Sunday, December 11, 2011

Split Ends

This post is related to tips in minimizing split ends. I am a sufferer of these unsightly things because I do like to heat style my hair especially in winter. There's nothing more bothersome than nice hair everywhere but the tips that look dry and damaged.



My first tip for reducing split ends is Minimize the amount of hot styling tools you use. Constantly using hot styling tools on your hair will cause damage to your ends. It fry's and breaks your ends. The easiest way to stop the amount of split ends will be to stop using so much heat on them.

2nd Tip is related to the first as well, use a heat protectant. If you must heat style your hair then it is EXTREMELY important to protect your hair beforehand. Using a heat protectant at least creates a slight barrier to coat your hair so that the heat will not be directly applied to the hair follicles.

3rd Tip, get regular trims. This is also very important to do for your hair. Trimming the ends every couple of months will get rid of any breakage you may have and so stop it from moving up the hair shaft and getting worse. Years ago I did not follow this at all but I have learned that it is important if I want healthy hair that grows. It might seem like the last thing you want to do is cut off those precious few inches if you are trying to grow your hair out, but you must. Trims about every month to 3 months is going to help keep your hair healthy. At the beginning of my hair journey it hurt me to cut any inch off but I'm glad I did consistently.

4th Tip, reduce the amount you comb your hair. Constantly brushing out your hair especially when you start from the roots will cause breakage. If you must detangle your hair start from the ends then slowly and gently work your way up to the crown. Naturally your hair looses hair every day but if you are constantly combing it you can break knots and cause split ends higher in the hair shaft. Also it's best to use a paddle brush or a wide toothed comb.
If you have curly hair it's best to skip combing your hair in general. When washing my hair with conditioner I gently finger comb my curls and that is the only time I comb through my curls. Combing dry curly hair causes frizz and since curly hair tangles you are more likely to break some hair while brushing.

5th Tip, use cold water. When washing your hair with warm water you are opening the hair shaft so to close it and lock in moisture you should also rinse it with cold water afterwards. This is something that I always do when I wash my hair. It reduces frizziness and because it's closed it isn't as delicate which will reduce breaking.

6th Tip, add moisture to your hair. Your hair is dead keratin so the problem some people may face is dry hair, there's nothing more important than making sure your hair is properly hydrated. Person's with curly hair tend to have the thirstiest hair which is why using a moisturizer is important. Anyone can benefit from moisturizing their ends with serums or olive oil (whatever you choose) especially if you heat style it often. It won't get rid of the split ends if you don't cut them but they will help make them more hydrated and a bit stronger.

*Another thing that I have also heard helps split ends (but I have not used myself) is English tea. You are supposed to soak the ends in it and it helps repair it.


Hopefully these tips were informative, give them a try and take the necessary steps to healthier hair. 

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