How to fix split ends
There are so many products on the market that promise to repair split ends. Can those products deliver on their promise or are they just cleverly marketed to make you think so? Lets dive in and first talk about what a split end is.
Split ends are when the hair is so damaged it starts to become hollow on the inside and the outside starts to fray. Hair normally looks like shingles on a roof, the outer cuticle lays flat and smooth. Underneath the cuticle is where the melanin (the hairs color) and our hairs moisture and protein exist. When the hair becomes damaged, the outer cuticle “ the shingles” start to lift and the hair begins to loose the moisture and protein. Once that happens the hair is considered dead because it is hollow on the inside. The cuticle becomes weak and starts to tear and that is the split end you can see.
If you look at a split end under a microscope it resembles a rope that is fraying. Looking at it with your naked eye it can show in a few ways. It can be split in half appearing that the hair is split down the middle or it can be split in thirds. If it is split more than 3 ways it is called a tree split. There is also something called a ladder split. This is where the hair visually looks like a ladder because the bonds are trying to maintain the structure across the middle while hair is splitting in half.
So you may be wondering why split ends occur in the first place. There are several reasons as to why they happen. Sometimes its just one thing and other times it is a combination of a couple or all the reasons. Here are a few reasons why you maybe experiencing them.
Normal wear and tear. Your hair lives with you and goes on all of your adventures. It could be hanging out in the sun all day drying out and then later whipped around and tangled from driving windows down. It may then sit on your head in a messy tangly bun on top of your head for a couple days hiking. You may go skiing and leave those “slut strands” out of your helmet because its cute but they are getting wet and frozen and wiping around in the wind. You may then go swimming and not think to take proper care of your hair before and after. After a long few days of this it finally gets a shampoo but it needs a mask and extra tlc but its just not in your normal routine. All of these things are examples of wear and tear. The hair starts to fray and you get split ends.
Exposing your hair to heat styling tools. That’s right, I’m talking hot brushes, blow dry brushes, curling irons, wavers, wands, and the worst offender of all - flat irons. Hair has a melting point!! Depending on the hairs moisture content depends on the melting point. So for dry hair the melting point starts at about 200 degrees farenheight. For the healthiest of hair the melting point starts at about 385 degrees farenheight. This type of heat exposure can certainly cause split ends all throughout the hair.
Cutting hair with dull shears. Now as your hairstylist, you should know I get my shears regularly sharpened. However, I know there are times you are using your own cutting devices. Whether that be the kitchen scissors, the small sewing scissors in your repair kit, your cuticle nippers, or your trimmers (I’ve heard it all) these tools do not start out sharp enough or have the correct metal to stay sharp. They will cut a jagged edge into your hair creating a split end. Please don’t cut your own hair.
Highlighting your hair and or coloring your hair. The process of doing these services is a chemical change where the chemicals are opening your hairs cuticle, taking stuff out, and in the case of color adding stuff back in, and then trying to close cuticle, however that cuticle never closes and can be prone to turning into a split end.
Now that we know some of the reasons that split ends occur let look at what these products promise. Most of them say (in fine print) that they reduce the appearance of split ends. They do this by using an oil or a sticky substance to make the ends stay together. So this category of products do nothing to heal the split ends they are more for a special occasion style product to make hair look healthy and shiny. They do not fix split ends at all.
The only fix for a split end is to cut the hair. Let me repeat, the only fix for a split end is to cut the hair!!
If the hair is not cut you will go through a viscous cycle where the hair will break off where its split and then continue to split the hair further up the strand until you end up with short pieces that look like frizz. The same thing goes for my pickers. Some of you will rip off the hair where its split. You can imagine the jagged edge left behind and the problem continuing with the frayed edges and splitting further up the hair strand. I offer a special type of trim that just addresses the split ends. It’s called a split end trim. This trim does not cut anything off of the length of hair. I use a special technique that allows me to cut the split ends so you can maintain length and continue to grow your hair. This is a dry cut and takes about 15-30 minutes depending on the severity of split damage.