Split Ends – How to care for hair especially for those who are extremely longed hair women

This came from another article of mine that I wrote a few years ago but is unpublished since I am redoing it and adding to it.

Appendix 1 – Split Ends

If Women are suppose to grow their hair out to terminals ends what about hair health and split ends?

There is an old wives tale that say that if you want to grow your hair long you must keep trimming it. That you stimulate the hair shaft when you cut it. But this is scientifically unsound and proven falsely. Hair grows regardless and it neither changes the speed of growth by cutting or diminish by the lack of cutting. In fact it is counterproductive to keep trimming the hair if you want it to grow long. In addition the speed of hair growth can change due to diet as well as seasonal climate change but it does not change from cutting the hair. I suspect that this old wives tale was perpetuated by the hair cutting industry.

There is a second old wives tale that has been perpetuated and that is that if you have split ends and you do not trim them off then the split ends are going to split all the way up to the scalp. Again, This is not fact. The hair shaft will not continue to split just because it is split at the bottom of the shaft. Now it is true that split ends is a sign of unhealthy hair and it should be remedied but trimming the hair and not taking care of the problem is counter-productive. So how do we avoid split ends?

There are many reasons why women get split ends in hair. Many of those reasons is because they have not been taught properly on how to care for their hair. It is beyond the range of this article to get deep into how to care for your hair but let me offer you some advice.

What to avoid-

1) Perms – Did you know that Perms literally break (yes I said break) your hair shaft all over to give it the curls that perms give. This is destructive to the hair. In addition the chemicals are bad for your health and bad for your hair.

2) Hair Dying – To Dye your hair you will put many chemicals in your hair and on your scalp that literally be destructive to the hair. If you must try to change your natural color try an natural organic method such as Henna. Henna is plant base and not full of chemicals.

3) Heat Products – AVOID the Heating Iron and Blow Dryer at all cost. Very destructive to your hair no matter what Heat protective product you put on your hair. I recommend using only a cool setting hair dryer only.

4) Try to avoid artificial man-made hair products. They promise much and give little. They are also full of chemicals.

5) Never brush hair while wet and always use a wide tooth comb to gently comb while wet.

6) Never use any old brush to brush your hair out.

7) Avoid abusive hair clips and devices.. Use a Satin or Silk crunches or a Barrette with a specially sleeve on it to not pull on hair when removing.

What to do-

1) Wash hair with mild shampoo, Perhaps with a tea tree base solution.

2) Condition hair

3) Put in a leave-in natural conditioner oils such as Silk proteins, Lotus Flower, Moroccan Argan Oil, Coconut Milk oil, Shea, and unprocessed Keratin oil. Alternate between them because they all give excellent results to your hair.

4) Once a week use a natural hair clarifier. 1 part apple cider vinegar, 9 part water.

5) Deep condition every 2 to 4 weeks with natural oils such as Coconut oil or virgin olive oil.

Leave in for an hour or so and then wash out.

6) Finger comb hair out first and then use only a wide tooth comb to comb out hair gently while it is wet..

7) When dry you can use a detangler brush to brush hair out carefully. The best brush I have seen and advice is the Tangle Teezer. It does not look like much but it is designed to be gentle on the hair and not rip the hair out of the scalp. It does an excellent job detangling without damaging the hair. I have used it now for two years and I will not use any other brush.

8) Sleep on a Satin or Silk pillow case for two reasons. 1. Your hair will slid and not rip when sleeping and 2. Cotton and other fabrics absorb your head oils whereas Satin or Silk will not. Cotton might be preferred in the summer months when it is hot and our heads produce more oils but definitely use Satin or silk in the winter months.

9) Eat healthy, Take good supplements. Healthy hair starts from within.

There are of course other things but these are fundamental to good hair health and by doing these things you will have healthier hair that does not have split ends and much thicker hair then you have ever had.. Avoid Split Ends before they even happen!!

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