Let’s talk about split ends and how they can affect your natural hair.
I recently big chopped my hair for the second time, 4 years after my initial one. The main question I get asked is why would you cut your hair after growing it out for so long?
The simple answer to that is split ends. 2020 was so hard on my hair that it led to my ends splitting so far up my roots that a big chop was my only solution
What are split ends you may now ask?
If you aren’t familiar with the term, split ends are when a strand of hair gets split into two or more at the end of your hair. They occur when your hair becomes extremely dry and brittle. Simply put split ends are the wear and tear in your hair. Because your ends are the oldest part of your hair, and get dry quicker, getting split ends becomes inevitable.
There are other things that can also provoke split ends on your natural hair. A quick example is the excessive use of heat like blow-drying, curling, straightening your natural hair on a consistent basis.
You can’t really control getting split ends on your natural hair, but you can control how you treat them.
The question becomes how can one get rid of split ends from their natural hair?
It is possible to get rid of split ends, but there is no magic potion for it. Once your ends are split, the only way to get rid of it is by cutting it out. There are a lot of products being promoted towards repairing split ends, but truth be told they are a gimmick (yes I said it). There is nothing you can put on your hair that can repair your ends once they split. Once your ends start splitting, there is no going back.
The important thing to keep in mind is that the sooner you clip those ends off, the more beneficial it will be for the health of your hair. If you chose to ignore them, they will keep splitting and you may end up having to cut all your hair off and start all over just like I had to do.
Check out the video of my second big chop here
How can you tell that you are dealing with split ends?
There some obvious signs that your ends are splitting and need attention ASAP.
- Your hair is very bulky at the end and feels rough to the touch.
- When detangling becomes harder than usual, this is one of the major signs of having split ends.
- Another way to tell is when you notice that your hairstyles always end up on the frizzy side. For example, after you unravel a twistout/braidout, your ends are frizzy, yet you know you used all the right products and techniques.
Once you come to that realization, you need to take action as quickly as possible before it’s too late.
Read Protein-free products for natural hair
You can’t prevent split ends but you can keep them from becoming a major issue.
- Get in the habit of trimming your natural hair every 3 to 4 months. You may be able to wait a bit longer depending on how much you manipulate your hair. At the end of the day trimming your ends shouldn’t be optional. It should be part of your natural hair routine.
- Avoid using products on your natural hair that contain harsh ingredients such as dimethicone, and certain alcohols. Those will dry your hair out.
The failure to do so is what can lead to having to take extreme measures such as big chopping after growing out your hair for years just like I had to do.
So yes, you can get rid of split ends from your natural hair, but the only way to do so is by cutting those ends off. Do yourself a favor, make trimming part of your natural hair routine and you will never have to worry about big chopping your hair a second time and lose all the efforts you’ve already put in.
I hope this gave you a better understanding of split ends, what to do to get rid of them and keep them from becoming a bigger issue for your natural hair.
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Have you dealt with split ends before? If so, what did you do? Share with me in the comments section below.
If you’d like to see my reaction to doing the big chop again after 4 years of being natural, check out the video down below.
