Have you ever noticed the tips of your hair being divided into two or more shafts? That’s exactly what split ends are. Everyone can get split ends irrespective of their hair type or other demographic factors.
Depending on what products you use to style your hair, how frequently you style them, and whether or not you use heating tools, lead to having either more or less split ends. Sadly, there’s no such thing as split ends treatment. Split ends cannot be repaired since the two halves of the split cannot be reattached or glued together. Thus, the best option is to prevent split ends.
What causes split ends?
Split ends are a common hair concern. However, breakage and split ends can be prevented by providing your hair with proper nutrition and care. Hair breakage and split ends are caused by the strands’ rapid ageing as a result of reduced keratin. Hair that’s brittle gets damaged all the way from the root to the tip. Split ends, on the other hand, only impact the tips, hence their name.
Here are a few sure shot methods to combat split ends-
Reduce heat styling
We all know heat styling is one of the major reasons to cause split ends. But let’s be honest, heat styling cannot be completely eliminated from our lives. So the best thing we can do to prevent getting split ends from styling is to reduce the frequency as much as possible and make sure to use a heat protectant before getting to the styling part. Heat protectors can drastically reduce the damage caused by heat styling tools like flat iron or curling rods, and therefore prevent split ends.
Protection from harsh weather
The reason for split ends can be extreme weather like summer sun and winter winds, which can cause severe hair, scalp, and skin damage. It is best to stay indoors during extreme weather, or if it’s unavoidable to step out, one should cover themselves completely to avoid damage. Talking about damage caused by nature, we should also stay clear of salt water. Swimming in salt water or chlorinated water can damage the hair shaft and cause them to split.
Gentle handling
As we’ve talked enough about prevention of split ends, we should also incorporate some practises in our day to day activities like combing, or brushing. Most people start brushing from the top and move towards the ends, causing the tangles to make a huge clump that require aggressive combing to detangle them. This causes the hair to damage. The best technique is to work your way up. Divide your hair into lengthwise sections, and start brushing from the bottom most section and working your way up. This will make the detangling process far more gentle. Also, we need to be extra cautious while working with wet hair. Wet hair should not be combed, if you really need to, you can use a wide toothed brush.
Moisturising the ends
Split ends are caused due to excessive heat/ cold, which causes the strands to get dry and thus result in splitting. To cut the problem at its grass root level, we should keep our locks moisturised. Nowadays there are a variety of products for different skin or hair concerns, use targeted hair products for split ends to keep the ends moisturised. Talking from personal experience, oiling hair ends every night can be very helpful to prevent split ends.
Protective hairstyles
Opting for protective hairstyles like braids can reduce the hair damage. Also, sleeping with a silk pillowcase will reduce friction that is caused in the night time and thus keep the hair strands healthy. Avoid tight hairstyles like ponytails for long hours, rather opt for loose hairstyles that feel comfortable. You can also make minor changes to your regular activities like swapping your regular hair towel with a microfiber one. This will also reduce friction and cause way less damage.
Nutrition for overall well being
Avoid food with preservatives, and incorporate food rich in Omega-3 fatty acid, zinc, and vitamin-E into your diet for healthy hair and to prevent split ends. Nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, and chia seeds are a good source. Having a well balanced, healthy diet can solve the majority of our health and beauty concerns. Afterall, what goes inside, shows outside.
Conclusion
Your hair can be left with uneven lengths of strands as a result of split ends. Consequently, your hair can have weaker ends, and in order to get the strands back to their original condition, your stylist would need to cut the additional length during your next trim. Split ends and breakage can be avoided by nourishing your hair and implementing the tips listed above. Handling hair with gentleness is the key when it comes to maintaining overall hair and scalp health.