How to Remove and Prevent Split Ends

Prevent Split Ends

Split ends are ugly and very unattractive. If left alone the condition will only worsen. There is no true way to remove split ends aside from cutting your hair, but you can take care of your hair and prevent their return.

Split ends are the curse of every woman!! Split ends happen when the protective cuticle has been stripped away from the ends of hair. Hair splits into two or three strands.

The hair usually splits at the end of the hair forming a Y-shape. Split ends can travel up the hair.

The split may be two or three centimeters in length. Split ends are more often in long hair but can also be found in shorter hair. You cannot repair them; nothing will fix split ends once they are formed.

How to Remove and Prevent Split Ends

Cause of split ends

• Excessive hair coloring

• Vigorous brushing

• Perming solutions

• Hair Straightening

• Heat during hairstyling work

• Not trimming your hair regularly

• Sleeping with your hair in a ponytail

• Too much sun

• Poor health

Removal

1. Notice split ends in your hair. The scientific name is Trichoptilosis, a longitudinal splitting of the hair fiber, and there are several types:
* The generic end split
* Splits occurring multiple times up the same strand of hair
* A split occurring in the middle of the hair strand that will appear as a hole if the strand is bunched up
* Single strand knots (not really split ends) which occur most often in dry, curly hair
2. Get your hair trimmed regularly, meaning every four to six weeks. All hair gets damaged after a while. Get a trim of at least 1/2 to 1 inches, and you should have solved the problem. It will remove split ends and keep your hair healthy and growing strong.

3. Cut them yourself between haircuts using a pair of hair shears. Cut about 1/4" above the split of a single strand; there may even be a small ball above the split. If you don't cut above the damage, the split will reappear.

4. Avoid products that claim to "heal" split ends. They will only temporarily glue split ends together. They may help prevent messy hair, but they will cause more damage farther down the road.


Prevention

Here are some of the ways hair is damaged everyday and how to prevent damage from these factors and in turn split ends.
Chemicals

Any kinds of chemicals are going to damage your hair to some extent. Chemicals from getting a perm, having your hair highlighted, colored, etc., or even chlorine in bath or pool water all count.

1. Try to steer clear of chemicals. Natural hair is beautiful. If you absolutely must color your hair, search for the gentlest coloring agent you can find. If you are going to be using chemicals on your hair, be sure to condition your hair more often.

2. Protect your hair before swimming in a pool, ocean, or lake. This could include: using a leave-in conditioner, oiling your hair, or using a swim cap. Be sure to rinse and shampoo your hair as soon as possible after swimming.

3. Find out if the water you use to wash your hair is harmful.
* There can be damaging chemicals in the water you wash your hair with...mainly chlorine. There are filters that will reduce the amount of chlorine in your water.
* High concentrations of calcium carbonate can make your water "hard". If you are in the US you can check this map to see how hard the water in your area is. A water softening system will be most beneficial to your hair if you live in a hard water area.

Brushing and Combing

Many people don't realize just how fragile the ends of hair are. Being too rough with a brush or comb, or brushing or combing too often can damage your hair.

1. Stop teasing or back combing your hair. This is the most damaging type of brushing. It pulls up the scales of your hair and when you comb/brush that section again the scales break off.

2. Find a hair friendly comb and/or brush. If you have thicker hair you may need to use a pick or wide-toothed comb. Combs in general are more gentle. Your brush or comb should aid you in untangling your hair, not pulling it out.

3. Never over brush. 100 brushstrokes is not necessary, and may lead to more splits than anything else.

4. Comb the hair gently. Start at the bottom and work your way up. When you encounter a tangle, don't rip the comb/brush through it, stop and untangle with your fingers and then proceed. You have to be extremely gentle while untangling wet hair. Curly hair types may require combing the hair when it is still wet.

5. Use hair friendly accessories.

• The black band is the most hair unfriendly in this group because of the metal connector. Smaller versions of this are even more harmful.

• The big green band is joined together by what appears to be glue and is much more friendly.

• The little yellow band is a smaller version of the green one and friendly for thinner hair types. They can also be made of clear plastic. These little bands are ideal to tie off the ends of braids.

• The big blue scrunchie is the most hair friendly. These are easy to make, but you can buy them at any place that sells hair care products.

The Sun

Protect your hair from the Sun. Ultraviolet rays can be as damaging to your hair as your skin.

1. Wear a hat. If your hair is super long and/or thick, be sure to get a hat that you will be able to fit all your hair into (preferably in a bun).

2. Look for conditioners that contain sunscreen or mix sunscreen and conditioner together and leave that in your hair.

Washing and Drying

Incorrect washing and washing with shampoos that are too harsh or contain certain ingredients can be damaging to your hair. Rubbing your hair with a towel to dry it can cause nasty damage to your hair. Using a hairdryer on your hair too often will also cause damage.

1. Buy a good shampoo and conditioner and experiment with what works best with your hair. This may include not washing it everyday--possibly conditioning it will suffice.

2. Wash your hair properly. It is best to only wash the scalp hair and leave the length to hang down your back...the length should not be piled on top of your head. When you rinse the shampoo out of your hair, the shampoo will run down the length, that is a much washing as the ends of your hair need. Conditioner should then be applied to the length to soak for a while before rinsing out. Hot water strips away moisture so rinse your hair with the coolest water you can stand.

3. Deep condition regularly. If your conditioner regimen isn't working, try a "deep condition" once or twice a month. This involves putting a leave-in conditioner or oil on your hair and leaving it in for a while. Oils like jojoba and coconut oil are fantastic for this.

4. Dry hair gently. Vigorously rubbing your hair dry with a towel is not a good idea. Dripping wet hair should be gently squeezed with a towel to get rid of the excess water. Once the excess water is removed, it is best to let your hair air dry naturally.

5. Tone down the drying. If you are using a dryer or hot tongs regularly, your hair will start to show some damage--the hot air removes moisture from your hair. Using too hot a setting or holding the dryer too close to your hair will also cause damage.