I am nervous... need advice regarding cones

[Sarah4983]

Okay... From what I have been reading on here, hair products containing silicone (so many of them do!!) can make hair look shinier and smoother..... but can also make the hair flat and is merely coating the hair shaft while the hair could be suffocating inside the coat of silicone making it very dry....

First of all... Is this true?!

If it is.... I'm scared. Here's why.

Just an hour ago I tried (for the first time in years!) washing my hair with products containing no silicone. I used my nutri-ox on the top of my head at my roots only then LeKair Cholesterol Plus on the rest of my hair... (skipped my john frieda 'poo and conditioner and my after-shower Biosilk which is like pure silicone! haha)

...and my hair is a poofy frizzy mess!!!! :mad:

I *think* I want to transition away from silicone products but if it's going to make my hair look and feel like it does now I can't do it.....

I'm scared because as you all know, long hair does not grow overnight... and I hope I have not ruined the hair I have grown by using silicone products all these years... :(

Thanks in advance!

[Madame J]

First, take a deep breath. Plenty of members on this board use 'cone-containing products regularly, with no long-lasting ill effects. If you find that your hair gets limp or crunchy, you may be experiencing buildup from the 'cones, and need to clarify to get them out and start fresh. 'Cones are not inherently evil, and if they work for you, go ahead and use them.

[Sarah4983]

YAY!!:cheese:

haha

I feel so much better after reading your reply.

Thank you very much. My hair has been very limp and flat the past year, (it is naturally thick and wavy) but I always attributed this to the length weighing it down until now. I haven't experienced crunchy yet so I guess I will go back to my usual routine then...

[Darkhorse1]

I've always used cone products and have found them to be great with my hair. I think it just depends on your hair and what you prefer. Play around with some products and see what works best for you. Don't panic :) Have fun! Hehehehe.

[rani]

I have always used cones and loved how shiny and frizz-free my hair was. However, I recently tried to cut back my washings (from every day to every other day) and my hair looked AWFUL during my day-off from cleansing. It was flat, dull, greasy, stiff, e.t.c. So, I clarified and started using Burt's Bees shampoo and conditioner (for shiny hair) and after a few days my hair looks just like it did with with cones only now it looks healthy. It's shiny and frizz-free and I don't have to shampoo/condition every day, use glossing creme, or straighten my hair like I did while using cones.

Also, I think the cones (dimethicone in particular) in my Frederick Fekkai Glossing Creme were causing me to break out wherever my hair touched my face. I'm also wondering if switching to cone-free products will help with my keratosis pilaris, but that's a different post...

Anyway, my advice is to give your hair a few weeks to normalize before deciding if going cone free is right for you. Also, try using leave-in conditioners, cone-free gels, oils, or whatever you have on hand to see if that helps. I'm sort of a few days ahead of you so I will keep you updated on my experiences!

Also, I haven't typed my hair yet, but it is wavy and coarse, if that helps.

Good luck!!!

[Fractalsofhair]

My hair needs oils as cones lock out the oils, and I produce very little natural oil. If you are using shampoo daily with no drying effects, the cones are probably fine. I shampoo daily for my scalp, and then add oils back in. As a result, my hair needs the ability to absorb oils. Cones are great for hiding damage though! It does vary person to person, for some people they lock moisture in! They can build up, and you might need to use a clarifying shampoo sometimes to keep your hair looking good. However, it does vary person to person.

[Maelyssa]

Before giving up on going cone-free you may also want to experiment with oils or other no cone leave-in products to see what result you get.
But like everyone else already said there are plenty of successful longhair cone users on this board & they've been doing it for years.

[Maelyssa]

I have always used cones and loved how shiny and frizz-free my hair was. However, I recently tried to cut back my washings (from every day to every other day) and my hair looked AWFUL during my day-off from cleansing. It was flat, dull, greasy, stiff, e.t.c. So, I clarified and started using Burt's Bees shampoo and conditioner (for shiny hair) and after a few days my hair looks just like it did with with cones only now it looks healthy. It's shiny and frizz-free and I don't have to shampoo/condition every day, use glossing creme, or straighten my hair like I did while using cones.

Also, I think the cones (dimethicone in particular) in my Frederick Fekkai Glossing Creme were causing me to break out wherever my hair touched my face. I'm also wondering if switching to cone-free products will help with my keratosis pilaris, but that's a different post...

Anyway, my advice is to give your hair a few weeks to normalize before deciding if going cone free is right for you. Also, try using leave-in conditioners, cone-free gels, oils, or whatever you have on hand to see if that helps. I'm sort of a few days ahead of you so I will keep you updated on my experiences!

Also, I haven't typed my hair yet, but it is wavy and coarse, if that helps.

Good luck!!!

I've been trying to decide on a new poo/condish to try as the ones I'm currently using seem to be suddenly giving my hair flakes. You make Burt's sound really appealing. If I can get it on sale I think I'm going to pick myself up some. Thanks!

[rani]

I really like Burt's Bees but I didn't always. It can be kind of drying if I use it everyday (but in a good way -- my hair doesn't feel stripped, it just feels like I need to go longer between washes). Also, I tried it last winter and while it made my hair look really shiny and healthy, my hair had a tendency to get tangled -- and my hair was only chin-length! I don't have that problem this time, probably because I clarified really well to get the cone-residue off and only wash every other day. Also, I'm experimenting with an organic, cone-free gel made my ABBA (the hair company, not the band -- though that would be awesome...)

[Fractalsofhair]

Burts bees was too harsh for my VERY dry hair, but it's a really nice product with the super shiny otherwise. It does work very well on my friends with normal/dry hair, and it does make my hair look great after an oil treatment. However, by making my hair look great, it dries it out! It's really good though in general, and I think the conditioner is great for most people, and the shampoo is the issue for me. I love the smell of the products, and the conditioner is decent in the summer and if I have a lot of oil in my hair before shampooing with my Alaffia. It really is good stuff, just I have VERY dry hair. I have very fine hair, of unknown curliness, and it's very dry, and shoulder length. Definitely easier to find than Alaffia, and with better scents(Though alaffia smells very spa like), and works very well. I used Burts bees when I first went cone free, and it seemed to help my hair a lot compared to the cones!

[AmericanWoman]

Cones are not compaatable with CO which a lot of use. Cones need to be shampood out. cones reduce my curl/wave formation Big Time! My hair styles itself. A little oil. Dont touch til dry and nice curly frizz free hair. I have a sneaking suspicion if you ditch cones and went CG you.ll find out you're really a 2c or 3a.

[GlassEyes]

Cones are not compaatable with CO which a lot of use. Cones need to be shampood out. cones reduce my curl/wave formation Big Time! My hair styles itself. A little oil. Dont touch til dry and nice curly frizz free hair. I have a sneaking suspicion if you ditch cones and went CG you.ll find out you're really a 2c or 3a.

It's a possibility.

However, CO isn't incompatible with cones. It just requires an SLS/detergent wash at some point in time. Plenty of people have/can CO with cones, and I myself have done it in the past.

[manderly]

My hair has been very limp and flat the past year, (it is naturally thick and wavy) but I always attributed this to the length weighing it down until now. I haven't experienced crunchy yet so I guess I will go back to my usual routine then...

I would suggest you try to be cone free for a while and use oils and cone-free leave in for the reason you stated above.

When I use cones, my hair is almost straight, probably in the 1b-1c realm. When I do not, my hair is in the 2b/2c family, and if I CO and don't touch my hair after washing I can be a solid 3a.

You experienced poofy, frizzy hair because for the first time it wasn't being coated and weighed down by your products. Even if you aren't getting "crunchies", you may be missing out on what your hair could be without all that extra weight.

Give it a little time, experiment with products and if you still don't like it, go back to your cones. There are lots of people who use them, and there are lots of people who do not :) The only way to find out which you'll fall into is to give it a chance. :flower:

[LadyEliza]

It's a personal preference. I've used Panteen for over 10 years and when I recently tried a non cone shampoo and conditioner I found the results the same as you. Took a week to get back to normal.

I can't understand how/why people shampoo their hair every day.