What Causes Split Ends? Complete Guide to Minimise Split Ends

Your hair plays an important role in your self-esteem. As the famous line says, “The hair is your crowning glory.” You often get a boost in your confidence after getting a nice haircut or a salon hair treatment. How you take care of your hair may impact how your hair looks and how you do your hairstyles. Split ends, for example, can negatively affect the appearance of your hair. In this post, we shall look at what causes split ends and how you can treat them effectively.

What are split ends?

First up – what exactly are split ends? Before we explore what causes split ends and the techniques you can use to address them, we should first understand what they are.

Hair growth involves the hair follicles. These are structures within the skin where hair grows. The ends of your hair become vulnerable to damage and breakage over time. When your hair develops split ends, it is a sign that the tip of your hair shaft is getting old and causes it to “splinter.”

What causes split ends?

When you’ve got split ends, you may ask why is my hair breaking? It is important to note that split ends are not the same as breakage^[1]. Hair breakage may affect hair strands from roots to tips, and split ends occur on the tip of the strand. Let’s consider a few reasons why these split ends develop:

• When the end of a hair strand becomes very dry, it also becomes brittle. These will cause your hair to fray and break.
• Constantly exposing your hair to extreme weather conditions can be included in the long list of what causes split ends.
• Using heated hair styling tools regularly, like a hair straightener, curler, and hairdryer, can also dry your strands. These tools can contribute to split ends.

What do split ends look like?

To get a better picture of how split ends look like, you must understand the different types. So, let’s take a look at them:

• Double split: This is the most common type of split ends. Here, the tip of your hair shaft splits into two separate strands.
• Partial split: This type is usually a mild case in which the end of the strand develops a slight split. It’s sometimes called an incomplete split.
• Tree split: This type has multiple splits branching out the hair strand.
• Fork split: This is when the strand’s end splits into different sections resembling a fork. It’s important to note that this type is not the same as a triple split end where the hair ends split into 3.

Split ends vs. healthy ends: How to identify

When comparing split ends vs healthy hair, there are a few common signs that you can look for. Take a closer look at your hair when you stand in front of the mirror. Look at the ends of your hair strands. If they look frizzy and you notice splinters, you have split ends.

How to prevent split ends

Now that we’ve looked at what causes split ends, let’s discuss how to prevent them.

• Avoid washing your hair daily: It might feel tempting to wash your hair every day, but this strips your hair of natural oils produced by your scalp. This can hurt your hair and could result in dryness over time.
• Change how you brush your hair: Whether you’ve got split ends or dealing with hair loss in women, you must know how you should brush your hair. Not doing the right way to brush can damage your hair^[2], and even lead to breakage and hair loss. Brush your hair with gentle strokes from the scalp outward to the ends of your hair strands.
• Avoid scrubbing shampoo into your hair: Apply shampoo with light pressure and gently massage it onto your wet hair.
• Make sure to condition your ends first: Using a conditioner is crucial when preventing split ends. Ideally, start at the end of your strands and then work your way up toward the scalp when applying conditioner.
• Don’t use heat to dry the ends of your hair: Hair dryers and straighteners are convenient, but they can damage your hair. You should avoid using them when drying your hair to minimize the development of split ends.
• Get regular trims: Go to your hairdresser often for a trim. You can tell your hairdresser to remove the parts that appear old and have split ends. This way, you’ll keep the ends of your hair healthier.

Another step to achieving healthy hair is to take a good supplement. For example, the Nufolix hair growth supplement contains various natural ingredients that help with growth and overall hair health.

Does split ends prevent hair growth?

While split ends may be linked with dry hair, they do not alter hair growth. You should note that hair grows on a structure in your scalp known as the follicle. To be more specific, hair growth depends on your hair follicles^[3]. Hence, split ends appear on the tips affecting only the oldest part of each hair strand.

Are split ends bad?

While they’re often considered to be normal with natural hair, they can appear very bad if you don’t apply proper treatments. They will also progress continuously potentially affecting a large section of your hair if not treated early.

In this case, you’ll likely need to cut off a bigger section of hair if you want to get rid of the split ends.

How to get rid of split ends

Understanding the details above might lead you to the question of how to get rid of split ends. There are simple steps that you can follow to eliminate them. While certain hair care products can help you to get rid of them, it is also recommended to consult your hairstylist.

One of the best ways to fix split ends hair is to get a trim. Your stylist can work on the ends to cut the areas where split ends are quite visible without necessarily altering your hairstyle. However, if the condition covers a large area of your hair, you might want to ask your stylist for a new hairstyle.

The Takeaway

Even though split ends may be considered normal, it’s important to take note of them and implement the right strategies. Understanding what causes split ends, getting a trim regularly, using good hair care products, and following the tips above can help prevent split ends from getting worse.