Publications
Partners
We all get them- the dreaded split ends!
But, sorry to say this… you can forget about miracle hair products which claim to heal or repair your split ends…
The only way “treat” them is a is to get rid of them (by cutting them OFF! Eek!) and then using a hair care program that will prevent them from returning.
Split ends are your hair strands talking to you. You're killing them with kindness, probably from heat styling, using rubber bands, or from yanking on them with the wrong kind of brush. Battered and tattered ends are common, especially in hair that's shoulder-length or longer. As it grows (and ages), hair loses its ability to hold moisture and it gets brittle, breaks, and splits.
Hair is dead; it has no regenerative or self-healing properties so once the hair follicle is split, the damage has occurred and no
conditioner or masque in the world can transform the hair back into its former shiny self. Sorry gals! Most products targeted towards split ends contain silicones which coat the hair, filling in the rough surface and giving a temporarily smoother look. But all you’re actually doing is drying out your hair even further, resulting in further breakage!
So, how to get rid of them:
Getting rid of split ends involves either snipping them out individually or waiting for the split hairs to naturally shed out (a process which typically takes 2-6 years but who has that kind of time?) Trimming an inch off your hair will not remove the damage, as splits do not conveniently occur in the last inch of hair! Splits can occur at any point along the hair shaft; hairs can also have multiple splits or splits which appear as a slit in the hair, but do not divide it. Complicated, hey?
It is recommended to remove split ends, as they may split further up the hair shaft with time, and then cause further damage by getting tangled due to their fineness.
So…
Take small sections of your hair and twist it tightly; the split ends should pop right out and you can cut them off with a good, sharp pair of scissors. Snip the hair straight across, not at an angle, ¼ inch above the split. Never break a hair off above the split, as it will be damaged and usually re-split. Cutting split ends is time-consuming, and should be done in bright light with the hair held up to a contrasting surface (white for dark hair, black for fair).
But, The best method to cure split ends, is to prevent them!
There are a few tips and tricks that can help prevent the dreaded splits...
Keeping your hair confined (braided or bunned) as much as possible, and especially at night.
Sleeping on a satin pillowcase to minimise friction
Keeping hair moisturised for extra 'slip' - try shampoos and conditioners that are especially for dry hair.
Combing with fingers or a wide-toothed comb and avoiding bobble-ended brushes.
Washing hair carefully, without piling it on top of your head and giving it a real scrub.
To keep your hair healthy in the future, make sure you're protecting it from heat styling with a good leave-in conditioner which packs your hair with rich multivitamins. Apply a conditioner on wet hair, then use a comb instead of a brush to blend through (a comb is gentler on your wet hair).
Try to avoid overstyling. Curling irons, hair straightners and blow-dryers all wreck havoc on your hair, making it more susceptible to split ends.
And last but not least, make sure you're trimming your hair on a regular basis; once every six weeks will keep your strands healthy and split free!
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook
But, sorry to say this… you can forget about miracle hair products which claim to heal or repair your split ends…
The only way “treat” them is a is to get rid of them (by cutting them OFF! Eek!) and then using a hair care program that will prevent them from returning.
Split ends are your hair strands talking to you. You're killing them with kindness, probably from heat styling, using rubber bands, or from yanking on them with the wrong kind of brush. Battered and tattered ends are common, especially in hair that's shoulder-length or longer. As it grows (and ages), hair loses its ability to hold moisture and it gets brittle, breaks, and splits.
Hair is dead; it has no regenerative or self-healing properties so once the hair follicle is split, the damage has occurred and no
conditioner or masque in the world can transform the hair back into its former shiny self. Sorry gals! Most products targeted towards split ends contain silicones which coat the hair, filling in the rough surface and giving a temporarily smoother look. But all you’re actually doing is drying out your hair even further, resulting in further breakage!
So, how to get rid of them:
Getting rid of split ends involves either snipping them out individually or waiting for the split hairs to naturally shed out (a process which typically takes 2-6 years but who has that kind of time?) Trimming an inch off your hair will not remove the damage, as splits do not conveniently occur in the last inch of hair! Splits can occur at any point along the hair shaft; hairs can also have multiple splits or splits which appear as a slit in the hair, but do not divide it. Complicated, hey?
It is recommended to remove split ends, as they may split further up the hair shaft with time, and then cause further damage by getting tangled due to their fineness.
So…
Take small sections of your hair and twist it tightly; the split ends should pop right out and you can cut them off with a good, sharp pair of scissors. Snip the hair straight across, not at an angle, ¼ inch above the split. Never break a hair off above the split, as it will be damaged and usually re-split. Cutting split ends is time-consuming, and should be done in bright light with the hair held up to a contrasting surface (white for dark hair, black for fair).
But, The best method to cure split ends, is to prevent them!
There are a few tips and tricks that can help prevent the dreaded splits...
Keeping your hair confined (braided or bunned) as much as possible, and especially at night.
Sleeping on a satin pillowcase to minimise friction
Keeping hair moisturised for extra 'slip' - try shampoos and conditioners that are especially for dry hair.
Combing with fingers or a wide-toothed comb and avoiding bobble-ended brushes.
Washing hair carefully, without piling it on top of your head and giving it a real scrub.
To keep your hair healthy in the future, make sure you're protecting it from heat styling with a good leave-in conditioner which packs your hair with rich multivitamins. Apply a conditioner on wet hair, then use a comb instead of a brush to blend through (a comb is gentler on your wet hair).
Try to avoid overstyling. Curling irons, hair straightners and blow-dryers all wreck havoc on your hair, making it more susceptible to split ends.
And last but not least, make sure you're trimming your hair on a regular basis; once every six weeks will keep your strands healthy and split free!
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook
