How To Get Rid Of Split Ends

If you’re sick and tired of damaged hair and wondering how to get rid of split ends, you’re not alone. Many of us covet long, luscious hair, but with the amount of heat styling, chemical treatments, and hair dye many of us use, achieving healthy length isn't always easy. The damage our hair takes often leads to dry, brittle hair and breakage. Thankfully, there are many ways to fix split ends, primarily by preventing them in the first place. This means using heat protectants, hair masks, and DIY recipes, and making a few lifestyle tweaks, such as avoiding chlorine-filled pools, reducing the use of hot tools, and minimizing how much you brush your hair.

To best understand how to get rid of split ends, we’ve gathered everything there is to know about preventing, treating, and masking them. Even if your hair doesn’t look or feel damaged right now, a restorative haircare routine can be beneficial. Prevention is key, especially if you heat-style or chemically treat your hair, as both are leading causes of hair breakage and damage. Below are the best split end treatments and tips to help bring your strands back to life.

What Are Split Ends?

Going back to basics: what exactly are split ends, and why are they such a pain? Split ends occur when the ends of your hair become brittle and dry, starting to fray or split, leading to a fuzzy, frizzy look on the ends of your hair. Once you notice them, you can’t unsee them! The most common causes include chemical treatments and exposure, like blow-drying, heat-styling, perming, keratin treatments, bleaching, and all types of hair coloring. Low-quality hair products and infrequent trims also contribute to split ends. Environmental factors like weather, sunlight, and water can also lead to split ends.

Can You Prevent Split Ends?

When it comes to preventing split ends, think of caring for your hair in the same way you care for your skin. Hair is an extension of your skin—it’s crucial to take good care of it to maintain its optimal health.

Adopt A Solid Haircare Routine: Treat and nourish your hair with professional products designed to cleanse, condition, and deeply treat your locks. These steps will aid in protecting, preventing damage, and promoting overall hair health.

Get Regular Haircuts: This is one of the most effective ways to keep split ends at bay. Trimming your hair eliminates the damaged ends and stops them from moving up the hair shaft. Ensure you’re getting regular trims every six to eight weeks - that’s an excellent start to preventing split ends.

Shower With Cooler Water: We all love a hot shower, but maybe it’s time to turn down the temp. Similar to how hot water can dry out our skin, it can also cause hair dryness. Ultra-hot water can roughen up your hair cuticle, making it feel like you have more split ends. To avoid this, use lukewarm water for shampooing and conditioning and finish with a cool rinse to seal the cuticle.

Limit Heat Styling: Another key tip is to limit your hair's exposure to heat from blow-dryers and opt for air-drying whenever possible. Cut down on using hot styling tools and always set them to the lowest heat. If you must use hot tools, always apply a heat protectant before styling.

Be Gentle With Wet Hair: Be extra cautious when dealing with wet hair. Wet hair is at its most fragile, because hair can stretch up to 50% when wet. Make sure to apply leave-in products before combing, avoid pulling hair into tight styles when it's wet, and don't sleep with wet hair. Use a wide-tooth comb instead of a dense brush to detangle without breaking wet hair.

The Best Treatments for Split Ends

Coconut Oil Mask: Coconut oil offers numerous benefits for hair, most importantly addressing dry ends, and reducing protein loss in hair. If you're struggling with split ends, try creating a DIY coconut oil treatment. Take about a quarter-sized scoop of coconut oil and work it into your hair from the ends to mid-shaft. Clip your hair up, wrap it in a towel or plastic wrap, and leave it on for 30 minutes before rinsing out. Although coconut oil won't repair split ends, it can make them look smoother and less frayed while deeply hydrating your strands.

Split End Serum: A serum designed specifically for split ends provides hydration, can add protein to repair the hair, and temporarily seals the cuticle, minimizing the look of split ends.

Heat Protectant: If you can't give up your flat iron or blow dryer, ensure you apply a generous amount of heat protectant before styling. This creates a shield between your hair and the intense heat, preserving its strength and overall health.

Use A Hair Oil: Massaging a natural oil into your damaged ends not only helps nourish compromised strands but also reduces the visibility of split ends until your next salon appointment. Simply rub a few drops between your hands and apply to towel-dried ends. Just remember, a little goes a long way with oils, so start with a small amount and increase if necessary.

Use Microfiber Towels: The small loops in regular cotton towels can be rough on hair strands, causing snags and creating tiny tears that eventually result in split ends. In contrast, microfiber towels are much finer—about 200 times thinner than a hair strand—and more absorbent, making them gentler on hair and reducing drying time.