I washed my hair, used a coney condish, AND brushed...

[SpeakingEZ]

... and my hair feels FANTASTIC.

I know this isn't for normal days, though. My hair needed to look good today so I washed it, I was out of my cone-free 'dish so I used DBF's coney stuff and I'm just brushing now . . . just because. And, because it really does feel SO NICE, I've decided I wouldn't mind doing this as a special treat for myself every now and then as long as I keep up with my usual routine 99.9% of the time.

Is that bad for my hair, though, to switch products so suddenly like that? I'm not really sure what silicone does to hair that's so bad other than coating it. How long might it take for the cones to fall off if I don't wash it?

[Clarisse]

If you go/are sulphate free, cones can cause build op on the hair that makes it feel greasy, limp or unmanageable. My hair dislikes dimethicone or amodimethicone-rich products, but likes dimethiconol.
Brushing is okay if your hair is detangled beforehand and if the brush doesn't have raw edges or pointy bristles that can damage the hair. Many members swear by BBB, but I just don't have the money for them right now. I'd like to own one though!

[Sara Smile]

Generally, cones stay in your hair until you shampoo them out. For my hair, cones don't seem to be better or worse than no-cone -- what I have noticed is that cones tend to block out oils or leave-in conditioners that I apply midweek, making the ends very dry by the time I next wash my hair (I wash once a week). You'll have to see what effect they have on your hair.

[teela1978]

Cones make my hair easier to comb and slightly shinier. Otherwise there is no difference. Oiling works the same, moisture treatments work the same, etc. For me I see no reason not to use cones, although I can overdo it and end up with rather limp hair. If you prefer your hair with cones, there's really no reason to abstain from them unless you're one of the few people who does see damage from them.

[SpeakingEZ]

Clarisse, that must have taken a lot of experimentation to find out exactly which your hair likes! All I've come up with is: my hair likes suave naturals! Also, I've found that BBB's TEAR up my hair, even after it's been untangled. I bought one for oil distribution and it's just been sitting in my drawer for the past 6 months.

Sara Smile, I guess that's what I'm worried about. My hair likes oils and if I'm afraid that if I use cones too much they'd never see the benefits of it. Also, I henna and do other treatments, I'd hate to have buildup on my hair that prevents it from touching the strands.

Teela1978, thanks for the dissenting opinion! There's only been maybe 3 cone uses in the past few months, so I haven't seen damage but I wonder if that's enough to see damage. I'll try a heavy oiling tonight with the cones still on and see if there's a difference.

[nowxisxforever]

It's not a bad thing! :) So long as your hair is happy that's what matters. I use cones now and again (more often now than I used to...same S&C as my roomie, DBF&DGF all use) and use my Body Shop wooden-bristle brush when I'm not using my wooden comb.