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Kirin
March 11th, 2008, 11:32 AM
I pose this question in all seriousness. Can some people's hair just not like/tollerate conditioner?

I ask this because, i've noticed a trend with my hair, I am a daily washer (you cant talk me out of it, i smoke, so does my husband and I cook, a lot, hair stinks/gets well yuck), and i condition.

I henna/amla my hair in a mix, and afterwards it always feels great, great body, good shine..... but by day four after a henna, i notice the same thing, my hair goes flat, feels.... bleh. Today, I decided to not condition no matter how rough or coarse my hair felt..... and here's what happened.

No hair loss in the shower. None, when usually i'm swiping up what looks like 20-50 hairs a day. My curl came back, like with a vengeance. I did use my usual leave in, and my hair actually feels fine, not too dry, and i have loads of body.

So, is the advice "condition every day!" ..... well, a myth or, does that mean a leave in instead of? I'm not sure..... I think i might ditch conditioning entirely. I just fear if i dont I'll be having some catastrophe in the future of damage or something.

Delila
March 11th, 2008, 11:52 AM
I do think my scalp dislikes some conditioner ingredients, and that some can build up and cause problems.

My hair's really fine, and I find that I get along best if I DO condition, even if the conditioner is fairly light. I need any and all detangling assistance I can get.

Having said that, though, I did experiment last fall with varying levels of conditioning, and found that I could get away with less conditioning than I'd thought.

eadwine
March 11th, 2008, 11:53 AM
Seems like for your hair it is happier without it. There is no law about using conditioner or any other hair product for that matter :) Use what works for you.

Feisty Redhead
March 11th, 2008, 11:59 AM
Everyone's hair is different; if your hair does better without conditioner then don't use it. My hair NEEDS conditioner or it gets to be a frizzy, knotted mess.

wolf girl
March 11th, 2008, 12:00 PM
I know there are a few on the LHC that don't use conditioner. I have to use it in my length only so that I can detangle it. I haven't put it on my scalp in 2 years. I noticed a lot less shedding too.

Cricket
March 11th, 2008, 12:04 PM
I went through something similar a little while back and ended up switching to shampoo bars. Two lathers, a good rinse, and a few minutes of ACV are all my hair seems to need. There are enough oils in the soap to condition my hair.

As long as your hair is not reacting badly, don't worry about the conditioner. Its one less expense for you!

Ursula
March 11th, 2008, 12:06 PM
Some people don't have good results with conditioner at all.

Quite a few other people, however, have better results using no conditioner than the conditioner they have been using - but might get even better results using a conditioner that is right for them.

The key, I think, is not to think in terms of "using conditioner" but in terms of "appropriate conditioning in my routine." That may mean conditioner, or it may mean oils, or it may mean a herbal rinse, or it may mean frequent henna/cassia, or it may mean using a superfatted soap to wash with (e.g., Chagrin Valley soaps, rather than the less fatty shampoo bars), or it may mean any number of other things.

Mahars
March 11th, 2008, 12:10 PM
I think it also depends on which conditioner you use. In my experience, different conditioners do totally different things to my hair. Some build up, some do nothing, and some moisturize really well. I wonder if a volumizing conditioner would work well for you. I've heard good things about Kiss My Face Big Body but I haven't tried it myself because I have the opposite problem from you (too much volume).

Guenever
March 11th, 2008, 12:18 PM
Well, I for one don't use condish.. my hair gets all tangly, dry looking and crunchy.. cone/non-cone/natural - doesn't matter.. my hair just dislikes it.. so it's definitely possible to skip it!
I shampoo only with an occational oiling in the shower before applying shampoo.. when I'm in the mood. That's pretty much it..
Congrats on finding a routine that works for you! :grin:

ETA:

I have the opposite problem from you (too much volume).
Hey Mahars.. I would gladly free you of some of that :D

heidi w.
March 11th, 2008, 12:46 PM
My guess is that you simply have the wrong conditioner for your hair type AND for henna'd hair. If hair is going limp and flat, it usually means to find a conditioner that doesn't cause this situation. Your conditioner may be too heavy, or you may need simply less conditioner, or a different conditioner, .... but I'm not convinced this means you need NO conditioner at all. If you wash daily, typically a very light conditioner is all that's needed.

A few trials may tell you the real story. Remember, change one thing at a time so you arrive at a reliable answer, such as, try a little less conditioner a few washes, then try a lighter conditioner a few times....then try not conditioner a few times.....

ETA: you might also consider not applying conditioner to scalp hair yet only to length through the ends. A lot of hair goes 'limp' on top because the conditioner is either too heavy or applied too much. You can dilute conditioner!

heidi w.

Just_Isabel
March 11th, 2008, 01:28 PM
I pose this question in all seriousness. Can some people's hair just not like/tollerate conditioner?

I went without conditioner for a long time (6 - 12 months, maybe? can't remember) some years ago, and my hair looked pretty good. And I thought if felt fine too, until a friend once told me it was really dry. :lol: I had to admit that that was true. So I started using conditioner again, and now I can't imagine going without again.

But I really didn't take good care of my hair back then - I did nothing to protect it from the sun and the sea in summer, for example. I also used no form of conditioning at all.
So I can't really blame the damage on not using conditioner - it could have been other things too, or more probable, a combination of everything I did wrong with my poor hair.

I really like Ursula's answer, and if I wasn't happy with any conditioner, I'd try going without again - but I'd make sure to take better care of my hair and to try other things (ACV rinses, oiling, etc.) to try to keep my hair from getting too dry and "weak".

Kirin
March 11th, 2008, 01:30 PM
Hrmm interesting. What my biggest worry is, damaging my hair, but i think since i've tried several different ones, and find the same thing happening, I think i'm starting to form an answer, at least for me. Cones are definately out, coat my hair, make it feel wirey and my scalp itches like crazy..... no cones, well..... after a few days flat hair that just looks "dead".

I think i'll try for a while, just my mint julep shampoo, and my leave in, and oiling at night .... see how that goes.

florenonite
March 11th, 2008, 04:32 PM
Some people's hair does dislike conditioner. I know of one member (sorry, I can't remember the name right now) who uses oil instead of conditioner because the latter makes her shed like crazy.

tiny_teesha
March 11th, 2008, 07:08 PM
i would think lack of conditioner would make your hair more fluffy and full of body. For my hair when i was on only herbs and ACV i noticed it was bigger, but tanglier and dryier. My hair loves protein and moisture. Both in large quantities.
By all means try only conditioning the ends. I would think if you totally skip conditioner it would eventually dry the hair a bit maybe, but people do WO and it works for them, so if your hair isn't damaged i'm sure you can get away with it.
It might be that the conditioner adds slip to the loose hairs that are already fallen out but stuck in the hair and when you rinse all the hairs fall from the slip of the conditioner. OR it may be that it does infact cause shedding. If it is applied from neck down i doubt it would interefere with the root making it shed.
Perhaps you are useing a cone laden conditioner...that may be why your hair feels better without it. Maybe try a cone free one???

khyricat
March 17th, 2008, 06:14 AM
I can't use ANY conditioner. it makes my hair fall out in clumps if even a slight bit touches my scalp.. on the other hand, doing nothing doesn't work either.. so I started with oiling methods, and then switched to a leave in of hibiscus/elderflower tea.. this seems to work best, and I sometimes add a touch of oil as well.

I tried a lot of conditioners, natural and otherwise before I made this choice.

Amie

ReadingRenee
March 17th, 2008, 02:13 PM
How interesting about the tea khyricat.

So do you just steep the tea and then let it cool and pour it through your hair and not rinse out?

spidermom
March 17th, 2008, 02:38 PM
My hair poofs out so bad without conditioner that I scare small children. If your hair does better without conditioner, don't use it; save that money. Besides, it leaves more for me!

j4zzin
March 17th, 2008, 02:56 PM
How interesting about the tea khyricat.

So do you just steep the tea and then let it cool and pour it through your hair and not rinse out?

I'm interested in the tea leave-in too!

khyricat
March 17th, 2008, 04:42 PM
I steep a handful of each type of leaves in 3 qt's of water. then I cool, strain and pour through my hair.. actually I can cover my head with about a cup, so I store the rest in the fridge and warm up in the bathwater before use. you may find other similar options in the indian herbs post under the henna and natural hair care forum

ReadingRenee
March 17th, 2008, 05:46 PM
Thanks for the directions. :) Im off to check out the Indian herbs post as well.

khyricat
March 17th, 2008, 05:48 PM
one note- that particular mix will tint light hair slightly purply red until rinsed out.. it does wash completely out.. but since I henna over dark hair, it just helps my roots blend a bit

mellie
March 17th, 2008, 06:11 PM
I don't use conditioner, and haven't in like a million years. My hair is naturally quite oily and using conditioner just makes it flat and greasy looking.

Celebrian
March 17th, 2008, 06:14 PM
Hrmm interesting. What my biggest worry is, damaging my hair, but i think since i've tried several different ones, and find the same thing happening, I think i'm starting to form an answer, at least for me. Cones are definately out, coat my hair, make it feel wirey and my scalp itches like crazy..... no cones, well..... after a few days flat hair that just looks "dead".

I think i'll try for a while, just my mint julep shampoo, and my leave in, and oiling at night .... see how that goes.

Kirin, you say you shampoo and have left conditioner out for the time being. But what is this leave-in? And the oil you refer to?

It sounds to me that if you were shampooing daily + conditioning + leave-in + oiling before - then that would indeed be a heavy regime for the hair.

But I'm interested in your leave-in and choice of oil, as I'm looking at this conditioner issue as well!

Kirin
March 17th, 2008, 06:14 PM
Going no conditioner (but still oiling and uisng leave ins) is working MUCH better, just plagued with static.

I dont use cones, avoid them like the plague to begin with and also avoid protein whenever possible. I'm loosing WAY less hair now than before, only a few a day, instead of a handful.

jojo
March 17th, 2008, 08:03 PM
I did try a month or two without conditioner and my hair still looked shinny, but was knotty whilst drying, now i find if i use the tiniest amount i get a much better result than using a lot.

Kirin
March 17th, 2008, 08:15 PM
Oh musta missed a post there.

OOps. I shampoo, then use AtOne with Nature leave in with aloe, just a pea size or less amount on the ends. I also use at night a bit (one drop) V7 carrot oil with tea tree oil. I started the oil after i stopped useing conditioner because i felt my hair needed some moisture from someplace lol.

i have a static issue without the conditioner, but again after shampooing i find my hair is easy to comb, not tangly at all, and butter soft. I also dont loose handfulls anymore, so thats a plus. Just the static is driving me nuts.

Celebrian
March 18th, 2008, 03:14 PM
Well from what I can see, the AtOne with Nature stuff looks quite good. Presumably you were using their shampoo and conditioner - in which case it probably is the lack of conditioner causing the static.

I can't find a full ingredients list for them though...

I would reconsider adding just a tiny bit (maybe diluted) back into your routine. I know what the static routine is like, having just been there. It wasn't worth the hassle to me. Maybe it's more sensible just to let your hair lead you - sometimes conditioning, and sometimes not.

We can become too rigid in deciding on a regime, and may need to be more flexible in our pursuit of happy, shiny hair!

Kirin
March 18th, 2008, 03:44 PM
Yes i love the AtOne, and it doesnt have mineral oils, silicones or anything like that.

I think once summer and the humid weather is here, i can probably forgo conditioner all together, but i'm thinkin in the winter, i have to suffer some hair loss using it, just to get it to sit down! its driving me crazy, though its full of body, its flying everywhere!

Delilah
March 18th, 2008, 03:53 PM
I have very fine hair which is easily weighed down by conditioner, but at the same time is delicate and snaps easily without just a little coney goodness in the length.

The balance I have found is just using a tiny bit. I mix about an ounce of conditioner in a conditioner bottle and fill the rest with vinegar. After I shapoo-bar my hair (big CV lover here!) I mix about an ounce of the conditioner-vinegar mix in an empty bottle, top it off with water, and let it sit on my hair for about half a minute or so before I rinse. Its definitely not an exact science, shower-product measurement, and half the time is done with the eyes shut so I don't get anything in them.

This routine works very well for me. If you find your hair is better with conditioner than without, dilution is your friend.

ReadingRenee
March 18th, 2008, 03:56 PM
one note- that particular mix will tint light hair slightly purply red until rinsed out.. it does wash completely out.. but since I henna over dark hair, it just helps my roots blend a bit


Now Im definitely going to try that as my hair IS purply red and Im growing out Henna with some serious roots! Sounds good to me!

ktani
March 18th, 2008, 10:00 PM
I do not think conventional conditioners are bad for the hair.

Years ago my SIL went no conditioner - after hearing that it was not necessary for all hair types.

I thought the idea was crazy. It went against everything I believed about hair care but I said nothing when she told me about it - she was happy doing without it and had no problems with her new routine - just shampooing and using hair spray.

I started to try herb rinses initially to lighten my hair colour - chamomile - and I read that it was conditioning as well.

It proved to be drying, built-up and I got more breakage using it with and without conditioner.

Then when I started turning more grey, I wanted to find something non chemical to cover the grey without causing roots or fading.

On to linden tea - disaster - breakage and build-up - some colour but I did not need conditioner.

Then finally catnip - great colour - less than stellar conditioning at first but less breakage. It does not stain over conditioner so I started to experiment to see if I could use it to do both - colour and condition.

Finally with timing and patience and bagging the rinse in the shower - I got it to work.

Now I have both - no split ends and grey/white coverage - no build-up - I still shampoo - and less breakage than I had using conditioner. My hair is more wavy than with conditioner, full and soft but has body.

I also had developed sensitivity to certain chemicals both in shampoos and conditioners - more so in the latter - conditioner is left on the hair longer and keeping it off the scalp can be difficult - in any case I like to condition the hair at the scalp and the first few inches.

So, while I am still no conditioner - I condition my hair - just not the conventional way.

Giving up conditioner does not have to mean no conditioning.

Kirin

Using a leave-in conditioner is still conditioning and may be all that is needed for some people, IMO.