Need feedback on cones vs no cones (comparison pics included)

[plainjanegirl]

First pic is where I have been using shampoo (some no cone and some with cones) and with coney conditioner.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1919&pictureid=34206


Second pic is last year when I was using mostly cheapie s and c (like vo5 or suave ) that were cone free.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1919&pictureid=32129

[plainjanegirl]

Sorry the pics are big. If anyone wants to make them smaller feel free to do so.

So what is everybody's opinion. Which looks better or do you think they look the same? When no cone my hair felt alot thicker, but seemed frizzy and more dry and was hard to detangle. When using coney products my hair is much easier to detangle and is more smooth and sometimes silky, but feels alot thinner and almost flat.

[Silver Strands]

I have to say that I like the first picture better.
It is silkier, very sleek and has so much shine.
I love it.

The second picture looks good also but a bit drier and poofy.
Your hair reminds me of mine on and off cones.

[pradabacon]

I like the cones pic. :heart: Your hair is lovely.

[ambychelle]

I like both for different reasons, but I still like both equally.

that's no help is it? :p

[Silver Strands]

I wanted to add that your hair looks longer in the first picture also.
Maybe because the cones smooth it all down.

[Tresses]

I like both for different reasons, but I still like both equally.

that's no help is it? :p

I'm no help, either, for the same reason. :o

plainjanegirl, which one do you like? Not just in how it looks, but how it feels? My hair can handle small doses of cones, but if I use too many, within a week or so my hair gets that Easter basket straw feel to it, and becomes too slippery to hold an updo. So, it looks smooth and shiny, but feels like ick. A combination of low-dose cones and oils work for me. Have you tried that?

[Heidi_234]

Well, if you shampoo anyway - then yeap, cones - the first pic looks better. Maybe you should've switched to CO while being cone-free, and shampoo only once in a while (once a week or two)?

[JamieLeigh]

I think the first pic does look much nicer - your hair is gorgeous in both pics, but you might definitely be one of those whose hair benefits more from cones than non-cones. It's definitely not for everybody, and although many have had success going cone-free, myself included, others have had bad experiences.

Maybe you should stick with the cones and try to find a good way to add body, if you're worried about it looking/feeling flat. I think it's gorgeous. :flower:

ETA: I agree with Heidi_234...Going CO with cone-less might actually work better. I must have mis-read and missed the part about shampooing along with the no-cone conditioner. I don't shampoo unless I need to clarify - but then again, my scalp is fine with that, where others' might not be.

[Maddy25]

hmmm. The first photo it is shiney and smooth and gorgeous and in the second there is a lot of volume. I think the first one looks best though :) Very thud worthy!

[davidvs]

To me, your hair in the first photo looks more "finished" as if you want it to be down and looking just like that. In the second photo you hair looks "busier" and makes me want to braid it.

You ask a few things in your questions.

(a) I don't think one looks "better" but they portray a very different mood. The first makes you look more calm, the second more active (at least when seen from the back). Do you want your appearance to imply "I'm relaxed and things are smooth" or "the day is young and I'm moving about"?

(b) Cones are designed to sacrifice thickness/fluff for smoothness and ease of combing. The different hair behavior you report is exactly what is intended.

(c) The main reason to avoid Cones is if you never use shampoo. Since Cones form a water-tight layer on hair, the hair no longer receives new moisture and will eventually get dryness damage. Shampoo counteracts this by removing the Cones, so the hair gets wet in the shower between shampoo and conditioner. In your case, your hair health and length show experience in keeping hair undamaged so whatever you have been doing seems to work well!

People go "Conditioner Only" for two reasons: either they prefer the thick/busy look to the flat/smooth look or their scalp gets overly oily when they use shampoo (since shampoo removes oil more effectively than conditioner, for some people the scalp ramps up the oil production in an effort to compensate).

If shampoo does not make your scalp overly oily, there is no reason to make CO washing a long-term commitment. For example, perhaps during the heat of summer having the hair texture provided by Cones helps keep you cool but during winter you prefer no Cones. Or perhaps you view the Cone look as more formal and do that for church, and no Cones is your weekday look.

[melikai]

The cones one looks (of course) smoother, but it is covering up the reality of the second picture. I think if you clarified between trying the two, and used a more moisturising no-silicone conditioner, that might give you better results, and then you can judge which you prefer.
For me, it's the same as Tresses - it's the feel of cones that I dislike, on top of the effects.

[Rivanariko]

I like the first picture better, it looks so silky and smooth and shiny. I wonder, however, if you might be able to achieve a little more of the manageability that you get with the coney products without sacrificing the volume if you added more moisture to your cone-free routine? To me (and I'm by NO means an expert here!) the second pic looks like it could use more moisture. Maybe try no-cone with an SMT or something? Though honestly, I think both pictures look absolutely lovely. I'm feeling definite hair-envy!

[teela1978]

I'm not sure its an equal comparison. Most coney conditioners are so much thicker and richer than suave. Have you ever tried thicker non-cone conditioners? (there's a loreal vive and 2 garnier conditioners that are cone-free).

I'd go with cones based on those pictures I think as its a much smoother look, but its really what you like best.

[GoddesJourney]

I would try the no cones with sulphate free shampoo. Sulphates make my hair frizzy and hard to detangle (in fact, it tangles more). Cones are good for weighing down the frizz. No cones looks beautiful, less oily and "producty", but the sulphates are killing your hair. What I'm trying to say is that cones cover up the damage from sulphates.

[pradabacon]

I'm not sure its an equal comparison. Most coney conditioners are so much thicker and richer than suave. Have you ever tried thicker non-cone conditioners? (there's a loreal vive and 2 garnier conditioners that are cone-free).

I'd go with cones based on those pictures I think as its a much smoother look, but its really what you like best.

I second trying a different cone-free conditioner (or doing CO most of the time) if you'd rather go no-cone.

My hair gets dry and frizzy with Suave and VO5, and it absolutely hates Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose, but it loves most White Rain cone-free conditioners and Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition.

[vdhendrix]

lol thats how my hair gets with and without cones, the 1st one is more sleek and shiney, but the 2nd one does look more full and thick, but a little more dry. i love the 1st pic by the way

[nature-head]

Good idea doing a photo comparison. Maybe I should try to dig up some pre No Cones pics and do one on myself too!

I concur with OP. The cones hair looks great!

[Flynn]

From what I've heard, VO5 and Suave tend to be great for CO washing, but not so great as straight-out conditioners. Are you open to one more experiment, with a slightly richer, more moisturising (and less cheap) cone-free?

[plainjanegirl]

Wow you all are great! Thanks for all the feedback. I forgot that I did try Garnier (both a cone and a no cone) and my hair did not like any Garnier....not sure why. And there was a short try with a Biolage that was cone free. As far as which I like best, I'm torn - if I can get the fullness, thickness, volume whatever of the 2nd pic with the smoothness , softness of the 1st I'd be a happy girl. With the no cone it seems like my hair definately feels rough and dry. With cones for the most part (unless I run into something like Garnier that my hair disagrees with or it's overloaded with cones) it feels much more smooth and sooo much easier to detangle.


Any ideas of other no cones to try? I like things I can find at walmart or such. I recently saw the loreal everpure and think it was cone free, has anyone tried that?

What about ideas for if I continued with cones how could I add some volume so it don't feel so flat?

Never thought about mixing cones one wash and no cones another, but I am forget and stressed alot and would probably ose track of which wash should be wish.

[plainjanegirl]

From what I've heard, VO5 and Suave tend to be great for CO washing, but not so great as straight-out conditioners. Are you open to one more experiment, with a slightly richer, more moisturising (and less cheap) cone-free?



I am open to anything.:cool:

[plainjanegirl]

Good idea doing a photo comparison. Maybe I should try to dig up some pre No Cones pics and do one on myself too!

I concur with OP. The cones hair looks great!




I would love to see anybody's comparison pics of cone vs no cone. We should have a whole thread of comparison pics. It would be interesting to see the different effects.

[plainjanegirl]

One other thing I do know is when I was no cone my hair would hold braid waves alot better. When on cones the braid waves fall out within an hour or two for the most part.

[SurprisingWoman]

I am a conehead. I don't do a lot of "other" treatments to my hair, as long as they have their cones and "bad" shampoo and conditioner, they do great.

Not holding waves as long is probably a side effect of them being more moisturized.

I would rather have softer, flatter hair than thicker, tangley (?) hair.

You decide, what do YOU like?

[Bunnyhare]

yes, that's a toughie..the cones pic makes it look shiney and sleek but i love the volume in the no cones picture..but if it is hard to detangle it is probably not good...

[Sissy]

I have to say that I like the first picture better.
It is silkier, very sleek and has so much shine.
I love it.

The second picture looks good also but a bit drier and poofy.
Your hair reminds me of mine on and off cones.

same here... I prefer pic 1 but I also think it looks pretty good in pic 2... it just seems like my hair cone free a bit frizzy.

[plainjanegirl]

same here... I prefer pic 1 but I also think it looks pretty good in pic 2... it just seems like my hair cone free a bit frizzy.



I always thought our hair was similar, because of different comments that you have made in posts sounded just like me.

[vdhendrix]

Wow you all are great! Thanks for all the feedback. I forgot that I did try Garnier (both a cone and a no cone) and my hair did not like any Garnier....not sure why. And there was a short try with a Biolage that was cone free. As far as which I like best, I'm torn - if I can get the fullness, thickness, volume whatever of the 2nd pic with the smoothness , softness of the 1st I'd be a happy girl. With the no cone it seems like my hair definately feels rough and dry. With cones for the most part (unless I run into something like Garnier that my hair disagrees with or it's overloaded with cones) it feels much more smooth and sooo much easier to detangle.


Any ideas of other no cones to try? I like things I can find at walmart or such. I recently saw the loreal everpure and think it was cone free, has anyone tried that?

What about ideas for if I continued with cones how could I add some volume so it don't feel so flat?

Never thought about mixing cones one wash and no cones another, but I am forget and stressed alot and would probably ose track of which wash should be wish.


the everpure does have cones, i read the ingredients list on the bottles lol, but the everpure shampoos are sulfate free, but the ingredients says it has sulfonates, im not sure if there the same thing lol

[vdhendrix]

aslo Giovanni is a good cone-free conditioner IMO, but it does have protein in it, and lol i really hate aubrys organics it makes my hair feel gooey and "moldey" lol idk

[missy60]

I have to agree Vo5 and Suave shampoos are very strong and drying. The conditioners in those brands are not very moisturizing thats why they can be used with good results to CO wash.

I think your hair is beautiful in both pics but does look a little dry in the second pics, but if I used VO5 shampoo and conditioner I would have a much worse outcome. I would have dry bush hair.

[Natalia]

As far as pictures go i would pick the first but if your doubting cones for whatever reason i would suggest trying around. Havent used things like suave in a along time but they didint like me much before. Aubreys does great for me, gives me lots of shine and makes it easy to detangle. Cones for me casued more tangling than they solved so to me its worth it, especially since ive had to give up sulfates. Hope whatever you decide works well for you. Have a happy hair day :)

[redneckprincess]

cones...for sure

[hmmm]

I like the second picture better, it has more volume and the 'less sleek' isn't really a bad thing in my view. If you think it's too frizzy maybe you could try oils or a leave-in that has cones in it. Most people need to get used to going coneless after using them for years. I also second trying CO with coneless, my hair loves it.
While I didn't have issues with frizz when I went cone-free, because my hair length is soo much shorter than yours, I did have scalp issues. I had to 'hang in there' a lot, and it took a while, but my hair feels a lot better now. I would add that I never really liked cones to begin with, I'd hate that they were so difficult to wash out in the shower after conditioning and I hated how unnatural my hair felt after. If they work well for you, you should stick to them.

[templeofvenus]

the cones pic has more shine and looks very sleek, if that is the look you want then stick with the cones :)

[plainjanegirl]

JUst wanted to say thanks again! You all are so wonderful! Not sure what I will do except that I will use all my current products before buying anything new . When I do run out of s and c I may experiment with some new stuff or I may not. But at least I know that nobody thinks either way looks bad.

[ericthegreat]

In the first photo where you used cones your hair is much smoother and looks more "in control".

In the second photo where you went conefree, altho your hair is somewhat frizzy, it also has a lot of body and lift to it.

To be honest, both looks actually work well for you. There is no hard and fast rule that states that we all must have perfectly set hair. For some people, they actually prefer to have "imperfect" hair, hair that is natural and low maintainance. If I had to choose I'd also go with the coney option, but only because my personal preference is for smoother hair.

[whiteisle]

In my quest for hair nirvana I have done cones and no cones and get the same results as you. I think I've currently hit upon something though that might work but I've only done it for a couple of days so the jury's still out. I CO wash with Suave or VO5, rinse really well, and then apply some more conditioner mixed with honey (about half and half) for a few minutes. My hair adores honey and I get mega moisture, shine and softness. Then I apply coconut oil to the ends. If there is extra poofiness/fluff after drying I'll spread a teeny bit more oil through and the results are nice. Soft, shiney, body, and smooth.

I did buy some Triple Nutrition today and I'm going to see how that works in place of the condish+honey application. Boy! I must love experimenting! Ha! :)

[GoldLady]

I like the fullness of the non-cone (2nd) picture better. My hair comes out similar to yours, I have been having luck slicking on a relatively small amount of GoW Healthy Hair Serum (http://www.gardenofwisdom.com/catalog/item/4019949/5820186.htm) on the outer layer of my wet hair to add the shine you have in the first pic, but it leaves the fullness.

Gorgeous hair, you've done a great job growing out! :cheese:

[Sissy]

I always thought our hair was similar, because of different comments that you have made in posts sounded just like me.

yes, our hair does seem similar :) What I've been doing lately is using a combination of cones and cone free products. I almost always use a coney leave-in. That seems to be working for me. Though I still seem to have a lot of split ends but I haven't been able to commit to soaking my hair in catnip frequently enough to see if that could make a difference!

I agree that it would be interesting to see other peoples comparison pictures of their hair cone vs. cone free. I will have to try some experiments and take some pictures.

[clairenewcastle]

:)Although your hair looks well in both pictures, I would pick the second picture for your hair looks thicker and more natural. The natural daylight in the first picture added shine but your hair looks flatter and laden down.
Personally my hair looked better when I initially used cones but the effect of them was so damaging that I eventually ended up with with frizzy hair.
Good luck with your hair journey no matter what path you chose.:)

[Jezerellica]

Wow, your hair is beautiful in both pics!! I'm very new at this, but IMO the cone pic looks better. Your color is very pretty also!!

I am struggling with this issue myself right now. Cones help that comb just slide right through. If I don't use them, it is a tangled mess and takes forever to comb and I am not patient about combing. No to mention that horrible sound!

Good luck with your decision. I was thinking for myself to alternate for some time and see what happens. I like flat and sleek without using hot tools. = )

[plainjanegirl]

Just wanted to once again thank you all for input. Seems like it was kind of half ad half on which looked best. I may try a non coney conditioner with a bit of coney detangler (or mix of coney conditioner in a spray) and see if that helps me get the best of both worlds. And if that don't go well then I may just stick with cones and not worry about it.

[julliams]

Your hair looks glossier in the first pic which is the silicone coating your hair I imagine. The second picture if most likely your true hair texture. I found when I went off cones initially my hair seemed to look drier. I have been experimenting with different ways to wash and dry it and now I find that it looks how it always did and now I don't have an itchy scalp - yey.

Stick with it for about a month and then decide. It could be as much the brand? Also I find that I use more conditioner now that I am going cone free so maybe you need to use a touch more.

[plainjanegirl]

For an update: I still have not found a solution. Been using some Bath and body works conditioner for a few weeks and it contains no cones. My hair seemed alot fuller maybe even thicker (I forgot to measure the pony circ.), but after a week or so it starts feeling rough and the splits start popping up all over. So early this week I bought a coney Dove conditioner. After I washed using it my hair felt alot smoother (not the rough feel) but it feels really limp and flat and possibly thinner (last night my pony circ. was right about 3 inches).

I still have old damage on my hair from coloring, straightening, etc. I do not cut or trim my hair and no s &d either. Normally I use no oils or leave ins. I like to just use shampoo and then conditioner.....keep it simple.