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View Full Version : Still split ends, what am I doing wrong?



jessicac1
July 30th, 2013, 10:06 AM
Hi all!
I hope you guys can give me some tips or point out where I am going wrong.
I have been trying to grow my hair for over a year now, it is now a solid BSL but when I started a year ago it was this length too (albeit wispy ended).

Last month I got 2.5 inches cut off my hair as my hairdresser said it was all damaged and needed to go. I agreed, however I STILL HAVE SPLIT ENDS.

I can never seem to get rid of them!

My hair is 1a/b ii fine

My routine:

- wash my hair every 2/3 days with shampoo (moroccanoil or loreal mythic oil) and deep condition every wash mostly with a protein-free treatment. (Last year I went CO for a few months but I found my hair still greasy and still split endy, maybe I should give this another go?)
- pat my hair with a towel and apply oil (moroccanoil or loreal mythic oil)
- I mostly do blow dry my hair using heat protectant (ciment thermique by kerastase) but last year I did stop using heat altogether for a few months but I still got splits.
- I mostly wear my hair down but I do side braids (fishtail) sometimes.
- I never straighten it
- I curl with an iron it for special occasions
- I get it trimmed every 3 months, in between I do search and destroy on splits (of which there are many)
- I used to use henna, but I use a semi-permenant glossing last month. I did get a few highlights just over a year ago which may account for some strands being worse than others.
- I brush it with a tangle teezer

Any tips on how I can get split free and stay that way would be great!
My aim is waist length but it seems impossible if I keep having to trim :(

Thanks!

Arien
July 30th, 2013, 10:25 AM
Maybe it would help if you blow dry your hair less often. Maybe you just need to give it a longer trial. Also it might help if you try to wear your hair up more often. I find coconut oil as a treatment works well to help prevent splits.. In general my hair doesn't like too much protein so I try not to use it too often, (it makes my hair too crunchy to use too much on a regular basis) but every now and again a coconut oil treatment really keeps my hair in top condition. I soak my hair in it. Wrap it up in a turban, and leave it over night. I rinse it out the next day. I only do this 3-4 times a year..

spidermom
July 30th, 2013, 10:27 AM
I've given up the split end battle. I think the only way I could prevent split ends would be to shave my head and put my hair under glass and keep it out of direct light.

Just do the best you can, but above all - enjoy your hair.

ravenreed
July 30th, 2013, 10:42 AM
It took me about five years to get rid of most of my split ends. I never thought I would because I have always had split ends no matter what routine I followed. Even as a kid, when I washed my hair about once a week I still got terrible split ends. Remember that if you have been heatstyling a lot, your hair may be damaged as even heat protectant doesn't prevent it completely. You may need to lay off the heat more, and wait for the old damage to grow out. Anyway, I currently use heat at most twice a month, I CO every other day, and regularly use catnip rinses. I think that has gone a long way towards reducing my split ends, as has growing out old hair dye damage.

jessicac1
July 30th, 2013, 10:54 AM
Thanks for the replies, funnily enough my boyfriend keeps saying split ends are probably normal on longer hair, that doesn't stop me dreaming of being free of them though :p

I will try catnip, is there a post on how to use it?

I will also try to keep my hair up as much as possible and do overnight treatments with oil.

Leeloo
July 30th, 2013, 10:58 AM
I agree with ravenreed, maybe you should give a no heat another try and longer this time. You’ll have to grow out the old damage.

meteor
July 30th, 2013, 11:04 AM
My immediate thoughts are:
- don't blow dry (it's summer, and you can easily air-dry),
- do oil your hair whenever you can (e.g. as a pre-poo) to protect your ends,
- don't curl or heat-style any more,
- don't do more highlights (use any bleach) if you can,
- do some strengthening treatments (e.g. catnip, cassia / senna / neutral henna),
- keep your hair in side-braids / fishtails more often or put your hair up, instead of wearing it down.

To be honest, it always took me only about 6 months to go from BSL to waist, without trimming. Try to be a bit more forgiving to your ends - i.e. don't trim so much but protect them more.

My ends are bleached (from many highlighting sessions), but oils (esp. coconut oil) keep it from splitting. A few months since I started lightly oiling my ends every other day, I noticed that they got stronger.
Oiling hair a few hours before washing it helps hair retain more of its protein (structure), because hair inevitably loses some protein every time it's washed.
By the way, since your hair is 1a/b and gets split ends so easily, some protein treatments might be useful.

Vrindi
July 30th, 2013, 11:04 AM
Does your shampoo have sulfates? That might be contributing. Also, it can take a while for splits to show up after damage, so my guess would be the blowfryer. Even if you'd stopped for a few months, those splits that appeared were probably from past damage. I have very fine hair too, and I can't heat style it AT ALL. I'll flip my head upside down in front of a room fan for a few minutes if I need it to dry faster. Fine hair tends to be more fragile to begin with, and even a heat protector can only do so much. It's still not going to stop the damage, only lessen it a little.

Also, the oil you're using sounds like a commercial hair product, which, if it's the one I looked at, it's mostly mineral oil with a few drops of argan oil. Mineral oil works for a lot of people, but I find it blocks my hair from absorbing moisture. I use coconut oil. It has the added benefit of being a UV protectant.

I will be growing out dyed hair for a couple of more years. Until all that dyed hair has been cut off, I'm going to still see splits, I just see fewer of them now. You will probably face the same thing with heat damage. In the meantime, I suggest micro-trims or dustings, and S&D to manage them. Avoid the heat styling, and avoid cuts. You shouldn't need them with dustings or micro-trims. Otherwise, it sounds like you're treating your hair really well. It's just fine and more fragile.

meteor
July 30th, 2013, 11:08 AM
Also, the information on these threads may be useful:
Catnip for split ends: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=476
The split end support thread: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=112265

jessicac1
July 30th, 2013, 11:10 AM
Great tips, thanks! I will try to blowdry only when necessary, however as my hair is so fine it looks really flat to my head if I airdry it and not as shiny, so maybe when its nearly dry ill use the hairdryer on the cool setting from a distance to mimic a fan.
I have some coconut oil (pure stuff) but I reach for the other stuff as its less easy to overload and end up looking greasy. I will give it another try though :)

massivecnqstdr
July 30th, 2013, 11:13 AM
My hair gets split ends even at very short lengths if I consistently blow dry or do other heat styling. Oh, the joys of fragile, fine hair! If you need it straighter or smoother, maybe try wrap drying the hair. I found this thread about it: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=69319
Also, remember that if there are chemically treated or dyed ends, those are there until they are cut off. Obviously the henna is fine...

ravenreed
July 30th, 2013, 11:31 AM
If I want volume, I put my hair up on top of my head while it is drying. I don't know if that will help you, as when my hair was shorter it tended towards BIG HAIR.

ETA: I find argan oil is better for my hair and looks less greasy when I use it. I am not a big fan of leaving oil in my hair, however. I don't find it reduces my split ends much and causes other problems for me. I typically only use oil about a half hour before washing it, and not more than a couple times a month.


Great tips, thanks! I will try to blowdry only when necessary, however as my hair is so fine it looks really flat to my head if I airdry it and not as shiny, so maybe when its nearly dry ill use the hairdryer on the cool setting from a distance to mimic a fan.
I have some coconut oil (pure stuff) but I reach for the other stuff as its less easy to overload and end up looking greasy. I will give it another try though :)

Magalo
July 30th, 2013, 11:38 AM
Do a good S&D then wear protective updos for a couple of months! You'll know if wearing it down is the problem.

Bellechevelure
July 30th, 2013, 12:04 PM
Ahhhh... split ends.... Sometimes I think just looking at my length will split them!:doh:

I almost have the same hair type as you and before I have the same problem. My solution was to do a pre-wash with oil. Once I week I do one with coconut oil (this make my length be more strong) and the other week I use olive oil (this REALLY moisture my ends). A other thing that really help with the split ends is wear a braid (english, 4 or 5 strand, fishtail, etc.). In fact, 5 days a week a wear a braid. This way on my 2 and 3 days without washing, I don't have to use heat. Oh and sleep with a cinnamon bun on the top of my head help me a lot.

Hootenanny
July 30th, 2013, 12:17 PM
The Morrocanoil and Loreal oil you are using are really just silicone mixes with a few drops of genuine oil added so that the company can call it an oil. They may coat the hair and protect it to some extent, but if I were you I would also add a true, deep-penetrating oil to your routine, such as coconut oil or avocado oil. These oils can actually penetrate the hair shaft and help prevent protein loss.

Also, I see that you are using a protein-free deep treatment. Is there a particular reason why you are avoiding protein? The reason I ask is that fine-haired folks often love protein. It helps to strengthen fine hair. You might want to give a protein treatment a shot! :)

Elecita
July 30th, 2013, 12:36 PM
I agree you should swap the commercial branded oils for natural oils, such as coconut oil (which penetrates and nourishes hair) as a deep conditioning treatment, and a light coating oil such as jojoba as a protector. Just make sure not to overdo it, a couple drops in your hands and running them through the lengths will do. Avoiding sulphates will be beneficial too.

Also, if you have old dye damage in your lengths or tips, it will be a lot harder to avoid splits, so don't sweat it too much, just keep S&D'ing to prevent the splits from running up your hair. And try not to use any more bleach or peroxide dyes, they will make it much worse. Heat damage, even with a protector, is very important too - would you point that blowdryer or curling iron to your skin, even with a heat protector? If it can damage your skin, it can damage yor hair.

Try more protective hairstyles, at least around the house, if you really prefer to leave it loose outside. Mechanical damage from the ends rubbing on clothes will be reduced a lot. Any style that helps keep your ends away from your back is good: braids, high pony tails, buns...

Good luck! :)

biogirl87
July 30th, 2013, 12:37 PM
Other members have had good guesses as to what you may be wrong and have good advice. The only thing I think I could possibly add is that perhaps the tangle teezer is contributing to the problem. I remember seeing blogs on the web where ladies have had breakage and split ends after using the tangle teezer for a couple of months and have found the tangle teezer to be the problem. Most, if not all of them had really curly hair, which would be very different from your hair pattern, but is it possible that tangle teezer is causing split ends for you? I'm not saying that it is, but just throwing this idea out there as a possibility.

luxepiggy
July 30th, 2013, 01:06 PM
Other members have had good guesses as to what you may be wrong and have good advice. The only thing I think I could possibly add is that perhaps the tangle teezer is contributing to the problem. I remember seeing blogs on the web where ladies have had breakage and split ends after using the tangle teezer for a couple of months and have found the tangle teezer to be the problem. Most, if not all of them had really curly hair, which would be very different from your hair pattern, but is it possible that tangle teezer is causing split ends for you? I'm not saying that it is, but just throwing this idea out there as a possibility.

I'm with biogirl87 on this one! As a fellow 1a, I highly recommend giving the tangle teezer a rest and switching to finger-combing. My hair totally stopped getting split ends after I stopped using detangling tools on it and started detangling ONLY whilst in the shower, using my fingers, with lots of conditioner in. Particularly since you have fine strands, they are extra-delicate and I really do not think your texture is suited to tangle-teezing. JMHO (^(oo)^)v

ETA: FWIW, I use my blow-dryer regularly on the low/cool setting after every wash with no problems. However if you are turning your head upside-down to dry for volume, this could also be a major contributor to splits.

vindo
July 30th, 2013, 01:20 PM
1. in order for no blowdrying to show effect you need to wait pretty long. The ends are already damaged, the newer growth can be kept healthier not using heat though.
2. does your shampoo has harsh sulfates? If so you might want to switch to something less drying. Some hairtypes don't do well with harsh detergents at all.
3. a color gloss can still cause considerable damage if it contains ammonia or peroxide. Same for highlights.

4. If hair splits faster than you can say "hair fork", you might he lacking something or a underlying health issue might be at play. A while back I had much more splits and it was all health related and betteredby improving health and nutrition.:)

Panth
July 30th, 2013, 01:51 PM
To throw another idea out there: you appear to be at about BSL. Some people go through a damaged phase here because they sit in chairs a lot (e.g. work in an office) and at this stage the ends are at just the right length to rub between your back and the top of the chair, which they will not have been able to do before.

However, I think what is most likely is either:
a) you still have damage from something ages ago that hasn't grown out yet and is causing the recurrent splits, or
b) your hairdresser cut your hair with blunt scissors.

jacqueline101
July 30th, 2013, 04:46 PM
I'd say give up the heat and try some coconut oil and wear it in a protective updo. Don't stress over your hair growth and benign neglect is great.

Firefox7275
July 30th, 2013, 07:51 PM
Hi all!
I hope you guys can give me some tips or point out where I am going wrong.
I have been trying to grow my hair for over a year now, it is now a solid BSL but when I started a year ago it was this length too (albeit wispy ended).

Last month I got 2.5 inches cut off my hair as my hairdresser said it was all damaged and needed to go. I agreed, however I STILL HAVE SPLIT ENDS.

I can never seem to get rid of them!

My hair is 1a/b ii fine

My routine:

- wash my hair every 2/3 days with shampoo (moroccanoil or loreal mythic oil) and deep condition every wash mostly with a protein-free treatment. (Last year I went CO for a few months but I found my hair still greasy and still split endy, maybe I should give this another go?)
- pat my hair with a towel and apply oil (moroccanoil or loreal mythic oil)
- I mostly do blow dry my hair using heat protectant (ciment thermique by kerastase) but last year I did stop using heat altogether for a few months but I still got splits.
- I mostly wear my hair down but I do side braids (fishtail) sometimes.
- I never straighten it
- I curl with an iron it for special occasions
- I get it trimmed every 3 months, in between I do search and destroy on splits (of which there are many)
- I used to use henna, but I use a semi-permenant glossing last month. I did get a few highlights just over a year ago which may account for some strands being worse than others.
- I brush it with a tangle teezer

Any tips on how I can get split free and stay that way would be great!
My aim is waist length but it seems impossible if I keep having to trim :(

Thanks!

Hair is dead so cannot be permanently repaired, it can therefore take more than a few months of changing habits for the results to become apparent - it was a year before I really felt my hair had progressed because the ends of my hair were so damaged/ porous (did not look fried but effectively they were). Splits would suggest you may have lost all the protective cuticle (protein plus specific fats) from the ends of the hair.
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlchemist-porosity-and-curly-hair
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlychemist-the-cuticle-is-the-first-line-of-defense-for-our-hair

IMO stop the blow frying especially if you are using a brush at the same time (brushing wet hair), it's not just the heat but also the dehydration/ stretch and shrink effect. Or could you just blow fry the root are and not the lengths?
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2011/08/blow-drying-reduces-moisture-in-hair.html

If you have fine hair that is splitting use some hydrolysed protein, it confers strength from within, patch repairs surface damage, increase volume, can help the hair hold the right amount of water and heat protection.
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2009/12/thermal-protection-do-they-really-work.html
http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/04/29/how-to-protect-your-hair-from-heat-damage/
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/proteins-why-you-should-care

What are the ingredients in the oils you are using? I suspect they are both wall to wall silicones, likely your heat protectant is too, perhaps your deep treatment? It's not that silicones are bad, but they don't penetrate or 'nourish' hair in any way. Other ingredients beneficial for damaged hair include penetrating oils like coconut, ceramides and panthenol as well as protein, maybe try to get more balance in your products? I like the Komaza Care Matani repair treatment spray which contains a little protein, ceramides and panthenol, is very lightweight and not drying. The research backing coconut oil is as a lengthy soak on dry hair before washing (overnight to 24 hours).
http://www.komazahaircare.com/matani-repair-treatment.html
http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc2003/cc054n02/p00175-p00192.pdf

Also consider switching to a comb and/ or protective styling some of the time because all brushing and combing is damaging. The more your hair is down the more frequently the hair needs detangling as well as catching or rubbing on clothing, sofa, car headrest, purse strap and so on.

When you tried conditioner only did you keep any of your current products? If you did that might be part of the 'grease' problem, conditioner won't remove all ingredients including many silicones, also some polyquats, petrolatum, mineral oil, waxes including cetyl esters so you can get build up. Silicones can also make hair flat and lacking in volume.

Anje
July 30th, 2013, 08:41 PM
To throw another idea out there: you appear to be at about BSL. Some people go through a damaged phase here because they sit in chairs a lot (e.g. work in an office) and at this stage the ends are at just the right length to rub between your back and the top of the chair, which they will not have been able to do before.

However, I think what is most likely is either:
a) you still have damage from something ages ago that hasn't grown out yet and is causing the recurrent splits, or
b) your hairdresser cut your hair with blunt scissors.

Came here to say this. BSL and wearing loose seem to add up to splits for a lot of people.

Also, I suspect your oils are mostly silicone. Which is fine if your hair like the stuff, but it seems to encourage the splits to multiply on my head.

jessicac1
July 31st, 2013, 02:37 AM
Funnily enough, I remember reading on this forum protein overload could be problem (as i used protein in both my conditioner and shampoo) so I tried to cut it out.


The Morrocanoil and Loreal oil you are using are really just silicone mixes with a few drops of genuine oil added so that the company can call it an oil. They may coat the hair and protect it to some extent, but if I were you I would also add a true, deep-penetrating oil to your routine, such as coconut oil or avocado oil. These oils can actually penetrate the hair shaft and help prevent protein loss.

Also, I see that you are using a protein-free deep treatment. Is there a particular reason why you are avoiding protein? The reason I ask is that fine-haired folks often love protein. It helps to strengthen fine hair. You might want to give a protein treatment a shot! :)

jessicac1
July 31st, 2013, 02:41 AM
Do you mean like in a ponytail? My hair gets bumps etc so easily which is the reason I dont sleep in a bun as I worry it will get dents/kinks in it like it sometimes does.
Does anyone else have this problem?


If I want volume, I put my hair up on top of my head while it is drying. I don't know if that will help you, as when my hair was shorter it tended towards BIG HAIR.

ETA: I find argan oil is better for my hair and looks less greasy when I use it. I am not a big fan of leaving oil in my hair, however. I don't find it reduces my split ends much and causes other problems for me. I typically only use oil about a half hour before washing it, and not more than a couple times a month.

jessicac1
July 31st, 2013, 02:44 AM
Thanks for the detailed reply! I used a cheap silicone free conditioner after using a clarifying shampoo to start my period of COing. I went silicone free for a while but found my hair looked more limp...


Hair is dead so cannot be permanently repaired, it can therefore take more than a few months of changing habits for the results to become apparent - it was a year before I really felt my hair had progressed because the ends of my hair were so damaged/ porous (did not look fried but effectively they were). Splits would suggest you may have lost all the protective cuticle (protein plus specific fats) from the ends of the hair.
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlchemist-porosity-and-curly-hair
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlychemist-the-cuticle-is-the-first-line-of-defense-for-our-hair

IMO stop the blow frying especially if you are using a brush at the same time (brushing wet hair), it's not just the heat but also the dehydration/ stretch and shrink effect. Or could you just blow fry the root are and not the lengths?
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2011/08/blow-drying-reduces-moisture-in-hair.html

If you have fine hair that is splitting use some hydrolysed protein, it confers strength from within, patch repairs surface damage, increase volume, can help the hair hold the right amount of water and heat protection.
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2009/12/thermal-protection-do-they-really-work.html
http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/04/29/how-to-protect-your-hair-from-heat-damage/
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/proteins-why-you-should-care

What are the ingredients in the oils you are using? I suspect they are both wall to wall silicones, likely your heat protectant is too, perhaps your deep treatment? It's not that silicones are bad, but they don't penetrate or 'nourish' hair in any way. Other ingredients beneficial for damaged hair include penetrating oils like coconut, ceramides and panthenol as well as protein, maybe try to get more balance in your products? I like the Komaza Care Matani repair treatment spray which contains a little protein, ceramides and panthenol, is very lightweight and not drying. The research backing coconut oil is as a lengthy soak on dry hair before washing (overnight to 24 hours).
http://www.komazahaircare.com/matani-repair-treatment.html
http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc2003/cc054n02/p00175-p00192.pdf

Also consider switching to a comb and/ or protective styling some of the time because all brushing and combing is damaging. The more your hair is down the more frequently the hair needs detangling as well as catching or rubbing on clothing, sofa, car headrest, purse strap and so on.

When you tried conditioner only did you keep any of your current products? If you did that might be part of the 'grease' problem, conditioner won't remove all ingredients including many silicones, also some polyquats, petrolatum, mineral oil, waxes including cetyl esters so you can get build up. Silicones can also make hair flat and lacking in volume.

jessicac1
July 31st, 2013, 02:45 AM
Thanks for the detailed reply! I used a cheap silicone free conditioner after using a clarifying shampoo to start my period of COing. I went silicone free for a while but found my hair looked more limp...


Hair is dead so cannot be permanently repaired, it can therefore take more than a few months of changing habits for the results to become apparent - it was a year before I really felt my hair had progressed because the ends of my hair were so damaged/ porous (did not look fried but effectively they were). Splits would suggest you may have lost all the protective cuticle (protein plus specific fats) from the ends of the hair.
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlchemist-porosity-and-curly-hair
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlychemist-the-cuticle-is-the-first-line-of-defense-for-our-hair

IMO stop the blow frying especially if you are using a brush at the same time (brushing wet hair), it's not just the heat but also the dehydration/ stretch and shrink effect. Or could you just blow fry the root are and not the lengths?
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2011/08/blow-drying-reduces-moisture-in-hair.html

If you have fine hair that is splitting use some hydrolysed protein, it confers strength from within, patch repairs surface damage, increase volume, can help the hair hold the right amount of water and heat protection. http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2009/12/thermal-protection-do-they-really-work.html
http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/04/29/how-to-protect-your-hair-from-heat-damage/
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/proteins-why-you-should-care

What are the ingredients in the oils you are using? I suspect they are both wall to wall silicones, likely your heat protectant is too, perhaps your deep treatment? It's not that silicones are bad, but they don't penetrate or 'nourish' hair in any way. Other ingredients beneficial for damaged hair include penetrating oils like coconut, ceramides and panthenol as well as protein, maybe try to get more balance in your products? I like the Komaza Care Matani repair treatment spray which contains a little protein, ceramides and panthenol, is very lightweight and not drying. The research backing coconut oil is as a lengthy soak on dry hair before washing (overnight to 24 hours).
http://www.komazahaircare.com/matani-repair-treatment.html
http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc2003/cc054n02/p00175-p00192.pdf

Also consider switching to a comb and/ or protective styling some of the time because all brushing and combing is damaging. The more your hair is down the more frequently the hair needs detangling as well as catching or rubbing on clothing, sofa, car headrest, purse strap and so on.

When you tried conditioner only did you keep any of your current products? If you did that might be part of the 'grease' problem, conditioner won't remove all ingredients including many silicones, also some polyquats, petrolatum, mineral oil, waxes including cetyl esters so you can get build up. Silicones can also make hair flat and lacking in volume.

jessicac1
July 31st, 2013, 02:50 AM
Ok I will hide my tangle teezer from myself :p


I'm with biogirl87 on this one! As a fellow 1a, I highly recommend giving the tangle teezer a rest and switching to finger-combing. My hair totally stopped getting split ends after I stopped using detangling tools on it and started detangling ONLY whilst in the shower, using my fingers, with lots of conditioner in. Particularly since you have fine strands, they are extra-delicate and I really do not think your texture is suited to tangle-teezing. JMHO (^(oo)^)v

ETA: FWIW, I use my blow-dryer regularly on the low/cool setting after every wash with no problems. However if you are turning your head upside-down to dry for volume, this could also be a major contributor to splits.


Also does anybody have any tips on protective hairstyles if you don't suit buns/hair up? Side braids look nice but for work I don't know what to do as I wear a suit and work in an office where most ladies have blow dried/styled hair.

CurlMonster
July 31st, 2013, 03:02 AM
Also does anybody have any tips on protective hairstyles if you don't suit buns/hair up? Side braids look nice but for work I don't know what to do as I wear a suit and work in an office where most ladies have blow dried/styled hair.

Check out these guys on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/CuteGirlsHairstyles/videos
They have lots of great ideas for hairstyles. :)

Firefox7275
July 31st, 2013, 05:30 AM
Funnily enough, I remember reading on this forum protein overload could be problem (as i used protein in both my conditioner and shampoo) so I tried to cut it out.

If you only use protein in everyday products more may adhere to the surface than penetrate, that can build up if hair is quite damaged since protein adheres to damaged areas preferentially. You may therefore wish to rotate products, or try protein in deep treatments instead, definitely consider balance between other conditioning agents or penetrating oils and protein. It doesn't have to be/ should not be all or nothing with proteins silicones or anything else for that matter.



Thanks for the detailed reply! I used a cheap silicone free conditioner after using a clarifying shampoo to start my period of COing. I went silicone free for a while but found my hair looked more limp...

So you didn't use any of your oils or your mask when you went silicone free? If so what did you use? It's not as simple as just going silicone free, you would need to consider what ingredients you are and are not using since many ingredients can build up and weigh hair down or cause velcro ends - waxes like cetyl esters, butters, some polyquats, petrolatum/ mineral oil, proteins for example. Some silicone free products are very basic and don't really contain anything that is any more 'nourishing' or penetrating than silicones, others contain products that impart slip, shine, elasticity.

jessicac1
July 31st, 2013, 12:10 PM
Hi!
When I went silicone free and avoided all harsh stuff and COing I used a cheap simple conditioner with very few ingredients, no sulfates etc. I only used coconut oil then. But I didnt notice much of a difference. One of the conditioners I used did have jojoba wax i think, it was a natural one.
I did usually use a moisture conditioner after any protein one.

Anyone from the UK able to recommend any conditioner brands?

Thanks!

kpzra
July 31st, 2013, 02:17 PM
I never use heat products, always condition, deep condition a few times a month, wear my hair up for the most part and any color is a gloss with no ammonium or anything. I still have split ends and I just don't let them bother me. Some hair types will, no matter what you do it seems. Overall my hair looks good and healthy and that's what matters to me.

Coolcombination
July 31st, 2013, 03:11 PM
I would say, don't blow dry, wear it up in protective styles. If you have damaged your hair and then change your evil ways, the improved texture won't really show until you have a couple of inches of roots showing x

Coolcombination
July 31st, 2013, 03:13 PM
Oh conditioner brands, simple conditioner, Aussie mega instant conditioner, Aussie 3 minute miracle reconstructor treatment and boots do nice conditioner to, there's one with sweet almond and coconut in that smells gorgeous but I haven't used it yet.

teddygirl
July 31st, 2013, 05:29 PM
I think you'd need to not blow dry/use heat for a lot longer to see any results. There was a time when my hair was completely virgin, and I didn't blow dry it all for almost a year, and was still getting splits. The damage is already done, so you need to really lay off to see a difference. That being said I feel like my hair is ubere split prone, and I would need to be super gentle/always wear it up/etc to not get any splits, and doing even 1 thing wrong sets it off. I hate trying to s+d because every strand has so many, and I go back again a week later and they're back!

Amy-Lee
September 18th, 2020, 05:16 PM
Stop using heat altogether. Comb hair only. Use a wide tooth wooden comb. Try mixing Amla, Brahmi, Fenugreek, Marshmallow root, and Shikakai powder with hot water. Strain with cheese cloth. Apply 100% aloe vera afterwards. It will strengthen your strands and prevent future splits. In the meantime, try to S&D before applying the herbs.

lerryn
September 19th, 2020, 04:25 AM
Like pretty much everyone has already said, I'd definitely lay off the heat as much as I could if I were you! Maybe try drying your hair on the cool setting if you really depend on your blowdryer to get the results you want, and perhaps look into getting a diffuser attachment for it so it better mimics the air drying process. Three things that really, really helped me when I tried to minimise my split ends were tying it up at night in a loose pineapple on top of my head, sleeping on satin pillowcases to lessen the friction against my hair that was touching the pillow, and drying my hair gently with a cotton t-shirt instead of a regular bath towel! Microfibre towels are also really good for that, because bath towels are so absorbent they can really hurt your hair while it's in such a fragile state when wet, even if you're gentle with it. I swear by my cotton shirt for drying my hair at this point haha, never going back to a standard towel again!

Shorty89
September 19th, 2020, 08:56 AM
Hey guys, just in case you aren't aware, this thread is from 2013. I'm not sure if the OP is even still around.

TatsuOni
September 20th, 2020, 02:54 AM
Hey guys, just in case you aren't aware, this thread is from 2013. I'm not sure if the OP is even still around.

OP hasn't logged in since 2013.

Dark40
September 20th, 2020, 08:07 PM
I agree with the meteor. What you should do is stop using heat all together. Now, in the fall/winter months I can use you having to use the blow dryer. But not after every wash. Stay about from doing those highlights or using any bleach. Use deep moisturizing conditioners and protein conditioners. I use hair masks to prevent split ends. I've got sick and tired of battling with split ends. That's how I no longer have them.

TatsuOni
September 21st, 2020, 06:29 AM
I agree with the meteor. What you should do is stop using heat all together. Now, in the fall/winter months I can use you having to use the blow dryer. But not after every wash. Stay about from doing those highlights or using any bleach. Use deep moisturizing conditioners and protein conditioners. I use hair masks to prevent split ends. I've got sick and tired of battling with split ends. That's how I no longer have them.

The OP hasn't been here since 2013.

Dark40
September 22nd, 2020, 07:58 AM
The OP hasn't been here since 2013.

Oh yeah, that's right. I see that now. Thank you for letting me know.

ZoeZ
September 22nd, 2020, 09:27 AM
Still good info though.

Amy-Lee
October 1st, 2020, 07:45 PM
I know this is an old thread... but my hair issue may help someone. My split ends was caused by henna, ACV, protein, and heavy oils. I really didn't know too much about low porosity and high porosity hair. I was just using whatever was popular without understanding my hair structure. The only thing my strands could handle was shampoo and conditioner... sometimes jojoba once in a blue moon. Even heat used only on special occasions caused split ends. Once I left my hair alone (just quit using acv) , my hair changed for the better. Wash your shed hair with a clarifying shampoo. Put it in a glass of water for 3 minutes. If it floats, you have low porosity hair. If it sinks, it's high porosity. Then go from there.

lapushka
October 2nd, 2020, 04:37 AM
Amy-Lee, that glass water test is very much a flawed test. You would need to have your hair examined by an online service to know your true porosity. :)

Amy-Lee
October 2nd, 2020, 05:11 AM
Amy-Lee, that glass water test is very much a flawed test. You would need to have your hair examined by an online service to know your true porosity. :)




Interesting! I had no idea. Thank you for letting me know! :o I wonder how much it is to send in a hair sample.

MusicalSpoons
October 2nd, 2020, 06:53 AM
Interesting! I had no idea. Thank you for letting me know! :o I wonder how much it is to send in a hair sample.

A link about why the float test is mostly useless (although you clarifying the hair was better than some people do when they try it!) https://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2013/01/junk-science-hair-porosity-tests-float.html
Porosity can be roughly gauged by observing how your hair reacts to various products and situations: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/hair-porosity-how-to-measure-sort-of.html

Edit to add: your hair disliking protein could have been more because it's on the coarse side than porosity, or it could just have been overload after henna, or it could have been just because that's how your hair is. Some hair loves protein, some hates it, and the rest is somewhere in between (and different hair often will react differently to different types of protein too).

Amy-Lee
October 2nd, 2020, 04:02 PM
A link about why the float test is mostly useless (although you clarifying the hair was better than some people do when they try it!) https://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2013/01/junk-science-hair-porosity-tests-float.html
Porosity can be roughly gauged by observing how your hair reacts to various products and situations: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/hair-porosity-how-to-measure-sort-of.html

Edit to add: your hair disliking protein could have been more because it's on the coarse side than porosity, or it could just have been overload after henna, or it could have been just because that's how your hair is. Some hair loves protein, some hates it, and the rest is somewhere in between (and different hair often will react differently to different types of protein too).





Thank you for the links and info, MusicalSpoons!! Knowledge is power! :o On the blog, it mentions using a Monocular scope to look at the cuticle layer of each strand. I saw quite a few on Amazon. I'm tempted lol.