What are split ends?
Split ends are typically found at the very end of a hair strand. It is called a split end because the end of the hair strand has been split which means that the keratin and protein bonds of the hair have been damaged. Usually split ends, will leave your hair feeling dry, dull and will cause your hair to tangle more.
What do split ends look like?
There are a variety of different split ends and unfortunately, none of them are pretty!
1. A typical split end is a hair strand where its end has been split into two
2. The Claw Split End - The end of the hair strand has been split into three
3. Double Split End - This is when you have a split end at the end of another split end
4. Long Split End - When a hair strand is split at a specific spot
5. Incomplete Split End - This occurs when the hair strand has weakened at a specific spot and fails to completely split
6. Unusual Coarse hair strands are very dry and thick to touch and can be caused by hormonal imbalances and certain medications
7. Tree Split End - is a hair strand that has been split multiple times in different directions
8. Feather Split End - this one may sound pretty, but I can assure you, that it isn't! This is when a hair strand has been split multiple times and all the split ends are all facing the same direction
9. Taper ends are hair strands with very thin and weak ends.
What causes split ends?
If you notice split ends in your hair, it often means that your hair ends may be dry and damaged due to a number of reasons.
Split ends are typically caused by heated hair devices, hair products that include alcohol in them such as hairsprays and too much hair styling.
Dry ends are more prone to split ends and can also be caused by excessive hair touching, too much hair washing, lack of water intake and different weather conditions.
Some medical conditions, such as thyroid issues, can also cause your hair to dry out and weaken. So if you're unsure what's causing your hair dryness, brittle ends and split ends, you may want to seek professional medical advise or seek a Trichologist to help you get to the root of your problem.
8 Tips on how to prevent split ends
#1. Avoid heated devices.
Treat your hair with care and choose heatless hair curlers, instead of curling wands. Let your hair dry naturally instead of reaching for the blow dryer and skip those hair straightening days to give your hair a well deserved rest.
Heatless overnight curls using the Flower Curl
#2. Use gentle hair styling products
Instead of spraying hair spray all over your hair, why don't you treat your locks to some pampering? Hair sprays include alcohol in them and this can really dry your hair out and damage your ends when used regularly. Moisturise your ends with Morrocanoil, on a daily and consistent basis and start noticing a beautiful difference to the quality of your hair. It works like magic and your hair is left feeling silky smooth.
#3. Take a break from hair colouring / bleaching your hair
If you are changing the colour of your hair as frequently as you change your clothes, it's probably about time you give your hair a break. When your hair is exposed to a lot of different harsh chemicals, the protein bonds present in your hair will break and you're left with brittle and lifeless hair. Choose gentle hair masks for damaged hair to help replenish your hair strands and minimise further hair breakage and split ends.
#4. Avoid excessive hair touching
Touching your hair too much can really damage and dry out your hair. Put your hair up and away from your face to minimise hair touching. If you tend to touch your hair constantly without realising and you're finding it hard to stop, you may want to check out my Hands in Hair Syndrome article, which includes a Free 7 Day Challenge to help you stop this repetitive and addictive habit.
#5. Skip hair washes
When you wash your hair too much you are removing your natural hair oils that act as a conditioner for your hair strands. Let your hair get greasy and instead of shampooing your hair, brush your hair from root to tip so you are distributing your natural oils evenly instead of letting these oils sit on your scalp. You may want to read one of my articles, where I go into detail as to how many times per week you should be washing your hair. The article includes a free printable as well to help you track and plan your weekly hair washes.
#6. Adapt to different weather conditions
Make sure you keep your hair hydrated throughout the year, the sun can really damage your hair, so you may want to consider wearing hats and applying hair products that protect your locks from harmful UV rays. During the winter months, moisturise your hair strands with hair oils, hair masques and leave-in hair conditioners to keep your hair nicely moisturised.
#7. Stay hydrated
Are you drinking enough water? Consuming two litres of water per day will help your scalp to absorb essential nutrients much quicker and a lot more efficiently, which will in turn help boost scalp circulation, hair growth and hydration.
When you commit to drinking two litres of water per day, you should be able to see an improvement in the quality of your hair as well as your skin, mood and energy. You may find my 30-day two litre water challenge article helpful. It includes a before and after picture of my hair (hint - my hair grew 4cm longer in just 30 days) and a Free challenge tracker sheet to help you reach your daily and monthly goal.
#8. Gentle hair care
Not handling your hair with care can cause your hair to break. Here are some tips on how you can protect your hair to avoid split ends, further hair breakage and damage to your ends.
a. Get yourself a silk pillowcase
If you have never slept on a silk pillowcase, you are missing out on some serious overnight comfort! Silk pillowcases are super comfortable to sleep on and they help protect your hair whilst you sleep as well as your skin.
b. Protect your hair whilst you sleep
Finding an appropriate hairstyle for bed and waking up with a hideous hairstyle in the morning can both be a thing of the past! I spent years trying to figure out a good hairstyle for bed that will not only help protect my hair during sleep but I also wanted to put an end to me waking up with a funky hairstyle!
When I invented the Flower Curl back in 2015, I wanted to create and develop a heatless overnight hair curler that will protect my hair at night and wake up with the most beautiful curls in the morning.
The heatless hair curler can be positioned in such a way that will help minimise hair friction during the night whilst enabling you to enjoy a good night sleep at the same time.
It's a total game changer, plus it is super quick and easy to use. Everybody will be asking you how the heck you find the time to curl your hair every day!
c. Brush your hair with the right tools
Always invest in good quality hair products. If you're brushing your hair with the wrong brush, you may be pulling and damaging your hair in the process, causing your hair to break and weaken over time. Get yourself a detangling brush and look at different types of brushes to suit your hair type. You may want to check out the detangling hair brushes from the Tangle Teezer company. Their hair brushes are known to be gentle on your hair and are able to remove tangles with ease without pulling your hair.
d. Use appropriate hair ties
Using the right hair ties for your hair can help avoid tangling, breakage and split ends. There's nothing worse than having your hair stuck in a hair tie! Some of my favourite hair ties include:
How to get rid of split ends
There is no such thing as fully repairing a damaged strand, you can however help rebuild the keratin structure and prevent any further damage by using hair oils, hair masques and leave in conditioners to help protect your hair.
Some of the best products you should consider to repair damaged hair, control frizz, prevent split ends and further damage are:
How to get rid of split ends
The only way you can completely get rid of split ends and start fresh is by cutting them! Finding and cutting off every single split end in your hair sounds like an impossible task and although it can be manually achieved, this mundane task can take you hours to get through all your hair.
Finding and cutting every single split end in your hair is not easy and very often hairdressers will trim the ends of your hair but will unintentionally leave split ends that are somewhat hidden and are higher up.
It is simply impossible to find every single split end, not to mention the amount of time a hairdresser would have to spend searching for these broken ends! What if I told you that there is a way to go about this and having split ends could really become a thing of the past.
If you love the idea of getting rid of every single split end that is present in your hair, you must invest in a split end remover.
Picture credit: SPLIT-ENDER PRO2 by Talavera.
The Cordless split end remover is designed to trim the end of every single hair strand, so instead of you shortening the length of your hair to give your hair ''a good trim'', you are simply trimming the ends instead of cutting the length of your hair.
I bought the Split-Ender years ago and I was obsessed with it. It is extremely easy to use and the trimmed ends are collected inside the tool, which can be easily emptied after every use.
If you like the idea of getting rid of your split ends, make sure you check out the split end remover on Amazon. You may also want to check out the inventor's website - Victor C Talavera, for more information.
Note: Many manufacturers have illegally copied The Split-Ender and sell cheap versions with poor quality blades. These are illegal and should not be purchased. The Split-Ender is owned by Talavera Hair Products, Inc.
To help you take control of your split ends and hair breakage, We've created a Free Checklist for you that you can download, print and use straight away.
Following a planned out checklist can really help you take immediate action and avoid any further hair damage. Access the free download and start your journey to healthy beautiful hair from today.
