Many people struggle with split hair ends. The longer the hair, the higher the possibility of splitting. How to repair hair and protect fragile hair tips from splitting?
Hair care is a hard task. We often unconsciously worsen its condition – regular heat styling, overusing accessories such as flat irons, sleeping with hair loose or using products not matching the needs of our hair. Effect? Dull, coarse, frizzy, prone-to-splitting hair.
Split ends are ‘exclusive’ to damaged hair. Not necessarily!
Split ends usually result from a poor hair condition. Damaged hair is splitting more often because it lacks hydration and essential nutrients. Strands are brittle and drier so they split easily.
It is not a rule, though – healthier hair can have split ends, too, whereas over-processed hair doesn’t necessarily have this problem. It results from the fact that hair can have a different porosity (hair condition) at the roots and ends. Hands down, the porosity is worth knowing as it has an influence on the further hair care routine.
Why do hair ends split?
No matter the cause, splitting hair is an aesthetic problem which you need to get rid of e.g. for the sake of hair health – hair loses valuable water, vitamins and minerals through split ends. Before solving the problem, we must know why hair sometimes starts splitting. This is the way to avoid it.
Causes of splitting hair:
- heat styling – blow-dryers, curlers, flat irons,
- lack of sun protection,
- sleeping with loose hair,
- not protecting hair ends e.g. with an oil,
- pulling and tearing while brushing,
- not trimming hair ends,
- washing hair in a very hot water.
The best remedy for split ends: hair scissors!
You cannot bind split ends together – it’s worth remembering. Hair is dead so it cannot heal like a wound on skin. You shouldn’t always believe in commercials saying about miraculous products which glue split ends together. It is impossible. Making hair a few inches shorter is the only remedy for getting rid of split ends.
A hair salon appointment is the only rescue. That is why preventing hair damage is worth the effort. If your hair ends are already split, all you can do is trim them. If you still don’t have this problem, it’s time for serious hair care changes and prevention plan.
How to repair hair to keep split ends away?
Making friends with a hairdresser is the key thing. Let a hairstylist care for your hair. A professional will notice there’s something wrong going on (faster than we would do it) and recommend a proper strengthening treatment. Giving up on hair salon appointments is a mistake.
Obviously, between hair salon appointments (which don’t happen every day, right?), you must care for your hairdo by yourself. How to protect hair ends from splitting? Fresh, trimmed and primed hair can be nourished and shielded from external elements e.g. with a proper serum, oil or fluid.
Serum for hair ends
The so-called silicone oils – mixtures of different types of silicones have been made for hair protection. If you’re wondering how to protect hair ends from splitting, silicones make a good solution. They work on the hair surface, shielding from harmful factors e.g. a temperature. Silicones prevent water loss and add shine and softness to hair. Regrettably, they often weigh hair down and make it oily at the same time.
Liquid hair silk
Women are crazy about liquid silk, especially the ones who have damaged, frizzy, coarse hair. A bit of the cosmetic is enough to increase sheen, softness and smoothness, protecting from split ends at the same time. Still, we must bear in mind that silk is a protein so it may cause some damage when you use too much.
Oils for split ends
Olive oil is the most recommended for hair ends but it is not the only solution. Thanks to the diversity of oils and variety of their benefits, you can experiment a bit. Other oils for hair ends include Argan Oil (protecting from heat), Coconut Oil (locking water in) or Cottonseed Oil (strongly regenerating). Applying oils to hair ends pays off because, apart from protecting fragile hair, they work from within – strengthen, nourish and condition.
