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hey i had a question about split ends. My ends split and i do very little to it. I.e i was my hair 1-2x a week because it seems to work out ok. I also dont comb my hair more than necessary. Yet i still have split ends(i dont dye, i dont straigthened or anything). Im going to get them trimmed again in a bit to help some. But what can i do to prevent and repair some ?
This takes a long time depending on how many split ends you have, but grab a pair of really sharp scissors and cut the split end off, right above where it starts to keep as much length as possible.
hope htis helped
-Mihnea
Hi Jeff,
Mihnea is right sharp scissors and cut them as you find them but long term condition, condition, condition. I wash my hair often as its oily as well as fine so split ends were a problem early on. I'll condition and leave it on for several minutes while I finish my shower then rinse it off with cool water. I haven't had any problems since.
Good luck
Kevin
Ok i ordered some sheer scissors. But out of theory , washing hair less, means less damage right? I do use leave in conditioner when my hair feels dry, so it keeps it hydrated well.
The answer is yes and no. If you wash too much it could lead to dry damaged hair however I know of people who wash once a week or even less and yet have damaged frizzy hair. There are many variables to consider such as type of hair, your water (hard or soft), shampoo and or conditioner used, the climate where you live,
I could go on and on. Conditioners vary but most coat the hair as the leave in one you use and that can help protect the hair shaft in addition to makeing combing easier, beware not all conditioners are created equal. Some of the expensive stuff can be crap and some cheap stuff not so bad. Another example conditioners that increase volume actually swell the hair to make it appear thicker and that can cause split ends, that was told to me by a stylist as I was using such a product. Maybe it did or maybe they wanted to sell me their house brand at $20 a pop. The most common theme I hear is condition a lot if you have damage or split ends.
Go to the links section and check out Bills Choissers link it has a lot of info that may prove useful.
Kevin
In addition to what's already been suggested so-far, also try some of the beneficialols on just the ends or lower half of your hair. Kukui nut oil, Almond oil, Jojoba oil, and even plain old Olive oil are all beneficial for your hair. Only put on a small amount (about the size of a coin), and massage it into the ends (no need for me to do this on my hair closer to my scalp, as my scalp gets oily soon enough on its own). I usually do this little ritual right after shampooing & conditioning, when the hair is still damp; but you can also apply beneficial oils to the hair when it is dry as well.
I first found out about this trick right after I cut my hair short in Y2K. I saw a guy with GREAT-looking butt-length hair, and decided to walk right up to him and compliment him, followed by ask him questions about how I could achieve that length as well. He was totally forthcoming about what hair care methods he followed, including saying he no longer neede to trim his ends, showing me that he had no split ends, ever since using Kukui nut oil on them. And, I've never forgotten that!
I can't say that I myself have "NO" split ends; but, I know for a fact that my split ends have been greatly reduced, --- especially in comparison to when I had long hair in the '90s, and didn't know about beneficial oils.
Hope this info helps!
- Ken in San Francisco
Absent all other sources of damage, you can blame your parents...some people seem to have hair that is more prone to splits than others...regardless of coarseness, curliness or length. In that case, all you can do is try to protect it from mechanical damage (combing/brushing), wear and tear from washing or products, trim or S&D for splits, avoid using heat on it, and protect it from UV (etc. etc.) Oiling and condtioning may help or it may just cover up damage (as usual with hair, YMMV).
Nothing will repair the damage...silicones will cover it up, and glue the damage together until they are washed out. Using a clarifying shampoo after using a silicone containing conditioner long term may give you a sudden huge crop of splits and damage.
You just have to find what works for you...and still lets you enjoy your hair and length.