Even the healthiest hair develops split ends, although how fast this happens depends not just on your hair type but also on your hair care routine.
There’s even a medical term for split ends, Trichoptilosis, which means splitting or fraying the hair shaft from mechanical, chemical, or thermal stress.
Key Insights
- ?♀️ Split ends, medically termed Trichoptilosis, occur due to mechanical, chemical, or thermal stress on hair.
- ? Mechanical stress includes improper brushing techniques and friction with clothes.
- ? Chemical stress involves harmful substances like hard water, chlorine, and harmful UV rays.
- ? Thermal stress encompasses damage from hot styling tools, but excessive cold can also hurt hair.
- ✂️ The only way to eliminate split ends is to trim them.
- ? Prevention tips include using a mild shampoo, not washing hair daily, using conditioner, avoiding brushing wet hair, and minimizing using hot styling tools.
- ? Home remedies to improve the appearance of split ends include hot oil treatments using oils like coconut or olive oil infused with essential oils.
How Do Split Ends Happen?
As I said above, three types of stress can affect your hair and cause it to split. Mechanical can be anything from brushing the hair (using cheap combs and brushes and improper brushing techniques) to friction with your clothes.
Chemical stress means the array of substances that come in contact with your hair, from shampoos, conditioners, and other hair styling products to water. Hard water, salty sea or ocean water, and chlorine water from swimming pools and SPAs can particularly damage the hair. UV rays can also deteriorate the condition of your hair, leading to split ends faster.
In the case of thermal stress, we usually think of heat caused by hot weather or hot styling tools such as blow dryers, straightening irons, curling irons….etc. However, excessive cold can also damage the hair, so during the cold season it’s best to keep your hair covered while outside.
Best Practices To Prevent Split Ends
No matter what you do, at some point, your hair will develop split ends unless you trim it.
Nevertheless, you can follow some good practices to significantly delay split ends from occurring. This is especially useful for growing or maintaining long hair and avoiding trimming too often.
There is no way to repair split ends, although many shampoos, conditioners, and other such products have this claim on their label. Once you have them, cutting them off is the only way to eliminate split ends.
Here are some tips on how to prevent split ends from forming:
- Use a mild shampoo with moisturizing ingredients, and try not to wash your hair more than three times a week.
- Always use a rinse-out conditioner on the ends of your hair after shampooing.
- Rinse your hair with cool water after washing it. It will close your scalp pores and seal your hair cuticles, preventing split ends and hair loss.
- You can optionally use a leave-in conditioner (whichever works best for your hair).
- Never brush your hair while it’s wet because that is when it’s most fragile.
- Avoid using hot styling tools and cheap styling products as much as possible.
Home Remedies for Split Ends
If you already have split ends and don’t want to trim your hair, you can improve its appearance with a few cheap and handy home remedies. These remedies moisturize and condition your hair so they’ll also prevent split ends from occurring.
Hot Oil
Hot oil is one of the easiest but effective treatments for split ends, but you’ll be getting some extra benefits since it moisturizes the hair from roots to ends. You can use coconut oil, olive oil or castor oil (and other oils that are good for your hair).
All you have to do is slightly heat the oil in a microwave, massage it well on your hair and scalp, and leave it on for 30-60 minutes. You can also add a few drops of essential oil such as daphne or lavender essential oils to soothe sensitive/itchy scalp, rosemary or tea tree oil to reduce dandruff, ylang ylang essential oil, which regulates sebum production and gives the hair strength and shine, as well as other essential oils. Then you can shampoo your hair as you normally do. You can use hot oil to condition your hair every week or more often.
Avocado
This fruit is often used in homemade facial and hair masks because it is rich in essential fatty acids, protein, magnesium vitamins A, D, and E, and other nutrients the hair needs.
You can apply a mashed ripe avocado on the entire length of your hair (optionally mixed with 2 tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil) and leave it on for 30-60 minutes, then rinse it off and wash it with shampoo. You can do this every week.
Egg Yolks
Egg yolks contain a richness of essential fatty acids and protein that strengthen your hair and reduce the appearance of split ends. They will also soften your hair and make it more manageable.
Mix one egg yolk with one tablespoon of honey and two tablespoons of olive oil to prepare an egg mask. Apply it evenly on your hair and leave it on for half an hour. Rinse it off with warm water, then wash your hair with shampoo.
Bananas
Bananas contain all sorts of hair-friendly nutrients such as vitamins A, C and E, oils, iron, zinc and potassium. They all make your hair less prone to breakage and restore its natural elasticity.
Mash one ripe banana and mix it with two tablespoons of plain yogurt. Apply this mask to your hair, leave it on for about 1 hour, and wash it off.
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise is an emulsion made from egg yolks and oil, with both ingredients being good for moisturizing and strengthening your hair. The only problem with using mayonnaise on your hair is if you buy it from a store. Store-bought mayo usually has other ingredients in it to prolong shelf life, which you might not want on your hair.
If you want to apply mayonnaise on your hair, make your own from fresh egg yolks and an oil that’s good for the hair, such as olive oil. Once you’ve distributed the mayonnaise evenly through your hair, leave it on for 15-20 minutes. To get rid of it, easily apply some shampoo on your hair (without adding water yet), massage it thoroughly for 2-3 minutes, then use water to rinse the mayonnaise off.
