The Hairdressing Claims Blog

11/01/2022

Getting to grips with split ends

If there’s one thing that’s going to get in the way of a good hair day, it’s split ends. The bane of every luscious-locked fashionista’s life, split ends have the capacity to ruin even the neatest hairstyles.

What’s to be done? Where split ends are concerned, there are three options open to you:

1. Prevent split ends

As the old adage goes, prevention is better than cure. Split ends are brought about from various reasons including illness, bad hairdressing and over-styling. The actual causes themselves vary greatly – from chemical-based treatments and heated appliances to extreme weather exposure and damaging washing routines.

Because we’re staunch advocates of healthy hair, it’s a subject we’ve written about lots, most recently in our ‘How to identify, prevent and cure hair damage’ blog.

To clarify, prevention doesn’t have to mean total avoidance of these things altogether as ‘real life’ must go on. Rather, approach them with slightly more-than-usual care. To give you a few ‘for instance’ scenarios…

If you’re using heating tools, such as curling tongs and straightening irons, choose the right products for the job. This applies to the heat tool itself (make sure it has adjustable settings) and to heat protector sprays (check the label refers to thermal heat, not just hairdryer heat).

If you’re styling your hair in an updo, be mindful about traction and snagging. Tight ponytails are the worst culprits. Limit how often you wear these hairstyles and use softer ties, like silk scrunchies and plastic spirals, which are easier on the hair.

If your hair washing routine is slightly amiss, introduce welcome changes, for example buy strengthening and softening shampoos packed full of fortifying ingredients. Something you may not have thought abut is your shower head. Is it angled correctly so as not to cause unnecessary harm? Apparently, the ideal position is directly above you for water to flow in the direction of hair growth. Your hairbrush and towelling techniques have a part to play too. Our ‘Wet hair mistakes: Why and how to avoid these 7 schoolgirl errors’ and ‘How to formulate your hair washing routine’ blogs contain all the essential tips.

If you’re undergoing treatment involving chemicals at the hair salon – be it dyeing, bleaching, perming or straightening – ensure you search for a reputable hairdresser whom you trust and familiarise yourself in what can go wrong. That way, you’ll notice if something’s not quite right during your appointment to draw your hairdresser’s attention to and stop any damage in its tracks. Check out our ‘Bad salon warning signs’ blog to help you out.

2. Get rid of split ends

You could say that hair damage in the form of split ends is inevitable. We all have special occasions to look our best for every now and then. Just going into the office demands a little extra hair styling than a chill-out day at home. And even those with the most diligent haircare routines will let split ends slip through the net at some point in time.

The solution? A haircut! You can either get a decent trim or have an ‘invisible cut’. The former – decent trim – might only be possible if there’s been a reasonable gap since your last hairdressing appointment, otherwise you’re likely to lose too much length. As a rule of thumb, aim for a haircut each six to eight weeks.

The latter – invisible cut – can be performed by your hairdresser or you could actually try it yourself. With proper hairdressing scissors, divide your hair into sections, twist these sections gently at the bottom one at a time, run your fingers up the hair shaft to expose split ends, and trim.

3. Hide split ends

If none of the aforementioned is viable, get crafty and hide your split ends from obvious view. This is all about products. Oils, serums and creams act like glue to make even the springiest split ends miraculously disappear.

Should you have a hair emergency in need of a temporary fix, seek out remedies, therapies, repairs and regenerating masks that include ingredients which deliver much-needed protecting, hydrating, strengthening, conditioning and sealing properties. As well as immediately seeming to go away – so you can feel great for your upcoming event – they promote healthier hair by doing more than simply a one-off cover up – for better hair in the longer term.


If you’ve been injured by your hairdresser, whether it’s scalp blisters or burns and hair loss or breakage, get in touch with our Hairdressing Claims team. To find out if you’re eligible for compensation and to pursue a legal claim, contact us today by emailing enquiries@hairdressingclaims.co.uk, calling 0800 141 3682 from a landline for free, phoning 0333 202 6560 from a mobile or completing our online enquiry form.

Tweet us: https://twitter.com/HairClaims
Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/HairClaims
Like us: https://www.facebook.com/HairClaims

 

Tags: