Split ends are.. (for the lack of better word here).. hair cancer. They slyly eat away your hair length, slow down hair growth and after reaching a level, only trimming (killing) can get rid of them completely. When you are a bride in the making, your hair will be like your crown. You have got to take care of it. Be it being regular with your salon sessions, taking in the right kind of hair vitamins or trying to boost hair growth – brides-to-be are doing it all. And yet they are missing out on treating their hair’s silent enemy – split ends! We have rounded this blog just on this topic. With these easy steps, you will be able to prevent split ends, treat the existing ones and fend them off in the future.
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First, Let’s talk about what exactly are split ends?
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Split ends, like their name, are splitting or fraying of the hair shaft generally at the end of your hair. The hair can split at any part of the hair shaft and not just the ends (as commonly misconstrued). Once the hair is split, it can continue on splitting their way up if ignored. This can cause some of your hair strands to grow slower than others causing uneven hair length.
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Why do split ends happen?
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The root cause of split ends is the outermost layer of the hair shaft (known as cuticle) getting damaged due to a number of external and internal factors. This damage means the cuticle doesn’t lie flat down the fiber and reflect light as well as it used to. That’s why people with split ends often complain of dull, lifeless hair. Yet again, as the smooth structure of the hair is damaged, it causes knots in your hair leading to more breakage.
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Here are some root causes of split ends:
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- Genetics
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- Dry Hair
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- Harsh Chemical Treatment
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- Everyday bad habits like tying a ponytail too tight, rough brushing etc.
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- Excess Heat Styling
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- Overexposure to pollution, chlorine, sunlight etc.
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- Poor Nutrition
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Don’t panic yet! Split Ends in small amounts are normal and a lot of women have them. They are a problem in massive amounts. When you don’t attack them right, that small number easily explodes. Fortunately, you can stop that from happening. By rightfully assessing what’s causing them and using the right kind of treatment to tackle, you can easily rule over the hair’s biggest enemy just in time for your wedding! Bookmark these tips, you will be needing them.
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10 Easy Steps To Fix Split Ends In Your Hair:
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1. Get a Trim:
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We know you don’t want to hear it. But to minimize the damage to the point where you can repair it yourself, you need to get rid of those rough ends. They are beyond repair and when left loose, they can crawl up your hair shaft, rub against your healthy hairs and create horrid knots. There’s a reason why ‘trimming causes hair to grow faster’ saying is promoted so much. Because of the split ends.
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However, if you don’t have any major damage from split ends, then just one trim is enough, you don’t have to get a trim every two months. There’s no ‘one size fits all’ here. You will have to analyze your own hair and decide accordingly. Or go to a trusted hair specialist who would be able to rightfully guide you.
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All in all, if you are still super anti-trim, then ask your hairstylist to give you a hair dusting. Wondering what that is? Well, it’s the secret to long, healthy hair. Dusting your hair means basically cutting just quarter-inch from the ends of your hair. The residue resembles dust and that’s why the name hair-dusting. Keep note that dusting only helps if your hair has less damage from split ends. If that isn’t the case, get a trim first and your next session can be a dusting one and not trimming. Here’s what hair dusting looks like:
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2. Use Wide-Toothed Comb & Be Gentle:
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Don’t run comb on your hair harshly. If you want your hair to behave, you better treat them nicely. We understand that massive knots can aggravate you but pulling them will only worsen the problem. The only way to tame them down is to be tender.
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Start brushing from the bottom of your hair and work your way up. Don’t drag the comb down from the scalp. Also, don’t brush wet hair. It might seem lucrative to brush the hair when wet before the tangles form. But your hair is weak when wet and combing will only make them weaker. Let them dry completely before starting the down-up brushing technique.
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3. Ditch Your Bad Hair Habits:
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We all have them and we won’t accept them! Bad hair habits like sleeping with a high ponytail, neglecting hair conditioning and vigorously towel-drying your hair can also lead to split ends. These might sound pretty innocuous when listed out, nevertheless, they are a huge game-changer on the path to healthy hair. Here are some good hair habits brides-to-be should follow:
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- Dry your hair gently. Don’t rub your hair with the towel to dry them. Just pat them a little with slight rubbing action. If you want to tie your wet hair, use a t-shirt instead of a towel.
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- Don’t sleep with your hair tied up in a ponytail or a messy bun. This can pull your already weakened hair. Make a loose braid instead. Try a dutch or a fishtail braid if you want to wake up with beachy heatless waves.
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- Don’t go to sleep with wet hair. After taking a warm, relaxing shower, all you want to do is cuddle up in bed and sleep right away. But this will give a chance to your split ends for getting your hair tangled. And who wants to wake up with that in the morning? So dry your hair completely and braid them before going to bed.
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- nUse a silk pillowcase. A big investment with huge returns. Cotton pillowcase tends to pull and drag your hair more because of high fibre count. Silk pillowcases work well for your hair as well as your skin. All brides-to-be should definitely consider buying it. You can shop for a good one here. Bookmark so you can purchase after the lockdown is over. n
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4. Oiling the right way:
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Overnight oiling doesn’t work for everyone. You might have noticed that it can lead to more hair fall. The reason being prolonged oiling can block the hair follicles on your scalp. If overnight oiling works for you, please go forward with it. Deep conditioning via oiling is of utmost importance if you have split ends. Although if your scalp isn’t so fond of overnight oiling, apply the oil just on the ends of your hair.
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Oiling your ends overnight intensely hydrates the ends and pounce on split ends from its very core. The best hydrating oils to use for hair are coconut oil, olive oil, argan oil, almond oil, and jojoba oil. In case you have 2-3 varieties of these oils, you can mix them to make your DIY overnight hair mask.
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5. Minimize The Heat Tools On Your Hair:
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You knew this was coming, right? Styling on a regular basis with a curler, straightener, etc. can dry your hair out and damage the cuticle even further. Both of them give way to split ends. Try to embrace your natural hair and style it only when needed. Here’s how to minimize the damage from heat tools on hair:
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- Work on the lowest setting. We know working on low heat makes the task tiring and long. You will have to use small sections instead of chunky big ones. It may take longer but it’s worth it to say bye-bye to the split ends.
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- nUse a heat protectant spray. Even though they don’t completely protect your hair from heat, they do slow down the conduction of heat from the tool to your tresses. This helps bring down the damage. n
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- Don’t work on damp hair. Well, working on damp hair does the job fast. But do you know what that steam does to your wet hair? It basically fries it. You are losing all the moisture from your hair to the steam. If that doesn’t invite split ends with big open arms, what will!
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- Use a leave-in conditioner afterward. This will put hydration back into your hair and prevent tangles too.
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6. Don’t Pick Your Split Ends:
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Noticing a split end on your hair gives this intense urge to just snip this off. But snipping, tearing, etc. requires force which just adds to the split end problem. Okay, if I can’t rip it with my hands, can I use a pair of scissors? NO! Even scissors fray your ends and cause split ends. The only right way to cut off the split ends is to use a pair of hair shears. They are basically what the salon people use.
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Only hair shears and proper haircutting accessories should be used for cutting your hair at home. Cut only around a quarter-inch of hair strand to prevent split ends.
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7. Hydrate. Hydrate & Hydrate:
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Hydrate. A Lot! There is absolutely nothing that can repair and prevent split end-y hair like hydration. Deep hydration treatments at home once a week is a must for brides!
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DIY Hydrating Masks For Split Ends:
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- n1 tbsp Coconut Oil + 2 tbsp Mayonnaise + 2 tbsp Honey (You can substitute mayonnaise for curd): Mix all of these together and apply on damp hair (not dry). Let it sit on your hair for 30-45 minutes and rinse off using warm water and a mild shampoo. n
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- n4 tbsp Aloe Vera Gel + 2 tbsp Olive Oil + 2 Vitamin E capsules: This can also be applied on your hair as an overnight mask. If not, keep on your hair for at least an hour before washing your hair. n
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- n2 tbsp Shea Butter + 1 tbsp Coconut Oil + 1 tbsp Argan Oil: Mix all of them together and whip it using a hand mixer. Put on dry, clean hair for around 30 minutes. Wash off with a mild shampoo. You can also use shea butter as a solo hair conditioning treatment. The Body Shop just came out with a pure shea butter range and we highly recommend it. Shop here from their site. n
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Best Masks For Split Ends To Purchase:
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- nMama Earth Argan Hair Mask. Buy here. n
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- L’Oreal Serie Expert Absolut Repair Lipidium Mask. We advise purchasing this at one of the hair salons.
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- nAveda Damage Remedy Intensive Restructuring Treatment. Get here. n
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- nWella Professionals Invigo Nutri-Enrich Deep Nourishing Mask. Purchase here. n
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- nSt. Botanica Moroccan Hair Mask. Buy here. n
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8. Deep Condition:
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Conditioner helps seal the cuticles of your hair after the shampoo opens them. Since split ends damage the cuticle. A deeply hydrating conditioner can help seal the cuticle and repair it over time. If you want to go natural here, just use a dollop of coconut oil or shea butter after washing your hair, let it sit for 3-5 minutes before rinsing it off.
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You can also make your own DIY leave-in conditioner with these ingredients. Take a spray bottle and fill half of it with distilled water. Add 2 tbsp of aloe vera juice + 1 tbsp of shea butter and 1 tsp of coconut oil to it. Further additions can be your other favorite essential oils. But add oils in minute quantities as it can weigh down your hair.
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Here’s a Wikihow article to make some easy Leave-In conditioners: How To Make Leave In hair Conditioner
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9. Eat A Balanced Diet
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You are what you eat and your hair is also what you eat. The nutrition profile of your food is super-important to build up the protein structure of your hair strands. Having a balanced diet should be your utmost priority and can prove conducive to all your bridal beauty goals – from glowing skin, healthy tresses to a perfect physique. All kinds of nutrients are important for your hair health – some more than others. Protein builds your hair structure, folate, and biotin aids in hair growth, zinc helps with repair, Omega-3, and Vitamin E helps with hydration, etc. Try to include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts in your seed.
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And oh! Don’t forget to gulp down at least 2 liters of water daily. We can’t stress enough on the magical benefits of water for your body. As a bride, you need to drink around 2-4 liters of water daily.
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10. Take The Right Kind Of Hair Vitamins:
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As your bride-to-be tag becomes official, the first thing you need to go and do is visit a dermatologist. Get any nutritional deficiencies checked and know your skin & hair more from a specialist. Deficiency in Vitamin B12, Vitamin D and Iron can cause hair loss. Believe it or not, a lot of women are suffering from the first two and they are also a big reason behind hormonal imbalances (irregular periods, PCOS, PCOD etc.)
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Cure the deficiencies that you have with the prescribed supplements. Aside from these, there are nutrients like biotin, folic acid etc. that can help with faster hair growth. Include them in your diet.
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P.S.: Hair vitamins are not a substitute for a balanced diet. They are just an addition.
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Here’s a roundup of our list of 5 Best Hair Vitamins You Can Buy Off Amazon India Right Now!
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The best ingredients to look for in hair supplements while considering them for split ends are Omega-3, keratin, collagen and folic acid. That would make #3 and #4 the best choices.
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Start caring for your split ends as soon as you can. The key is to be consistent! Repairing and treating split ends is a long process and can take 4-5 months to see a noticeable difference. Considering your courtship period fits into this time gap, it’s better to start early on track. You will have to be duly consistent with the oiling, masking, conditioning, and right diet to beat the split ends. And you will have to maintain a proper pampering schedule after that as well. Because once split ends attack your hair, they just need one small slip from your side to get back.
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Can you get rid of split ends without cutting them?
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And to answer your burning question of whether you can get rid of split ends without cutting them. Well, it really depends on the damage being done. Go through this article by MarieClaire to find out what kind of split end do you have. And depending on that you will have to decide on the treatment.
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For brides on levels 1 and 2, only some damage has done. Consider it the primary stage. One trim session might help you in getting rid of most of these split ends. But mind you, trimming is not enough. You have got to buck up with the deep conditioning treatments. You can use the DIY treatments mentioned above at least once a week. And follow all the above steps to heal your hair.
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For brides on level 3, the damage is a little higher than the first two levels. Get a trim done asap from a specialised hair expert. Let him analyse your hair and how much cut it needs. Next up, load up on all the hydrating and conditioning treatment. Eat well and include water-rich foods like capsicums, oranges, tomato, cucumber etc. in your diet and yes, drink a lot of water.
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For brides on level 4, the split ends have caused a lot of damage to your hair. You might need multiple trims to get to the normal level of split ends. And of course, hydrate the hell out of your hair – internally and externally.
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For brides on level 5, splitting hasn’t started but the damage to the cuticle has been done. Get a trim soon so the split ends get cut before they even begin. A few dusting treatments along with deep conditioning once a week is enough to contain the damage to your tresses.
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Split ends aren’t the end of the world! With the right kind of treatment and care, you can beat them (forever). Including these easy steps in your hair care routine coupled with the right kind of diet, you will have the healthy tresses you dreamt of on your wedding day. And we at Wedbook strive just for that! Giving the brides the perfect inspiration and advice so they look and feel their best on their big day!
