Split ends uugkh! What more can I say about the atrocious reality that your beautiful hairs growing  from inside your head, shiny and strong, can become dry and weakened to the point that they are dull, brittle, and split apart. Booo! It is a bitter reality but it doesn’t mean that you have to live your life with dry, dull, weak hair. Essentially it is your hair becoming weakened that leads to it splitting. Much like the limbs of a tree once dry, and weakened, will split crack or even break off. So in preventing split ends it is preventing this weakening as well as focusing on strengthening the hair that is our goal.

Strengthening

Preventing the breakdown without putting any effort into building up is just using one leg when you have two. I wont say that measures to strengthen your hair are the most important in preventing split ends because it is important to follow a balanced regimen in order to attain balanced results. But it is very important to grow and maintain strength in the structure of  the hair to prevent it from reaching a point of splitting. As it is said, you are what you eat. Healthy balanced eating leads to healthy balanced growth. There are foods that you can eat that will help you to grow healthy powerful beautiful hair. You can read more about that in the previous article Eating for Healthy Hair. I have seen the difference in the hair when someone is not taking care of themselves. Drinking plenty of water is more important then many people may believe. A dehydrated body wears dehydrated hair. So remember what goes in our bodies determines what grows out. In maintaining this strengthening, hydrating and fortifying treatments are essential.

Hydrate and Fortify

Weakened hair is a result of many factors one of the main being dryness. In the winter months we begin to feel our hair and skin dry out due to the weather change. This is when I see a lot of brittle hair screaming for moisture. This is not the only time however when your hair needs to be hydrated and fortified. Hydrating treatments and masques applied regularly result in the hair maintaining a balanced level of moisture. Some of these treatments have additives in them such as keratin or other proteins to fortify the hair in a way that reestablishes a stronger structure in the hair shaft. There are many products that you can purchase to maintain a regimen at home. The masques and treatments for at home use are great for using on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. The concentrated in salon treatments should be performed by your stylist every other haircut when on a 6-8 week appointment schedule.

Minimize Shampooing

Telling some women to skip a day between shampoos is like I’m telling them to skip a day eating. I never hear more groans and “but what about”-s as when I recommend shampooing a little less. Besides the knowledge of what is assumed to be dirty hair the most common fear in not shampooing everyday is greasy oily hair. Your body produces oils, known as sebum. A healthy body produces healthy oils that assist in moisture balance in the scalp and hair. When you shampoo you remove these oils. That is not a bad thing because you do need to freshen up, remove the build up of oils and the dirt trapped in them, and start the cycle again. When you remove them obsessively however the body may react and make more to compensate. So in the long run the goal of removing the oils can result in an over abundance of oil production. So if you are shampooing everyday, or in some cases I’ve heard more than once a day, at first you may experience an over accumulation of oils in the first days-weeks of  minimizing your shampooing. Most likely this will balance out. When an over production of sebum doesn’t occur the other result of over shampooing can be the dryness and weakening that leads to split ends -Shampoo Addiction and the People it Hurts

Minimize Heat Usage

I love to go out and see women dressed up. Stunning shoes, amazing outfits, flashes of color on eyes and lips, and hair styled like they know that hair they have is their most amazing accessory. Just writing these words I am caught in my own imagination of these breathtaking images. But I know what goes in to step out looking so awe inspiring, time and sacrifice. Eye lashes dont curl themselves, 6 inch heels aren’t made of  clouds and your hair doesn’t look “just stepped out of the salon” when you’ve just crawled out of bed. It takes time and sacrifice. We all want to look our “best” all of the time, but we have to be conscious of the strain we put on ourselves to look our “best.” A constant barrage of hot air and hot metal on the hair results in dryness, weakening, split ends and sometimes eventually substantial breakage. The worst culprit of this kind of damage comes from overuse of  the flat iron. Two smooth surfaced frying pans smashing hair strands into submission.*chills* I know how amazing the transformation is from the hair you wake up with to the hair you walk out with by using hot tools. Overuse however is dangerous to the health and integrity of your hair. So just try to minimize your usage of heat on your hair. Not abstinence, just moderation.

Thermal Protectors

This step in preventing split ends is so important it deserves its own article all together. Oh Look!

Chlorine Saltwater and the Sun

oh my. When we are approaching summer months  we begin to hear the call of pools, beaches, parks and parties. In a very short time chlorine, saltwater and the sun can wreak havoc on perfectly maintained hair. No need to ignore invitations and hide indoors all summer, as with many kinds of fun that have their inherent risks, protection is the key to enjoyment and satisfaction. First of all we’ll talk about chlorine and saltwater. The risks: Dry weakened hair and horrible discoloration whether your color is natural or processed. This is totally preventable with minimal effort. There are some great products to block chlorine and saltwater absorption. Some of these products also have sun blocking capabilities as well as concentrations and consistency’s that ensure longer periods of protection than homemade formulas. Home made formula: 1.Spray bottle 2.deep conditioner 3.little bit of water. Protection from chlorine and saltwater is achieved when the hair shaft is filled with a protectant, home made or otherwise, therein preventing chlorine or saltwater from penetrating the hair shaft. Damage from the sun can be prevented with products designed specifically to do as such. I have also heard of many women using regular sunscreen on their hair. Poolside hats and umbrellas work great as well.

Towel Drying

Some women have hair so thick and strong that you could do anything short of lighting it on fire and it will maintain its integrity. But not everyone is indian so for most women it is important to be gentle with your hair. Aside from the attack that occurs with a brush or a comb the situation that takes place when a woman towel dries her own hair is the most horrific site for me to witness. All the care that goes into washing and conditioning, all the time and money spent on care and styling, the joy this all brings with a beautiful head of hair, all of this right out the window when it is time to remove water from the hair. It is as if there is a battle over the water taking place and your weapon is that towel. The hair holds on for dear life as you twist, mash, and wring with all your efforts. And in the end your hair relents, it is then towel dried. Over time your hair displays its battle wounds. Cuticle wear, bends breaks and even lost hairs are all signs of this kind of abuse. Don’t attack your hair. Just ask nicely, it’ll let you have the water.

Use the Right Tool for the Job

I’ve seen every girlfriend I’ve ever had reach for one of my combs, most likely because she cant find my brush, and commence to hate brushing her tangles out with a fine tooth comb. It gives me chills to witness. I’ve stood behind women in line and seen a frazzled ball of hair wrapped up in an actual rubber rubber band. Stop it! Stop using paper clips to clip your bangs back. Some of the clips made specifically for hair are even worse so choose wisely. As a matter of fact stop over using bobby pins to pin back bangs. Try to keep the bang area properly shaped and use a bit of product to control. Bobby pins easily bend and break hair strands. The point is, to maintain healthy beautiful hair consistency is important. always use the right tool for the job. Which leads to…

No Wet Brushing

This is such a huge key to avoiding split ends. Huge! When the hair is wet a chemical change takes place in which the result is the hair being much more fragile. The structure of the hair shaft is vulnerable so when the hair is wet it is extremely important that care is taken to not stretch the hair the way in which brushing it while wet can do. When a hair strand is wet its weaker structure allows for a bit of an elastic like stretching. However, in this weakened state, said hair strand is much more likely to snap within that stretching. No wet brushing. The best way to comb out wet hair is a wide tooth comb.

Trim It!

So you’ve decided that you want to sit on your hair. I am a long hair specialist, I love long hair. If it looks good that long I’m all for it. As much as it seems that not cutting your hair for the next five years is the sure way to get there its definitely not the way to grow strong, healthy, beautiful, long hair. Regular trims are important. A little more time can be taken between trims when you’re reaching for length as long as you’re taking all the proper precautions and care necessary to maintain healthy hair. Beyond just the maintenance of a flattering shape regular trimming of your ends is important to ensure that the hair shaft stays healthy in its structure as well as the appearance. We’ve all seen long hair on a girl who is way too proud of the dust and spiderwebs swinging between her shoulders. Unhealthy long hair is like currency that isn’t used anymore. Congratulations on saving all that up, it’s useless. Get regular trims. When a client expresses to me a desire to grow longer hair we begin to make plans for future care and maintenance with longer hair the ultimate goal. Within those plans there are regular trims that are determined by the health and integrity of the hair at the time of the appointment. Sometimes very little is removed sometimes more. Sometimes the hair looks great and the shape can afford to skip the trim so we just do a good treatment, a blow dry and we look forth to the next appointment with even longer hair. Grow long hair, wear long hair, then grow longer hair Just keep it strong and beautiful. Get regular trims.

Unfortunately split ends cannot be completely avoided. And considering what that would take, who would want that anyways. The fact is that you’re going to get split ends, everyone does. But to avoid or, at the least minimize, what causes split ends is to give yourself the opportunity to grow Healthy Powerful Beautiful Hair.