Split End: All’s well that ends well – this is especially true for our hair! We have seven tips against split ends so that yours look healthy and well-groomed. Many women with long hair struggle with split ends – often for years. Because once there, the nasty hair-splitter is extremely persistent. Only those who know how to fight it properly can make the dream of healthy, long hair come true. We spoke to experts and found out the ultimate hacks against split ends for you.
Split End: Nine Problems Women With Long Hair Know
How Do Split Ends Arise?
Our hair is built like a tree trunk. The cortex encases the inner marrow. It resembles tiny strands of wire that are held together by a putty substance. A cuticle covers the cortex and protects it from external influences such as heat, chemicals when dyeing hair or mechanical stress attack this layer.
At the end of the hair – the oldest part of the hair – this can expose the cortex. Defenselessly exposed to external stress, the hair splits once or even several times to the core at this point – the split ends are there. The bad news: no glue in the world can put split hair back together. The good: There are powerful ways to avoid split ends or, once there, stop and get rid of its progression.
Sleep On Silk Pillows
Anything that roughens the cuticle around the cortex promotes the development of split ends. Even while we sleep, our hair can split. While we are dreaming, we move our heads back and forth countless times. Even if the pillow seems invitingly soft to you, its cover is rough for the hair and ‘ribs’ it up night after night. That might sound a bit dramatic, but the frequency matters.
Our tip: Treat your lace a little luxury and get yourself a pillow with a silk cover. The soft surface structure is gentle on the hair and also does not deprive it of moisture. You will notice the difference, especially if you often wake up in the morning with messy hair and small ‘nests’. And that every day!
Snap, Snap, Hair Off!
It sounds paradoxical, but if you want your hair to grow, you have to cut it regularly. Our tip: All hair should be cut regularly, at least every three months. This is the safest way to remove split ends or to avoid them in advance. The hair grows an average of 1 to 1.5 centimeters per month. Cutting a centimeter tip every three months does not make a dramatic difference in the desired length.
Simply letting it grow, on the other hand, does not lead to success. Hair grown without a cut for a long period becomes weaker the longer it gets – and therefore prone to split ends. In addition, the split ends grow with you – those who have fought for three broken centimeters often have to part with four centimeters so that the tips are completely healthy again.
Extra tip: If you don’t want to lose so much length, you could try this new hair-cutting trend: hair-dusting! is THE new technique to remove split ends.
Only Healthy Hair Remains Free Of Split Ends
It’s almost self-explanatory, but: The more intact the cuticle, the better our hair is protected from split ends. Unfortunately, minor damage cannot be avoided. After all, combing is a strain on our hair. To ensure that the cuticle retains its resistance even in length, a comprehensive care program is mandatory!
Hence our tip: Use a shampoo specially designed for damaged or long hair. Its mild surfactants are less likely to leach the hair. A rinse in the lengths smooths the hair surface after each wash and thus reduces the mechanical stress during combing and styling.
In addition, you should pamper your hair with a cure after four to five washes. Did you want to do your hair treatment? No problem!
Ingredients for a honey and egg hair treatment
- One egg
- One teaspoon honey
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
preparation
Put honey in a small bowl and heat in a water bath. Important: do not warm the honey in the microwave! As soon as it is liquid, take the bowl out of the water and add the olive oil – stirring vigorously. If the honey oil is lukewarm and thick, you can add the egg and stir it in. Et voilà: The natural hair treatment is ready.
use
Now you can apply the natural treatment to the entire length of your hair and massage it in. Put on the shower cap and relax for 30 minutes. Then rinse carefully with lukewarm water.
It’s All About The Scissors
Ok, we now know that a regular haircut prevents split ends. But did you also know that it depends on the cutting? the hairdresser from Düsseldorf, warns against cutting with a hairdressing knife: “This cutting technique promotes the formation of split ends. One of the reasons for this is that blades that are no longer very sharp are often used. If the blade is dull, it will tear rather than clip it cleanly. “
A special cutting technique against split ends, on the other hand, is the ‘hot scissors’ used by long hair expert . A pair of scissors is used, the blades of which can be heated to 200 degrees. “The hair is divided into 1 to 2 centimeter thick passes. The strands are twisted so that the split hair protrudes and can be cut off with the scissors,”. The scissors are held at an angle. Due to the special cut and the heat, the ends of the hair are sealed.
By the way: stay away from household scissors! They are completely unsuitable for split ends at home. You bend the hair when you cut it and destroy the tips – so split ends are inevitable!
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The Right Products For Our Hair
Those who care for the hair lengths properly are also doing something good for the tips. However, special cures and serums for stressed ends promise to be particularly effective in preventing split ends with targeted extra care. In addition, the products should prevent the hair from splitting further and further like a frizz band. This is achieved on the one hand with special silicones that do not repair the hair in the broken area but at least seal it.
Don’t worry: if water-soluble silicones are used, the product does not adhere to the hair.
Products that promise even to strengthen the core of the hair are new. For example, through fruit acids, the molecules are so tiny that they penetrate the inside of the hair. The top candidates among the care products can, with regular use, have a positive effect on the structure and appearance of the hair. Nevertheless, we advise you to keep your expectations realistic. Every hair is different, and some women have naturally more robust hair or hair that always looks healthy and well-groomed.
Avoid Combining Stress And Heat
Straighteners, curling irons, hair dryers – without these styling aids, we would have to do without many great hairstyles. But any heat styling is pure stress for our hair. If you have split-split hair, you should avoid it as often as possible.
If you cannot do without a hairdryer and Co. when styling, you should first pre-dry your hair in the air to keep the heat stress within limits. Alternatively, you can set your hairdryer to cold air and dry your hair. It takes a little longer, but this way, you can avoid split ends. In addition, you should always dry your hair with the air directly from the roots to the ends – this way. The hair is not additionally roughened.
In addition to heat, the incorrect use of combs and brushes creates optimal conditions for split ends. For example, many women brush their wet hair. Because wet hair is much more elastic than dry hair, and the brush takes up a lot of hair, you don’t even notice that you are tearing your hair while brushing.
Our tip: comb your hair with a comb after washing. Keep your hair completely loose. The goal is to comb out the knots without tearing hair.
Prevention Also Comes From Within
Regular care, careful handling and regular pointcuts (also known as split ends) reduce external split ends. However, measures that work from within are just as effective. Split ends are also indirectly caused by physical factors that harm the hair structure.
Factors that can affect our hair include:
- hormonal changes, e.g. during pregnancy
- Periods of great stress
- unhealthy and one-sided diet
Those who eat healthily and avoid stress over long periods are also doing something for healthy tips. A doctor can clarify a hormonal imbalance (regardless of pregnancy or pill change). Avoiding stress also means, however, that you do not let yourself be disturbed by stressed lengths. Because now you know the best strategies and tips against split ends.
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