To cone or not to cone...

[CurlyCreature]

To cone or not to cone... THAT is the question...

I have thick fluffy poofy kinky hair... I'm going to be honest. I LOVE any product with a good amount of "cones" in it. in fact, back in the day I used to put pure silicone lubricant on my hair*! It makes it so shiny, it's an amazing detangler, it helps weigh down my "poof"... but I'm reading a lot that people here are anti-cone? Is it just because of their hair type or is there something dangerous and scary about 'cones' that i have yet to discover... Why such a split crowd? I want to hear both sides...




*like the kind ACE makes for mechanical things... not personal lubricant lol (although I do have a friend who swears by 'astroglyde' lol)

[danacc]

There's nothing inherently evil about 'cones. Some folks hate what it does to their hair (disguises damage so it's not directly addressed, straightens waves or curls, weighs down hair, makes hair feel coated, others?). Some folks love what it does to their hair (adds shine, great slip, protects against mechanical damage, others?).

As far as I can tell, it's one of those confirmations of the rule that everybody's hair is different. With cones, your mileage may vary.

If you already know your hair likes cones, keep using them. If you're curious, you can try no-cones for a week or so and see what happens, but it sounds like you already know what will happen, and have established your own hair's preference. :)

[rhosyn_du]

There's nothing scary about 'cones in and of themselves. They can feel weird and kind of plastic-y on hair that's been treated with henna, and the ones that haven't been modified to be water soluble require sulfates to remove. Sulfates fade darker shades of conventional dyes, and some people (mostly wavies and curlies, from what I've seen) find they over-dry hair and/or scalp. A small percentage of people have allergic reactions to sulfates.

Because I color with henna (well, I'm growing it out now, but most of my hair is still henna-ful) and get the plastic-y feeling from 'cones, and because more than very occasional sulfate use dries my hair out and gives me crazy amounts of frizz, I choose to avoid 'cones that are not modified to be water-soluble, and I only use the water-soluble ones on special occasions.

If your hair likes 'cones, and you don't chemically darken your hair or have any negative reactions to sulfates, there's really no reason not to go on using them.

[einna]

To cone or not to cone... THAT is the question...


*like the kind ACE makes for mechanical things... not personal lubricant lol (although I do have a friend who swears by 'astroglyde' lol)

I use cones sometimes, it helps my weigh my hair down and gives it some slip. Since I don`t use shampoo with sulfates (that is needed to rinse away many types of cones), I have to be careful not to get build up. To much cones can stop moisture from getting into your strands and also make it feel weird.

And also: On a nordic site for CO, many people swear by "Klick", a personal waterbased lubricant, as a moisturiser/stylingproduct for curly hair. ;)

[CurlyCreature]

On a nordic site for CO, many people swear by "Klick", a personal waterbased lubricant, as a moisturiser/stylingproduct for curly hair. ;)


hahaha thats so funny :pinktongue:

[Slinks]

I'm into cones .. I tried two no cone products and it dried my hair out .. it's up to you :-)

[GRU]

I went no-cone when I started CO-washing.

My hair is SO much happier with me since I've stopped subjecting it to harsh detergents in shampoo. You can actually feel where the change is by putting a tress between your fingers and slowly gliding your hand from roots to ends -- you'll feel the transition from CO-washed hair to the hair that was previously subjected to shampoo.

It probably won't be REALLY visible until I get rid of all my old damaged hair, but I can FEEL the difference, and in a couple years I'll have only CO-washed hair left on my head and the tangle/frizz situation will be significantly reduced (it already is on my top six inches that are the undamaged CO-washed portion).

[Rivanariko]

My hair does not like cone-free conditioners/shampoos. At all. The few times I've tried them, I wasn't able to complete the "two-week rule" because my hair was coming out by the handful. Cones make my hair shiny, slick, soft, and happy. I'm never going without them again!

[elbow chic]

I'm still using them, kind of cycling between 'coney and 'coneless products.

For me the main downside of using coney products is that they flatten out my wave pattern considerably.

But I like that sleek, slick texture coney stuff gives too much to quit it entirely.
And the way the tangles just fall out.
And the way it keeps the hair from floating up into the rafters.

Anyway, I think some people have problems with buildup, too. This might become a bigger problem once people start getting into the longer lengths. I've never experienced buildup personally, though, and that's after spending a decade with the 'coniest of them all: PANTENE!

[CurlyCreature]

I'm still using them, kind of cycling between 'coney and 'coneless products.

For me the main downside of using coney products is that they flatten out my wave pattern considerably.

But I like that sleek, slick texture coney stuff gives too much to quit it entirely.
And the way the tangles just fall out.
And the way it keeps the hair from floating up into the rafters.

Anyway, I think some people have problems with buildup, too. This might become a bigger problem once people start getting into the longer lengths. I've never experienced buildup personally, though, and that's after spending a decade with the 'coniest of them all: PANTENE!

hmm... well i do shampoo (sulfate free) every once and a while to just remove build up from hair products etc (because i have to use hair spray and other things when i dance) so hopefully i wont get that? or do i actually need sulfates?

[Firefox7275]

There are a couple of posts in the Articles section that explain both sides of the cone argument. I currently still use cones but am planning to try without primarily because what I have been doing has not given me great hair! I need to learn to manage my waves not take a short-term fix. I think sulphates are necessary for some cones, others can be removed by suphate-free products.

[jojo]

if its not broke..don't fix it!

If your hair likes cones, indulge it and don't feel guilty. Cones are not evil, no hair product company is going to add anything which could potentially cause harm. Enjoy your hair!

[Lamb]

You might find these articles useful:
http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=185

http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=151

I have the kind of wurly, babyfine, thin(nish), flyaway hair that one would think would benefit from a cone-free regimen. But it does not. I use cones every single day, either in my shampoo/conditioner or in a leave-in, and my hair thanks me for it. It's simply shinier, has better shape, "holds together" better with cones.

Experiment! Find out what's best for your own hair. That's the only way to decide whether to use cones or not.

[Maelyssa]

My daughters all have thick, curly, poofy, frizzy, kinky hair & we tried lots of cones for them. While the cones did control their hair so it looked nice it always felt a bit crunchy. They'd have issues with scalp build up too.

Recently I got them L'Oreal EverSleek products which have no cones & it's been a miracle. Their hair truly looks like it's controlled with cones but there are no cones in them. So their hair is tame but also feels soft. Loving it!!!

[MiamiPineapple]

I also do a combination. My hair seems to look OK with or without Cone products. However, I am also new and I have seen that a lot of people on here are anti-cone so I am trying to pay closer attention to whats in the products I use to see how they effect my hair.

[virgo75]

I use both cones & cone free.
They both have their benefits.

But as a lady with curly hair, I would definitely suggest that you give the cone free and CO washing a try. It seems to work for so many with curly hair(see GRU's gorgeous curls as an example!).

Unfortunately CO washing doesn't work for me- I lose hair by the handful & get tangles and buildup no matter what I use if I don't shampoo. :shrug:

I don't think that cones are evil at all though. I've never used a cone product that took more than one, light shampoo to clean them off of my hair.

However, I have had to clarify about 4 times in a row to get shea butter, some oils, and Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner out of my hair. :shudder:

[CurlyCreature]

You might find these articles useful:
http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=185

http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=151

I have the kind of wurly, babyfine, thin(nish), flyaway hair that one would think would benefit from a cone-free regimen. But it does not. I use cones every single day, either in my shampoo/conditioner or in a leave-in, and my hair thanks me for it. It's simply shinier, has better shape, "holds together" better with cones.

Experiment! Find out what's best for your own hair. That's the only way to decide whether to use cones or not.

Thank you, those articles really helped - I've worked out that I will use cones but sparingly (only if going out or special occasions) and if I plan on being in all day I wont. Also I've added a weakly "cleansing wash" to my routine


My daughters all have thick, curly, poofy, frizzy, kinky hair & we tried lots of cones for them. While the cones did control their hair so it looked nice it always felt a bit crunchy. They'd have issues with scalp build up too.

Recently I got them L'Oreal EverSleek products which have no cones & it's been a miracle. Their hair truly looks like it's controlled with cones but there are no cones in them. So their hair is tame but also feels soft. Loving it!!!

Oo i will have to try those! thank you!

[Jenn of Pence]

I'm a cone-head, too. ;) I say do what works!