There's no hair enemy as fierce and unyielding as the
much-dreaded split end. "Split ends occur when the protective outer layer
of the hair cuticle wears away because of external stressors such as heat
styling and salon chemical services," explains Amy Abramite, creative
director and stylist at Chicago's Maxine Salon. "Once the internal
structure of the hair is exposed, it becomes weakened, dehydrated and damaged,
causing split ends."
While the only true way to rid yourself of roughed ends is
to have them snipped off, you can do between salon appointments to improve the
look of damage and prevent more splits from occurring.
Use a wide-tooth comb: After you apply conditioner in the
shower, slowly run a wide-tooth comb through hair until all the tangles are out.
This prevents the snaps and breakage you can incur when you try to brush out
hair that is roughed up from a towel-dry.
Mind your heat tools: That bargain-bin blow-dryer may be a
tempting purchase, but inexpensive tools tend to dangerously overheat over time
and burn ends into splits.
Go gentle: "Imagine wearing a silk blouse every single
day. It would get pretty beat up. Treat your hair like an expensive fabric, and
it will last longer and look better," .Use only covered elastics with no
metal piece, like those made by Goody to tie hair into a ponytail. If looking
for a sleek look, rely on products like gel and finishing spray to create a
smooth finish, instead of pulling hair too tightly to achieve it alone.
Try on ponytails!
Take folic acid and biotin: There's a reason they say you
are what you eat: Nutrients literally build the proteins that make up your hair
strands. Two B vitamins in particular -- folic acid and biotin -- have been
shown to supplement hair health, length and thickness, says Sunshine.
Folic acid helps the production of red blood cells, which
powers the growth of hair. Foods rich in folic acid include green leafy
veggies, oranges, soybeans and wheat. Biotin strengthens both hair and nails
through its metabolism of fats, carbs and proteins. Brown rice, lentils, peas,
sunflower seeds, walnuts and soybeans are all rich in biotin.
Use leave-in conditioner: Conditioners that you rinse out in
the shower will do little to nothing for split ends, but a leave-in conditioner
will add extra protection that stays on strands as you heat-style and go about
your day.
Blow-dry the right way: Always use a nozzle on your dryer to
control and direct the flow of air, and dry hair in a downward direction before
sectioning off and drying completely with a round brush. This way, you spend
far less time with intense heat straight on the hair. "If possible, air
drying 90 percent before picking up the blow-dryer is even better," says
Sunshine. And of course, if you can naturally dry all the way, that's always your
best option.
Limit damaging services: There's unfortunately no way around
it -- treatments like hair color, highlights, straightening and perms all cause
trauma that can result in a bevy of split ends. Try to limit service to just
one major hair concern, and refrain from washing strands for at least 48 hours
afterward, when they're most porous and likely to break and split. Not only
will hair health improve after you go on a chemical-service diet, but your
wallet will thank you.
Get regular cuts: While a haircut is the only way to get rid
of split ends, regular trims are your best protection against them. The longer
you wait to trim, the greater chance you have of split ends worsening and
travelling up the shaft. It may sound counter-intuitive, but this is why it's
actually best to get frequent trims if you're trying to grow longer, healthier
hair. Whatever your hair type or style, our experts recommend you get a cut or
trim at least every six to eight weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment