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Split Ends: Causes and How to Get Rid of Them

The frustrating thing about split ends is how they seem to creep up on you. You’re living life to the fullest and in becoming the strongest version of yourself, miss that appointment at the hair salon once or twice. Or maybe you’re hustling so much that you don’t have time to air dry your hair in the morning before work so you use a hair dryer a few times and forget to use a heat protectant. Before you know it, your ends are dry, scraggly and extra frizzy and you notice your hair ends are splitting with you left scratching your head wondering how to deal with them. While proper care in your hair routine is essential to maintaining healthy hair, sometimes you can have split ends within even the best hair care routines. Read below to find out why and how to get rid of these annoying split ends, even if you haven’t been blessed with perfect hair genes from your parents, and achieve beautiful hair once again! You’ll also learn why you get them, to begin with so you can prevent future damage.

First, what are split ends?

Split ends simply put is when a single strand of your hair splits in two. You may know what this is if you pick or pull at your hair when you’re bored. Technically, split ends occur due to the hair shaft literally splitting or fraying and are often most visible on the ends of hair although they can appear anywhere on the strand.

What happens if you leave split ends untreated?

It’s fine to have some split ends in your hair but you have trouble when you have many. In large amounts, they can be aesthetically undesirable and indicate overall hair damage. As mentioned above, the proper hair care routine is essential to maintain beautiful, healthy hair otherwise split ends will escalate quickly resulting in serious hair breakage and brittleness throughout your hair strands. Something to know too is if you’re noticing your hair not growing past a certain length, you might have an issue with split ends.

What is the cause of split ends?

Like we mentioned before, genes from your parents definitely play a role in dry hair or split ends, but there are really multiple factors that cause them to occur. One of the most common culprits is things that you might do regularly that stress your hair out and can lead to hair breakage and of course split ends. These stressors can range from taking hot showers to using the wrong type of towel to dry your hair and overall being too rough. Most of these things are ingrained into our routine and are cause damage without you realizing it.

Heat Styling and Chemical Treatments

Using hot tools often such as straighteners, hair dryers, curling wands, etc will strip your hair of its moisture which will naturally make the strands more likely to split and cause breakage. If you’re backing off hot tools, be sure you’re also not using any chemicals while at the hair salon for your perms or any dying or bleaching which weaken your beautiful hair strands and cause split ends.

Incorrect Hair Products for Your Hair Needs

Using the wrong hair products that not only are full of drying chemicals and alcohols that strip the hair but skimping out on those much-needed trims at the salon won’t help your hair and will cause split ends to only multiply.

The Weather

The climate you live in – whether it’s hot or cold year round or a mix of both – contributes to the quality of your hair. In hotter climates, for example, more sun exposure will lead to dryness and thus make your hair prone to split ends.

Your Diet

What you eat definitely is a factor in how healthy or not your hair is and that includes split ends. Read this post on your diet and how it affects hair growth here.

So how the heck do you get rid of these terrible split ends?

The first step is as easy as simply trimming them off since you can’t exactly fix split ends once they occur. This is why preventive measures are critical against them. Getting regular trims will also help hair growth and guard against split ends which once started, will travel higher up your hair strand breaking further along resulting in frizzy hair. Hair products such as oils or pomades can help hydrate the hair but will only conceal split ends which are why once you spot them, it’s best to just give your hair a trim.

What about if I already have split ends? What can I do?

An easy way to conceal hair damage if you’re naturally prone to split ends and breakage while on your journey to healthy hair is to use hair extensions. With clip in hair extensions, for instance, you can add instant length and volume in minutes without the need for a hair stylist. Endless Hair Extensions will demolish those split ends and allow you to achieve your hair dreams while waiting for your own hair to recover without worry or damage to your natural hair! See how quick and easy it is in this video.

Preventing Split Ends

With split ends, prevention is the best method of treatment to maintain the strength of your hair strands. Not just that, but remember that split ends and dryness go together so remembering to keep your hair hydrated is the first step. With that in mind, feed yourself with nutritious food that will allow you to grow beautiful, strong hair. Be sure to consume a balanced diet and take vitamins supplements if you feel the need for an extra boost or if you’re simply not getting all the nutrients you need.

Go to the Hair Salon

Schedule visits to the hair salon every 6 to 8 weeks to nip any split ends at the bud and to not allow any to travel higher up your hair shaft. If you’re one to peel your split ends apart, stop immediately.

Be Sure to Use the Correct Hair Products

Making sure to use the right shampoos and styling products will also help keep split ends under control. It’s always useful – not just for split ends but for any hair issues – to know the ingredients that are in every hair product you use so you know whether you’re unintentionally damaging your hair or not and keeping it looking and feeling the best possible. Always opt for natural hair products and that are designed for dry or damaged hair. Don’t wash your hair as often and remember to keep the 2-3 times a week rule in mind.

Try Conditioning First

You can also try switching the traditional shampoo then condition method out and opt to condition first if your hair is feeling especially brittle or dry. Only apply the conditioner to your ends and the middle of your hair before shampooing to protect the hair strands and keep the moisture in. Finally, condition to wrap things up and to smooth everything over.

Don’t Color Your Hair

I know this one might be difficult for some, but if you’re experiencing dry or brittle hair, it’s best to lay off the dying and color treatments at least until you’ve got your hair under control. If you must dye, try a more natural coloring technique such as only coloring your tips and know how to protect your hair after coloring. 

Don’t Forget To Use a Heat Protectant

In an ideal world, your hair would be able to undertake any coloring, heat styling you throw at it without the least bit of damage but the fact is if you want beautiful, strong, healthy hair, you must take precautions and protect your hair so using a heat protectant before hot tool use is imperative. Keep the frequency of hot tools use at a minimal and never use them at their highest setting to keep the heat down. Also, opt for a natural heat protectant like argan oil or some of these.

Treat your Hair As Gentle as Possible

It’s critical that you’re gentle with your hair when handling it or otherwise. Don’t dry your hair immediately after getting out of the shower; instead, brush your hair with a wide-toothed comb in the shower to remove any tangles. Even still, be careful when drying your hair and use a microfiber towel instead of a bath towel. Air drying is optimal if not pressed for time.

Conclusion