I Fail At S and D

[MadeiraD]

Even in the brightest light with my reading glasses on I just can't find splits and I'm pretty sure that's not because my ends are super healthy. I had a half inch trim in march, but I've just never been able to find my splits. Do I not know what a split end looks like?

What do they look like and how do I find them?

[Sharysa]

Pretty often my split ends look a) like forked branches (often Ys), b) have no splits but the ends taper down, or c) there's a strand that tied itself into a knot.

Usually if you can't see them from one angle, you need to turn the section of hair around so they can reveal themselves. Contrasting backgrounds and natural light help a LOT.

[midbackorbust]

It can be hard :(
You could try doing it in the dark holding your ends up in front of a small lighted surface like a computer or phone, that helps me.

[MadeiraD]

Is there an alternative to natural light? I'm not a daylight person...

[Aderyn]

Honestly, there is no comparison to natural light, imo. Every time I S&D in artificial light (regardless of the light technology), then go outside, there are tons of splits that are missed.. every time, without fail. I don't even bother in non natural light anymore. Someone else may be able to provide suggestions for non natural light, though. :shrug:

Even just a little bit of natural light from the blinds being slightly open has been fine, though, so it's not like you need to go sit outside in broad daylight to S&D effectively. I also am not a daylight person, and as such my S&D sessions rarely occur and are fairly short because of that.

[GoldenSilk]

I actually find more split ends at the computer at night than in natural light, but that might be because I'm blonde and the reflections from my sunbleached ends make me go cross-eyed. :bigeyes:

It took me a while to get halfway decent at finding them, though. One thing is, if you've recently trimmed, there may not be many at the very end - but there might be some further up in the hair.

What helps me is to run my fingers down small sections of hair and examine where I feel extra roughness. Single strand knots are the roughest, followed by split ends, then white dots, and then normal ends.

[Aderyn]

Ahh, yeah, I can definitely see how natural light on lighter hair may not work so well!

I agree with the running fingers down the sections to feel where the roughness is, though.

[ErinLeigh]

I struggle with it and never bother. My hair is so fine and see through sometimes 2 strands stuck together especially with layers could look like a split and I would end up messing up my hair cutting off make believe splits.

[cole]

Perhaps I am just unlearned as well, but I don't get too many too often anymore. When I bleached often, I was more prone to just ends breaking off rather than splitting. I used to see them a lot more, but a few good trims/chops after my "year of damage" and I haven't found but a few small ones. Those were easy to trim off. Perhaps as I gain more length, it will be easier to find more, though. Ha.

[Frozen_Farmgirl]

I understand your frustration. I have a hard time doin S and D too, not so much that the light is an issue, but I have very fine hair and a lot of it.... sometimes I have to look twice at what I think is a split end to make sure it's not actually two separate ends.

[MadeiraD]

I also get the "it's actually two hairs" thing a lot too

[Aingeal]

I find the most if I put my hair up against a dark surface. Or go somewhere without my scissors...suddenly I find a bunch. ;) For me, when I look at the ends of my hair, if the end is white, it is either breaking or has a split. That's why I find them against dark surfaces.

[Taenarian]

I've only ever found one classic Y split since I started S&D a year ago - most of my splits are from the knot and kink branch of the family. Usually able to feel it long before I find it.

[LauraLongLocks]

I find the most when sitting in front of the computer screen and while sitting in a vehicle on a sunny day. I have fine hair, and often mistake two hairs for a split, until I pull one of them out to see if they are attached or not. My splits seem to start out as a forked end, rarely do I find an actual Y or a feathered looking hair. I have only found a few fairyknots, too. I'm finding fewer and fewer since I began S&Ding in October. I think I'm finally finding all the ones that were long-neglected and I'm not getting a whole lot of new ones.

[Vanilla]

I find that doing two English braids seems to help immensely with my S&D. Any splits that pop out are more obvious, and they are easy to differentiate from other bits of hair.

[Larki]

I find that doing two English braids seems to help immensely with my S&D. Any splits that pop out are more obvious, and they are easy to differentiate from other bits of hair.

Do you mean it's easier to find the splits in the tassels of the braids instead of when your hair is down and loose?

[spidermom]

I divide in half, then braid my hair right down to the ends in front of each shoulder and leave almost no tassel, then trim the splits that pop out of the braid itself.

I can also see splits better if I put my hair directly under a lamp - the kind that directs light into one area, like a desk lamp.

[Jumper]

I am such a fail at SD'ing that I don't even try... Yep.

I should probably do better about that. As far as breakage prevention.

[Tini'sNewHair]

I put it down to the fact that we are lucky enough not to have many splits - I know i always have splits but not a whole lot which is why its difficult to find them.

[serin blackwood]

My DH bought one of these for modelling .... and, ohhh, it is perfect for s&d in any light!!!

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c354/cshprd/35c935ededb0c36725dc93ff628cdd41_zps6adc0887.jpg

[höpönasu]

Natural light is the best. I've noticed that ideal place to S&D is in a car, especially when Sun is up. When I don't have my scissors with me, I don't even dare look at my hair in a car because I KNOW there's tons of bad ends to be trimmed. Oh and against a surface that is opposite of your hair color. For me it's dark colors. I have a dark colored sleeping blanket in my must buy -list just because it'd be easier to S&D.

[höpönasu]

Managed to double post again.

[Vanilla]

Do you mean it's easier to find the splits in the tassels of the braids instead of when your hair is down and loose?

I find splits mostly along the length of the braid, and sometimes splits within the tassels. But mostly splits that are popping out of the braid.

[Weewah]

You guys! I found an awesome light for S&Ding today. If you have a smartphone, there should be flashlight app that keeps your camera flash on continuously. On my Samsung Galaxy S4 it's a widget called Assistive Light. It's a super bright LED light. The only thing is it drains the battery pretty quickly but you can just have it plugged into the wall. I just cut off a crapton of splits and I'm gonna keep doing more. :D

[Larki]

I find splits mostly along the length of the braid, and sometimes splits within the tassels. But mostly splits that are popping out of the braid.
Hm, I'm not sure that would work with me. I do get lots of little hairs that stick out of the length of the braid, but only one or two usually are actually split ends upon visual inspection. Since I have trich, I have hairs of all different lengths and so they pop out of the braid since they're too short to go all the way to the end.

[Katlette]

Cars are good on sunny days, but, even better: aeroplanes! Yesterday I'd just done some S&D, boarded my flight, and suddenly all my split ends just lit up. There were so many I'd missed and I was so sad I couldn't bring my scissors. Natural light is definitely the best.

Sometimes though, it's as if they're all hiding and laying flat and no amount of light will help. Then it's probably best to leave it and try later.