what are split ends?

Split ends are the uninvited guests that every mane must contend with at some point. They're the tiny troublemakers that can turn your luxurious locks into a tangled nightmare, leaving you to wonder, "what are split ends?"

With that in mind, we’ve put together everything you need to know to about these dead ends. Carry on reading to discover how to tame them.

What are Dead Ends on Hair?

Split ends are often an indicator of dry, damaged hair, but all hair types can be susceptible to them. They’rewhere the hair strandbegins to splinter, leaving your mane frayed, before eventually snapping off. They are typically found at the end of the strand but may occur further up the hair shaft depending on how long they’re left before being treated. 

What Do Split Ends Look Like? 

Resembling the end of an unravelled rope, split ends have a ‘Y’ shape or forked appearance. If you can’t identify them, a tell-tale sign is the appearance and texture of your overall mane.  Split ends often make hair feel rough and uneven since the ends can frequently break off. 

Is It OK to Break off Split Ends? 

Although it might be tempting to pick off any ends that might be splitting, it could leave your ends more susceptible to breakage. So, if you spot any wispy ends,don’t break them off, we recommend visiting a hair salon for a cut.

What Causes Split Ends?  

If you’re worried about split ends, you probably want to understand the root cause. Often, there’s a multitude of reasons but, to give you an idea, we’ve outlined a few below:  

Heat Damage  

While using heat tools is sometimes unavoidable, especially if you’re trying to tame coarse hair or want to achieve a more styled look, adding heat to your hair may weaken your ends. This is because the high temperatures could put strain on your hair.  

This is especially the case if you forget to reach for heat protection every time you grab your styling tools, as the lack of moisture may cause dead ends. That is why we always recommend a heat protection spray or opting for heatless styling tools.  

Towel Drying Your Mane 

Often used as a quick way to dry your hair, rough towel drying may weaken your hair cuticles and fibres, leading to knots and breakage. Instead, you should opt for a soft T-shirt or microfibre towel to lightly squeeze out excess water and prevent hair from snapping. 

Brushing Too Hard 

Brushing your hair too often may cause breakage and split ends. If you find yourself brushing your hair too vigorously, the pressure on your hair follicle may cause it to snap.  

You might also consider being especially gentle when brushing your hair while it's wet. Wet hair is more prone to stretching, which may lead to premature breakage by over-pulling on your hair follicle and tearing the strands.

We recommend grabbing a wide-tooth comb and lightly brushing your hair in small sections. Start from the bottom and slowly work upwards to ensure you’re not putting too much strain on your locks.  

Neglecting Hair Colouring Aftercare 

As fun as it is brightening or changing your hair colour, that trip to the salon may cause breakage as colouring alters the structure of your hair. This process could make your mane brittle, so if you don’t provide your locks with the right TLC after the process, it may become susceptible to split ends. We recommend introducing products that will nourish and rehydrate your hair like hair oil, leave in conditioners, and hair masks.  

Avoiding Regular Haircuts 

Regular haircuts are one way to maintain the look and feel of your hair by chopping off any split ends that have developed. Avoiding a regular haircut may cause your dead ends to travel further up the hair shaft, making it harder to tame and often resulting in more hair damage. As a guide, we recommend visiting the salon every 8 weeks to minimise split ends. 

Now you have the lowdown on what split ends are and what causes them, we have the perfect guide on how to conceal and prevent them. Check out our blog below, and achieve healthy-looking locks: