HOW TO REMOVE SPLIT ENDS AND PREVENT IT FROM COMING BACK?
Split ends is just one of many problems a woman faces if her daily hair routine is improper. Harsh drying and combing, regular exposure to chemicals and even rough washing can make your hair brittle. This article will tell you all about things you might be doing wrong and help you develop new habits which will contribute to your healthy hair.
There is hardly a woman who doesn’t dream of having healthy beautiful hair. And while some take action and care of their hair doing their best to avoid any problems that can occur, others prefer living their lives and hoping that hair will be great without taking much effort. It is not so hard to imagine the disappointment such a lady experiences when she sees her hair already damaged and extremely dull. Split ends, hair loss, lifeless tresses are just a few problems one can suffer if she doesn’t take proper care of her hair.
Today we are going to speak about split ends and ways to treat, remove and prevent them. We are not planning to name any magical products (because hair of every person has individual characteristics and products should be chosen with consideration of those) but will describe simple techniques you should use to have luscious hair you’ve been dreaming about.
Removal of split ends
To start from, we should mention that split ends you already have should be cut as none of those highly advertized products can really help in this situation. You should understand that they seal the split end and make it look healthy but the damage itself is not healed. However, producers claim that regular use of such products can prevent future damage to your hair. This is actually true as such products usually contain ingredients which help to keep hair in good condition and protect from external negative influence.
Get your hair cut on the regular basis, every six to eight weeks. Trust only a professional hairdresser who uses high quality sharp scissors. Appoint you visit to a salon as soon as you notice split ends start to appear. Frequency of such visits can vary depending on your hair type and the way you normally treat your hair.
You can cut separate hairs yourself between haircuts in the salon. Using a pair of hair shears cut about 1/4″ above the split of a single strand. It is essential to cut above the damage to prevent reappearing of the split.
Prevention of Split Ends
You should understand that it is your daily hair routine that damages your hair. By being too harsh or careless to your hair you contribute to the problem. However, there are factors that affect your hair without your knowing and interference. For example, chemicals in bath, pool water, perm, hair dye and even shampoos and conditioners all have negative influence on the state of your hair. To avoid this or reduce the severity of exposure you can:
- Try to stay away from chemicals. Natural hair is very beautiful, and if you like it just don’t dye or perm it. Or you can find the gentlest coloring agent to apply to your hair. The more natural components it contains the better.
- Protect your hair from exposure to water in swimming pools, oceans or lakes. You can use a leave-in conditioner, special oils, or wear a swim cap. Make sure you wash your hair as soon as you leave the pool.
- Find out whether the water you use to wash your hair is harmful. If it is, you should use filters that can reduce the amount of chlorine, calcium or any other chemicals in your water.
Washing and Drying Your Hair
Washing and drying procedures can be very damaging to hair but with a few things in mind you can significantly reduce the harm you bring to your hair. This is what you should always remember:
- Shampoo and conditioner you use should be appropriate for your hair type. No universal products are available. Just try and experiment to find what works best for you.
- While washing your hair apply shampoo to your scalp only. When you rinse the hair the shampoo will flow down to the hair ends and wash them. Instead, conditioner should be applied to the hair, not the scalp, as it can reduce the volume of your hair significantly. Remember to rinse your hair with cool or lukewarm water, this will help you keep your hair moisturized.
- Deep condition on the regular basis. Once or twice a month you should deep condition your hair. This will provide additional nourishing to the hair.
- Be gentle while drying the hair. Rubbing your hair dry with a towel is a bad idea. Try gentle squeezing of hair with a towel instead. If you have enough time let your hair dry naturally.
Brushing and Combing Your Hair
No one will argue on the fact that brushing and combing hair is important. But only few know how to do it to make the least harm to the hair. Hair ends are very fragile and brushing and combing too often and in the wrong way can bring huge damage.
So, what should you know? First of all, find a good brush or comb. It should be made of natural materials to prevent static hair and it has to be gentle enough to avoid damaging the hair.
- Do not over brush as it leads to more split ends than any other action.
- Try to not tease or back comb your hair as doing this you pull up the scales of your hair and when going through the same section again you just break off those scales.
- Be gentle to your hair while combing. Start at the bottom and work your way up. If a tangle forms on your way, don’t rip the comb or rush through it. Just stop and untangle it using your fingers. When the tangle is removed proceed with combing.
- Opt for hair friendly accessories, those which are smooth and feature no metal connectors.
