Split ends happen when the ends of your hair become dry, brittle, and frayed. They may resemble the end of an unraveled rope. Exposure to extreme weather conditions, and hair care techniques such as blow drying, straightening, and curling may cause split ends. They're also caused by chemical hair products.
Why is it so bad to pull apart split ends? When you pick at split ends, you damage the hair shaft further. Some people might think that splitting a hair in two only makes the strand thinner, but what you're actually doing is damaging the cuticle and the core, which makes your hair strand strong.
A: Your hair splits when the cuticle has been completely worn away. That can happen anywhere on the strand, but it's most likely to happen at the ends because they're the oldest hair. The cuticle is made of about 7 layers and those layers get damaged every time you style your hair.
Split ends are the most obvious problem of stressed hair.
Physical damage
Brushing the hair when dry can also lead to the formation of split ends. This is a result of repeated friction on the hair shaft, which causes damage to the cuticle layer. When this layer becomes damaged, the small scale-like cells of the cuticle become frayed and lead to the formation of split ends.
Wash Your Hair Less Frequently: Cutler says you should only wash your hair a maximum of three times a week. This will prevent the ends of your hair from drying out too much, as shampoo can remove your hair's natural oils, which can lead to damage and breakage.
Harsh shampoo, hair treatments, styling products, and excessive brushing contribute the most to poor hair health. However, other culprits include: overconsumption of alcohol. low-calorie and crash diets.
A tell-tale sign of breakage is seeing small white dots in different areas of the hair. These white dots are an indication that the hair is fractured or severely chemically damaged, giving your hair an overall straw-like look. Split ends, however, are usually only seen at the tips.
Unhealthy hair usually has a rough texture, lack of shininess and luster, have split ends, lack of moisture and elasticity even after treatment and easily broken. Damaged hair will also get tangled up and result in knots due to hair dryness.
The best and most effective way to deal with unsightly split ends is to cut them off completely. Cutting also prevents them from rising further up the hair shaft and causing more damage. “It's almost like stopping a tear on a piece of fabric,” says Kei. “If you don't get rid of it, it'll only get worse.”
A split end, by definition, is exactly what it sounds like — the fraying of the oldest part of your hair strand as it becomes dry and brittle. If left untreated, split ends will lead to breakage, resulting in uneven hair strands that can ruin a look and make styling difficult.
Dryness can weaken hair, especially at the ends, and this can cause damage and split ends. To add moisture to your hair, consider using a weekly hair mask. A hair mask is a deep conditioning treatment that can infuse your hair with moisture and reduce frizziness and dryness.
Unless you are growing your hair longer, with medium and long hairstyles you should be getting a trim every 6-8 weeks to maintain its length and style. If you are aiming for Rapunzel long locks, you can wait a bit longer to let your hair grow out, getting a trim every 8-10 weeks to help prevent damage from split ends.
White piedra is a relatively rare fungal infection of the hair shaft. It is caused by a yeast-like fungus called Trichosporon.
When you see full-length hairs on your pillow or in your shower drain, they are probably club hairs. The hairs in your brush may be club hairs, or they may be broken hairs. You can tell it is a club hair by the bulb shape at the root, usually light in color. Club hairs should react to hair products, dye, etc.
Telogen effluvium hair loss — the type of hair loss linked to stress — typically affects your scalp and may appear as patchy hair loss. However, it can also cause you to shed more body hair or notice less hair on your body than you normally would.
Massaging aloe vera gel on your hair will result in soft, shiny, and bouncing tresses. Aloe vera also repairs damaged hair. Oil Massage: A good oil massage is one of the sure-shot ways of tackling split ends. A massage using coconut oil, olive oil or almond oil is one of the best ways to handle split ends.
Diagnosing Weak Hair
It is often genetic, handed down from a parent, or it can be caused by hormonal factors such as menopause or childbirth, birth control pills or other medications, disease or illness, poor diet, stress, a fungal infection of the scalp or cancer treatments.
Castor oil is considered the best natural oil treatment for hair breakage and split ends. Using castor oil for hair, you can decrease the chances of hair thinning and breakage. Also, applying castor oil masks on your hair is good for your scalp, and helps to fight against dandruff as well as increase your hair growth.