How to Prevent Split Ends: 5 Tips

It sounds counter-intuitive but trust me, trimming your hair contributes to its healthy growth.

I came across a lady the other day who was holding on to dead beat ends and she was complaining that her hair was just not growing.

This prompted me to write this quick post.

I’ll talk about what split ends are, the need for you trim your hair, how often you should trim and how much you should trim. Then I give you my best tips for preventing split ends.

The need to trim your natural hair

Because our hair is kinky and coily, our strands are prone to wrapping around each other and around themselves creating knots.

If we don’t keep our hair in stretched or protective styles knotting happens so easily, and especially on the ends.

So, check those ends and if you notice a lot of knots, it is definitely time to trim.

If there aren’t a lot then you can “search and destroy”, i.e. look through your hair and snip only the affected hair strands.

If you’ve examined your ends for knots and have not come across many, then check for split ends.

The lady I referred to at the beginning of this post didn’t know what split ends are or what to look out for.

A split end is literally the splitting of a hair strand into two (or many) strands. I’ve inserted a picture below showing different splits.

Now, if this goes on unchecked (untrimmed) the split will continue up the hair shaft causing even more damage. Further than that, split ends also cause breakage. Unfortunately, there’s no remedy for split ends, the only cure is a trim!

How often should you trim?

Well…as often as you notice your ends looking funky! Don’t get “scissor happy” now!

How much should you trim?

Well…where is the problem? it won’t help to trim your hair yet leave the problem behind! That would be silly.

Which scissors do you use to trim your hair?

If you are going to trim your own hair, make sure to use hair shears.

They are sharp enough to create a clean cut, other scissors not designed for cutting hair will damage the hair.

If you are not confident to do it yourself, go to a professional.

Also, resist the temptation to yank the hair off with your fingers when you see a knot or a split end, this will cause further damage to the hair strand.

5 Tips to prevent split ends

Here are some tips to help you prevent split ends:

1. Keep ends well-moisturised

Apply a leave-in conditioner (or water) and make sure to seal with extra oil and/or butter.

This fortifies the hair from normal wear and tear.

Do this often – feel for when your ends are dry. I use Jamaican Black Castor oil because it’s a thicker oil so it will lock in the moisture for longer.

Sleeping with a satin or silk pillowcase or scarf helps retain moisture, unlike cotton which absorbs moisture

2. The less you expose your ends to the elements the better

Keep those ends tucked away.

This is protective styling. If your hair is not too short there are plenty of style options that allow for tucked away ends.

But if you have longer hair, the less your hair comes in contact with your clothing the better as the friction caused between the two causes damage to ends. If you prefer and enjoy your hair out then, refer to no. 1.

3. Keep hair in a stretched state to avoid knotting.

Twists and braids work quite well, just swirl your ends to keep them clumped together. For short hair that cannot do this, refer to no. 1.

4. Avoid excessive heat (from blow dryers, straighteners, etc).

The best way to dry your wet hair is by letting it air dry.

Heat from appliances strip hair of moisture leaving it dry and brittle and prone to breakage.

The ends are the oldest and weakest part of the hair strands making them even more susceptible to breakage.

There are ways of achieving stretched out looks without applying heat (blog post for another day). 

5. Eat well

A balanced healthy diet means your body can produce healthy hair from the nutrients it receives!

So, back to the lady I told you about, it could be that her hair is seemingly not growing well because it keeps breaking due to the poor state of her ends.

Don’t get me wrong, trimming won’t make your hair miraculously grow faster, i.e. it won’t suddenly change the rate at which your hair grows.

But trimming improves the look and feel of your hair, and promotes its healthy growth and good quality length retention.

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