7 Major Causes That Lead To Split Ends

Have you been struggling with split ends in your hair but don’t know why? Perhaps you should know about these causes.The only way to get rid of split ends is to cut them off. And for the future, you can take care of your hair and prevent splits from occurring in the first place. There are simple ways to avoid split ends, but before that let’s look at what causes split ends.

The longer the hair, the older the end and therefore more prone to split ends.

The daily grind – washing, combing, styling, and chemical treatments – can cause the hair cuticle, which is the outside protective sheath of the hair’s shaft, to wear off. Once the cuticle is damaged the inner layer of hair is exposed, and it becomes weakened, dehydrated and damaged, making the hair prone to split ends.

The good news is that you can easily avoid split ends and grow your hair longer with having to worry about them.

* Perming, Straightening or Curling

Appliances which work to achieve perming, straightening or curling work mainly by heating your hair to give it the shape you desire. But they also end up sucking the natural moisture out of hair follicles, leaving your locks dry and brittle. This causes split ends.

* Rebonding

Another similar process is called re-bonding in which, your hair is exposed to chemicals for over three hours. The chemical overload in this can also cause split ends.

* Blow drying

The hot air from the blow dryer sucks the natural moisture in your hair and causes split ends.

* Highlights and hair colouring

Chemicals wreak havoc with the natural chemical composition of your hair and colouring your hair very often and with poor quality colours can cause split ends.

* Excessive or strong shampoos

Always use mild shampoos meant for your hair type. Don’t experiment with shampoos too often. And while washing your hair, use shampoo only on your scalp, not on your hair. Using the wrong type of shampoo or using too much can make your hair rough, brittle and cause split ends.

* Brushing or combing

Comb your hair gently and never when wet. Vigorous drying and combing is the most common reason for split ends.

* Genetics

For some, hair with split ends is just a genetic problem. Called Trichorrhexis nodosa, this condition causes a defect in the hair shaft. So the hair is thick at some points and thin at others. This uneven texture causes it to break easily.