Split End Solutions

Your Guide to Split Ends Solutions
   
       Contrary to popular belief, spit ends can not be repaired. The only way to rid your hair of split ends would involve a pair of hair shears. Products can temporarily seal the ends of the hair shaft, but this "glue effect" is lost once the hair is exposed to water. These products will buy you time, but ultimately your split ends will need to be trimmed to maintain a healthy head of hair.

"Search and Destroy" Method
     The "search and destroy" method helps you to pin point split ends, and this method should be done every 4 weeks (or as often as needed) for split end prevention. This technique will allow you to rid the hair of the damaged ends  without trimming too much of your length at one time.  Because the "search & destroy" method less invasive than regular trims, they are great for maintenance in between regular trims. During your search and destroy missions you will want to be on the look out for "stressed" hairs.  Some may not be broken yet, but will look weak and/or not in a healthy state. 

Trimming your split ends
       Never trim your split ends at an angle, instead they should be trimmed straight across the top of the split, at least 1/8 to 1/4 above the problem. Trimming at a slant will expose the interior of your hair shaft to damage and increase its chances for re-splitting  in the future.
        The broken strands of hair that remains on your head will need to be cleanly cut because allowing your split ends to break off on their own will eventually lead to more splitting ends except on a shorter piece of hair. Secondly, splitting ends do not allow to swang *lol* freely. When you attempt to style or detangle your hair, your splitting ends will catch the other hair and possibly tangle in them further, leading to even more breakage.

Low/ No Manipulation
      This is not a simple technique but is one that should be practiced ( it took me nearly a yr. on my HJ to figure out low manipulation techniques for my hair). By decreasing the manipulation your hair experiences by your combing, brushing, and styling will decrease your number of split ends. Protective styles that keep the hair up and off of the shoulders and out of the elements are great for keeping your ends healthy as well. When washing the hair, avoid vigorously towel drying your hair. The fabric from the towel roughens the cuticles and can cause more tangling problems.  Gently squeeze the hair in a "milking" fashion to release any excess water from the hair. You may gently pat your hair with your towel to catch the extra water, but do not rub.



Adding Moisture to the Hair
    Moisturizing the hair with a water based moisturizer or an oil that penetrates the hair shaft such olive oil or coconut oil, and then sealing in that moisture with an oil will help fight against split ends. This helps protects the hair from the outside elements.
      Deep conditioning the hair with moisturizing conditioners, and treating the hair with protein reconstructors can also help improve the appearance of the hair and fight split ends.  When protein is added to your hair care regimen it strengthens the cuticle to resists chipping, unravelling, or breaking. However, these treatments cannot fix, repair, or stop any splitting or damage that has already occurred. They can improve the hair's appearance and fight any future problems before they happen.


 Avoiding Porosity
      Rinsing the hair perhaps 2x per month with an acidic rinse will help keep the cuticles flatten .These rinses are usually done as a preventive measurement against splitting or for combating problems with hair porosity. A popular acidic rinse is Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in water. The most popular dilution for this rinse is 2 cups of cool water to 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. After you have washed and deep conditioned your hair as normal, pour the apple cider vinegar rinse over your hair and then rinse out with cool water. Rinsing the hair in cool water will also help to close down the cuticle layers, preventing splits from forming.  If you still detect the not of pleasent smell of the ACV rinse on your hair after the initial rinsing, continue to rinse in cool water until you cannot smell it. If the rinse makes your hair hard and tangly, reduce the amount of ACV in your rinse next time around.

HTH!!

The Difference In Split Ends & Splitting Ends

   Split ends, who wants them around away?!  Unfortunately, to healthy hair care lovers they are a fact of life. Hair gets old, days when it goes through  manipulation, therefore hair  becomes damaged. When the hair has experienced a great amount of trauma or has reached a certain cycle, these little "healthy hair wreckers" crop up and can destroy our healthy hair dreams . While our hair will never be totally free of split ends, there are certain measures that can taken to ensure that they don't take over what we have worked so hard to maintain!!

Where do they come from?
        Split ends are caused by many types of hair trauma, but are typically the result of a low moisture balance within the hair strand. When hair is allowed to remain dry, brittle, and under-moisturized for extended periods of time, the cuticle begins to crack and unravel, exposing the cortex of the hair.        Okay, so from what I've learned is that there is a difference from split ends and splitting ends. Splitting ends can be anywhere along the hair shaft where the cuticle is actively breaking apart and the cortex of the hair is exposed. This splitting can occur at any point along the hair shaft, but are the most likely to be near the ends of the hair shaft. Some say that splitting ends that are not "searched & destroyed" will continue to split up the entire shaft, however this is not always the case. Depending on the angle of the split, the tear can reach fairly high up the hair shaft, but a majority of splits simply peel away or break off not far from or right where they start.
      On the other hand, split ends are ends where the main split has already peeled away from the rest of the hair shaft. Therefore these ends are no longer splitting, they have already split and broken off.  These are the ends that we see so many of us trying to hold onto, those thin "see through" ends. Split ends can become splitting ends if not "searched & destroyed with a sharp pair of shears.
      Other types of "split" ends are small breaks in the hair shaft known as trichorrexis nodosa. These are areas where the actual hair cortex has swollen and exploded within the shaft (now that's scary). You can tell these types of splits by the white dot or node, commonly at the very end of the hair shaft. They can also occur mid-shaft where they will appear as a hairs that bend in hard, unnatural 90 degree angles-- ready to break fully away.

 How can I know if I have split or splitting ends?
The best way to check for split ends is by thoroughly inspecting the hair shaft. Most splits occur along the lower half to 1/3 of the hair shaft with a majority being along the  ends Other ways you can tell you tell if you may have split ends are :

*  hair that is lifeless (no swang)
* tangles easily
* just cant seem to hold a curl nor does it straighten well with heat
* varies in length throughout the head
* shows clear areas of dullness or thinness (transparency).
* excessive breakage
*  redder near the ends
       Anytime a hair is split, the end that is left behind has more chances  of becoming a new splitting end because most hairs do not break cleanly when they break off on their own. This is why it is best to trim split ends with sharp hair shears before they have the chance to break off by themselves. 
           Split ends are caused by many types of hair trauma, but are typically the result of a low moisture balance within the hair strand. When hair is allowed to remain dry, brittle, and under-moisturized for extended periods of time, the cuticle begins to crack and unravel, exposing the cortex of the hair.

A Long Hard Road

As I have traveled through out my journeys in life I have found that it is very important for each and every human being to set goals for themselves.

However, in setting goals you will find that these inner visions can not be shared with everyone, and in some cases, not even your loved ones.

I know that this may sound strange to some, but as you begin to set your "eyes on the prize" you will find that some people tend to have no dreams or focus at all. Thus, causing you more mental struggle than necessary.

I came across an obstacle in my road while trying to achieve specific goals that I set for myself. This obstacle was having a very close & special person in my life that just COULD NOT see what I seen in how to go about achieving these goals.
It was like everything that I set out to do was followed by negative comments such as, "it will never work," "nobody will like that,", " that's crazy."

In the beginning it was very hurtful and discouraging. But for my own self and my own peace of mind I had to become stronger mentally. I had to realize that everyone is not going to support me in my dreams and some will NEVER to able to see what I see, but I could'nt give up because of people's opinions. Had I let their lack of vision determine my success, I would have failed before I even had gotten started.

So no matter what your goals or dreams are, just don't expect everyone to understand how you plan to go about achieving them or even why you would want to achieve them.

Yes, it is good to listen to others thoughts and ideas. To learn from others because you may find an easier or better way to be successful in fulfilling your goals. However, your dreams are your own and no one has the right to take them away based upon their lack of insight and/or goals setting.

We often hear others speak on their achievements and stating how some told them that it could'nt be done. But that individual held tight to their dream, put in the hard work that it required and let the negativity of others go in one ear and out the other. This is something that has to be done when striving for any thing in this life.

So do your thang, and don't let others lack of support and/or not being able to see your visions determine your success or failures!!