Split Ends Cause: Reasons Of Damage And How To Deal With This Issue

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The biggest enemy to a girl’s hair is probably split ends. Not that this phenomenon doesn’t occur in men’s hair, but we’re more accustomed of girls having longer locks. Hands down, none of us wants our hair to look dry and with fraying ends. No matter the length, if our hair looks dull and lifeless, this is probably a pure sing we need to go and book an appointment to our hairdresser. On the contrary, if our tresses look healthy and voluminous, then we’re okay to go and have another good hair day.

Now, before moving on to what causes split ends, let’s just get informed more about the hair structure, shall we?

The hair structure is composed of three inner layers; cuticle, the cortex, and medulla. These layers protect and give our hair the color and shine it needs. When the outermost layer of hair (cuticle) is damaged, it results in dryness of hair, therefore, split ends. There is also a medical term for split ends know as Trichoptilosis.

Not only split ends are unpleasant to look at, but they can also make us create the habit of picking them. According to a study, 50% of people in the UK pick split ends on a daily basis and 80% of them are women.

However, worry not as there is hope for all of us. This because there are various repairing conditioners and serums available out there, that can help reconstruct our hair. Moreover, there are different treatments and home remedies that you might try without the need to spend a fortune. Relevant only If the damage of your split hair is not that severe, otherwise, a trim would do the best work. Invariably there are many factors that cause our hair to split. They can be external or internal ones. Therefore the best way is – to first identify split ends causes, and then find ways to prevent further damage and treat them properly. Scroll down to find more about split ends causes:

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1. Washing your hair daily

Washing your hair everyday can make it more susceptible to split ends. We all want our hair and scalp cleanly washed and in good shape. Moreover, we like our hair to look smooth and silky, and we do our best to protect it better. Therefore if we daily wash our hair, we’re prone to cause it to lose its natural oils, thus becoming dry and brittle. Try to wash your hair every other day or 2 times a week if possible. Also, avoid combing your hair while wet because hair is more fragile when wet and more prone to breakage. Nor try to aggressively detangle it when wet.

2. Heated styling tools

Various heat stylers such as blow-dryers, curlers, straightening irons are great to change the shape of your hair temporarily, but they also encourage split ends. If you’re one of those people that you can’t avoid the heat in styling your hair, try to minimize the use of it and use different hair protectants before or after the heat. Overexposure to heat can make your hair dry and brittle, and also reduce your hair’s moisture, therefore, makes your hair prone to breakage, especially hair ends. Try to let your hair dry naturally and reduce the heat as much as you can.

3. Chemicals

Nobody wants split ends, yet, they will always occur. Undergoing frequent chemical treatments like hair color, relaxers, and perms will only worsen the appearance of split ends. That hair color you’ve been craving for so long stays good on your hair, but it can also come with a cost. Products containing chemicals weaken the hair cuticle thus making your hair prone to be severely damaged.

4. Infrequent Trimming

Since the ends of the hair are the oldest part of your hair, they are also the weakest. Split ends are unavoidable, although you’re trying to grow your hair longer. Your hair is daily exposed to various heat stylers, combing, and washing. Therefore snipping it off regularly is one of the best ways to fix your damaged tresses. It is recommended to book an appointment for a trim from every eight to twelve weeks, or varying from the level of the damage that you see a need to. After all, if your hair ends are heavily damaged, split ends won’t just go away no matter how much you treat them. A trim will do best in this situation. If your hair ends already look lifeless, they can even hinder your hair growth. Consider trimming it more frequently.

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Unfortunately there also other factors that might lead to split ends. This includes genetics, weather conditions, UV damage, the quality of your hair products, and an unhealthy diet.

However, we have also enlisted a few tips to help you prevent split ends. Hopefully, they will be helpful to you.