What do split ends look like?
Split ends, something everyone with hair deals with. Regardless of your gender or your hair length, split ends affect everyone. Even my friends with the best hair need to get their split ends cut occasionally to keep the hair healthy. In case you have never known about split ends, you must be wondering, but what does split ends even look like?
In this article, I will answer as many questions as I can regarding split ends, their causes, and whatnot. If you are interested, then read along! Also, while you’re at it, make sure to check our stylish fitted jacket out.
What does split-end hair look like?
As in the title, the first question I want to answer is what does a split end look like? Can you distinguish it from healthy hair? Or is it just a game of guessing when you should get the haircut to get rid of split ends?
Firstly, what are split ends? As your hair grows from the roots, the end is the oldest part of your hair that needs to be cut. The protective outer layer of hair, the cuticle, is worn away, leaving the inner protein exposed and more prone to damage.
Due to split ends, the hair shaft fractures at the end and separates along the length. The split end can have two or more fragments, and if left uncut, the split can progress towards the entire length of the hair shaft till the scalp.
People can mistake split ends with frizzy hair, so you need to be careful. As split end and frizzy hair both make the hair look rugged and unkempt. Always remember that split ends happen only at the very end of the hair,\ not anywhere else!
Why do split ends happen?
After the question of how the split end looks, you might want to know why we get them. Is there a reason, or is it something that just happens? As much as split ends are common, not a lot of people know why they happen.
Just like the end of an unraveled rope, your ends get dry, brittle, and frayed. There are many reasons for split ends, such as extreme weather conditions, pollution, using hair products with chemicals that aren’t good for your hair, brushing too excessively, and using many heating products like a blow dryer and hair straightener.
Moreover, other factors like genes and ethnicity also make you more or less susceptible to the degree of split ends that you might get. So you need to get rid of them. While cutting them at home, make sure to use our solid-colored cape.
Do split ends stop hair growth?
Now that we have basic information on split ends let’s see if they affect our hair’s other functions, like hair growth. Our hair grows every day but does split ends cause the growth to slow down or stop altogether?
The answer is no; split ends do not stop hair growth, thankfully. But, getting split ends causes the hair to break off in the middle, thus giving the illusion that your hair isn’t growing.
Therefore, the best course of action would be to cut the split ends as soon as possible. Especially because if you don’t, when you do decide to cut your hair, it will have to be cut shorter to get rid of all the damaged hair. In simpler words, split ends do affect the hair length; as your hair grows longer, the split ends cause them to break off, thus making the hair length stay the same! It is a complicated correlation, but it exists.
Can split ends be repaired?
Now until you know that to get rid of split ends, you need to cut your hair, but is there any other way to get rid of them? Or any way to make them look better?
Unfortunately, there is no way to get rid of split ends except for cutting them off. However, you can temporarily mend the split ends even though that is not a permanent cure. Some ways to help temporarily fix split ends or prevent them are:
Properly washing hair: After washing your hair, make sure to use a conditioner. Moreover, make sure to comb the hair using a wide-tooth comb; the conditioner makes the hair less frizzy and shinier when dried and closes the cuticles up.
After washing care: To make the hair even better, make sure to use a leave-in conditioner to straighten, soften, detangle, and add a little extra body to your hair. When using such masks, make sure to wear an apron.
After drying hair: After your hair is dried, you should avoid as much heat for as long as you can, but when you do use heat, make sure to use a serum that protects the hair against heat. Furthermore, if you are going to use heat styling products, make sure to use good quality ones so that the damage to your hair is minimal.
Hair treatments: If you can afford, you should get a keratin treatment done as it reinforces the sensitive strands that are more likely to fray. Moreover, this treatment can last for a few months, so it is a good investment. You can also invest in a silk pillow as it prevents the ends from fraying too early.
Does cutting split ends help hair grow?
There are a lot of myths regarding hair, some of them are true, and some are not. Just like all the other myths, this is also one of them. Older people especially say that cutting split ends helps your hair grow longer, but how much truth is in that?
The thing is, it is just a myth and is not true at all. The truth is cutting hair doesn’t directly help your hair grow. What it does do is make it seem like your hair is growing faster. Cutting split ends prevents premature breakage of hair, and as you get rid of split ends, your hair doesn’t lose its length. In addition to that, cutting split ends makes your hair look shinier and healthier. The only thing that affects the growth of hair is the health of your hair follicles. Therefore, if you want longer hair take care of your roots by taking daily vitamins and using oil to nourish the scalp.
What do split ends mean?
Lastly, let’s look at what split ends tell us about our hair. As you might have already noticed, everyone suffers from split ends, so does it say the same thing for everyone?
Every split end is the same but how it got to the origin differs as everyone has a unique way of brushing and styling their hair. Some of the basic types of split ends are:
Basic split: These are the most common type. They mean that your hair needs more nourishment, but it can still be fixed.
Mini-split: It is also fairly common and means the same things as the basic split.
Fork in the road: It is a more severe kind of split end, and it means that your hair requires deep nourishment along with a trim.
Tree split: When the damage is more to one side of the hair fiber than the other, the only solution for this one is to cut the hair.
Candle split: It is when the outer protective layer of hair is gone; you need a trim to get rid of this and also a split end treatment.
Knot end: When the hair causes its own knot, it means you have to be more careful while brushing your hair.
Incomplete split: This means a strand is weak and will split and happens due to rough styling.
Final Thoughts Regarding Splitends
In conclusion, make sure to always keep your hair nourished to prevent and control split ends. When you do see split ends, always cut them as soon as possible. Don’t forget to wear a cape while cutting your hair.