Broken and thin hair edges can no only be irritating but also look very ugly on your hair. Such hair actually means that your hair is decreasing at the ends. Luckily to you, there are ways to fix them and finally grow healthy and fabulous hair.
You may be wondering what causes split ends. The truth is many different factors contribute to thin hair edges and a damaged hair follicle. For example, genetics, vitamin deficiencies, tension styling, chemicals in hair dye, relaxers, etc. While you cannot do anything regarding genetics, you can avoid aggressive stylings such as too tight ponytails or any hairstyle that pulls your hair strands too tight.
Haircare for thin hair edges
Split ends and thin hair edges are inevitable. They look bad. You cannot grow healthy hair if you have split ends or a damaged hair follicle. However, there is no need to despair. You can still have healthy and bouncy hair in between the haircuts. The key is in doing everything possible to make them less visible and repair the damage as much as possible.
In order to grow long hair, you can follow much different advice to help you out. We, like your favorite long hair gurus, are willing to let you in on many secrets to healthy and long hair, as always. There are two things you should know before we start. Split ends do not necessarily appear every six weeks. If you take good care of your hair, you will not have thin hair ends or split ends. You will be able to grow healthy and long hair in no time.
What causes split ends is actually a lack of proper hair care. Without proper care, you are bound to have split ends among other hair problems such as damage or breakage. Since split ends appear when you have a damaged hair cuticle, haircare is everything.
Haircare must be adequate for a certain type of hair to achieve the right results. The types of products we use are directly related to the effect we want to achieve. Conditioners, masks – moisturizing, protein, with oil and oil-free – you should consider all of these items when choosing an adequate shampoo and conditioner for hair care.
Here are the most effective ways to mend your thin hair edges or damaged hair follicle.
Silicones for thin hair ends
We cannot stress this haircare routine enough. Silicones are the most important hair care ingredients. A large number of cosmetic products contain them on their ingredients list. Let’s remind ourselves of the basic stuff when talking about silicones. Firstly, silicones create a layer around your hair – a layer that can be washed away. The layer has many purposes. For instance, it protects your hair from all external influences. This includes temperatures as high as 230 degrees C – which means it protects your hair from the sun, and from styling tools as well.
Then, the layer retains moisture inside the hair and prevents it from drying. In turn, they reflect light and give a great shine and smooth look to your hair. Therefore, hair care products should definitely contain silicones because of all the protective benefits for the hair. You should not avoid them, especially if you want to continue using curling or flat irons, or even a regular blow dryer.
Serums for thin hair ends
Another great idea is to invest in a high-quality split ends serum. One of the most effective such serums is Tresemmé Split Remedy Split End Sealing Serum. What this serum does is temporary glues each frayed strand back together. In just three uses and in combination with other products from the same line, the serum reduces split ends up to 80%. Also, it reduces any frizz and leaves your hair with a polished and shiny look.
Other haircare remedies for hair ends
Rule number one when it comes to preventing thin hair edges and the damaged hair follicle is to avoid over-shampooing and overbrushing. They both damage your hair in ways you cannot possibly imagine. This does not, however, mean you should avoid shampooing and brushing your hair altogether. You should just avoid doing so excessively.
Most studies on what causes split ends revealed excessive brushing, shampooing, grooming, especially while the hair is wet, are the main reasons why thin hair edges occur in the first place. All the more so if you dye your hair. Dyed hair strands are incredibly susceptible to any kind of damage. Hence, depending on your hair type and needs, you should not shampoo your hair more than three times a week.
When it comes to brushing your hair, you should definitely avoid brushing it while it is wet. Needless to say, you should be gentle and avoid pulling the comb roughly because it can damage your hair irreparably. If your hair tangles easily switch from a regular comb to some of the detanglers for a more gentle approach to combing.
In case you do not have the time to visit your hairdresser or do not want to bother with natural hair masks, we have a quick fix for you. You can go for a stylish bun or updo and keep your split ends well hidden. Similarly, you can use accessories such as hats or scarves.
Hydratation as the best solution for dry ends hair
To hydrate hair or ends properly, there are a few tricks. For starters, you should leave hydrating masks and regenerators as long as possible. Whenever you have time on your hands, apply the masks and let them work their magic. Bear in mind that the mask and conditioner should be applied only on the hair length, including dry ends, not on the scalp. If you keep applying it on the scalp, any problems you may have with your scalp such as dryness, itchiness, dandruff, greasiness, may persist and make them worse.
In case you do not think this is enough hydration for your hair, then feel free to try out other tricks.
Deep conditioning
For boosting effect and extra hydration, you can apply a conditioner or a mask, wrap your hair in a plastic bag, heat it with the blow drier, and then rinse the product out. The treatment is called “Deep conditioning” and it suits every hair type. This technique helps hydrating ingredients reach their maximum. After the treatment, the hair is smooth, hydrated, and healthy. This means no dry ends hair which is your goal right now.
Protein hair care
Has your hair recently undergone any treatment such as bleaching, dyeing, straightening, etc.? If the answer is yes, then you should know that your hair now lacks keratin because of those harsh treatments. Keratin is the basic substance the hair is made of. In this case, regular nourishment and hydration are not enough. You should also apply protein masks. The application of such masks largely depends on what your hair needs at a given moment.
How can you recognize a good protein mask? Protein masks usually have proteins at the beginning of the ingredients list combined with moisturizing ingredients. In most cases, proteins are combined with amino acids. They penetrate cuticles and regenerate and strengthen the structure of the treated and weak hair.
Like any other mask, you should leave protein ones on your hair between 5 and 15 minutes, depending on hair condition and protein concentration. Make sure not to let the mask sit in longer than that because proteins can make your hair difficult to comb.
Protein packs are usually recommended for girls with thin hair. Those with thick and strong hair can use protein packs less often or, even better, “transfer” to combined masks for better effect.
Co-wash for preventing thin hair edges
Co-washing is shortened from conditioner washing and means washing the hair using only the conditioner. It is also known as the “no-poo” method, meaning – not using shampoo during the hair wash.
For the co-washing method, it is important to choose silicon-free and protein-free conditioners. Proteins stick to hair (like they do on hair masks), so you won’t be able to wash them from your hair completely. Silicones behave in the same way. If you do not rinse them out, they will stay on the scalp and hair and cause dandruff, greasy hair, and dead hair follicles.
You should also look for a conditioner with simple ingredients. The simpler the better. For instance, fatty alcohol and maybe a bit of natural oil at the end of the ingredients list should do the trick. The conditioner should not be nourishing and heavy.
Haircare after co-wash
What is also important is to take care of your hair after washing. It is best to continue hydration, which you started with step one – co-wash. After hydration, do not forget to use silicone serum. The ideal way to dry your hair is to let it dry naturally. Since that can take a while, you can slightly dry the scalp and leave the rest of the hair to dry naturally. This way you avoid breakage, thin hair edges, and damaged hair follicles.
It is not advisable to co-wash your hair too often. Also, it is necessary to use a regular shampoo. How often will you use it depends on your hair type and its condition. For example, you can follow a pattern of one “normal” wash, one co-wash; or two normal and one co-wash. You can experiment and find the best solution for your hair.
If you are still afraid that this method will not clean your hair, you can try out another thing. Put a small (hazelnut) size of sulfate-free shampoo in a mixture of conditioner and water. It is still better than using just a shampoo, and it will give you a feeling of confidence that your hair will be perfectly clean.
Hair protection to prevent breakage and thin hair ends
So far we have discussed treatments and products to help you mend split ends and thin hair edges. However, this is not the only way you can prevent hair breakage. There are plenty of other ways you can protect your hair and keep it from splitting or breaking.
There are two golden rules when it comes to hair protection to prevent breakage and thin or split hair ends.
No matter what you do, you must not brush or shampoo your hair aggressively or excessively. It ultimately leads to not only split ends but also damage and breakage which is not easy to fix. The most important thing to remember here is to avoid any grooming while your hair is in wet condition. While hair is wet it is prone to damage more than usual.
If you already have split ends but do not want to visit a hairdresser just yet, then try using the following trick. Hair tuck is a stylish and highly practical way to hide your split ends. Whenever you are wearing a turtleneck, shirt, or jacket, you can tuck your thin hair edges in the neckline. Similarly, you can wear a bun or any other updo and conceal the split ends. What can also help in this situation is wearing a hat, scarf, or barret.
How to cut split ends
If you do not know how to cut split ends or how to trim split ends, you are about to learn now.
To trim split ends, you can use a twisting or sliding technique. They are both effective in getting rid of split ends and bringing a healthy look to your hair. Besides, both methods are easy to do so you can learn how to trim split ends using any technique in no time.
Do you know how to cut split ends? No? Do not worry, the process is easy too. All you have to do is dampen your hair, divide it into sections and cut your split ends. For more detailed instructions on how to cut split ends or how to trim split ends click here.