How did going cone free improve your hair?

[shikara]

Did going cone free improve your hairs' manageability, appearance, drape......

[jaine]

For me it helped me see the actual condition of my hair so I could take the appropriate action to fix it. Cones seem to hide whether or not my hair is actually healthy - they just make it appear healthy.

I found that my hair was very dry. But now I've gotten it to a state where the actual condition of my hair is shiny and moisturized.

[Jcv-Shelley]

Less scalp issues, frizz, improved texture, and a smudge bit of more shine.

[Aleria]

I bleached and dyed my hair, but I still CO with a cone free conditioner. Not using cones means I don't have to use shampoo, which makes my dye fade less and keeps my hair soft despite the bleach (it feels the same as it did before)

[Cirafly24]

It helped my wave pattern emerge, and I feel like my hair is actually shinier without cones.

[|Xei]

I'm not entirely cone-free, but I'm pretty close to being. There are one or two cones in my shampoo, but they are so far down the list (probably the 20th ingredient or something) that I really doubt they really do anything other than to give the shampoo some slip when it is lathered.

After switching to cone-free, my hair de-frizzed and my slight natural wave was brought out. Although the ends are still a bit dry, my hair looks a lot more healthy as a whole. It is longer than it's ever been, there is less shedding, and I can stretch washes to every other day without my hair becoming a super grease ball. I no longer have an itchy, flakey scalp. When I deep condition, my hair actually becomes more moisturized and shiny, whereas before, when I still used cones, any treatment I used would only make my hair feel nice, but it did absolutely nothing to improve the state of my hair.

I DID switch over to sulfate-free as well when I went cone-free, so that might have affected the change in my hair as well.

[owlathena]

Its feels much lighter and softer and I can go longer between shampoos.


ETA: I do get loads more tangles since going cone free.

[Vervaine]

I've experimented with baking soda washes, egg washes, and WO, so its hard to say what affects what, but since giving up normal shampoo (my last one did have lots of cones) I have way less shedding, and my hair went from poker-straight and volume-less to wavy and full.

[AnqeIicDemise]

By going cone free I have learned that a:

* I don't have pin straight hair impossible to curl. It is actually quite impressionable. (Braid waves are gorgeous and they last until my hair gets wet. I could NEVER do that with cones!)
* My hair was actually super dry.
* Because of the wavy nature of my hair (I have learned that it is more 1b/1c ish than 1a in the past nine months), I actually have volume.
* The dandruff/itch I had? Build up.
* I have super shiny hair without the need of shine serums.
* My hair simply hates cones.

But, what is good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander. Some folk's hair ADORE cones and look/feels its best with them than without. You need to experiment.

**** I am highly amused at how many of us have noticed the natural wave of our hair after giving up cones. XD

[Lexy]

Until I went cone free, I thought I had straight, fine hair. After a few months without cones, I realized that I have fairly thick and wavy hair. Can't explain it, but that's what happened. :shrug:

[physicschick]

I don't see a huge difference in my hair with and without cones. (I actually checked this by doing stuff like using cones on the left half of my hair but not the right half. :laugh: ) What I did notice is that moisturizing treatments work better on me if my hair doesn't already have cones on it. That was my main reason for quitting cones, and now I'm a creature of habit and just keep buying the same cone-free conditioner.

[AspenSong]

For me, I have experienced far less tangle issues. My hair seems much softer and shinier. I know cones help with shine, etc...but my hair seems to love being cone-free. I've used coney stuff since going no-cone and I just hated my hair with it and my hair just was BLAH. It seems much more lively without. :)

[SpeakingEZ]

What I did notice is that moisturizing treatments work better on me if my hair doesn't already have cones on it.

This was the big one for me. Actually, I don't do any treatments anymore because my hair doesn't need them. Without cones, my hair benefits from the natural sebum much better and it always feels as if I just did an oiling.

[Bene]

I've been cone free for like 2.5 years. I haven't noticed any improvement in the condition of my hair. I'm one of the lucky few who can go with or without and not notice any difference. I only stay cone-free because my scalp seems to get greasier quicker with cones.

[erika_d]

OMG. I NEVER thought I could or would go cone-free. I always thought I had the kind of hair that didn't care about cones. Boy was I wrong!

I learned that going cone free:
-gave my usually limp hair WAY more volume
-meant that i no longer needed shine serums, shine sprays, or detangling sprays
-made my hair thicker
-made my hair "fall" better and "move" better. It feels different...after that first no-cone wash and condition, I could feel my hair MOVE differently and it moved as if all the strands moved independantly, not like a big curtain like before
-meant I actually have NICE hair
-allowed me to wash and go...no need for styling
-brought out my highlights more
-cleared up my scalp and back issues

[pepperminttea]

I was 'cone-free for five years or so. Detangling was much more difficult to do without causing damage (I didn't realise how much more difficult it was until I tried 'cones again). Healthy 'cone free hair has a kind of softness all its own. My waves come out to play a lot more without 'cones, and generally my hair is lighter - in terms of holding wave and curl, that's great, but it does mean it's also more fly-away and has less of a solid shape, and it drapes differently. If I brushed, it was poofy to the max. Combing was less bad. It matted very easily. It was fine for wearing up, when an updo would provide the weight and hold it together, but wearing it down was much more difficult, and would normally mean a detangling session afterwards of upwards of an hour.

That said, if I use a normal 'cone-y shampoo and condish, I get build-up incredibly quickly, and hit the other end of the scale - limp, lank hair. It lays flat, but not in the good way. My scalp also hates 'cones and becomes incredibly itchy with their use. I find what works best for me is a 'cone-free shampoo and condish, and then when damp, a 'cone-y leave-in just on the length. Just enough 'cone to give slip, but not so much that it's overpowering.

So to answer your question...
Manageability: Easier on 'cones, but just on the length. A little 'cone goes a long way.
Appearance: Healthy hair can look great 'cone-free, but damaged hair... well, all the damage will show. It's normal to freak out when you first go 'cone-free about all the damage you didn't know you had. :p
Drape: More wave 'cone-free, but better drape and less flyaways with some 'cones. Lank and stringy with a 'cone overdose.

[CrisDee]

I first went cone-free when I started CO about 3 years ago (pre-LHC). The first thing I noticed was I had less fade on my then-chemically dyed hair. Now that I've quit chemicals and do henna-cassia, as well as having quit heat styling, I noticed that cones make my hair frizz. The heat styling probably hid that before.

[bella77]

for me it's all about volume on my fine/thin hair. I also get more wave w/o cones.

[Vercelli]

Interesting thread - especially as I am considering cones for my head again.:o

I have been cone-free for three years. The improvements seem to be (though I will never be sure as I have not taken care of my hair before I started using cone-free products):

-super shiny hair (well, even my parents noticed!)
-gained one cm in thickness (comparison of low ponytail circumference before and after)
-longer hair (of course, that was the intention)

On the other hand I have been suffering from scalp problems for two years too since being cone-free which is why I am not sure I can recommend it totally.

[wavyR]

For me it helped me see the actual condition of my hair so I could take the appropriate action to fix it. Cones seem to hide whether or not my hair is actually healthy - they just make it appear healthy.

I found that my hair was very dry. But now I've gotten it to a state where the actual condition of my hair is shiny and moisturized.


This, pretty much.

[veronicaleah]

Interesting thread - especially as I am considering cones for my head again.:o

I have been cone-free for three years. The improvements seem to be (though I will never be sure as I have not taken care of my hair before I started using cone-free products):

-super shiny hair (well, even my parents noticed!)
-gained one cm in thickness (comparison of low ponytail circumference before and after)
-longer hair (of course, that was the intention)

On the other hand I have been suffering from scalp problems for two years too since being cone-free which is why I am not sure I can recommend it totally.

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of scalp problems? I am CO washing right now and curious what to look out for! Thanks!

[HintOfMint]

It wasn't going cone-free that helped, it was getting sulfate shampoos off the ends of my hair that helped the most.

Now I'm trying to work out some sort of compromise, cones with limited clarifying.

[aenflex]

Nope, for me going cone-free sucked :(
It changed the texture of my hair alright, but for not the better. It was poofy-er, more coarse and just had a strange lay to it. Fly-away and whatnot. I use light cones in my leave in spray and it really makes a world of difference to me.

[Captain Nikki]

I prefer no cones. With cones i have to use a sulphate shampoo which gives me an itchy scalp & fades my colour. With cones i lose my lovely curls & my hair just goes messy, wavy. Don't get me wrong, i like wavy hair, it's just that my waves just look unkept & unstylish. With cones my hair goes boofy.
The only good thing about using cones on my hair is that it makes it easier to comb, less tangles. Being cone free, i deal with the tangles by adding a little oil to the ends of my hair. This oil, i believe, can penetrate the hair better since it has no cones on it. My hair is softer with cones but adding the oil to my cone free hair does help soften it too.

[Avital88]

I just got on the no cones road, to see if it improves my hair. I do use shampoo but its the rainforest one from the bodyshop, and i use garnier tripple nutrition conditioner.
My hair is less frizzy, especially a big difference after a wash, and the shine is tremendous! I willl def.try it out some more weeks and then decide if i go cone free forever because right now my hairr has really improved.

[Curly_jas]

My hair is much thicker (but this could be because i stopped straightening my curly hair) super shiny, much more manageable, less tangles, softer, healthier, longer hair, beautiful curls!!!..the list goes on :)

[Copasetic]

Going cone free didn't improve my hair exactly, but it is noticeably different than when I use silicones. When I am cone free my curls are a lot looser, which is weird because most curlies say the opposite happens to them. I can go longer between washes when I am cone free, but my hair feels more limp and dull. It also "hangs" better when I am cone free.

[Chamy]

No more scalp issues. No more hiding the damage, which in turn helps me deal with the real problem and get actual healthy hair. It is not as silky as with loads of cones in it though. But it feels more real, and i like that feeling.

[Mirsha]

Not at all, lol.

It really made all the damage I had stand out, I had dry unmanageable hair that I couldn't run a wide-tooth comb through to save my life. All the deep treatments I knew about at the time had cones/quats in them.

I have since cut most of the damage off, and inflicted new damage on parts of my hair that are not easily visible. I'm not against retrying going cone-free, but I'm actually dreading it.

I like what cones do for my hair and it makes selecting conditioner so much easier (vs reading all ingredients on every bottle anytime I want to try something new LOL)

[Kaijah]

Suddenly: curls everywhere. I was still wavy on cones, but it was reduced. I had even more severe "flat top" than I do now.

My hair also feels less... coated? Waxed? Overly slicked down? Heavy? I'm not sure how to describe it. I don't think cones really choked it off, or kept it from absorbing moisture, but it definitely felt like there was a layer of something icky on my hair when I used cones. When I leave on oil, it doesn't have that weird feeling like it did with cone serums and conditioner.

I think being able to get rid using shampoo on the whole length made a bigger difference in my hair getting moisturized than just losing the cones. My skin also stopped breaking out so much on cone-free stuff - my scalp used to get odd pimple like things too, when I use cone shampoo & conditioner. I absolutely could NOT cowash with a cone conditioner - my scalp practically exploded in rage and the shedding was scary.

[Maelyssa]

It's less crunchy & a bit softer.

[skyblue]

I'm still not sure yet, I've been using cone free conditioners for the last few months, my hair pretty much is the same other then it's not drying out as bad but that could be due to my weekly caster oil scalp treatments too, I was at first using coconut oil or EVOL on my length but I'm noticing that I don't really have to do that any more

[Vercelli]

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of scalp problems? I am CO washing right now and curious what to look out for! Thanks!

Oh I've got flaky scalp right now. Especially around my hairline above my forehead. Very ugly and itchy. Looks like some allergic reaction though I'm not sure. I never had any scalp problems before I started using cone-free hair stuff. But maybe it is also life style related. I have no clue whatsoever.:confused:

[Siiri]

I never really went cone free on purpose, I just happened to start using cone free shampoo and conditioner when I was around 15, because that's what my mother was using. I didn't really know cones were bad for you then. I did try some with cones a couple of times, and they always seemed to cause greasy build-up in my roots.

[pepperminttea]

Oh I've got flaky scalp right now. Especially around my hairline above my forehead. Very ugly and itchy. Looks like some allergic reaction though I'm not sure. I never had any scalp problems before I started using cone-free hair stuff. But maybe it is also life style related. I have no clue whatsoever.:confused:

You might want to ask your doctor about it. The psoriasis on my scalp emerged in much the same way (it starts due to stress, and then you're kinda stuck with it - hopefully you'll have more luck).

[teela1978]

I don't see a huge difference. I prefer cones myself, less tangles, better drape, more shine.

[rbecks]

My hair became less stringy and I could go for longer between washes and generally just looks nicer.

[kaned_ferret]

less frizz, the ability to leave the house without straightening and still feel ok about the way my hair looks, more shine, softer, smoother... lol, for me it is amazing! Though I must add I am coupling this with overall much better hair practices, such as henna as opposed to chemical dye, and use of oil treatments from time to time... It's made my scalp much happier too, I'm definitely seeing aa reduction of dry flakies :)

[GlassWidow]

The other day, I wanted my waves to hold better so I grabbed the not-oft used mousse out of my cabinet. The whole day my hair was stuck to my forehead and neck like velcro because it was so full of static. It hasn't done this in AGES so I figured it must be the mousse. I checked the ingredients and sure enough, dimethicone is in the top 5. I had forgotten that the static/velcro was a regular occurrence with my hair before going cone free, but this was a big reminder!

[Intransigentia]

Not sure about my hair - it's fantasticly shiny and soft and smooth, but I credit the oil I add to my shampoo more than the lack of cones.

My skin, on the other hand, is much improved. My scalp no longer itches and doesn't grease up as fast, and I used to have major acne on my back and shoulders where my hair touched but since going cone-free there are rarely more than one or two pimples over the whole area.

[Anje]

Cones seem to make my hair dry and tangly, a few days post-wash. Now that I wash less often, I need to be cone-free to have smooth hair.

[gthlvrmx]

Until I went cone free, I thought I had straight, fine hair. After a few months without cones, I realized that I have fairly thick and wavy hair. Can't explain it, but that's what happened. :shrug:

I just tried cone free and my hair got even curlier, and here i was thinking the cones were making my curls already bouncy and curly.

[growingpains]

I just went cone free last week and so far it's been a dream. More tangles, yes, but also:

-noticeably way shinier
-noticeably straighter (weird since most report the opposite!)
-much, much less frizz
-thicker appearing and feeling (looks less stringy and healthier)
-I can't describe why, but better to touch - save for the ends when they have been windblown and tangled.

Any tips on how to deal with the increased tangles associated w/ no cones?

[louisemg82]

For me it helped me see the actual condition of my hair so I could take the appropriate action to fix it. Cones seem to hide whether or not my hair is actually healthy - they just make it appear healthy.

I found that my hair was very dry. But now I've gotten it to a state where the actual condition of my hair is shiny and moisturized.
Ditto - except I've not quite at the moisturised stage just yet, I only gave up cones a few months ago. Cones always made my hair look and feel better than non-cone conditioners but I realised they were only hiding the abuse. I'm hoping after a few more deep heat and oil treatments, my hair wont need cones to look good.

[shikara]

I just went cone free last week and so far it's been a dream. More tangles, yes, but also:

-noticeably way shinier
-noticeably straighter (weird since most report the opposite!)
-much, much less frizz
-thicker appearing and feeling (looks less stringy and healthier)
-I can't describe why, but better to touch - save for the ends when they have been windblown and tangled.

Any tips on how to deal with the increased tangles associated w/ no cones?

I'm not sure which did it for me, but the same time I started no cone conditioner, I mixed equal parts of my moisturizing shampoo with a protein shampoo (MillCreek Keratin) and put this with 8 cups of water in a jug. My 'washing' was a quick dunk of my length in the solution, then carefully pouring the rest over and around my scalp. The first time ever I have been able to comb straight through my hair (and from an upside down wash!!!). It's worked since as well. Don't know if that will work for you, but it can't hurt to try it.

[Messyhair]

Going cone-free doesn't work for my hair. I get this frizzy, fluffy texture that tangles very easily and I lose all of my shine and manageability. Strange how it works for some and not for others.

[RitaPG]

Made my hair a little shinier and a LOT softer ^^'

EDIT:
Even if my routine is cone-free, I admit that I use silicone conditioners on my length once in a while, because my fine hair is just too prone to tangles sometimes.

[celebriangel]

So I was totally not going to go conefree. I saw no reason to; I'm a wurly/curly, and aren't cones supposed to be good for that? My hair isn't fine, so it won't go limp, and I'm sure that when I used cheap shampoos as a teenager I was a total frizz-ball.

But. With my new LHC routine, which involves much more leave-in and much less blowfrying (read: none. I was glad to give it up, tbh), I achieved massive gunky build-up. So I clarified, and just as an experiment I used the cheapest-of-the-cheap Superdrug Essentials Peach conditioner.

Oh. My. Goodness.

The first thing I noticed was how unbelievably soft my hair was. The texture of my hair is *incredible* - it feels as light and smooth as baby-hairs, but with plenty of volume and thickness. I'm going to change my "M" tag to F/M, based on this.

The second thing was how BRIGHT my red hair was, even though it's been 6 weeks since I coloured (I'm not continuing, but damn, with hair this bright, I'm tempted). To anyone who saw my "Wahhhh my hair is getting darker!" thread: that was buildup. Ick.

The third thing was really weird; my hair formed perfect 2c wurls when I air-dryed it, but when I brushed it with my tangle-teezer, it fell almost straight, with big, loose wurls at the end. 1b/2a? It's beeeaaauuuuuutiful, if I do say so myself.

I cannot believe this transformation. My hair has not really been tanglier, it's just that the tangles I do have have required more patience and effort to detangle - my comb doesn't just slip past tangles anymore. However, my tangle-teezer makes short work of all my tangles and my M iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-haired DBF's ones.

So yeah. Not a problem for me. Also, my greasies have GONE! Instead of waking up the morning after a wash with the beginnings of gunky greasiness, I woke up with 50% more shine! YAY :magic:

Weird, huh? I totally didn't expect this. But my hair hates being clarified, and I'm also pretty lazy, so I'm sold on this routine. Also, 59p conditioner. :D

[heatherovka]

Before finding LHC I did not know about cones, and I honestly think through trial and error I bought shampoo and conditioner that did not contain them. I think cones make my hair strands feel weird and sticky, or coated, or stiff and heavy. When I found LHC and started learning about cones I was slightly surprised to find that the salon conditioner I had been using did not contain cones.

Actually I recently tried cones again and still didn't like the way they made my hair feel. I didn't think it looked any better either.

So I don't know if cone-free has improved my hair at all, but it is my personal preference because it feels better to me.

[Elysium]

Since giving up cones nearly a month ago my hair feels so much better. Its so much softer and doesn't get greasy within two days :rolleyes: Its also gotten so much thicker, its feels like I have twice as much hair as I used to. I'm getting my waves back too, my hairs starting to wurl a little around ears and near the ends.

[CrystalStar]

Giving up cones.. The number one benefit has to be the softness! All your hairs seem to align better, so you don't have frizz going off here and there, and for me I found my hair went a lot shinier. :)

I went CO with going cone free and I consider it a bit like a 'cream wash' for my hair. I used to dread putting shampoo in my hair, but I didn't know of anything else to clean it. However, with CO you actually feel like you're treating your hair as you wash it... Absolutely brilliant. :D

[perkidanman]

Once I gave up cones (and commercial shampoos) my once epically frizzy hair became smoother, softer and easier to manage. I'm never going back to blowfrying, sls, and cones ever again.

[Roseate]

The best thing about giving up cones was that I also got to give up SLS. SLS was causing gnarly scalp problems that I had never been able to fix.

[Blond On Blond]

I'm the lucky one to have hair that likes both methods. I alternate depending on the effect I'm looking for. For amazingly soft, curly hair - no-cone. For shiny, easy to detangle hair - cones.

I don't buy into the "masking" theory, or rather, I don't blame cones exclusively. Hair can't be repaired, once it's damaged no matter what we use (cones, oils, protein, other no-cone stuff) it's only a temporary fix.

[ravenreed]

I was trying out a new shampoo and didn't realize that it had cones in it. I got some terrible build up after only using it a few times. Who puts cones in shampoo? Honestly! Anyway, back to no cones for me. I originally went no cone because I started CO method and I am glad I did.

[owlathena]

After 6 months cone-free, I wanted to use up some of the old bottles I have laying around. So starting about a week ago, I've now washed and conditioned 3 times with coney shampoo and conditioner. My hair is really shiny, less tangles, but feels like CRAP. It feels like crunchy plastic-y velcro-y barbie hair. Looks good/feels bad. I dont know what to do. I want to use up the stuff I have around before buying more, and my hair looks fine, but my hair is softer and straighter and smoother without cones. I might just give in and toss the expensive salon coney stuff.

[monichella]

before my hair was frizzy, hard and full of split ends.. and then smooth, silky and soft!

[Aredhel77]

I'm cone free and virtually sls-free except for occasional clarifying with sls-shampoo. My hair is a lot softer and feels healthier these days. I use mostly organic/natural shampoos & conditioners (Jason, Faith in Nature, Naked). I'm not against cones though. I still have frizz issues but even with cones that was still a problem.

[sharicat]

I have been SLS-free and using a cone-free conditioner for a week now and my hair has more body and wave. It doesn't seem quite as shiny but hoping that comes back when my hair recovers from heat styling, which I have also stopped!

[ashke50]

I tried not using cones briefly, and my hair was lovely and soft, and felt very light. But, it tangled a lot easier, and my hair is fairly fine, so I felt the tangles were likely to cause damage. Back to cones for me.

[Bene]

I've started a "going back to cones" experiment, and I'm now on day 2 of it. I didn't pay much attention to my hair when I used cones, and so I couldn't speak with any certainty about how my hair has changed without it.


It was kind of weird for me, since I've been cone-free for about 2.5 years, maybe even longer (I don't have the attention span to keep track of these things) and I've been exclusively using poo bars and ACV for most of that time. Bought some Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner and dusted off my stash of cone-y hair goop and serums.


So far, I'm noticing that my hair feels silkier. Not better, just slightly softer. Not that my hair was rougher on a cone-free diet, but now it's extra-soft. It has tons more slip, and I've had to adjust my bunning technique to accommodate that.


Appearance-wise, it looks thicker/fuller? Definitely more volume, but since my hair tends to be "big" I don't know if it's a good thing. As soon as it fully dried, I got this interesting comment "Looks like you're... more hair?" :laugh:

Condition-wise, it doesn't look/feel any more or less healthy though.


I'll keep up with this until I get bored, until I finish up the Herbal Essences, or until I start pining away for my poo bars.



ETA: Comparison photos in my blog (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/blog.php?b=88588).

[racrane]

Well, I used some of my mom's cone shampoo and conditioner today after going cone free for a month. My hair feels waxy and lost its shine. My hair dislikes cones, apparently. Which I'm fine with, the products I use are much cheaper than my mom's. :)

[Khiwanean]

Going cone-free has made my hair softer, wavier and a little more tangly. It hasn't made much difference other than that.

[Chetanlaiho]

More tangle-y definitely, but it looks thicker (huge plus in my book) and my waves are a bit more defined which I'm starting to like :) although they only last until I have to braid my hair for bed xD

I don't particularly care for shine so I can't really say anything about that, but so far I think my hair likes cone-free ^_^ if there's any damage I prefer it showing so that I can fix it, instead of worrying if it's there or not.

[SnowGhost]

I've found mine to be straighter, shinier and less frizzy without the cones. It also holds an updo much easier, which is a definite bonus, and my skin is clearer than it ever has been! For that reason alone I'm sticking to cone-free :)

[WittyWordsmith]

I've been off cones for about a week and a half now, and my hair seems much less weighed-down. When it was longer and I used cones it felt so heavy and oddly flat. It feels easier to wear down, even in the southern heat because it has more volume.

I can now see the dryness issues I need to address, but I love the wave and body that my hair is giving me now!

[Odie]

Honestly I'm not sure yet. My hair feels nicer, but I'm not sure about the whole flyaway issue. I do think my always-thought-it-was-limp-and-thin hair does feel a little thicker, but it's not impressively so or anything. Gonna stick with it for now however :)

[Phexlyn]

Going cone free turned my hair from being completely limp, oily and weighed down into light, free-flowing fairy tresses. I still have some scalp issues, but way less than with cones, and I can actually go longer between washes.
No cones also made me see what my hair really needs, and that I have way more splits than I ever thought I could get. Since I went cone-free I have been able to grow my hair significantly longer than ever before - I guess it's also down to more gentle handling and more hair-friendly updos (I was an updo person even before I knew about proper haircare), but ditching the cones definitely played a part in this.

[julliams]

I don't think going cone free improved my hair but it did let me learn my hair and know what it is like without any "help". I started with no split ends, went cone free and within 6 months, split ends were common. Now, whether that was because of going cone free or just simply because 6 months had gone by I'll never know. Now I use a mix of cones and no cones, sulphates and no sulphates.

[MissCharizard]

Went off the cones for awhile again, my hair was tangly I couldn't stand it. I'm back on cones, I just need to remember to clarify.

[MonaLisa]

It gave me so much more volume and texture. Little bit more tangles, but totally worth it. With cones my hair is silky but flat. Feels more natural and more alive without cones :)

[eshta]

I've been cone free for a couple of years, I used a very coney conditioner before and didn't like the plastic coated fake hair feeling. It's softer, has more shine and waves and is easier too style without cones. That said, I just bought some conditioner with 1 cone far down the ingredients list to help my ends get through 1 year of not trimming. So far I'm liking it, it makes the ends really soft and a lot easier to detangle. I' m only using it on the ends so no greasy roots after 1 day.

[ashke50]

I tried not using cones briefly, and my hair was lovely and soft, and felt very light. But, it tangled a lot easier, and my hair is fairly fine, so I felt the tangles were likely to cause damage. Back to cones for me.
I found that using non-SLS shampoo made my hair get greasier much slower, and if you are using non-SLS shampoo it is best not to use cones, so I am back on no-cones again. It is ok, but my ends do seem kinda velcro-y sometimes. Don't know if that is due to the lack of cones, or just old damage

[emeraldshade]

Cones made my fine hair stringy and greasy--my hair has a lot more body and volume now without cones.

[KittyLost]

It showed all my damage, and dryness that cones had been hiding when I previously thought my hair was fine. So no cones doesn't work for me, not until the damage is gone.

[Lilli]

I could never use cones in shampoo b/c it would make my hair greasy and clumpy at the roots. When giving up conditioner with cones, my hair got more wave and volume. Also, my ends have improved b/c the cones blocked any moisture from getting into the hair. I could still use a coney conditioner if I wanted, but I'd have to use a SLS shampoo to remove it to allow a deep moisture treatment in, and the SLS would make my hair flat and dry... see, it's a cycle.

[Eolan]

Changes I have experienced when I stopped using cones:

Hair dries ALOT faster.
I don't have to wash it as often.
It's much softer to touch.
It's bouncier.
It has a different texture.
Color is more vibrant.
I can tell the real condition of my hair.
Overall it's just nicer. :)

[Ashenputtel]

The +
I can see which parts are really dry and frizzy (doesn't hide damage)
I have more volume
I can use sulfate only once a fortnite which helps my psoriasis
Helps the oil treatment penetrate more and I can really feel that my hair is less dry

The -
My hair is more tangle prone. But it might get better wirth time
I'm stuck with a lot of serums, mousse and other stuff that I can't use anymore.

What I do
I SMT once a fortnite with a coney mask I clarify on the next shampoo till I get rid of all my sulfate and coney products.
the other week I'm gonna start doing a coconut milk treatment.

Since I use less cones and sulfate I can already see an improvement on my hair. Even my haidresser was really impressed with my new growth. I think that using them twice a month gives me a break with the detangling. I have to wear my hair up (which I don't like) more till the damage is all cut off.