Split ends are the bane of all curly girls’s existences. Not only do they look unsightly, they can also travel up the shaft of the hair and damage the whole strand of hair. Here is a guide to prevent them and treat them if they come around.
Treating Split Ends
Avoid over-manipulation
Trade your terry cloth towel for a microfiber one.
Terry cloth draws too much moisture from the cuticle. It also ruffles the cuticle, causing frizz. Curly hair can easily form snarls and snap, which causes breakage and split ends. Microfiber towels and cotton t-shirts help you have less frizz and grow out your hair more efficiently.
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Sleep on satin or silk pillowcases.
Avoid brushing dry hair.
Brushing curly hair without the proper amount of slip will make it weaker and more prone to split ends and breakage. While detangling, make sure your hair is saturated in product and always finger detangle before styling with a brush.
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Keep your hair moisturized!
As mentioned before, dry and brittle hair snaps easily. Avoid this by getting on a serious moisture enriched hair regimen. Condition as often as possible, and deep condition once a week. Leave-ins are also a prime way to maintain moisture throughout the day. Monthly protein treatments certainly help the hair’s strength.
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Don’t forget to seal.
Jojoba oil, coconut oil, and olive oil all have one thing in common–they are all effective sealants. Apply a thin layer to the ends of your hair after you apply a leave-in. The oil traps moisture in the cuticle and it also protects your hair from outside forces. Shea butter and cocoa butter are a good heavy alternative to oils for hair types 3 and 4.
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Stop using harsh ingredients.
Your hair will thank you for using less ingredients like ammonia, bleach, and sulfates. These chemicals make it difficult for curls to maintain the moisture necessary for it to stay strong, therefore causing breakage and split ends.
Get regular trims.
When you leave your split ends instead of cutting them, you are allowing them to travel up the strand. Hair with long split ends is unhealthy and more prone to breakage. When you do get your hair cut, you will have to cut off more than you would have before.
Be mindful of your hair accessories.
Particularly things that your hair can catch on and break, like fabric headband, and hair ties with metal or rubber are not good for the strength of your hair. Also, move around the place your ponytail rests on your head because if it remains in one place over a long period of time.
Wear protective styles.
Slow down your heat usage.
Hair dryers and flat irons do serious permanent damage to the hair’s structure over time. Similar to chemicals, heat weakens the hair which makes the hair prone to breakage and fraying. If you must style with heat, keep the temperature of the heat tool 350 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
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