It's Working !!! Woo Hoo ! ( pic heavy )

[UltraBella]

I have changed a lot of my hair care routine since joining here a few months ago, but I was never really sure if it was working or not. I am now SLS and cone free and I am only using heatless curling methods, but my hair always just kind of looks the same.

HOWEVER, my hair has always looked AWFUL when I wash it and let it air dry with absolutley no products in it. I am a gel, mouse, leave-in conditioner junkie :)

Today we were out in the mountains all day on an ATV and I was covered in dirt and in a hurry because we had company coming over. I showered and quickly combed through my tangles and completely forgot to put any product in my hair. I have not seen my hair product free in three months. I was afraid to look......
It is so so so so much better !!!!!!!!!!!
I can't believe I am even going to post this first pic, it is so bad. This is the only pic I have of my hair product-less before today.

http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac282/beyondbeauty76/IMG_0200.jpg

This is my hair today after it dried. I just recently had a 2 inch trim along with some highlights and copper red foils.

http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac282/beyondbeauty76/IMG_0446.jpg

I would say there is a huge improvement and my hair is much nicer looking without SLS and cones. I can't believe how much better it is !!! :cheese::cheese::cheese:
Thank you all for giving me so much advice and support the last few months !

[donna'sdaughter]

you're hair color is absolutely GAWJUS dahling!

[Antipodienne]

WOW!! It looks beautiful! I can totally see the difference. Keep up the good work!

[UltraBella]

Thanks ! I had a moment of blissful shock after I took this pic :)
Maybe I don't need as much product anymore now that my hair is free of cones. I just kept applying it automatically without ever stopping to see what my hair would do on it's own. And since cutting out the SLS it is definitely looking less dry and frizzy.
I would have never stopped using these ingredients if it wasn't for others here at LHC.

[Naturel]

You have beautiful hair.

[Gypsygirl]

Your hair is A.MA.ZING!!! :)

[julliams]

Ooooh, I think you might be pretty curly. I bet if you kept up this routine you will have a few spirals starting to do their thing. My hair was the same. It's taken me ages to learn to get it to "curl" more. I actually got to a point where it got too curly for me and I went back to cones.

Have you tried the wash, condition, leave in, some gel, scrunch once with an old t-shirt around the head and leave to dry WITHOUT TOUCHING method? I got my hair to do what it's doing my siggy with this method. I bet you would encourage even more curl with this.

It's so easy to get used to seeing your hair "styled" more straight and so when it is it's normal more textured state it can take a bit of getting used to - for you and for others.

Have fun with your new look. Like me, you might even get to like it better!!

[Blond Unicorn]

What a change!

[LittleOrca]

Looking good.

[TinaDenali]

Looks great, Bella!!

[DavidN]

Oh, I cannot get over your hair's thickness, and the colour is awesome too!

[jackiesjottings]

What a fabulous colour :)

[Medievalmaniac]

Chalk me up as another fan of the color! Isn't it amazing what we "think" our hair needs because society says so, versus how it looks without all of that stuff? Mind blowing. I haven't used anything but oils and 'fate and cone-free S&Cs for the past year - and my hair looks and feels the best it ever has. Congratulations on your similar results!! :)

[kimki]

It's looking really good. Your hair is beautiful :flower:

[jasper]

I think I've seen your no cone thread, but can I ask you here which no cone product you are using?

[triumphator!]

Wow, that definitely is different from the pictures from other threads you've posted. It looks very natural.

[kristymarie87]

It looks so much thicker too! I have trouble finding an SLS free poo where i live! I try to look at every botle but end up giving up!

[UltraBella]

I think I've seen your no cone thread, but can I ask you here which no cone product you are using?

Currently I am using the Garnier Triple Nutrition conditioner. I also like Biolage Conditioning Balm. There is a huge price difference between the two, so I am going to stick with the Triple Nutrition for a while.
I am using a Giovanni cone less gel mixed with pure aloe vera gel as a styling product now, I have a product graveyard sitting in my bathroom from all the cones !

[xovictoryxo]

very pretty! look the color and the wave! so whats ur regime? :)

[UltraBella]

It looks so much thicker too! I have trouble finding an SLS free poo where i live! I try to look at every botle but end up giving up!

Do you have any health food stores locally ? That is where I find mine. They have a beauty section and there are several SLS free to chose from. I guess your other option is to order online, plenty of options there.

My hair doesn't feel any thicker, in fact it feels like it is laying nicer now. My hair is just THICK, there is no denying it. My mom and daughter are the same :)

[mali]

Hello,UB!:afro: Your hair is soooo beautiful! The color,the texture,the shine! Eh.Ma.Gawd.You totally inspired me in my hair growing journey!:):):)

[restourceful]

I'm with Julliams; I think you might be a curly girl. What I wouldn't give to have your thickness! :agape: And your color is awesome! :thud: Try the plop method Julliams described and I bet you'll love the results.

[UltraBella]

very pretty! look the color and the wave! so whats ur regime? :)

My general regime : I wash every three/four days with an SLS free shampoo I found at my local health food store followed by one of the two conditioners I just mentioned in my reply to Jasper.
Some aloe vera gel mixed with a cone free Giovanni gel or a leave in conditioner and then I let it air dry.
Every so often I oil overnight before wash day with coconut oil, or jojoba, or sweet almond oil.
If I feel the need to curl my hair I use my Caruso Hairsetter, I have placed my large barreled curling iron in quarantine for a while. :D

[Stephichan]

Wow! You pretty much have the hair that I wish I could have. It took me a long time to embrace my wavies, but now I wouldn't give them up for anything - except maybe some more curls :D

[*Aoife*]

Oh wow! The second pic looks so great. And I love love love how thick it is :D

[Carolyn]

Your hair is amazing! We like the same conditioners. The Triple Nutrition is a nice price break from the Biolage. You don't have to give up cones completely if you don't want to. But it's nice to know you can if you want to. I go back and forth as I like the results from both cones and no cones.

[tinti]

You must be doing something right because your hair looks so much better in the 2nd pic! Keep it up :)

[UltraBella]

You must be doing something right because your hair looks so much better in the 2nd pic! Keep it up :)

That first picture was seriously B*A*D !!!!!!!

[bunzfan]

you have the most beautiful curly thick hair, mine is more wavy than curly but since i started on the curly girl way which is similar to what your doing my hair is getting curlier every week.

I would rather have curly than wavy as thats in between curly and straight

[spidermom]

Peaking out from behind curtain: ummmmmmm .... I like the appearance of texture better in the first picture. I'd love to see what your hair looks like dried with no combing at all - except you can comb conditioner through before rinsing so it's not all tangly/knotty.

[UltraBella]

Peaking out from behind curtain: ummmmmmm .... I like the appearance of texture better in the first picture. I'd love to see what your hair looks like dried with no combing at all - except you can comb conditioner through before rinsing so it's not all tangly/knotty.

I usually agree with your posts, but not this time !
I only remove tangles when I get out of the shower, so it is a very light combing and I don't think it effects my texture. In both of these pics I have just let it air dry for 3+ hours and did not comb after it was dry either. The first picture is just sad, my hair was unhappy, frizzy and dull. I think I had a buildup of cones. Not the hair I want and I would have cut it significantly had I not found this new routine. I had been wishing to chop it off for months. Now I am tempted to grow to tailbone. :D

[Luckysock]

Totally! You can see a crazy difference, it looks so much softer and fuller - nice job! yay for LHC!!!

[spidermom]

Tailbone IS a great length.

[UltraBella]

For some reason I can't go as many days between washing my hair if I don't use any product ?
I washed on Sunday and it's Tuesday now and I already need to wash again. Usually I wash my hair every three or four days. I wonder why I am noticing a difference when the only thing I did differently is skip the aloe and Giovanni gel combination....... I really don't want to wash all this hair every two days !

[mali]

For some reason I can't go as many days between washing my hair if I don't use any product ?
I washed on Sunday and it's Tuesday now and I already need to wash again. Usually I wash my hair every three or four days. I wonder why I am noticing a difference when the only thing I did differently is skip the aloe and Giovanni gel combination....... I really don't want to wash all this hair every two days !
Maybe it is because your hair got used to that routine?It happened to me but I was persistent with my new hair routine and it didn't happen anymore.:):)

[sugarpixie10988]

It's so pretty! I want your thickness :D.

[BrightEyes]

Wow, your hair is stunning! The thickness and texture are just beautiful. Well done!:cheese:

[Cyetra]

What a stunning improvement!

[adiapalic]

For some reason I can't go as many days between washing my hair if I don't use any product ?
I washed on Sunday and it's Tuesday now and I already need to wash again. Usually I wash my hair every three or four days. I wonder why I am noticing a difference when the only thing I did differently is skip the aloe and Giovanni gel combination....... I really don't want to wash all this hair every two days !

Your hair is gorgeous!

Is it greasiness popping up telling you that you need to wash your hair? If so, the aloe and Giovanni gel combination may have been what was staving off that dirty, limp greasy feeling that comes after right before your next wash. Do you ever wear your hair up?

I know that wearing an updo on occasion has allowed me to go longer between washes. BBB helps a lot too.

[UltraBella]

I have to wear my hair up every day at work, so it is up the majority of the time. Also, I do not brush my hair. I only use a wide toothed detangling comb.
It just feels "different" without all the product in it. It felt amazing the first day, really good yesterday, but now it just seems to need a washing. Hmmm.......

[missfortune9335]

looking great! Your hair is loving the new routine for sure :D

[EdG]

UltraBella, you have UltraHair! :thud:
Ed

[GlassEyes]

Looks better than my hair productless. I can't go without. xD;

[SpinDance]

You have beautiful hair. Thank you for sharing your routine. It helps to know what is working so well for others.

[Othala]

Stunning hair! THUD!

[Peisinoe]

oooo I would "dye" to have your colour. It is really nice.