Do you have any grey hairs that are peeking through your hairline? Your mane will inevitably start to change as you age. The once vibrant locks will lose their color. Another thing you will see happen is those gray hairs will turn wiry, dry, and brittle. Your entire head of hair will change over time. You will begin to see your mane switch from oily to dry and unmanageable. Another problem you will encounter is split ends.
What is a Split End?
When you have long locks, it’s easy for the hair to develop split ends, which means the hair is growing an extension or splitting off. These splits are caused by damaged hair that is dry and trying to compensate for the injury.
Did you know you can have more than one split on a hair shaft? The damaged hair can split in several directions, which is commonly seen when your tresses are longer. Regular trims can help with split ends, but it’s only cutting away the problem. Your hair needs nourishment to keep it in top shape.
Collagen is natural oil produced by your body that helps keep your hair and skin looking great. These oils nourish your system to ensure that you don’t have dryness. You run into problems when you dye your hair, use curling and flattening irons, and wash your locks too frequently.
All these things will cause the oils to be stripped from the hair and result in dry tresses. Now, you could do none of those things and still have split ends, so you should take preventative measures if you want longer hair and don’t want to deal with the unsightly dry issues.
Ten Preventative Ways to Stop Split Ends Naturally
Are you ready to do something about all those splitting hairs that are dry and unmanageable? Well, here are ten natural things that you can do that will help and not hurt your locks.
Avoid purchasing these ten items at the drugstore.
1. Wash Your Hair 1-2 Times Per Week
Are you washing your hair too much? When you’re younger, you may wash your hair every day to get the style you need and keep the oil issues at bay. However, as you age, you need those natural oils to nourish your long locks.
It’s appropriate to wash your hair once or twice each week. If you find that your hair gets too oily in between washes, you can consider using a dry shampoo. Stripping the oils in the hair is the most common reason why it will become dry and split.
2. Use Natural Hair Dye
While it’s easy to go to the drug store and pick up a box of hair dye or go to your local salon, you may want to try something new with your hair. Why not use a natural hair dye like henna? It is especially crucial for men suffering from hair loss to go to this site, and learn the care techniques.
It’s not nearly as damaging to your locks, and you can get vivid colors and almost the same results. Since henna is natural, it won’t cause issues like ammonia and peroxide, which are two common ingredients in hair dye.
3. Turn Down or Off the Heated Hair Styling Products
One of the most significant ways that your hair gets damaged is from excessive heat. Some curling irons can go up to 180 degrees or higher. All that heat and pressure put on the hair shaft is drying and damaging.
Even blow-drying your hair can cause problems. You can put unique products on your mane to protect it when you are using these devices. Additionally, you can find more natural ways to style your long locks.
For instance, your hair will dry nicely in the breeze outside or when you sit in front of a fan. Also, most hair dryers have a cold setting on them, which will help to minimize the damage.
4. Deep Condition Your Hair
Depending on the state of your hair, you should be deep conditioning at least once per week. Some people won’t need to do it as often, but these treatments are great for dry, brittle hair that needs to be restored.
Get a conditioner at your local drug store or try some all-natural coconut oil. Apply a generous amount to the hair trying to avoid the scalp area if there are oil issues. Now, please pay close attention to the ends of the hair where it’s prone to breakage.
Allow the condition to sit for about an hour, then gently wash it away. Your hair will be soft and manageable.
5. Get Regular Trims
It’s your prerogative if you want long or short hair. However, long hair comes with significant responsibilities, which include having it trimmed frequently. About every six weeks, you need to get approximately an inch of hair trimmed off.
If you see split ends further up than the one inch, you should cut above that area. The goal is to remove any splitting during these trims. It seems that once they start, they will continue to multiply all over your hair. Trimming removes the brittle ends and allows the health and vitality of your hair to remain.
6. Use a Silk Pillowcase
It sounds like such a simple request, but using a silk pillowcase can dramatically impact the oils in your hair. Did you know that cotton or wool pillowcases can cause damage to your hair?
It sounds crazy, but your head is rubbing up against that pillow for eight hours a night. If it’s silk, it won’t cause near the damage as the other varieties.
7. Don’t Towel Dry Your Hair
Speaking of materials rubbing against your hair, did you know that towels can be very damaging to your tresses? It sounds bizarre, but your cotton towel can cause damage and cause hair loss. Do you have an old t-shirt hanging around the house that you could use as a method to dry your hair?
The t-shirt is softer and won’t cause damage when vigorously rubbing your hair to remove water. It’s a simple trick that will work wonders.
8. Take Collagen Supplements
If you’ve tried many methods and nothing seems to be working, you should consider adding all-natural collagen supplements to your diet. Keratin is the protein that makes up your hair, and collagen has a great deal of keratin.
When what you’re doing on the outside doesn’t seem to be working, you need to nourish it from the inside out. Another thing you can do is to make sure you get plenty of water each day.
You should be drinking half your weight in ounces, so if you weigh 120 lbs., you need to be drinking at least 60 ounces of water each day.
While that may sound like a lot of water, remember that’s only about eight glasses spread over 24 hours. You will see a dramatic change in your hair, skin, and nails when you’re getting the proper hydration in your body.
9. Use a Detangling Spray
If you notice that your hair is often tangled after you wash it, don’t rip a comb through it, trying to blast through the knots. It would help if you used a detangling spray. It will nourish the hair shaft so that each knot comes apart with ease. The more you yank and tug on your hair, the more damage you will cause.
10. Switch to a Natural Shampoo
Another thing that can cause significant issues to your hair is the shampoo you use. Many shampoos have added ingredients that are made to dry the oils and offer little moisturization. You want to remove the dirt and excess oils, but you need to leave some behind for nourishment.
Thankfully, many natural shampoos and products can help you with your dry locks. Some of the most common are:
- Soap Nuts
- Aloe Vera Shampoo
- Castile Soap Shampoo
- Rhassoul Clay
- Eggs
- Shikakai
- Hibiscus Cleanser
- Fullers Earth Cleanser
- Rice Water
- Besan or Chickpea Flour
There are all sorts of holistic products online and in local stores; make sure you read your labels to ensure that you’re getting no additives that can be damaging. You will find that you can keep your hair clean and healthy using nature’s products, and they will do just as good if not better than overly manufactured ones.
Final Thought on Managing Your Split Ends
Have you ever seen a person with gorgeous hair that shined and had the perfect hue? Did you ever feel jealous and wish that hair was yours? You can have the hair of your dreams with a little work and the right products backing you.
Split ends are unsightly and can cause your hair to look lackluster and frizzy, especially if you keep it long. Thankfully, you can have the long hair you want, and the healthy shine you desire by switching your routine. Don’t you want to be the envy of everyone when they see your gorgeous locks?
