Split ends occur when the ends of your hair become dry, brittle, and frayed, most often due to excessive heat and mechanical stress. If left untreated, split ends can lead to breakage and make the strand significantly shorter than the unbroken hair. This makes your hair look dull and unhealthy. Unfortunately, you can’t fix your hair once they’ve frayed. All those products —conditioners, serums, shampoos—that promise to heal and restore damaged hair are just marketing gimmicks. Hair doesn’t have regenerative abilities and so there’s really no way to fix damaged hair, say hair experts.
Prevention is the only way to realize your dream of healthy long hair. Here are some expert tips to help you prevent damage and breakage.
No chemical treatments
Although split ends may result from wear-and-tear with age, excessive usage of hair-styling products, chemical treatments and coloring can also damage your strands. If you do get chemical treatments, make sure to follow proper hair care routine to prevent your tresses from further damage. Avoid the use of styling products that are too drying, like hairsprays. Make sure you’re using thermal protectants whenever heat styling.
Brush your hair gently
Remember, your hair is fragile and splits can also result from aggressive combing. When you brush your hair, always start from the bottom of your hair and work your way up to gently detangle the knots. Don’t rip the knots, first remove them and start brushing a little further down. Also, make sure you’re using the right hairbrush. If you have curly hair, be sure to use a detangling spray before combing your hair. As curls tend to tangle and knot more easily, they are more prone to split ends. Also remember, the curlier the hair, the more moisture it needs.
Trim your hair regularly
Hair experts recommend at least four haircuts a year to prevent split ends from creeping up the hair shaft and causing breakage. If you don’t remove those split ends, it can continue to fray further up the shaft, and you may have to endure a drastic haircut.
Follow regular hair care routine
Your hair needs as much care as your skin. Find a hair care routine that works for you and follow it regularly. Use a mild shampoo that can remove dirt without stripping your scalp of its natural oils. Don’t forget to apply conditioner after shampoo. Lack of moisture and proper hydration can cause split ends.
Turn down the temperature of hot tools
Regular use of hot tools—like curling irons, flat irons, and blow dryers—can make your hair more prone to breakage. Whenever you use a hot tool, apply a heat protection spray or serum, which can shield your strands from hot temps. Hair experts also recommend turning down the temperature of your hot tool to 285 degrees and slowly increase the heat if needed. Before styling your hair with heat, make sure to properly wash out all excess oils so that you don’t end up cooking your hair instead of styling it.
