There are few things in the realm of hair care that are more bothersome and unsightly than split ends. These cracked hair strands make the ends of our locks look dry, wiry and frizzy—definitely a far cry from the smooth, luscious locks we all hope to have. No matter how old you are or what kind of hair you have, no one is immune from this irritating phenomenon, and many of us have long been searching for a solution that doesn’t involve chopping several inches off. We’ve heard of split end “repairing” products that give our breaking hair strands the appearance of being smooth and soft, but what do these products actually do? Do they truly fix the problem?
Like your nails, strands of hair are protected by a cuticle. When that protective outer layer is damaged by heat, chemical products, sun exposure or even aggressive brushing and styling, it wears away, exposing the tip of the strand and making it weak, dry and susceptible to breakage. The broken hair strand, or split end, appears frizzy and rough, and when dozens upon dozens of split ends are taken together, the resulting look is less than ideal.
Because hair is technically dead, there are no active cells in a hair strand that allow it to repair itself once it breaks. Therefore, split ends can only be helped with external remedies that claim to “glue” the broken tip back together. But alas, these solutions never seem to last: your split ends return time and time again until you get a haircut.
Verdict: Fiction. You can’t actually fix the split end itself; all you can do is temporarily reduce its appearance with oils and polymers until your next shampoo. The only way to truly get rid of broken hair is to cut it off, but you can prevent the frequency of split ends by avoiding frequent heat exposure from blow drying, straightening or curling, using a good leave-in conditioner, and limiting the amount of harsh chemicals you put in your hair.
For more information and tips for preventing split ends, visit StyleList.
What other hair care tips do you have?
Photo: Thinkstock
My best hair tip is to wash as little as possible!
I’ve always heard that you should get regular trims to get rid of split ends and minimize their damage.
I also try not to blow dry my hair unless I have to. I usually let it air dry. And sometimes I just condition my hair instead of using shampoo.