Avoid split ends with these steps

Split ends are every woman’s nightmare. We have talked about how to get rid of split ends. However, it is important to know how to avoid the split ends in the first place:

Hair brush: Brushing the full length of your hair is one of the worst things you can do. Brush your hair as little as possible. A cushioned paddle brush with flexible bristles is the best for daily brushing.

A brush with hard bristles will rip and tear your hair, leaving you with split ends. When brushing, carefully brush through the ends first, then slowly work up to the midsection, then in a final stroke, pull the brush through the entire length of hair.

Limit heat: When you apply heat on your hair, it reduces its natural moisture, leaving it dry, rough and brittle. This can cause physical hair trauma, leading to damaged hair and split ends. The best way to dry the hair is to let it do so naturally.

Low manipulation: The more you style and comb your hair, the more you damage it.  The ends of your hair are the oldest portions of your hair, thus the slightest strain breaks it.

Accessories: Avoid accessories that break your hair. Rubber bands are the worst because they tear and pull at the hair when you take them out.

TLC: Always use conditioner and ensure you apply it directly to the ends of your hair. When rinsing, don’t completely rinse it dry of the conditioner. Ensure, however, that you touch the ends to the roots. The ends should also get plenty of water from plain water or water based products, to effectively moisturize the hair.

Hand in the hair: This is a syndrome some women suffer from - they touch and twirl their hair a lot. Stop it! You are damaging your hair.

Simplicity: Avoid complicated hairstyles in your regimen. Wearing your hair out all the time, if you have long hair, makes it vulnerable to friction from your blouse or jacket collar.

Use hair scissors: Only trim your hair with scissors designed for cutting hair. Using scissors that are dull or not designed for cutting hair worsens your split end situation.

Trim dry hair: If you cut your hair when wet, it may get split ends. Cutting the hair when dry also offers a better shaped cut. You clearly see the split, fray ends as opposed to when it is wet.

Towel drying: Never scrub and rub a towel all over your hair! The wet and vulnerable hairs crease and twist in many odd directions, leading to more breakage. Wrap a towel around hair and simply squeeze different areas to draw moisture out instead.

Oiling: Always oil your hair before you wash it. Washing the hair can cause damage since hair becomes fragile when wet. The oil forms a protective sheath around it, reducing the damage during washing.

Environment: The sun, wind and cold will leaving your hair dry and brittle, and more prone to breakage and split ends. Wear a hat or a scarf.