Split ends hairs can happen to anyone at any time without discriminating when it comes to race, age, or gender. They occur at the end of your hair where the most fragile and oldest strands of your hair reside.
What Are Split Ends?
In an urge to maintain beautiful-looking hair, you use various products that claim to make healthy hair but, unfortunately, these products do the opposite instead. When your hair becomes damaged, it becomes feeble and prone to splitting or hair breakage. This can lead to dehydrated or frizzy-looking hair. Eventually, as a result of the continuing and untreated damage it can cause split ends.
What Split Ends Look Like?
Although split ends are all almost the same, occurring when hair becomes split at the ends or tips, there are a few of them that are slightly different. Not only are there different types of split ends, but each type has its different causes, and it’s mandatory to understand those reasons.
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Double Split:
The double split is the most common type of split end and it can easily be recognized. These splits happen when the tips of your hair are discriminated into two parts, creating a Y-shape, and occur due to the hair’s cuticle being damaged, sometimes by the friction created during over-styling or over-brushing.
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Partial Split:
This split is similar to the double split but it occurs on a smaller scale. Fortunately, partial splits are not that really serious and they occur when your hair is dry. With a little bit of precaution and a reduction in exposure to heat, before the partial splits cause damage to your hair you can fix your hair.
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Tree Split:
The tree split occurs if you notice that your hair has split into several different places and looks similar to a tree with branches sticking out. These split types show that your hair is damaged and then you have to properly trim your hair.
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Fork Split:
The fork split resembles to a fork shape with three splits. When your hair does not receive proper hydration this type of split ends occurs.
Despite what type of split end has occurred, there should be no mistake when you notice the obvious signs of damage.
What can cause Split Ends?
Several habits and factors can contribute to the development of split ends. These factors and habits include:
- During the washing process rub shampoo on your hair.
- When you don’t use conditioner.
- When you permit harsh chemicals to come in contact you’re your hair such as chemicals in the swimming pool.
- During towel drying your hair when rubbing your hair with a towel.
- Brushing your hair when it’s still wet.
- Using heat styling tools on high heat settings.
- Securing your hair in a tight ponytail, bun, braid, or other updos.
- Wearing hair extensions and weaves.
- When getting hair treatments such as perming, coloring, or hair straightening.
- Over-brush your hair.
Besides those factors, environmental, nutritional, and genetic causes can also become a reason for split ends.
Treatment for split-ends
There are many products marketed and geared for fixing split ends, but they do not provide enough help to repair split ends. Because there is no treatment or cure for split ends. The only method to get rid of them is to get a haircut or trimmed. By trimming your hair, you can prevent your hair from splitting further up the strand, avoiding further damage to your hair.
How to Prevent Your Hair from Split Ends
Getting a haircut is the way to get rid of the split ends, but there are several methods that you can prevent split ends from occurring.
- Avoid daily washing your hair: When you wash your hair, you are stripping away natural oils that are responsible for moisturizing your hair. Instead of washing your hair every day, wash your hair 3-4 times a week according to your hair’s needs.
- Avoid harsh shampoo: Don’t use sulphate or alcohol-containing products for cleaning your hair and scalp. These harsh chemicals can remove your natural oil and can damage your locks. Choose sulphate-free shampoo and conditioner to provide moisture to your hair and reduce the chances of split ends.
- Deep Conditioning: Nourishing Your Ends: Deep conditioning treatments are like a spa day for your hair, providing much-needed nourishment and repair to damaged ends. They’re packed with proteins and emollients that penetrate the hair shaft, restoring moisture and elasticity. Regular deep conditioning is key to managing split ends and preventing further damage.
- DIY Hair Masks: Whip up your hair mask using natural ingredients like avocado, honey, or olive oil. These DIY recipes are budget-friendly and fun! Avocado Hair Mask: Mash half an avocado and mix it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Apply to damp hair ends, leave on for 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Honey Hair Mask: Mix 1 tablespoon of honey with 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt. Apply to damp hair ends, leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
- Be careful while brushing your strands: Be mindful of the type of hairbrush or comb that you use to brush your hair. You’ll want to use a brush with flexible bristles or one with a cushioned paddle. As you’re brushing, first work on detangling the ends before continuing up the strands at a slow and careful pace. Additionally, you’ll want to brush your hair before using heated products like flat irons and only brush wet hair with a wide tooth comb.
- Be careful while towel drying: Don’t Twist or scrub your hair while drying with a towel because that can damage your hair ends, just carefully squeeze or wrap your hair in the towel.
- Don’t use heat to dry the ends of your hair: The tips of the hair are feeble and fragile, so it’s important that use heated products such as blow dryers to only dry the midsection of the hair and never the ends.
- Change the method of hair styling: It is crucial to ensure that the ends of your hair are not in the condition to bear the heat emitting from styling tools. Instead of wrapping your hair from root to tip around a curling iron. Position the iron at the root and then proceed to carefully wrap your hair around it.
- Regular trims: Regular trims are important to keeping your hair healthy and removing split ends that have started to form. As such, trim your hair every 6-8 weeks to sustain your hair.
