Will silicones prevent my hair from growing long?

[goldcopperbrown]

Long story short, I used to abuse my hair in a really bad way- tons of curling irons, BLEACH and highlighting. For the past 6 months, I've stopped that, and I've only colored my hair with 20 volume or 10 volume developers, and more rarely (every 8 weeks). And actually, 8 weeks ago, I quit dying it altogether.

The problem is, only the top half of my hair looks shiny and healthy. The bottom half is still suffering from other stuff I did in the past. I'm going to get a trim tomorrow, but when it comes to actual products, are silicones a problem? Amodimethicone ONLY has been ok for me, as long as I'm using sulfates. But if I get any heavier than that, I get straight, plastic-y, unmanageable, flat doll-like hair. It's not pretty.

So is this just a matter of choosing the wrong 'cones? I have straight hair which normally goes well with 'cones but for some reason my hair seems to respond better to things like Biolage conditioning balm....however it's just SO hard to find cone-free products. ugh. Kevin Murphy stuff looks awesome but it's also sooo pricey.

[HintOfMint]

Tresemme Naturals, V05, Suave... etc. all are cone free and are all pretty inexpensive. V05 routinely sells for a dollar. There are cone-free conditioners like Aubrey Organics and Burt's Bees, but I haven't tried them, so I can't really recommend them.

I've actually mixed SMTs with V05 and have used it just like a regular conditioner and it worked really well.

Silicones won't prevent you from growing your hair long, but it seems like you have a problem with the finish that cones leave, which is a perfectly fine reason to ditch the cones. If you're worried about using sulfates, you don't have to use them that often. I'm on a cone kick right now and I do CWC. I haven't clarified in quite some time, and my ends are fine. So the hype about silicones building up and only requiring a harsh sulfate shampoo to scrub if off has been a bit overblown.

[justgreen]

It was true in my case. I could never grow past bra strap length. After I found LHC I discovered that the Infusium 23 leave-in I'd been using religiously for over 10 years was my culprit (not bleach like everyone thinks). I learned about clarifying, did a cone free stint for about two years and now I can use whatever I want to.

There are gads of cone free products around now, much more than there were five years ago when I went cone free. I actually find sulphates to be a bigger culprit than cones. I've been a die-hard shampoo diluter for over five years.

[luxepiggy]

It really depends on your hairtype - it would be a lot more difficult for me to maintain long hair without silicones! My hair loves 'cones (^(oo)^) Especially amodimethicone! That's my favourite one! It's a particularly good choice for your situation because it adsorbs preferentially to damaged sites on the hair, so you'll get targeted conditioning without weighing down the healthier portions.

[luxepiggy]

If you're worried about using sulfates, you don't have to use them that often. I'm on a cone kick right now and I do CWC. I haven't clarified in quite some time, and my ends are fine. So the hype about silicones building up and only requiring a harsh sulfate shampoo to scrub if off has been a bit overblown.
+1! I've been CO-washing for 9 months with amodimethicone conditioners and I never clarify (^(oo)^)v

[Rosetta]

So the hype about silicones building up and only requiring a harsh sulfate shampoo to scrub if off has been a bit overblown.
You can say that again!! :)

(And I don't even find sulfate shampoos harsh, either, I think that's another thing that's overblown here. They may be so to many, but that doesn't apply to everyone.)


It really depends on your hairtype - it would be a lot more difficult for me to maintain long hair without silicones! My hair loves 'cones (^(oo)^) Especially amodimethicone! That's my favourite one! It's a particularly good choice for your situation because it adsorbs preferentially to damaged sites on the hair, so you'll get targeted conditioning without weighing down the healthier portions.
This was news to me, cone lover though I am! Many thanks for the info. (I know my hair likes cones, but hadn't differentiated between them really.)

[Phalaenopsis]

There are cone-free conditioners like Aubrey Organics and Burt's Bees, but I haven't tried them, so I can't really recommend them.

With the problems the OP has, the Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle rose and the GPB conditioner are very good recommendations ^^

[pepperminttea]

Short answer: No. :) For me a little bit of 'cone here and there really helps - thanks to the slip, I get a lot less detangling damage. Everyone's different, but if your hair likes 'cones, don't worry about sticking with them. :D

[dulce]

Same here,I use cones and also did so while growing from pixie to just past waist and going from dyed to gray hair at the same time.They protected my curly frizzy hair making it smoother and tangle free,and helped my dyed ends stay protected.Try it,you'll find out by how your hair reacts if it is the right choice for you.

[nobeltonya]

Cones allow me to leave my hair down during the day... otherwise, it'd be a tangled mess. :D I used to over-process the shampoo EVERYDAY [leave it on for like 10 minutes] without regularly oiling or using any kind of conditioner.. now I regularly oil every night, mainly the ends, and condition and use leave-in after shampooing [only leaving it on for like a minute]. My hair is much happier and I notice a lot less tangles.

[Xi]

I use cones & sulphate shampoo -- my hair is past TBL. I've tried the alternatives and find these work best for me. Good luck finding the routine that works well for you. :flower:

[swearnsue]

I have found sulphate free shampoo makes my hair less dry and for extra moiturizing/slip I like Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner. It doesn't have cones but it is very thick with shea and other oils and smells great. That is what I would recommend.

[midsummernight]

I used to use a lot of product with cones and I my still grew. But now that I stopped using cones and started taking care of my hair with regular oiling and deep conditioning, the hair is growing a bit faster and healthier.

[tiarefleur]

Cones allow me not to heat style by making my air dried hair a lot more manageable. Others have luck without them, but I think everybody has different products that are conducive to hair growth.

[Carrie Ingalls]

I think it really comes down to figuring out what your hair likes and what makes your hair easiest to take care of. I use cones and have never actually tried going cone or sulfate free, so I really don't have a good comparison. But this I do know, cones have not prevented my hair or my sister's (curly) hair from growing crazy long. :)

[heidi w.]

The newest hair is right at the scalp right out from the roots. Oldest hair is at the bottom where you're hemline is. It's going to be around a year before you notice more of your hair showing evidence of current efforts.

It's too bad you colored. So many people do with no good reason, it seems to me. I think that if that's you in the Avatar, that's a nice head of hair that could be left alone.

Different hair types do more or less well with cones on the hair. You could be fine. It's just something you have to try to see how it goes. Also, since you do have some color on your hair, you might consider products that are intended to be used by those that color. That can be protective of your hair somewhat, they say, and I believe it to be true in general. (I once colored my hair around 20 years ago now.)

Be sure to use plenty of moisture or conditioner on your hair.

Also, as more of your hair becomes uncolored hair, silicones may respond differently when you have hair that is more of your own hair versus color treated hair. It's a possibility, and you may also have to tweak your hair care routine or products once more of your hair is not colored.

heidi w.

[spidermom]

For me, using cones is kind of a delicate balance. A little bit is great, but a little too much and my hair gets snarly and awful, which leads to difficulty with detangling, which leads to breakage.

[jackie75]

I was on a no cone kick for a long time until recently. Cones never made a difference in my growth, but I just bought some hair stuff with amodimethicone (Thanks to Luxepiggy!! :D) and my hair looks SO much better! Unfortunately, I do dye because of the about of grey and silver I have...I'm not ready for that kind of hair yet.