Split End / Damage Photos

[donnalouise]

Seems to be a topic for everything else here, so why not :)

When I S&D, my splits look very tiny, most of the splits i cut off are tiny 'forks' less than 1mm long. But, i came across this monster earlier. Couldn't get a brilliant pic, but you can see it has splits within splits, pretty cool (or horrifying whichever way you look at it!). Glad i got rid of him anyway.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v672/donnalouise99/split.png (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/donnalouise99/media/split.png.html)

It'd be good to get a collection of pictures of splits, white dots, fairy knots, or other kind of damage... i know some folk who are new to the long hair thing have surprisingly never seen a split before and don't know what it looks like, and can be hard to spot on finer hair too. I'm going to get my good camera out soon and keep it on standby for the next time i find some damage and will take a clearer shot.

Feel free to contribute ladies (and gents).

[redtuss]

Whoa! That was a true Halloween-picture, immensely scary!!
I found one that had three splits on it but didn't think to take a picture, next time I run across a split one (I am freshly trimmed atm) I will contribute to this thread - it is a great idea!

[donnalouise]

OK here's a more usual split end... in the very early stages..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v672/donnalouise99/normalsplit.png (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/donnalouise99/media/normalsplit.png.html)

Blown up the pic, the split is barely visible in reality.. less than 0.5mm, i spot these by holding my hair up against the bright glare of my laptop screen.

[Vampyria]

Oh, that's fun. ;) I don't actually get split ends as such, if I find some there's usually the whole strand split.

http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p496/Lilith513/eba9c83f-f9bb-4880-8ce9-4fae105dd414.jpg?t=1382471599

http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p496/Lilith513/d218443a-4a69-41c3-859d-a37dbbb7e537.jpg?t=1382471572

[donnalouise]

Aghhh this topic is going to become the stuff of hair-nightmares, i can see. Great pics though. Mine sometimes split half way up like that, not come across any recently. Mostly they split from the bottom upwards. Went through a phase where i had lots of white dots too but i couldn't find any to take photos of today, weird.

[HintOfMint]

OP, that's a beauty! I get some monsters like that too, they're oddly satisfying to find, even if I'm not thrilled they're there in the first place

[Tini'sNewHair]

Wow you guys, i'm going to have some really awesome nightmares now haha. My hair dosnt have those kinds of split ends yet but when i had hip hair in the past, i used to find some really awesome split ends that used to really freak me out :)) who knew, a strand of hair can transform in such monsters :o i'm so glad they arent alive and eat people :))

[duchess67]

I remember seeing those kind of split ends on my hair when I was younger. Luckily not anymore. I must be doing something right...

[rose313]

This is a great thread idea, I only just found out what white dots look like when I asked about it here. It's hard to notice things in my hair if I don't know exactly what I'm looking for.

[Anje]

Ooh, I've got one! (Is it sad that we've all been documenting our more epic splits?)
http://s17.postimg.org/5bouazsu7/scary_split_small.jpg

Vampyria, that's an amazing one!

[Roscata]

Here is my fairy knot:
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a207/ioana2adelina/fairyknot.jpg

[Naiadryade]

I love this thread idea! :rollin: It'll give me something more to do when I S&D... I do have one picture I've posted on the boards before though, from last February.

And with all due respect, I think this baby blows all your splits out of the water!

http://s20.postimage.org/44q04k90d/023.jpg

The OP's was pretty impressive too though, and it was hard to believe that those whole-length splits of Vampyria's were really one hair!

[donnalouise]

Oh wow that is very scary, Naia!

[redtuss]

Nightmares I tell ya!!

Naiadryade - I have actually been having that picture in my mind since I saw it; the forking action is so immense it just etched itself to my brain!

No split ends yet, but I should be getting some soon to photograph..

[bunzfan]

This whole thread is freaking me out and giving me nightmares shudder::lol:

[Dowzey]

By chance, this topic is excellent to compare hair strand thickness with other people. Seeing these pictures make me realise I'm definately a F, my splits are similar to Anje's :)

[ZenaZoo]

Brilliant thread!

[Misschilly]

I have a baby to show but I don't know yet how to upload pic..? But Here's a link to my blog: http://varavacker.blogspot.se/2013/09/hur.html

[nobeltonya]

Wow those are some huge splits. Haven't come across any that big.. mine are usually really small and on the ends of my lighter colored and thinner hairs. I'll try to remember to get a pic next time I find one. :disco:

[Anje]

By chance, this topic is excellent to compare hair strand thickness with other people. Seeing these pictures make me realise I'm definately a F, my splits are similar to Anje's :)
Do realize that my hair's in the normalish-F range, not that super-fine F that's like strands of spider silk. I keep being tempted to reclassify it as F/M, but then I see M hairs and C hairs in real life. Some of those things are like thread!

[spidermom]

Not a split, but
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/2013-2-9024_zps17a8695c.jpg (http://s25.photobucket.com/user/spidermom/media/2013-2-9024_zps17a8695c.jpg.html)
what the freak is up with this hair?

[Kaelee]

Do realize that my hair's in the normalish-F range, not that super-fine F that's like strands of spider silk. I keep being tempted to reclassify it as F/M, but then I see M hairs and C hairs in real life. Some of those things are like thread!

I feel the same way...sometimes I feel like trying to classify my hair is like trying to solve differential equations (no actually, THOSE ARE EASIER!).

Maybe we need a super fine classification, for those spider silk haired people? :agree:

[Vampyria]

Ooh, I've got one! (Is it sad that we've all been documenting our more epic splits?)
http://s17.postimg.org/5bouazsu7/scary_split_small.jpg

Vampyria, that's an amazing one!

Thank you. ;)


I love this thread idea! :rollin: It'll give me something more to do when I S&D... I do have one picture I've posted on the boards before though, from last February.

And with all due respect, I think this baby blows all your splits out of the water!

http://s20.postimage.org/44q04k90d/023.jpg

The OP's was pretty impressive too though, and it was hard to believe that those whole-length splits of Vampyria's were really one hair!

Wow that one is scary, I think you win. ;)


I have a baby to show but I don't know yet how to upload pic..? But Here's a link to my blog: http://varavacker.blogspot.se/2013/09/hur.html

How does this happen, I've never seen something like that. :disbelief You can create an account on Photobucket, upload pictures, click on the icon "insert image" above the text space and paste the link of the photo. :)

[Peggy E.]

And so here I am, now wishing for a split end of epic and/or massively unique proportion! :o(

[Misschilly]

Vampyria: I have no idea how I succeeded doing that split, crazy! But very satisfying to cut it away!

[BlazingHeart]

I've never seen splits like these! I feel a little reassured now about the fact that I almost never find splits in my hair. I have wondered in the past if I was just not looking carefully enough, but if I had splits like that, I would have noticed! I manage to find maybe one or two little tiny baby splits a year, and that's it.

[Ocelan]

I usually get those tiny little forks at the ends of hairs too, but I've seen my share of monsters like the ones in this thread on my head before I started properly S&Ding. I think you guys have inspired me to check out my DBF's head though. He is a BSL long hair WO washer with a tendency to rip through his hair with a brush daily (nowadays a TT but previously he used one of those plastic ball tipped brushes). There are some seven... ten... fifteen way splits in his head. No wonder it's so hard to brush through, but I never get him to sit still enough to S&D even a small portion of his head. There are splits on half his hair strands. Tomorrow I might ambush him with a little S&D session. :scissors::hatchet:

[höpönasu]

There's something very pleasing with snipping off those split ends. :cloud9:

[thirstylocks]

Meh... kind of depressing that I find hairs like this on a daily basis, multiple times.

[redtuss]

Ok, so I promised I'd post when I found some uglies and here they are!

First out is a strand that was noticably thicker in the end, the photo is.. kinda bad - what looks like a split is a shadow!
http://s14.postimg.org/rnsit19o1/DSC_0192.jpg

And here we have a crinkle galore with a split in it to top things off!!
http://s14.postimg.org/ouzb909bl/DSC_0188.jpg

I will continue the search! Fairy knots I find kinda often but I haven't had one worthy to take a photo off yet ;)

[MarlieJane]

This thread of the stuff nightmares are made of! Yet it's oddly fascinating to look at the pictures. At least I know I'm not alone with these!

[Jennielee88]

Guys I cannot even believe this split I found today. Close your eyes now if you're of a sensitive disposition!



http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af6/Jennielee_88/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps1233e692.jpg

[Of the Fae]

I love this thread idea! :rollin: It'll give me something more to do when I S&D... I do have one picture I've posted on the boards before though, from last February.

And with all due respect, I think this baby blows all your splits out of the water!

http://s20.postimage.org/44q04k90d/023.jpg


The OP's was pretty impressive too though, and it was hard to believe that those whole-length splits of Vampyria's were really one hair!



Holy cow, that looks a bit like a fern! With all the leaves and twigs!

I usually got the halfway up splitting, with two forks

[oilslick]

Aaaaagh - I just got a snip snip at the salon for my splits. This is going to give me nightmares.

[queenieheather]

I didn't know "fairy knots" had a name before this thread! How do you prevent these? I find at least a couple when I s&d every time. My hair is quite fine.

[Tini'sNewHair]

Ahhhh, why did i open this thread again :O :))

[0xalis]

Oh, if only I'd gotten some pictures of my hair after the bleach!

[RainbowBowser]

I shouldn't be so eager to take a picture next time I s&d...:P

[Roscata]

I didn't know "fairy knots" had a name before this thread! How do you prevent these? I find at least a couple when I s&d every time. My hair is quite fine.

I only got them when I didn't use coconut oil as a pre-wash treatment. So for me using coconut oil on my hair before washing it, helps prevent them.

[oilslick]

I didn't know about "fairy knots" either :). I don't recall ever seeing them. But then again - maybe I wasn't paying attention.

[alyanna]

Do realize that my hair's in the normalish-F range, not that super-fine F that's like strands of spider silk. I keep being tempted to reclassify it as F/M, but then I see M hairs and C hairs in real life. Some of those things are like thread!

Yep, I believe you! My hair is a finer F and I rarely see splits. Mine just seems to dissolve, or just snaps off I guess.

Some of the pics in this thread actuslly make me envious! I wish my strands were thick enough to split into four!!!

[cathair]

Was doing some S&D this afternoon. Have managed to get rid of most of the forked splits after the Inecto incident and was cutting off white dots. Then I came across this one. It's like the eye of a needle! The hair is split through the middle, but not all the way to the end! I don't think I have seen one like this before.

Still attached to my head:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=11463&d=1403537559

Cut off with a pin through the hole:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=11464&d=1403537564

[höpönasu]

^ I sometimes find those too. They're weird. I love your long nails by the way. :flower:

[Wosie]

Yep, I believe you! My hair is a finer F and I rarely see splits. Mine just seems to dissolve, or just snaps off I guess.

Some of the pics in this thread actuslly make me envious! I wish my strands were thick enough to split into four!!!

I have honestly thought more and more lately that most of my hairs could be used as sewing thread, as they're so thick and strong. I guess I like that they're strong and they very seldom break, but I don't think it looks very good with thread-like fly-aways sticking out of one's hair (e.g. when I'm wearing a bun). >.<

cathair, I saw rather many of those hairs back when my mane was long. I'm happy for you that your hair quality is so good that you haven't seen one before!

[MINAKO]

Whaaaa, i love this thread. Sadly i just S&Ded a few days ago, but my next triple double fairy knots are sure to be posted here. I seldom find any nowaday, but usually when i do they are a couple of then sort of stacked on top of one another in one single hair.

[cathair]

Thank you höpönasu :flowers: I wouldn't never have guessed you have had splits like that, your hair looks so healthy :)

Wosie I don't know if my hair quality is that great... It's just white dots are more it's thing :lol: That's interesting you've had many. I can't get my head round how they would form at the moment. How long was your hair before? Have you not seen any since you cut?

[MINAKO]

If someone braids alot i would guess that a hair that sort of splits in the middle is a bit more stressed by the elastic to secure the tassle and thats how it splits there first...
If not it remains a mystery to me as well.

[cathair]

Hmmm... it could be for some I guess, but I haven't used an elastic on a braid for a very long time. I did wonder if it's like a white dot, but instead of going across the hair it runs down it? Or maybe my hair is very dry? I don't like the conditioner I've been using, I don't think it's very moisturising or slippy and it has been very hot lately.

Would love to see your mutliple fairy knots next time if you find any while you are S&Ding btw :)

[Feathered]

Here is my fairy knot:
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a207/ioana2adelina/fairyknot.jpg

So that's a fairy knot! I had just asked myself that a few minutes ago. Thanks! I actually cut one off the other day. It's hard to imagine how they get like that.

[cathair]

So that's a fairy knot! I had just asked myself that a few minutes ago. Thanks! I actually cut one off the other day. It's hard to imagine how they get like that.

I think this one I have actually worked out! I've seen a fairy knot form when I've been detangling my hair. Two or more hairs get in a tangle or a knot. I'd start removing single hairs one at a time by pulling them out of the tangle. Once I'd removed all the hairs from the tangle, I'd end up with a knot or loop on a single hair where the other hairs had been wrapped around it, where tangle had been. If that gets pulled tight it ends up as a fairy knot :) I guess this can happen on it's own too, just from having tangles and moving around.

[longhairedlady]

I am enjoying this thread way too much lol.

[Anje]

OK, I really want to know what on earth happened to this hair. There were one or two others like it, too. :[

http://s9.postimg.org/5ilpd85ov/2015_02_18.jpg

[höpönasu]

^ I have similar too, and some of them are even more "rough".

[Anje]

It's the regularity of those zigzags that freaks me out. XD

[Arctic]

OK, I really want to know what on earth happened to this hair. There were one or two others like it, too. :[

http://s9.postimg.org/5ilpd85ov/2015_02_18.jpg


^ I have similar too, and some of them are even more "rough".


It's the regularity of those zigzags that freaks me out. XD


Anje, it does look like it got stuck between something, the regularity does look interesting.

But if we put the regular pattern aside, wiry hairs in general are very normal. I have quite a few of them. Oh, and when I had a bad protein overload, one of the ways in which it manifested was to make my ends crincly.

[Nettyx]

Anje - When I looked at that photo I just thought "binary hair", no idea why. So freaky, it looks like it wants to curl but doesn't know how.

[raemarthe]

I recently took some photos of various damage under a microscope! Thought some of you might like to see it!

This is a white dot on a hair strand
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u452/raemarthe/IMG_2964_zps8a9a0ce3.jpg (http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/raemarthe/media/IMG_2964_zps8a9a0ce3.jpg.html)

This a white dot on the end of a hair strand, I was surprised by this one, it looks different than I imagined!
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u452/raemarthe/IMG_2965_zpsbe197f2d.jpg (http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/raemarthe/media/IMG_2965_zpsbe197f2d.jpg.html)

And this is just one of those weird funky split ends.
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u452/raemarthe/IMG_2967_zps707a5ff6.jpg (http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/raemarthe/media/IMG_2967_zps707a5ff6.jpg.html)

[lapushka]

It looks like it was in an updo and the tines of the fork got stuck underneath it.

[gthlvrmx]

I recently took some photos of various damage under a microscope! Thought some of you might like to see it!

This is a white dot on a hair strand
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u452/raemarthe/IMG_2964_zps8a9a0ce3.jpg (http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/raemarthe/media/IMG_2964_zps8a9a0ce3.jpg.html)

This a white dot on the end of a hair strand, I was surprised by this one, it looks different than I imagined!
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u452/raemarthe/IMG_2965_zpsbe197f2d.jpg (http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/raemarthe/media/IMG_2965_zpsbe197f2d.jpg.html)

And this is just one of those weird funky split ends.
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u452/raemarthe/IMG_2967_zps707a5ff6.jpg (http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/raemarthe/media/IMG_2967_zps707a5ff6.jpg.html)

Woa! I love this! This is amazing! It may be scary to look at, but it sure is interesting to see up close! Thank you for posting this!

[raemarthe]

No problem! I looked at a ton of different hair and damage under the microscope a few weeks ago, it was fun haha.

[Arctic]

Amazing microscope photos!

The one that you (Raemarthe) said is of a white dot at the tip, it looks like a root bulb to me. Do you have more of the photos, they are super interesting!

[MagicalMystery]

How on earth do fairy knots even happen? I get tons.

[cathair]

OK, I really want to know what on earth happened to this hair. There were one or two others like it, too. :[

http://s9.postimg.org/5ilpd85ov/2015_02_18.jpg

Looks a bit like hair that's got caught in a zip/zipper? But maybe a little while after, so the kinks are a bit more shallow. I did that to a hair last week, got the entire length of it zipped into a zip. When it came out it had taken on the shape of every tooth of the chunky zip. It was horrific, another one I had to cut off! Not doing very well lately.

[cathair]

I recently took some photos of various damage under a microscope! Thought some of you might like to see it!

This is a white dot on a hair strand
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u452/raemarthe/IMG_2964_zps8a9a0ce3.jpg (http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/raemarthe/media/IMG_2964_zps8a9a0ce3.jpg.html)

This a white dot on the end of a hair strand, I was surprised by this one, it looks different than I imagined!
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u452/raemarthe/IMG_2965_zpsbe197f2d.jpg (http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/raemarthe/media/IMG_2965_zpsbe197f2d.jpg.html)

And this is just one of those weird funky split ends.
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u452/raemarthe/IMG_2967_zps707a5ff6.jpg (http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/raemarthe/media/IMG_2967_zps707a5ff6.jpg.html)

White dots are so scary shudder:

[cathair]

How on earth do fairy knots even happen? I get tons.

I've seen them happen in my hair when two hairs have got tangled together, but one escapes leaving a knot in a single hair. Your mileage may vary :D

[raemarthe]

Amazing microscope photos!

The one that you (Raemarthe) said is of a white dot at the tip, it looks like a root bulb to me. Do you have more of the photos, they are super interesting!

Thank you! It was definently a white dot, I remember seeing it in my hair and cutting it out so I could put it under the microscope. I have no idea why it looks like that hmm. Maybe I'll have to look at more white dots later just to check if they all look like that too. Here are two more photos!

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u452/raemarthe/IMG_2946_zps7380aa9b.jpg (http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/raemarthe/media/IMG_2946_zps7380aa9b.jpg.html)

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u452/raemarthe/IMG_2976_zpsa139b8dd.jpg (http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/raemarthe/media/IMG_2976_zpsa139b8dd.jpg.html)

Sorry the photos are so big!

[Anje]

Looks a bit like hair that's got caught in a zip/zipper? But maybe a little while after, so the kinks are a bit more shallow. I did that to a hair last week, got the entire length of it zipped into a zip. When it came out it had taken on the shape of every tooth of the chunky zip. It was horrific, another one I had to cut off! Not doing very well lately.

That could be. It's about the right scale, and it was right at the ends of my braid.

[Hopeful65]

My fine hair is in good shape on the ends (daily wear hair down). I do monthly trims. But lately it had been tangley, so I clarified. That helped. Then I went out in the bright sunshine with my magnifying glasses on and did a good S&D, which is something I rarely do. Oh boy, no wonder it was tangling. I found some L shaped ends, and some that were like a J. And some that were a total U shape which caused the hair to be running back UP! It made a big difference when I snipped them off.

Does anyone else get these? What causes these L, J, and U ends?
I never use heat on my hair. No chemical damage or anything. Just virgin hair, air dried.

It's strange that I hardly ever get splits though.

[DreamSheep]

Microscope photos are cool!
The second photo is definitely a root bulb though :)
When hair sheds, it sort of gets tangled among your mane as it comes out, so it can look like an attached white dot - but the thickness and appearance gives away that it is the root of a shed hair.
That, or you have mutant-club-dangerous hair! :p

[raemarthe]

Well it must be a root bulb haha! I'll have to find a real white dot and look at it under the microscope and see what it looks like :)