. They help, but my hair still seems so dry to me - and it is very very tangly. It almost never tangled before.

So is all of this just a result of leaving off the cones? Was my hair really this dry underneath the cones, and they masked it, or did they really help to hydrate the hair? I am so confused as to what to do.......

BTW, I used Redken products before; now I am using
Burt's Bee's grapefruit shiny shampoo and conditioner, and just today bought some Aubrey Organics conditioner to try. I tried Sauve and VO5 in the SMTs - I am too sensitive to the fragrances to use those products.

Help!! My hair is okay , it's very soft, but the ends are breaking off like mad!!

ETA: I have also tried CV and RG Liggett (something like that) shampoo bars, but my water is waaaay too hard for them to work properly, I think, They were a total disaster.

Carolyn
January 26th, 2009, 04:41 PM
You've clarified off the cones that were masking the damage and dryness. Cones coat the hair and give it slip and shine. That's what "Pantene" hair is all about. If you have decided to go cone-less keep up with the moisturizing conditioners. I'd suggest trying CO with something like WH 365 conditioner with no scent. I think it's the one with the blue printing on the label. That should help with your sensitivity to the scents. I like to lightly oil my hair when it's damp and wear it in a bun all day. Camellia oil is a favorite. It's nice and light and doesn't seem to build up and has a nice scent. It's going to take a while to get the moisture back in your hair. It's an on-going project to keep hair moisturized. You could also try an SMT with something with no scent.

rags
January 26th, 2009, 05:10 PM
Thank you Carolyn - that's what I was afraid of, that the cones were only masking the damage. One question, I googled WH 365 and I think it's a Whole Foods house brand? If that's right, the nearest one is two hours away - I live waaaay back in the sticks. But, yes, I can try an SMT with something else= just haven't found anything unscented cheaper yet!

missy60
January 26th, 2009, 05:31 PM
Bilage Conditioning balm is also a good non cone conditioner to use. It doesnt have a very strong scent at all.

chrissy-b
January 26th, 2009, 07:32 PM
When I first stopped using cones I had the same problem. My hair was very tangly and dry. I CO for about two weeks and oiled my hair with coconut oil after every wash. After those two weeks my hair was soft again and I had no issue with tangles.

I used VO5 for CO and Biolage conditioning balm on the length. Cutting out the shampoo for a bit, oiling the ends, and wearing it up for a couple of weeks will do wonders. If there is damage (breaking and splits) you will have to cut that off, but this regimen may help with the moisture level.

rags
January 26th, 2009, 07:43 PM
Chrissy -b, thank you! So, maybe I just need to really try and get my hair hydrated again......I am kind of afraid of CO since I have such baby fine hair, but I may try it. My hair wasn't damaged at all even after the clarifying, but it is getting that way now, because it is breaking from all the tangles!!

chrissy-b
January 27th, 2009, 12:33 AM
You're welcome!

I wouldn't go long term with CO, but it's worth it to try for a while until your hair is in better condition. The only down side that I found with CO (as I have mostly fine hair too) is that it weighs my hair down. You can always try a leave in too. I've made a mix of conditioner, shea and aloe that I use as a styling aide that works well as a leave-in.

Heidi_234
January 27th, 2009, 01:15 AM
SMT didn't work for me either, I find that hot oil treatment save me from the doom of dryness.

Jamme
January 27th, 2009, 02:56 AM
My hair also got more tangly when I stopped using cones. It didn't really become dry, but softer, so it tangled easier. Oiling helps a lot, but I'm actually considering going back to cones, since I didn't really have any problems with it.

manderly
January 27th, 2009, 04:36 AM
Hmmm, I wonder why you don't just go back to cones?

There are many here who DO use them and their hair thanks them.

Its important to do what works for YOUm. Cones are not evil or bad, they work with some and not others.

When I use cones I get they yucky hair you describe.

Do what works for you. You don't want to cause more damage fighting tangles. And the point is to enjoy the way your hair looks and feels.

brok3nwings
January 27th, 2009, 06:16 AM
i think it takes a while to understand a new rotine. I think you have to try for about 3 weeks to see if it works or doesnt work for you. I had the same problem and now i only use cones from times to times...
there is a very important thing that is very hard to do it right the first time, that is the quantities of oil ( my favourite is coconut) and in SMT´s not all conditioners work and doing a wrong quantity mix can ruin all.

When i do a clarifying i take about two weeks to recover my normal hair. Clarifying is really drying so you need to really give a lot of moisture first before you start with your rotine.

melrose1985
January 27th, 2009, 06:57 AM
I used to be a product junkie, and all of them LOADED with cones. About a month ago (maybe longer) I decided to clarify and go cone free. Not only was my hair softer, like you said, my routine is much faster. I use the suave naturals coconut one and I shampoo my bangs/roots (only when I work out) and condition the rest of it. After my shower I use coconut oil from the ears down, and then bobby pin my bangs back and pull the rest of my hair into a low messy bun. My hair feels/looks the best it has in a long time, and it’s SO much fast for me in the morning. Cones made my hair look dry and frizzy.
-Mel

suicides_eve
January 27th, 2009, 07:09 AM
my hair did the same thing when i first stopped. it took about 2 weeks of constant conditioner soaks to bring it back to normal..

man people still like cones, I found that it takes my 3a/b hair and makes i more wavy b/c it tend to weigh it down with build up an what not. it's personal choice really

jivete
January 27th, 2009, 07:10 AM
I also have baby-fine hair and I had the same problem when I quit cones. CO works great for me. My routine is like chrissy-b's. V05 for washing and Biolage for additional conditioning. I also use Camelia oil. It's been almost a year since I quit cones and regular shampooing and my hair is so much healthier now. I do believe the cones were masking my hair's true condition. I have dry hair, but on cones, I thought I had oily hair. As a result I believe I was getting more breakage with the cones.

I don't believe cones themselves are damaging. But I think they mask other problems you might have. In my case, preventing me from giving my hair the moisture it needs.

rags
January 27th, 2009, 07:56 AM
Hmmm, I wonder why you don't just go back to cones?

There are many here who DO use them and their hair thanks them.

Its important to do what works for YOUm. Cones are not evil or bad, they work with some and not others.

When I use cones I get they yucky hair you describe.

Do what works for you. You don't want to cause more damage fighting tangles. And the point is to enjoy the way your hair looks and feels.


Manderly, good point and I do realize that they work for many people. The reason I don't want to go back to them is because I realized once I quit using them that I actually had BODY in my hair. I can get a flexi 8 to stay!! :D (Nothing, and I mean nothing stayed in my hair before - I wore it down for two years straight). I thought I had oily hair when I used cones, and washed every day......now I'm to every second or third day and doing fine! I just need to learn a new routine., I guess.

auburnlocks
January 27th, 2009, 08:02 AM
Cones took all the tangles out of my hair, which was nice, and I seemed to have less shed (probably because of the lack of tangles) but it also took all the body out of my hair, making it feel about a third as thick as it should. I don’t like them, but then again I put VO5 hairdressing in and that has no cones but it does have petroleum and lanolin, which doesn’t work at all for some people, but my hair seems to love it.

rags
January 27th, 2009, 08:06 AM
Thank you to everyone who replied!! I will try the oilings again (can't seem to get the balance right - usually end up either can't tell the difference or greasehead). And maybe I will try a leave in also - my hair is really soft and feels good; if it just wouldn't be so tangly I could handle the moisture problem.

At least I know I'm not alone- there seems to be a "transition time" from what everyone is saying. It's already been three weeks, though.......

manderly
January 27th, 2009, 03:00 PM
Manderly, good point and I do realize that they work for many people. The reason I don't want to go back to them is because I realized once I quit using them that I actually had BODY in my hair. I can get a flexi 8 to stay!! :D (Nothing, and I mean nothing stayed in my hair before - I wore it down for two years straight). I thought I had oily hair when I used cones, and washed every day......now I'm to every second or third day and doing fine! I just need to learn a new routine., I guess.


Perhaps you just need to find a different way to use cones. It's not usually the cones that cause you to have to wash daily, but the harsh SLS poos that go along with it.

You say you've had crummy hair for 3 weeks, I think that's enough for a transition.

I would suggest you try COing with a coney conditioner you like. You may just have to do an occasional clarification wash to strip the buildup, but COing with cones is a very viable option.

dearladydisdain
January 27th, 2009, 09:33 PM
The same thing happened to me! I tried my hardest to moisturize my hair and ended up going back to cones after a year or so. My hair's pretty happy now :)

cobblersmaid
January 27th, 2009, 09:36 PM
Cones are fine as long as you still focus on moisture and don't just slap on the more and more cones to make it feel good. Clarify from time to time, and do deep treatments.