The Ugly Truth About Split Ends

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Now, let's get onto the good stuff.
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Most of us are probably familiar with split ends.  Everyone gets them at some point, and if you've never gotten them before, well, then I don't really want to talk to you because I may turn green.

Anywho.

Split ends can occur for a number of reasons.  Maybe you use too much heat and not enough heat protection, maybe you brush your hair too much or when it's wet, maybe you don't use conditioner... who knows?  Maybe it's just hereditary.  But, like it or not, when you look at your hair during math class because you're bored and you see that you've got hairs that are scraggly and broken down the middle, you've got to act.

But what's the ugly truth about split ends?  You can't mend them.


Nope, nothin' doin'.  There's no magical hair mask or conditioner that will seal the broken parts back together, and if you think about it, that really does make sense.  Once your hair splits?  It splits for life.

The longer you leave split ends alone, the weaker those hairs will become.  The split will work its way up the shaft of the hair, and before you know it, you'll have damaged looking, frizzy hair that won't cooperate and will seem to grow at a slower rate.

So, when you see that you're getting split ends, you've got two options.

{1} You could go for a chop and just remove several inches of your hair.  Reinvent your style and go for something completely different.  This will give you the chance to start afresh and work really hard to keep your new-found shine alive.

  {2}  If you are absolutely married to the idea of having long hair, you can go to a salon and ask them to just dust off the ends.  This removes hardly any length at all, and it will actually make your hair seem to grow more quickly.  This is because your ends will be refreshed and healthy, and each individual hair will be stronger and won't break off every time you brush your hair.  

In short, you can't do anything but completely remove all of your split ends.  A professional can do this in a matter of minutes, and if you're a regular customer, they will often do those little trims for free.

Once you've eradicated every last split, what do you do?  Well, you have to work extra hard to make sure these fresh ends stay intact.  Here is a couple of ways to do this.

{1}  Hair Masks.  Use these once or twice a weak to give your hair shine and strength.  Here are the ones I recommend the Hollywood Argan Hair Mask or the Garnier Fructis Deep Conditioning Mask

{2}  Condition like crazy.  Every time you wash your hair, leave your conditioner on your ends for roughly 3 to 4 minutes, or while you shave your legs or wash your body.  Just let it soak in for a while.  And then, every once in a while, use a deep conditioner, like Burt's Bees Deep Hair Repair  in order to really revitalize your hair.

{3}  Use as little heat on your hair as possible.  And if you must use heat, put on a heat-guard first.  My favorites are Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray  and Got2b Guardian Angel

{4}  For general care, only brush your hair when you absolutely must.  When your hair is wet, only use a wide-tooth comb and begin at the ends to gently work out tangles.  

{5}  When you dry your hair with a towel, try to dab instead of rub.  

{6}  If you must put your hair up, use a rubberband that has fabric on the outside instead of one that has metal tabs or exposed rubber.  Those can catch on your ends and damage them.  Try these Scunci ones or something similar.  

That's all for now, folks!  I hope I helped you out.  If you have any questions, leave a comment below and I'll be sure to respond.

Adios, muchachas.