Tips For Preventing, Removing And Treating Split Ends

Split ends — it’s a problem that we all have to face at some point in time, and what we decide to do when they rear their ugly head is crucial.

Ever since I’ve returned natural, I threw out all worries about trimming my hair, simply because my focus was on length retention. My hair was relaxed and I had a phobia of scissors (thanks to scissor-happy stylists). So I’ve gone years without a single straight style and have no regrets.

However, I was able to manage my hair without trims much easier than the average gal because I never straighten my hair.

So it’s pretty much out of sight, out of mind. In my hair’s natural state, you can’t tell if I have split ends or not. But for those of you who need to keep your ends neat because of the styles you like to wear, you can use the following tips to help with prevention, treatments and ultimately, the removal of unsightly split ends.

Prevention is the best way to get a handle on split ends

This is actually my favorite remedy for split ends — doing whatever I can to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Split ends tend to pop up due to improper hair care, such as use of chemicals, harsh brushing and combing, not properly moisturizing and using a lot of heat. To help you learn how to best prevent split ends, here are a couple of tips:

▶︎ Don’t wear your hair out when you go out. Sure, you want to show off your flowing hair, but this could put it at risk of damage, especially if you have long hair. So consider wearing a bun, head wrap or braid when you go outdoors where wind can whip your hair out of shape.

▶︎ Use heat styling less, or better yet, not at all. Curling irons*, flat irons* and even blow dryers* can over dry your hair and cause breakage.

▶︎ Oil and condition your hair regularly. After conditioning your hair with a natural conditioner, place natural oils* on your ends like moringa oil*, coconut oil* or olive oil* to help keep them from splitting.

▶︎ During the summer, consider covering your hair when you go outside during the day to prevent split ends caused by the sun. Or just give your hair extra care by moisturizing it before going out.

Treating your split ends to retain length

If the inevitable occurs and you end up getting split ends, it’s not the end of the world. There are a couple of ways you can treat them, so that you don’t have to turn to the scissors just yet.

This is the option for you if you’re looking to retain length for as long as possible before trimming. So if you’re a transitioning natural, this is for you:

▶︎ Mix together oils* and butters* (or purchase a natural one from a brand you trust) and place it on your ends. Leave it on overnight, then wash it off with a natural shampoo.

▶︎ Use an avocado hair mask, which can be easily blended into a paste. I like to mix mine with oils, but you can use water instead. Apply the mask to your scalp, hair and ends and allow it to sit for 20 minutes before washing it out with a natural shampoo.

▶︎ Oil your hair, scalp and ends regularly to help keep your split ends from getting worse. Massage the oil into your scalp and be generous with the amount you place on your ends. Great oils* to use include coconut oil* and olive oil*.

▶︎ Apply walnut oil into your hair and ends. Leave this on overnight and shampoo it out the next morning. You should do this 4-5 times weekly. Some people have seen their split ends disappear after 1-2 months.

Removing your split ends…finally

When the time comes to get rid of your split ends, you can remove them yourself at home. If I were to trim my hair, I’d prefer to do it myself because I don’t trust anyone with cutting my hair. Here’s what you need to do:

▶︎ Take small sections of your hair at a time and comb out all the kinks and knots.

▶︎ Gently twist the small section of hair, going from the root to the tip. This will enable you to see any split ends that are present. Trim them off using a small pair of shears.

▶︎ It’s best to do this while near a window, letting in natural sunlight, so that you can see the split ends easier.

Other tips to keep in mind

When you have split ends to manage, it’s a good idea to keep your hair in protective styles as much as possible. It’s also important that you stay away from chemical products, heat styling methods and poor quality combs and brushes.

I find using natural ingredients for my hair care to be great for keeping my hair intact, whether I have split ends or not. Since I now have tailbone length hair, this shows me that I was doing something right!

Do you currently have split ends? What are you doing about them?