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I've recently been trimming split ends individually (ie cutting each hair with one), but I've found one extremely annoying problem: they return practically every day. I straighten my hair maybe once a week, and wash it every other day, but even if I don't wash it and don't straighten or blow dry, a couple new ones show up. What could the problem be? Could shower water temperature make a difference? :S Surely straighteners can't be THAT damaging as to create so many split ends, even when I use them infrequently.
Here's what I know causes split ends, and see what you are doing:
Drying
Straightening
Combing/Brushing when wet
Washing in hot water
Certain shampoos/conditioners do it aswell
And some other things. If you do none of those then they shouldn't be a problem.
Straightening will kill it every time.
peace
clayton
Hey Azure
To be honest, straighteners can be very damaging indeed. Extreme heat is one of the banes of healthy hair.
Even though you only use one once a week, the repeated heat damage to the hair strands will take its toll. The intense heat dries the hair, and the metal clamp things grind away at the cuticle, which will lead to breakage, and the split end problems you describe.
I'd say, try to stop using the straightener for a few weeks, or a few months if you can, and see if there's an improvement. I can almost guarantee that this is the culprit. You also wanna try a deep conditioning, or hot oil treatment to restore moisture and seal the hair, preventing more splits.
Make sure it actually is splits you're looking at. Lots of different hairs at varying lengths (this is natural) can sometimes give the appearance of splits. Do you have lots of tangles? If not I'd hazard a guess you might be being slightly paranoid. I used to be like that too. If you want reassurance, find a reputable hairdressers/salon and get their OPINION (i.e. don't dive right into a trim). I've only ever been for a trim once since growing my hair out (2.5yrs) and I was expecting to have loads chopped off - I asked to have the damage/splits cut - and she said I has barely any - probably due to the fact I only air-dry, but I guess your mileage may vary. Don't fret dude.