Silicones?

[Tussan]

Whats the deal with silicone's, are they good or bad for your hair?

On one hand I´ve heard that they will ruin your hair with buildups that never goes away. (Also remember when it was all the fuss about Pantene and then heard that silicones are OK if used only in dry hair, but awful in wet hair like in shampoo). On the other hand I´ve noticed that everywhere I look there´s silicones in hair care products, and it´s supposed to be the ingredient that makes heat protectors for flat-irons work.

So please help me, is it good or is it bad for the hair??

//Jenny

 

[K*O*]

Originally Posted by Tussan Whats the deal with silicone's, are they good or bad for your hair?On one hand I´ve heard that they will ruin your hair with buildups that never goes away. (Also remember when it was all the fuss about Pantene and then heard that silicones are OK if used only in dry hair, but awful in wet hair like in shampoo). On the other hand I´ve noticed that everywhere I look there´s silicones in hair care products, and it´s supposed to be the ingredient that makes heat protectors for flat-irons work.

So please help me, is it good or is it bad for the hair??

//Jenny

I don't know much about silicone for the hair (I've never used it) but..., NYAngel98 might best to help you out on that....

 

[NYAngel98]

Great info Elise! Silicones coat the hair, so you really aren't doing anything to help your hair structure, but only a temporary result. It can be good or bad... good on frizzy coarse hair, but usually too heavy on fine hair & can leave you greasy & weighed down. If you want to try something like Frizz-Ease or a silicone serum, I would only use 1 or 2 drops to start with to see how your hair takes to it. Do not use the large amt. they suggest. If your hair is fine, you will be using too much - end up greasy and have to wash it all over again. Also use it mainly on the ends. Try not to use it too close to the scalp. The silicone combined with your natural hair oils will usually make it flat & dirty looking.

 

[glamslam]

I think Elise and Janelle said it well! You either love them or hate them. (silicones, not the girls!

) And knowing how to use them properly helps a lot. I started with the original, Frizz Ease by John Frieda, and now I have switched to the Lite version. I started using it when a magazine said Nicole Kidman used it to tame her unruly frizzy mop! Or, I should say, her stylist uses it ON her!!!

 

[Tussan]

Thanks girls!

I wasn´t thinking so much about silicone drops and things like that (that only make my fine hair greasy, static and without volume). I was more thinking about the presence of dimethicone in my conditioner and other styling products, what this might do to my hair. I use a clarifying shampoo about once a week, but will this really keep my hair buildup-free? Since I sometimes use my conditioner after?

I just found out about the presence of diffrent silicones in almost all of my hair care products and was wondering about what this might be doing to my hair. You really hear so diffrent opinions about this so I don´t know what to believe.

 

[NYAngel98]

Originally Posted by Tussan Thanks girls!
I wasn´t thinking so much about silicone drops and things like that (that only make my fine hair greasy, static and without volume). I was more thinking about the presence of dimethicone in my conditioner and other styling products, what this might do to my hair. I use a clarifying shampoo about once a week, but will this really keep my hair buildup-free? Since I sometimes use my conditioner after?

I just found out about the presence of diffrent silicones in almost all of my hair care products and was wondering about what this might be doing to my hair. You really hear so diffrent opinions about this so I don´t know what to believe.

Have you tried Prell shampoo? (the green one) It's awesome at removing buildup. It might leave your hair a little cleaner than a basic clarifier.

 

[ANielsen]

Silicones for hair can have their place, but I agree it is an issue with them being present in nearly every single product. That does lead to serious overload and build up.

I got off that bandwagon by switching to the CO method of washin (conditioner only) and using only brands that have little or no added cones. The cheapest ones tend to be the best for this method - like White Rain and Suave. I need cheap because I am washing 4 feet of hair. Believe it or not, cheap conditioner works better than regular shampoo at gently cleansing without stripping your hair. Try it for a week and see.

For me the results have been wonderful. No more stiff, frizzy unmanageable hair. My hair feels soft, healthy and ... well normal. On rare occasions I use just a bit of regular shampoo on my scalp and ewwww, it instantly had that coated and stiff feeling even during washing. That explains a lot.

One thing to remember, massage the conditioner into your scalp really well to loosen dirt and oils (the surfactants in the condish will lift and remove them) then rinse really, really well. I then condition again, and also leave in some good conditioner + coconut or argan oil (necessary for thick or wavy hair types).

That said, silicones used occasionally to tame some flyaways or to seal in some moisture and quality oils could be fine. As long as it is kept to a minimum you won't get build up.