Tired of split ends leaving your hair looking rough and frayed? 

Keep reading as Evalectric talks you through how to deal with the split ends that you currently have, along with how to prevent more from developing in the future.

What Are Split Ends and Why Do They Occur?

Split ends are when the ends of your hair become so brittle and dry that they start to split, leaving them looking like a frayed piece of string. The ends of your hair are the oldest part of your hair shaft, which is why they are the first to split. However, if left untreated, those splits will soon start to travel up the hair shaft, only stopping once it reaches the root. Affected strands usually end up snapping at this point, leaving you with some hairs that are shorter than others.

So, why do split ends occur?

It all comes down to damage – something that everyone with hair will experience. Between the weather and daily wear and tear, hair damage is inevitable to some extent. 

With that said, this can often be exacerbated when other hair-weakening factors are brought into play, such as:

• Excessive heat styling
• Chemically treating/dyeing your hair
• Over-washing 
• Using tight elastic bands
• Rough towel drying
• Dryness
• Aging

This is why some people tend to experience split ends more than others. Either way, whatever the cause of your split ends may be, it’s important to get rid of them ASAP to prevent things from worsening.

Book Yourself in For a Trim

When it comes down to it, once your hair has split, there’s nothing that you can do to put those strands back together. Those splits are now permanently in place. 

This means that the only way to get rid of them and, therefore, prevent each split from traveling up your hair shaft, is to have them snipped off. This is why regular trims every 6-8 weeks are recommended for every hair type. By doing this, you’ll be removing those split ends as they occur, saving them from damaging the rest of your mane.

If you’re long overdue a trim, then there’s a good chance that your split ends have already started to work their way up your hair shaft. This means that you’ll likely need to lose more length in order to eradicate those split ends. Your hairstylist will need to closely examine your strands to see where the splits stop – this indicates the dividing line between weak hair and strong hair. Anything weak will need to be cut away to enable the stronger parts of your hair to thrive.

Use a Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner

As mentioned earlier, one of the reasons why split ends occur is when the hair lacks moisture. Environmental factors commonly contribute to this, but your shampooing habits could be doing the same. Many of the hair care products out there strip away too much of the hair’s natural oils, which serve to protect the hair from environmental damage.

Instead, you should be using gentle formulas that moisturize your hair while they wash and condition. The Evalectric Moisturizing Shampoo paired with the Evalectric Moisturizing Conditioner would be a great choice. Both products are infused with argan oil. Science shows the ingredient to be a superstar at retaining moisture and leaving the hair feeling more elastic, both of which will help you to prevent the appearance of split ends.

It’s also worth assessing how often you wash your hair. Washing your hair too often will cause it to turn dry, no matter how gentle your shampoo may be. If you’ve been struggling with split ends for a while, try leaving it a little longer in between washes and see if that helps your hair to feel better moisturized. 

Be Careful When Drying Your Hair

Are you guilty of roughly rubbing your hair with a towel after you’ve washed it, trying to dry it as quickly as possible?

If so, this could be contributing to your split ends in a big way. Your hair is at its most fragile when it’s wet, and roughing it up with a towel will only encourage splits and breakages.

What should you be doing instead?

Use a microfiber towel to squeeze out excess water and then use this to blot sections of your hair. Microfiber is much more absorbent than cotton, meaning that the material of your towel will really make a difference here!

Once your hair is about 80% dry, use a blow dryer to finish the task. Research shows that this is the safest way to dry hair as it minimizes how long the hair remains wet, with that excess moisture leaving the hair more brittle and breakable.

Ideally, use a blow dryer that has a concentrator attachment, such as the Evalectric Pro Beauty Dryer. This will allow you to easily point the nozzle downward as you dry your hair. Doing so will smooth down your hair cuticles, leaving your hair feeling stronger and less frizzy.

Hide the Look of Split Ends With a Hair Serum

As mentioned earlier, the only way to get rid of split ends is to have them trimmed off. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t temporarily hide the look of split ends…

Hair serums are a great way to do this. They’ll seal your hair cuticles so that your strands look smooth and silky rather than frayed and fluffy. They’ll also give your hair a shinier finish, enabling it to reflect light much more effectively. This will make your split ends look less noticeable as your hair will appear glossy as opposed to dry. 

In order to soak up all of those benefits, you’ll need a hydrating and moisturizing hair serum, such as the Evalectric Hair Serum. This formula hydrates with aloe vera, a known humectant that boasts moisture-binding properties. The vitamin E in this serum moisturizes the hair while keeping it feeling better protected against environmental damage.

The best time to apply a hair serum to disguise the look of your split ends is while your hair is still damp. Leave your freshly washed hair to partially dry before applying the serum to the lower lengths of your hair. Comb it through to evenly disperse it and then finish drying your hair as normal.

Turn Down the Temperature When Heat Styling

Excessive heat can quickly dry out your strands, making them more susceptible to split ends. Ideally, if you already have split ends, it would be worth avoiding heat styling as much as possible until you’ve had those damaged parts of your hair trimmed away.

Once that has happened, the rest of your hair will feel much healthier again, enabling you to return to your heat styling habits. However, when you do so, it’s important to make sure that you don’t overdo it with the heat as this will only cause more split ends to appear.

Some heated styling tools only offer one temperature setting, and that’s usually quite a high one.  If your hair is super thick and coarse, this may not be an issue but, for everyone else, that temperature is likely to be too hot. 

Instead, you’d be better off using heated styling tools that come with an adjustable temperature setting. We have several available at Evalectric, from our Straight Brush Styler to our Classic Styler to our Ultra Turbo Styler. With these tools, you’ll be able to pick a temperature that’s high enough to style your individual hair type without being so hot that it damages your locks and encourages split ends.

Be Gentle When Detangling

You may think that you’re doing your hair a favor when you spend some time working through your tangles but, in reality, detangling can actually cause some serious damage to your mane. All of that pulling and tugging makes the hair more prone to breakages and split ends. 

Of course, you don’t want to leave your tangles to fester either. The key to removing them without making split ends worse is to be very gentle. When detangling, always start at the bottom of your hair. Work in small sections, cupping each one in your palm so that you don’t end up tugging at your roots each time you run your detangling comb or brush through a knot. Gradually work your way up your lengths, until your entire mane has been gently detangled.

Leave More Time in Between Chemical Hair Treatments

It’s common knowledge that chemical treatments aren’t great for your hair, yet it’s so easy to become reliant on these treatments. Whether you regularly dye your hair to hide gray roots or you love perming or relaxing your locks, all of these treatments cause damage.

With that said, there are a few things that you can do to reduce the amount of damage your hair undergoes each time you have a chemical treatment. The first is to make sure that you’re appropriately spacing these treatments out. Ideally, you should be leaving at least 8-10 weeks in between each one. This will give your hair some time to recover before it’s faced with another barrage of chemicals.

It’s also worth avoiding having more than one treatment done at the same time. For example, if you’re hoping to perm and dye your hair, start with the perm and then wait for at least a couple of weeks before having your hair dyed.

Make sure that you give your hair plenty of TLC after each chemical treatment too. Your hair will be particularly vulnerable at this point, making it the perfect time to indulge in a deep conditioning treatment or a hair mask.

Summary

Once split ends start to appear, it doesn’t take long before they begin to travel up from the tips of your strands, giving your entire mane a rough, frizzy, and unhealthy look. Without a doubt, a trim should be your first go-to. This will get rid of any split ends that you’re currently sporting. After that, follow all of the tips that we’ve shared above, and not only will you be able to keep the appearance of future split ends at bay, but you’ll also end up with hair that looks and feels smoother, silkier, and so much healthier.

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