The Truth About Split Ends

Are split ends interfering with your hair goals? They come in many forms, and the myths surrounding this common hair issue has generated a lot of confusion. You may have heard mixed information on how split ends are caused, whether they can be repaired, or what the secret is for getting rid of them for good. All you’ll find here is pure, simple truth about one of the most common hair concerns and the best way of managing them.

Can Split Ends be Repaired?

A split end is exactly what it sounds like, which is, a hair shaft that has split in 2 (or more!) parts. The most common split end is one that looks like it was split down the middle, but take some time to look through your strands and you could find ends that resemble the branch of a tree!

The bottom line is, once a hair shaft has split there is no mending, healing, or repairing them, as some products claim to do. Serums are fine if you need to reduce their appearance temporarily, but as a long-term solution, they’ll only give your split ends the time they need to continue climbing up the strand.

How Split Ends Affect Your Hair

Split ends have a big affect on hair texture and manageability. If you want hair that moves freely and feels like silk ribbons, it’ll never happen with split ends. Though they appear small and insignificant, those frayed ends “catch” on each other making hair feel coarse. The friction caused by split ends clinging to other strands also increases formation of knots and tangles.

If you’re up for an experiment, try taking a small section of hair and observing the texture, then micro-trim all the split ends off that section of hair and feel the texture afterwards. You’ll notice a big increase in smoothness after all those snagging frayed ends have been removed.

Aside from texture, hair appearance also suffers from split and frayed ends. Split ends can create a dull, even “dusty” looking appearance at the ends, as well as make them look more dry and frizzy.

What You Can do About Split Ends

The good news is that all hair characteristics that make hair prone to split ends can be improved, and pretty quickly too. Decreasing split ends is all about prevention and appropriate action.

• Frequent Trims

Unless you want to spend an absurd amount of time micro-trimming your own hair, frequent trims will prevent split ends from traveling up the shaft. When split ends are kept in check, they can’t snag other strands and you’ll completely eliminate the dull or dry appearance they create at the bottom of long hair.

• Keratin Treatments

Strong, resilient hair is less likely to split, so any effort in strengthening your hair strands will help reduce split ends. Keratin is the protein found in hair, and porous hair tends to be more prone to frizz, breakage, and split ends. A keratin treatment will help restore the integrity of your hair by replenishing lost protein, making it stronger, shinier, and easier to style. When it comes to getting rid of split ends, this is one of the best for the overall health of your hair.

• Moisturize

While some claim that a hair mask can repair split ends, that’s a bit misleading. A hair mask or serum might temporarily smooth frayed strands, but the main benefit comes from increasing moisture. Hydrated hair is stronger and more flexible, whereas dry hair becomes brittle and easily splits or breaks. To help keep split ends to a minimum, keep your hair (and especially your ends) hydrated with conditioners, oils, hair masks, or serums. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase is another way of keeping hair from snagging or drying out overnight.

• Gentle Handling

Split ends are just a result of normal wear and tear of hair, but you can reduce them with gentle handling. By pinning hair up during the day, you can help retain moisture and avoid snagging hair on zippers, car seats, purse straps, and other day-to-day hair obstacles. If you notice your brush has a tendency to pull and snap hair, then it might be time to find something new, or spend more time detangling before brushing.

Now that you know the tricks of getting rid of split ends, you can give your hair a smoother and brighter future! Right now we’re offering the best deal on keratin treatments in Toronto: 20% any keratin treatment this month. Call us or schedule an appointment online to take advantage of this deal.