Raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimised by split ends? We understand your pain! Split ends are a one-way ticket to ruining a good hair day. They make your hair feel dry, look brittle and are a sign that your locks just aren’t thriving. Split ends can be especially annoying if you’re trying to grow your hair out or just keep it in tip-top condition. In order to prevent them, we must understand what causes them and how you can avoid them. Before you know it, your locks will be restored to their glorious, healthy selves!

What are split ends?

Split ends occur at the end of your strands when they become dry and damaged. The ends will look frayed and separated into fragments, causing them to feel brittle and dry. If left unmanaged, split ends will lead to breakage as they cause the hair to become weak. 

What causes split ends?

Split ends have many causes but a lot of them come back to lack of moisture in the hair. Our hair needs to be kept hydrated in order to allow the protein in our hair to hold the strands together. Dehydrated locks mean the protein won’t be able to bind your strands, leading to (you guessed it!) split ends. 

Everything from excessive brushing to over bleaching can cause major damage to our ends, resulting in more split ends. Heat styling is one of the main culprits, as it can severely dehydrate the hair if done too frequently. 

Brushing your hair when wet (when the strands are at their most vulnerable) and roughly towel drying after washing can be causing more damage than you realise.

If you find yourself making bleaching appointments at the salon every few weeks, consider giving your hair a break if you are noticing an increase in split ends. 

So what can we do about them?

Unfortunately, once an end is split, you can’t repair it and put it back together (we know that’s not what you wanted to hear!). The only way to rid your strands of split ends is to get them trimmed off. If you have noticed that your hair is becoming drier and more damaged – and therefore full of split ends – we recommend booking in an appointment to get them trimmed off. Your hair will be feeling healthy and fresh in no time!

Once you have rid your locks of the damaged ends, there are many things you can do to prevent split ends and to help your hair thrive. Cutting back on the heat styling and bleaching will go a long way in preventing your split ends from reemerging. As mentioned above, being gentle when brushing and drying your locks is also key.

As split ends are a result of lack of moisture, keeping your hair hydrated is very important. Using a salon-quality shampoo and conditioner that is formulated for hydration will be a wonderful addition to your hair care routine, as will a hair mask and nourishing oil. A little trick we love is to run cold water over our hair before the end of our shower, as this locks in essential moisture.

When it comes to split ends, it’s all about prevention!