My ends look raggedy no matter what I do to them. I’m constantly cutting, moisturizing them, sealing them, everything I can think of and still no results. I do protective styles the majority of the time because I hate the way they look on my twist out and flat twist out’s. Nothing seems to help, can you? – Jan
One thing you must understand is that you will never be free of split ends completely at least. Even if you have the best natural hair care regimen and you trim frequently to some degree splits will always be present in your hair. It’s quite easy to cause splits: simply manipulating your hair, twirling it, styling it, washing it, and even outside forces such as the environment can cause splits. Your goal with split ends should be to keep them maintained, not to completely eradicate them because sadly you never will.
The reason why we trim is to give our hair a healthier looking appearance. Left untreated splits tend to work their way up the hair strand giving the hair a thinned out scraggly look. They also make it very easy for the hair to form tangles which is why it is good to trim your hair for length retention.
My suggestion to you is if you aren’t using a lot of heat and you protective style the majority of the time, you probably don’t have to trim your hair as often as you currently are. Only you can be the judge of how frequently you trim, but in most cases I would say trim on an as needed basis. It is good that you are focusing your attention on moisturizing your ends as this is the oldest and most fragile part of our hair requiring the most attention. However, make sure you are using effective moisturizers. The best moisturizer is water and the alternative is a water based product.
Another thing to consider is how your trims are being done. Are you getting this professionally done or doing it yourself is the question? If you are doing it yourself you want to make sure you are using sharp hair cutting scissors that you use for nothing but trimming your hair. Dull scissors can make a split end situation worse. Also do not cut your hair when it is wet, cut your hair when it is dry to avoid damage.
Make sure you are coiling your ends rather than twisting all the way to the bottom. This will give your ends a better appearance when you do your twist outs. Jenell talks about this in her video above. Twisting all the way down can cause tangles, make it more difficult to remove the twists, which may also contribute to some damage or splits.
Jan I hope I have answered your question and you have more information that will lead you on a more enjoyable natural hair journey.
Blessings,
Ariane
Dear Ariane
I also have the exact same problems. I know we can’t be 100% split end free, but my hair seems to be increasingly splitting on a weekly basis. I never ever use heat on my hair, I only air dry. I shampoo roots only, I conditioner ends very well + add some coconut oil in it. I also add some coconut oil to hair when its 90% dry, I paddle brush gently. I give it a gentle braid when going to bed. I make sure my hair care products have no alcohol in. I eat fish 3 x week, chicken for the rest. I drink fruit smoothies daily. I am truly running out of options. I cut my hair with sharp scissors once a week. I dont dye my hair. Im close to tears. My hair is breaking off and i see more and more split ends regardless my efforts.
Can you please please please advse me. Thank you for your time and consideration, much appreciated.
Tiger xo
Make sure you are cutting your hair properly and with scissors that are specifically made for cutting hair. Otherwise you can actually be making split ends even worse. Once a week is way too often! You should only have to trim every couple to few months or so. You may have to make sure you are wearing styles where your hair is stretched, to retain more moisture and avoid tangles which should help cut down on the number of splits you see.
My mom has the same problem, no matter how careful, gentle, protective styles, organic products or methods, moisturized, professional trims her hair no matter what kept splitting and shedding. After all my research I have done doing all those things are truly pointless when ur body is sucking the nutrients out of ur hair. My best advice to you before it’s too late for ur hair is figure out what ur body is lacking. It could be u need to take vitamins, or u have some thyroid problems (which is directly linked to hair) etc or try a holistic approach whatever floats ur boat. Also for shedding try clove water with some rosemary, it ACTUALLY worked for her and we both saw results.