Splits, splits and more splits

[FireFromWithin]

I've been really struggling with splits in my hair. I have been doing S&D and I have bought two new pairs of scissors when the splits kept getting worse. One a pair of embroidery scissors recommended on a different thread. Is it worth sharpening them or shall I conclude that it isn't my scissors? The splits are mainly in the ends and I have done a few small trims (I'd rather not cut again until the new year but I can if it's the only way, I'm only just at hip now and after the last little trim I can't even feel my hair on the small of my back anymore and I miss it).

My ends are quite dry but not overly so, my hair is quite frizzy which it's never been before. I've had straight hair all my life but recently if I leave it to dry, even with some combing, I have waves and some ringlets. Could this change be contributing? Am I now treating my hair wrong or is how I'm treating it causing the increased curliness?

I have also just run out of shampoo and conditioner and so am in a perfect place to change my routine if that will help but I don't know how it will affect splits which are my main concern. I will post a picture of my ends later for reference but they are bleach damaged. I can't get rid of the bleach without cutting back to MBL but I'm considering getting colour put on the ends with manic panic or similar (the blue I had put on last November is almost faded but the ends are still green suggesting that this hair is very porous - I think as it held onto the colour a long time when the hair dresser said it would last 4 weeks with minimal washing)

Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you

[FireFromWithin]

Also my hair is breaking off and splitting up to a couple of inches from the end. (Little splits off the main hair shaft) with some compound splits

[martyna_22]

When my hair was damaged, I would get splits at shoulder length. So if yours is bleach damaged, I think it's quite normal, but, obviously, you can reduce the number of splits you're getting.
The essential question is: do you use oil on your hair? Isn't your shampoo too harsh? Maybe using a serum with cones on the ends would help? Without knowing your routine it's hard to determine what to change, but the factors above are the most important ones.
And as for sharpening scissors, I've read somewhere that cutting strips of aluminium foil is the best way of sharpening scissors. I haven't tried it yet, but maybe give it a try?

[FireFromWithin]

I use treseme naturals shampoo and conditioner twice a week (I have intensive exercise on these days and so can't stretch washes further) then I use coconut oil in between. I went cone free a while ago as cones long term make my ends drier and heavy quickly. I will use them if I want extra smoothness for a specific occasion and they work as long as I don't use them regularly.

[lapushka]

Getting rid of them, and keeping them moisturized (esp. because they're bleached ends) is *key*. Whether you do that by conditioning extra or LOCing the style in, it's all upto you. But I'd throw some kind of leave-in or a serum/oil at the healthy ends if you're not doing so already.

[FireFromWithin]

What's LOCing? I'm probably being silly here. Lol. I put coconut oil on every day and usually add extra an hour or so before washing. My hair is nearly always up in sticks or a ficcare and I sleep in a braid so the damage should be minimal frame that.

I'm just so frustrated.

[Nesoi]

It's hard to say without seeing a picture but honestly? When this happened to me I had to cut the ends off eventually. If the hair is damaged to the point where S&D isn't working, trimming can save the rest of your hair. You say it's breaking off as well as splitting - I would cut your losses (pun intended!) and start again with fresh ends.

But you know your hair better than I do!

[Johannah]

What's LOCing? I'm probably being silly here. Lol. I put coconut oil on every day and usually add extra an hour or so before washing. My hair is nearly always up in sticks or a ficcare and I sleep in a braid so the damage should be minimal frame that.

I'm just so frustrated.

See lapuskha's signature. You could try to use coconut oil before a wash longer than just an hour (I left it overnight for instance). But like Nesoi said, if I were you, I'd just cut it off to start with fresh ends. But I can imagine you don't want to do that.

[FireFromWithin]

Thing is, apart from the splits my hair looks good. Even the hair that is split tends to look shiny and nice rather than bedraggled like it used to when it was splitting. When I say breakage I mean that if I pull on the ends with splits sometimes they break off. I'm not getting lots otherwise. Sorry, probably should have clarified that. I'll do a pic now.

[martyna_22]

I like to make myself hair treatments consisting of a conditioner/mask/both with a bit of oil in. I do them pre-poo, and hair turns out great, combined they seem to work better on me. :)

[lapushka]

What's LOCing? I'm probably being silly here. Lol. I put coconut oil on every day and usually add extra an hour or so before washing. My hair is nearly always up in sticks or a ficcare and I sleep in a braid so the damage should be minimal frame that.

I'm just so frustrated.

Doing the LOC method, FireFromWithin! :) The link is in my signature.

I get just how frustrating it must be. I remember after the perm and some heat damage, that my hair was riddled with white dots, not so much splits as white dots, but those were beyond saving!

[Theobroma]

You seem to be doing all the right things to keep your hair healthy. But I think the key question is: how long have you been doing this? If you're at hip length now and you were using heat or dye/bleach until a few years ago, then your ends "remember" the damaging stuff and it's unfortunately only a matter of time before it starts showing, even if you're taking excellent care of them now.

If that's the case then I think the only thing to do is grit your teeth and cut off the damage -- either by way of larger trims or by patiently s&d'ing and microtrimming until it's all grown out. Judging from your descriptions there's no need to do larger trims; if I were you I'd just really baby my ends, snip the damage bit by bit without losing length, and not worry too much.

You might try a teeny bit of shea butter on your ends; I find that helps with frizz and grabbiness (I have old blowdrying damage on the lower portion of my length and I still get isolated splits the way you describe them, an inch or two up from the end of the hair). Also, if you want to try a change of routine, maybe experiment with soap? I'd say shampoo bars, but personally I just use the same soap as I do on the rest of me. Follow up with a dilute vinegar rinse and my hair is softer and more moisturised than ever before.

[cathair]

I was thinking something similar to Theobroma. Perhaps they have been fine up until now, but now they are splitting because they are older and weathered as well as bleached?

My ends sound similar-ish to yours they are very prone to white dots, but they have never been bleached. I think they are just old and possibly old enough that they have had a hairdryer used on them a good few years ago. It's hard to calculate quite how old they are. I try to keep on top of them with a lot of S&D.

Stopping them from getting tangled seems to be key to getting less white dots, no matter how much S&D I do. I was wondering what you do with yours at night? I have a sleep cap but it's too hot to use it at the moment so I gave it up. The splitting got much worse. Then I started putting my hair in a plait at night, but not tying it off. This has reduced the splitting again a lot.

I hope you find some way of keeping your length. I too am nearly out of S&C so will be watching this thread with interest for product recommendations. I tried Inecto coconut conditioner and my hair hated it. Wasn't moisturizing or slippy enough, I definitely don't recommend it. I might go back to EverSleek otherwise.

[meteor]

FireFromWithin, what you are describing (lots of splits, dryness, breakage, unusual frizz, change in texture...) sounds like a classical case of bleach damage catching up with you. You are treating hair really well and are doing everything right for undamaged hair, but since yours had bleach, it needs extra TLC, especially more oils and hydrolyzed proteins. Hair that is damaged/porous allows more conditioning ingredients to penetrate hair and requires more patch-repair than virgin hair.

Since you are changing your S&C, I highly recommend looking for a much more intense conditioner, specifically formulated for dry/damaged/processed/colour-treated hair. Such conditioners tend to have more oils and other emollients and some hydrolyzed proteins.

Also, I recommend getting a protein pack like Aphogee 2-step, Joico K-Pak or a natural DIY alternative: gelatin treatments (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/04/gelatin-protein-treatment-recipe-update.html). You can do that infrequently (maybe just once a month), but you probably do need protein. Different proteins have different sizes and may not work for different people the same way, because some are be too large to penetrate gaps in cuticles or too small to stay there. But hydrolyzed keratin and hydrolyzed silk seem to work for many people, since they are relatively small.

It's very important to do pre-poo oilings when hair is damaged.
How to make pre-poo oiling work for your hair: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/03/oil-pre-shampoo-or-pre-wash.html
Personally, I have highlighted ends and I do OSCO (pre-poo Oil + Shampoo + Conditioner (lots of it) + a couple drops of Oil as leave-in) to keep ends soft and split-free. Oils and leave-ins after every wash are pretty helpful for damaged hair. Oiling the very ends (your braid tassel) every night before bed and sleeping on silk satin would be a good practice until you see a reduction in split-end formation.

This might help:
What Conditioning Ingredients Penetrate Hair: http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2012/10/deep-conditioning-what-ingredients-in.html
Managing Elasticity and Porosity in Hair: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/03/managing-elasticity-and-porosity-in-hair.html

[FireFromWithin]

Here are my ends
http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag66/FireFromWithin/imagejpg2_zpsf1def828.jpg
and
http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag66/FireFromWithin/imagejpg1_zps69e3381c.jpg

[islandboo]

Some people find that catnip rinses help diminish split ends, you might want to try that and see if it helps?

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=476

[meteor]

I love the colour of your hair! Your ends look fine, but I'd definitely oil them a lot... both as a leave-in and as a pre-poo heavy oiling treatment.
Oils and hydrolyzed proteins should really help your ends. They certainly helped my bleached ends tremendously, since I can't find any splits anymore and I trim rarely.

[FireFromWithin]

Alright. I've sharpened my scissors by cutting tin foil just to be sure they are sharp and I'm going to do S&D for the next few nights. I've bought a couple of aussie deep conditioning treatments as I thought cones every once in a while might help and they were on offer (tesco didn't have any non-cone stuff anyway).

I'm going to up my oilings overnight i think and put oil on my hands while I braid my hair (I get half way down, oil my hands, keep braiding and then put extra oil on the tassle when I'm done). Hopefully this helps. I will also try to do some protein but I may go to a salon to get a protein treatment because I was thinking of something indulgent to do to relax as well and it will probably be easier than a home treatment if I can find the right hairdresser's but I don't hold out much hope.

I've also got a bottle of apple cider vinegar so I'll try a few rinses to see if it helps with general frizz and shine. If none of this works I will cut an inch off which will get rid of the worst without losing too much (I'd be back to waist +) otherwise I'm going to take an inch off when I reach TB and maintain there for at least 6 months to get rid of all the old damage. I bleached 3 years ago now and I wish I could go back and snatch it out my hands before I did it! At the time I was frustrated because my hair wasn't growing longer and wanted to do something with it. Silly Firefromwithin.

[FireFromWithin]

Some people find that catnip rinses help diminish split ends, you might want to try that and see if it helps?

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=476

I just worry about the yellow stain as I'm blonde so it would likely show up

[spidermom]

The ends don't look too bad. Keep doing what you're doing and trim a little bit every month to every other month. Those damaged ends will eventually be gone.

[mary*rose]

...
but personally I just use the same soap as I do on the rest of me. Follow up with a dilute vinegar rinse and my hair is softer and more moisturised than ever before.

What miracle soap do you use that works for hair and skin?
~~~

I'm going to up my oilings overnight i think and put oil on my hands while I braid my hair (I get half way down, oil my hands, keep braiding and then put extra oil on the tassle when I'm done).

I like this idea...I always felt awkward oiling my ends, because I really didn't like just running oil-covered hands down my hair, but this seems to do two things at once... :)

[patienceneeded]

My hair was the same, constant splits that never seemed to go away. I finally sucked it up last August and chopped off the last few inches of hair that held all the damage from years of dye. That cut took me from almost hip to the top of BSL. My hair is back to almost hip now and has zero splits. I have not had a trim or even done any S&D since that August cut almost a year ago.

Old damage from bleach and dye can't be fixed. Just masked or battled.

[GetMeToWaist]

I suggest co washing, this seems to have reduced my splits a lot. Shampoo just makes my hair so brittle and split prone.

[islandboo]

I just worry about the yellow stain as I'm blonde so it would likely show up

If you can find someone to sell you just the buds (sometimes eBay or etsy sellers can do that) you are less likely to have staining issues as the tannins tend to be concentrated in the leaves and stems. But I could understand if you don't want to risk it :)

[jacqueline101]

I was going to suggest deep conditioning after s&d your ends. Maybe a little baby oil on them after that. I had breakage at one time that's what I did to get rid of mine.

[lunalocks]

I spent one whole year trimming the splits and gaining no length. I spent all of last year doing catnip soaks on the ends and keeping my hair up all the time and S and D ing regularly. I gained 5 inches even with 4 small trims.

Catnip HAS slightly changed the color of my dark blond hair a bit reddish. But it is not permanent. You might want to try it for a month or 2 and just keep your hair up. Then a month or 2 with your old routine and see if the catnip made a difference. For me, length and good ends were more important than a little discoloration. I soak the ends for 20 min and then squeeze out the excess and let it air dry.

It seemed to me that once I hit hip, I had far more splits than ever before. You might want to evaluate any damaging habits you have, such as wearing hair down a lot, that could be contributing to the splits.

[lapushka]

Have you guys thought about the fact that catnip might stain heavier and possibly permanently on bleached hair?

[Panth]

Alright. I've sharpened my scissors by cutting tin foil just to be sure they are sharp

Just a heads-up: cutting tin foil does not sharpen scissors. That's a sure fire way to absolutely wreck them. Use specialist scissor sharpening tools, a wet stone, a knife sharpening block or send them to a professional to be done.

If they were brand new and you didn't use them on anything except hair, they should be plenty sharp enough.

[lapushka]

If they were brand new and you didn't use them on anything except hair, they should be plenty sharp enough.

This! ^^ Fully agree!

[lunalocks]

"Have you guys thought about the fact that catnip might stain heavier and possibly permanently on bleached hair?"

Good point.

Maybe a test on a small lock would tell if the stain is permanent or not.

[Hrtchoco]

You might know this already, but Beauty brands and ulta are having their liter sale right now. It would be a good time to try something new.

[FireFromWithin]

Wow, the scissors were still mostly unused and kept in a box. The foil thing was mentioned on a lot of places as a cheap way of sharpening scissors.

I have no idea what beauty brands or ulta are or where to find them. Are they in the UK?

On the plus side, with my hair heavily oiled you can't see the splits and i haven't yet had to resort to cones.

I don't want to risk the staining with catnip. My hair is light to mid blonde even when it's not bleached. And I look ridiculous with any warm colours in it, trust me, I've tried. My hair has almost no yellow or red in it at all naturally. It's very neutral / cool toned.

Thank you for all the advise. I'll update as my rutine progresses to tell you what worked.

[Hrtchoco]

Wow, the scissors were still mostly unused and kept in a box. The foil thing was mentioned on a lot of places as a cheap way of sharpening scissors.

I have no idea what beauty brands or ulta are or where to find them. Are they in the UK?

On the plus side, with my hair heavily oiled you can't see the splits and i haven't yet had to resort to cones.

I don't want to risk the staining with catnip. My hair is light to mid blonde even when it's not bleached. And I look ridiculous with any warm colours in it, trust me, I've tried. My hair has almost no yellow or red in it at all naturally. It's very neutral / cool toned.

Thank you for all the advise. I'll update as my rutine progresses to tell you what worked.

I apologize since I wasn't looking at your location. I don't think they ship to UK...:(

[Darkhorse1]

I did read somewhere that too much coconut oil can damage hair. And sadly, my hair is acting exactly like yours after using it twice.

Coconut oil is smallest in molecular structure of any oil. It's absorbed very fast and that speed can swell the hair strand and cause it to break--I read this online. I tend to use olive oil--much better results.

Now, after all this: there is an interesting shift with hair as you age---and it's not age, it's hormones. Any sort of hormonal change can cause your hair shaft to change. I had PIN straight hair until I was able 15, then I started to get waves (my Dad had naturally curly hair and my brother had the waves ever since he was young). Now, my hair is spiral ringlets in the front, waves at the side, and one straight section in the back!! Talk about crazy!

Since my surgery and the fact H.E stopped making my favorite shampoo, I've been struggling to find a new one. I've recently gone back to neutroena clarifying and was VERY happy with the results. With such an oily scalp, I need this. I just got a leave in moisturizing conditioner--by swarzkpofv. Will let you know how it works.

The splits can sadly be from anything. I get trims regularly because I like a neat hemline and find when my hair starts to look thin at the ends, a 1/4 inch off can do wonders. Since then, I've noticed less splits on my hair.

With split ends, sadly, unless they are trimmed, they will continue to work their way up the hair strand. Maybe get a small trim? That may really help with the frizz and wave.

One thing my hair dresser told me is to make sure you use the right products. If your hair/ends are dry, use a moisturizing conditioner that will be absorbed into the hair strand. Conditioners that are for anti breakae or such coat the hair rather than be absorbed.

I'd suggest, however Pantene's anti breakage conditioner. I tell you, it worked for me! My breakage reduced by a LOT!! Also, try using olive oil instead of coconut oil and see if there is any change.

Good luck!!!

[FireFromWithin]

Olive oil is far too heavy for my hair and makes it look lank and clumpy. I use it for intensive treatments, occasionally with some honey and lemon for a mask but it's not good for everyday. I did have some jojoba oil but I ran out. May switch back to that.

[Firefox7275]

Try a hydrolysed protein treatment or conditioner to patch repair damage. Other useful ingredients include panthenol, ceramides (in many L'Oreal products) and 18-MEA (in a few Tresemme products). See my thread on the Products board for a list of conditioners and stylers containing ceramides and/ or 18-MEA.

Some don't get on well with *excessive* use of coconut oil, some report dry/ crunchy/ un-conditioned/ tangled feel. If you don't like olive try a lighter oil that is also rich in penetrating oleic acid such as sweet almond or argan. Tesco sell sweet almond oil in the World Foods aisle for cheap. I now use that for lighter oilings, but coconut for overnight deep treatments and my colour damaged hair is softer and silkier.

[Darkhorse1]

Shoot! I didn't know your hair was fine. It looks so thick!! Perhaps experiment with jojoba oil? I hope it works out! :D

[Darkhorse1]

Try a hydrolysed protein treatment or conditioner to patch repair damage. Other useful ingredients include panthenol, ceramides (in many L'Oreal products) and 18-MEA (in a few Tresemme products). See my thread on the Products board for a list of conditioners and stylers containing ceramides and/ or 18-MEA.

Some don't get on well with *excessive* use of coconut oil, some report dry/ crunchy/ un-conditioned/ tangled feel. If you don't like olive try a lighter oil that is also rich in penetrating oleic acid such as sweet almond or argan. Tesco sell sweet almond oil in the World Foods aisle for cheap. I now use that for lighter oilings, but coconut for overnight deep treatments and my colour damaged hair is softer and silkier.

The last paragraph was me. And only 2 coconut oilings with pure, raw oil and I got dry, crunchy dull, tangled hair. I loved olive oil, but if I don't clarify after, it will make my hair look greasy and I think my hair is thicker than FWI

[Darkhorse1]

Try a hydrolysed protein treatment or conditioner to patch repair damage. Other useful ingredients include panthenol, ceramides (in many L'Oreal products) and 18-MEA (in a few Tresemme products). See my thread on the Products board for a list of conditioners and stylers containing ceramides and/ or 18-MEA.

Some don't get on well with *excessive* use of coconut oil, some report dry/ crunchy/ un-conditioned/ tangled feel. If you don't like olive try a lighter oil that is also rich in penetrating oleic acid such as sweet almond or argan. Tesco sell sweet almond oil in the World Foods aisle for cheap. I now use that for lighter oilings, but coconut for overnight deep treatments and my colour damaged hair is softer and silkier.

The last paragraph was me. And only 2 coconut oilings with pure, raw oil and I got dry, crunchy dull, tangled hair. I loved olive oil, but if I don't clarify after, it will make my hair look greasy and I think my hair is thicker than FWI

[FireFromWithin]

I decided to try using diluted tresseme naturals conditioner as a leave in and it helped. I find that coconut oil requires me to use very very small amounts in an everyday way. I the very tip of my finger in and rub it into my hands a bit before applying to end of my hair. Olive oil seems to be heavier on my hair and doesn't wash out very well so I don't use it even as a deep conditioner. I need to get some more jojoba oil but I have loads of coconut oil so I don't want to just buy more and more things.

But a couple of weeks worth of coney products helped then I hit the limit and my hair complained so I switched back to no cones which improved it again. Don't know why my hair does this but it seems to be a recurring problem. It's mostly soft again, manageable at least until I can microtrim away all the damage.

[Firefox7275]

But a couple of weeks worth of coney products helped then I hit the limit and my hair complained so I switched back to no cones which improved it again. Don't know why my hair does this but it seems to be a recurring problem. It's mostly soft again, manageable at least until I can microtrim away all the damage.

Build up? Maybe stick to silicones that resist building up such as the amine functionalised (eg. amodimethicone) or water soluble (PEG-) ones. Some of the Tresemme Naturals conditioners are rich in capric/ caprylic triglycerides which should be small enough to penetrate the hair as well as the major emollients coating the surface.

[MJ1972]

FireFromWithin, are you using any leave-in anti-split-ends treatments, the kind that hairdressers recommend? If you are, consider ditching them. I used two anti-split-ends gels on my fine hair, both recommended to me by hairdressers, and rather than noticing a reduction in split ends, I discovered a significant increase. The difference was quite noticeable. My hairdressers acted like I was crazy when I told them their gels seemed to have a detrimental effect on my hair, but I know what I saw. Those gels really don't agree with my hair. Maybe the same is true for you?

Otherwise, I second GetMeToWaist's CO-washing suggestion. I started CO-washing a few weeks ago, and my ends look healthier now than they did back when I was shampooing. My hair loss has significantly decreased, as well, so it looks as though the change is working out well for me. Maybe give CO-washing a try?