No More Split Ends

Written by Alli Vail

Split ends happen when a hair strands splits lengthwise because the protective cuticle becomes damaged and allows inner hair fibers to fray. The split is normally about two to three centimeters long and the ends are left looking feathered and are a lighter colour than the rest of the hair.

Split ends are caused by physical and chemical stress to hair. Avoiding certain common hair errors can prevent split ends, or at least postpone their arrival and severity.

Use the cool setting on the blow dryer. Extreme heat from styling products like curling irons, blowdryers and straitening irons dries out the hair, stripping it of natural oils and leads to splitting.
Drink lots of water.

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It keeps hair and body healthy and moisturized from the inside out.
Don’t follow that rule of 100 strokes a day when combing hair. It puts too much stress on the hair cuticle. Minimize the time the brush spends in the hair.
Never brush wet hair because it causes the shaft to stretch and weaken. If hair is tangled, gently detangle in small sections with fingers from ends to root. Using wide tooth comb or brush instead of a brush with nylon bristles will also help protect against split ends.
Throw out any bobby pins that don’t have smooth ends. The rough ends can rip the hair when they are removed.
Keep hair out of the sun. Excessive sun dries out hair in the same way that hot styling products do. A fun hat in the summer is a stylish and protective alternative.
In the colder months, wear shoulder length hair up to keep it from rubbing on abrasive fabrics like wool.
Never trim hair with dull scissors as it can intensify the damage.
Avoid alcohol based styling products and shampoos. Alcohol dries out the hair making it brittle and more prone to splitting.

The key is moisture!

Hair splits because it is deprived of moisture and natural oils, like sebum. Sebum is natural fatty oil that delivers nutrients to the hair. Using a deep moisturizer once a month can help lock moisture in.

Once the hair shaft starts splitting the problem needs to be dealt with right away or the split will continue up the hair. The only way to get rid of split ends for good is to cut off the ones that are already there and then maintain hair by getting a quarter of an inch trimmed off every six to eight weeks.

Quick at home fixes

The best way to deal with split ends is to find a stylist you can trust to remove only the amount of hair you want but for the occasional quick at home fix you can do your own trims. Twist a small section of hair from root to end. Small hairs will stick out of the twist. Take a very sharp pair of fabric or hair scissors and using just the tips, snip the hairs that stick out.