Does anyone do Conditioner Only method?

flippin36

Basically over the summer I had to have my bleached/straightened hair cut very short because of serious damage. My hair was breaking and becoming lob-sided with short bits ontop :eek:. I really wanted to grow my hair long again so have been trying to look after my hair the best I can.

One method I came across on the web was conditioner only method. Which is basically cutting out the shampoo and just using a conditioner.

The general feeling is

that the cheaper the conditioner the better (to avoid silicones)

To massage the conditioner whilst on

To leave on for a few minutes longer than usual

So I thought I would give it a go. I haven't used shampoo now for 4 weeks but I do wash my hair everyday with cheap conditioner.

Well, my hair has never looked as good. Its really soft and shiny, the shedding has stopped (but then so has the straightening/colouring). It doesn't look greasy at all. The curliness in my hair has relaxed (hence not needing to straighten). I visited my sister yesterday who hadn't seen me for a while and she remarked on its condition and couldn't believe that I had given up shampoo.

I've also worked out that I will save around £10 a month on products :j

Can anyone else recommend this method?

glowgirl_2

I've never heard of this before, sounds interesting, do you mind me asking which conditioner you use?

flippin36

I've been using tescos coconut conditioner (99p) but I will try a value range when its run out. The runnier the better as it won't leave a residue on your hair like the pricier ones.

"Dimethicone" is a silicone and to be avoided as it will coat the hair and is difficult to get out without using a shampoo.

thesim

Intresting, I may have to give this a go as I straighten my hair religiously and spend a mini fortune trying to get it to sit flat!!

Badger_Lady

I've been doing it for quite some time... in fact I've recently taken it a step further, so I rinse my hair through thoroughly with plain water and then pour on a capful of apple cider vinegar. The vinegar closes the hair follicles, giving it lovely condition for pennies, and is odourless when dry.

Like you, I've cut all my hair off (it was very long, bleached and permed!).

flippin36

Badger lady - did your hair get greasy at any point, or does the cider vinegar cut out the grease?

katieclampet

Sounds a bit weird, but worth a try! I was going to ask, did it get greasy? but someone else beat me to it! I might have a go myself, but not if it gets too greasy looking, (wouldn't go down too well at work)

katiex

mazza111

Am really glad that this has worked for u, however I certainly wouldn't recommend it for anyone who has slightly greasy hair. After all, conditioner doesn't actually clean anything.
I know it's not very moneysaving, but I love l'oreal nutrigloss for long hair. I dye my hair, I dry my hair, I straighten my hair, which is mid shoulder length and the hairdresser always asks what I use on it because it's in such good condition. I can't see me just using conditioner would work as it would be like a chip pan after 3 days. Atm I have to wash it every 2-3 days, 3 days is really pushing it tho as it just gets really greasy, Guess if u have dry hair the conditioner only method may work for u.

flippin36

I wash my hair with the conditioner every morning and its just like freshly washed hair, but softer and more relaxed (the frizz has almost disappeared). I haven't had a greasy day yet. I think it works on the same principle as the oil cleansing method in that oil cleanses oil. I think its the glycerin that has some cleansing abilities. Its not like giving up washing your hair where you have to put up with grease for a few months until it starts working.

It looked great from day one, so its worth a try. I was expecting getting towards the end of the week for it to start looking lank, but it looked really good so I just kept going.

When I looked into it I noticed that a lot of websites that discussed CO method were for black hair. Mine is quite thick and coarse with a bit of curl, so I would imagine its not suitable for thin hair. But I would be interested to know other peoples experiences.

flippin36

http://hair-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/conditioner_only_hair_washing

http://courtneyshair.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/how-to-conditioner-only-wash-without-buildup/

This explains it better than me

*emsj21*

I've been doing this for about 2 or 3 years now. I've got very curly, coarse hair and it's worked a treat. I read about it in a book for curly haired women (I think it was called Curly Girls or something like that).

You need to be careful to massage the conditioner into the hair and scalp, as you would shampoo, this then encourages the natural oils.

I've found that my hair is in much better condition now and far less frizzy. Strangely enough (as the OP states their curl has relaxed) I find that my curl keeps more, it used to get to a certain length and then start to drop, but now the curl is tighter and more defined.

I'd definitely recommend it for those with similar hair to me, but I don't know whether it would work on thinner hair.