Split Ends for Natural Hair: All You Should know about it
We care about the healthy growth of your hair; that’s why we are committed to bringing you information and tips that are useful in taking care of your hair.
In this article, we will be discussing a prevalent hair issue which is Split Ends.
Split Ends
The oldest part of any hair is the tip as hair begins its growth from the root. People with long hairs would have been carrying that old part for years, and that old part would have seen a lot throughout its existence.
They would have been styled, washed, and straightened an innumerable number of times. They also must have experienced many windy, cold, dry, humid seasons, and touched several sweaters, hats, and scarves.
The end part of the hair is the most vulnerable and exposed part, and so it is not surprising that that part of the hair is the most easily lost. As time goes on, wear and tear will cause that end part of the hair to degrade, leading to the breakdown of the hair cuticle.
This breakdown of the cuticle will expose the inner cortex, which will result at the end of the hair becoming split or frayed.
Causes of Split Ends
Though extreme damages can cause the rapid development of split ends, little damaging factors will slowly cause the occurrence of split ends. Below are normal processes that could result in damage and degradation of the cuticles at the end of the hair.
- Handling and Physical Damage: Everything that could result in the deterioration of the cuticle is included in this category. Examples of such are brushing, touching, styling, and handling of the hair.
- Heat: One of the quickest causes of split ends is the use of heat devices. When the hair’s end is already worn out due to several factors, the addition of excessive heat to it will result in severe damage.
- Friction: When there is always friction between your hair and something else, it accelerates the damage done to the hair. The cuticle gets damaged more by certain fabrics and materials. Things like a cotton pillowcase, scarves, hats, sweaters, hasten the occurrence of split ends. When your long hair touches and brushes your jacket or shirt, it could also result in split ends.
- Environment: No matter how harsh or fine the weather is, it will always affect your hair. Also, when you keep doing styles that expose your hair ends, like the afros, puffs, it hastens the damage done.
Eliminating Split Ends
The only way to remove split ends is to cut them away. Damaged hair cannot heal as they are dead cells, so anytime anyone starts talking about treatment for split ends or damaged hair, you should not take them seriously as there is none.
Split ends are an indication of unhealthy hair, and even if it were possible to fix them back together without addressing the unhealthiness, it would still revert to its former state.
How to Go About Split Ends
You should make it a habit to trim the ends of your hair regularly. This could be done every 4-6 months or when you start noticing split ends. By so doing, you will catch the split ends at their early stages.
It’s best to use sharp hair shears if you decide to cut the hair yourself. A rough cut will cause faster fraying of the hair.
