How to Prevent Split Ends on Natural Hair

How to Prevent Split Ends on Natural Hair

Hey guys!

Hope that you all are having a wonderful week!

In this blog post, I will discuss a topic that has caused many natural hair enthusiasts much grief. 

Split ends on natural hair. Can split ends on natural hair be totally avoided? What will happen if you just ignore your split ends? Can you retain length without cutting your hair at all? Can Split ends on natural hair be repaired?

Can Split Ends on Natural Hair be Totally Avoided?

The short answer is no….You can prevent the "severity" of split ends on natural hair but split ends cannot be totally avoided.  There are many things that we routinely do to our hair that may cause split ends on natural hair without us realizing it. Using heat, blow dryers, chemical applications (i.e. color) and even combing / brushing the hair too frequently can cause split ends to occur.

Trim those split ends.

If you are suffering from split ends on natural hair, the first step is to start with a nice trim. Remember that split ends will eventually break off and this will impede your length retention. If your hair ends are severely damaged and thin, they definitely need to go. Don't worry; your hair will be thick and beautiful before you know it. Once the hair strand is split, it cannot be repaired. Split ends will continue to split up the hair shaft resulting in more hair breakage and thinning ends. The key is to prevent split ends on natural hair before they start with regular trims and maintaining a moisture / protein balance.  Your trim doesn't have to be drastic. We suggest that you cut just enough so that the split ends are removed.

Natural hair and Split Ends

With wavy and straight hair textures, split ends are more visible. It is easier to see the split ends once they occur and cut them off. With kinky and tightly curled hair textures, split ends may be less visible because the hair may appear frizzy.  Just because you cannot see them doesn’t mean that they are not there.  Many people with kinky and very curly textures can sometimes underestimate how many split ends they have and skip much needed trims. This can result in serious damage that will occur without the person noticing until it is too late and the hair is ravaged with split ends and breakage.  Please don't ignore your split ends. Although split ends aren’t as noticeable on natural hair, you still want to clip them so that you hair will be able to achieve its maximum length and thickness.

The best way trim split ends on natural hair (kinky and very curly textures).

The method that you use to trim your hair depends on if you want a perfectly even trim or you just want to get rid of the splits and not worry about precision.

One way is to straighten your hair first and then clip your ends. This will give you a more of a precise cut and you will be more likely to get all of the split ends removed. Be very careful if using this technique so that you will avoid heat damage which will cause more split ends.

If you don’t care about having the perfectly even cut, the twist and clip method is the best route for you to take for trimming split ends on natural hair. Just twist your hair in two strand twist and clip off the very end of each twist. If you are a “do it yourselfer”, this may be the best route for you to take.

Moisture / Protein Balance

In addition to trimming your hair, keeping your hair balanced with moisture and protein is very important to keep the hair from splitting too frequently.  Hair that is dry and imbalanced will split easily and frequently. One way to prevent breakage and keep your hair balanced is to use products on a daily basis that will add moisture and a touch of protein to your tresses.  

Product suggestions-> To keep the hair balanced with moisture and protein I would suggest the use of the Hydratherma Naturals Daily Moisturizing Growth Lotion to increase moisture levels in the hair, the Protein Balance Leave In Conditioner to add light silk amino acids and strengthen the hair followed by the Hair Growth Oil (with emu) to seal.

All of these products are rich with ceramides which can lengthen your time between trims. Ceramides are lipids (oils) that naturally occur in the strand. Their main purpose is to act like the glue that helps the cuticle layer lay flat and remain intact. They serve as a binder to keep the cuticle layer in place. Ceramides help the hair to maintain protein, strength, elasticity, and shine. They create a protective barrier around the hair to hold in moisture and protein while also guarding the hair from chemical damage, heat damage and UV rays.

                                            Daily Moisturizing Growth Lotion

                                                       

                                          Protein Balance Leave In Conditioner

                                           

                                                           Hair Growth Oil

                                             

How often should you trim?

If you do not have chemically treated hair and use heat infrequently, you can trim a lot less often (every 6-12 months).

For chemically treated hair, we suggest clipping your ends at every 8 - 10 weeks with very sharp scissors. Chemically treated hair tends to need trimming more often because it is more porous. Porous hair has gaps along the hair strand and this contributes to split ends.

Some believe that clipping the ends does hamper hair growth. We don't believe this. Clipping off 1/8 to 1/4 inch every 2-3 months will still allow you to retain length.

All In all, the main takeaway from this blog post is to not ignore those split ends and trim only when necessary.

You can read more about preventing split ends at www.HydrathermaNaturals.com

Until next time!

Best! 

Saleemah Cartwright

Hydratherma Naturals CEO