Split Ends and Breakage: Causes and Treatments

Many of you reading this have probably seen broken pieces of hair after brushing or even hair that resembles small pitchforks on your bathroom counter before and thought to yourself, What is this? Sadly, you were experiencing a common problem that the majority of people with hair have faced at some point: split ends and breakage. In this article, we will be discussing what the causes of split ends and breakage are and how to treat them.

What Is A Split End?

A split end, also known by the scientific term "trichoptilosis", is inevitable for anyone with hair. It occurs when there is any type of damage to your cuticle, leaving the cortex of your hair fragile and exposed. Without the proper amount of protection from your cuticle layers, the strand will begin to split into two or more sections. However, split ends are not necessarily just a split in your strand. On a microscopic level, it’s really a very rough tear, similar to what it looks like when you break a wooden branch. Your ends will typically begin to look more frizzy and bushy due to the cuticle damage.

What Is Breakage?

Hair breakage is exactly what it sounds like: hair that has broken off at some point on the strand but has not shed from the root. Broken hair can occur anywhere on your hair strand, but it’s most likely to start where the strand is weak and dehydrated. This is often why you’ll spot broken hairs of different lengths falling out.

Causes Of Split Ends And Breakage

Determining the cause of split ends and breakage can be difficult because it's hard to pinpoint exactly why it’s happening. However, we will list the five most common reasons people suffer from these issues.

Reason 1: You are overprocessing your hair by leaving treatments longer than the instructions direct, or your conditioning process is making your ends weak.

Reason 2: Your brushes are old and split bristles are nagging your hair, or your tools are not being properly cleansed and disinfected.

Reason 3: You are not cleansing your hair properly or often enough, so your ends are dry and brittle.

Reason 4: Daily manipulation and constant heat styling of your hair

Reason 5: You don’t get trims on a regular schedule, or you are cutting your hair with the wrong scissors and further splitting your ends.

Treatment For Split Ends And Breakage

By this point, you may have identified a cause and be thinking about how you can come up with a solution. Here are a few treatments and tips you can try to incorporate to help prevent and correct split ends and breakage.

Tip 1: Use real protein treatments, which will strengthen your cuticles, slow down the splitting process, and strengthen the strand.

Tip 2: Always use a heat protector when using heat styling tools.

Tip 3: Address split ends when they happen and book yourself in for regular trims with your stylist.

Tip 4: Keep your hair moisturized. Hair that lacks moisture loses its ability to stretch, making it more susceptible to breakage.

Tip 5: Be gentle with your hair; try not to tug on tangles. Gently comb through them with a wide-tooth comb, starting from the bottom and working your way up to the roots.

Takeaway

Split ends and breakage are normal parts of wear and tear that you will experience as long as you have hair on your head. However, through healthy hair practices and a little TLC, you can manage these issues and keep them minimal. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but hopefully now, after reading this article, you see that you have options that will help repair your locks and lead you on the road to recovery.