Split ends on one side?

[lillielil]

I could use some troubleshooting help. I have split ends primarily on one side of my head. The right side has some (maybe 10 to 20%, which I would consider reasonable for growing out chemical damage), but on the left side just about every single end is split or white-dotted. I first noticed this a while ago when I came back to LHC last September/October, and figured that it was because I tend to twirl that side while driving when I wear my hair down. However, twirling is a non-issue now because I wear it up all the time. I could see it still being old damage, but in the last few months I've had several decent trims and some substantial S&Ds, so I would expect it to be a bit better by now. What else should I be looking for that may be causing horrible ends on just one side?

[Decemberrose]

Think about which side you sleep on the most ��
I sleep mostly on my right which gives me more damage on that side of my head ��

[lillielil]

Oooh, wouldn't have thought about that. I sleep almost exclusively on my right side, which is not where the splits are.

[Nique1202]

It could be down to everything from which side you tend to sleep on, to which side you hold your phone to your head most often. Anything that's touched that side of the hair regularly since it started growing (so if the hair is 12 inches long, anything in the last two years, if your growth rate is average) that has touched the other side less frequently, is what's causing the damage. If you were twirling it and you only stopped fairly recently, it's possible the old damage hasn't been trimmed out yet (if you've only got, say, 6 months of un-twirled growth, in my example above you'd still have a year and a half of accumulated damage at the ends).

If that's what was causing it, it should stop eventually as you trim it out. It could be any number of other things too, though, so it's worth being conscious as you go about your day and thinking about what you may be doing unevenly.

[school of fish]

Seatbelt shoulder strap? Purse strap? Zipper/metal details on a jacket that may cause friction? Of course since you're wearing it up all the time now then any of those possibilities might be previous damage showing up now...

What kind of updos are you wearing these days - anything repetitive?

[lapushka]

I think maybe this is a sure sign that the damage isn't out yet - it takes *years* for damage to be truly gone. Years!

[lillielil]

LWB more often than not. I try to vary where it is on my head, and mix it up occasionally with other buns.

If it is old damage un-raveling, it could be any number of things. And the problem could be already fixed and may just be a matter of trimming it out as Nique said.

I foolishly wore a half-up today for the first time in probably 6 months, and am suddenly wondering if I should chop to shoulder to take out the worst of the damage. That this rate I'll S&D several inches off...

[lapushka]

I foolishly wore a half-up today for the first time in probably 6 months, and am suddenly wondering if I should chop to shoulder to take out the worst of the damage. That this rate I'll S&D several inches off...

How long is it now? Shoulder is drastic, but if you're not far off from that, it might be good to do - I don't know.

[lillielil]

Inching past BSL now. Or maybe I'm right at BSL - can't really tell after the most recent trim. I try to cut off around 1/2 my growth each month, but I think it was more like 1.5x my growth last month because I got a little too enthusiastic. And that was just on the 12th or so, so I'm not too happy to see all these splits today.

[brickworld13]

Before you trim, consider if you will be happy with shorter hair again. Is it unmanageable right now? Some hair types are pretty easy to care for even with a hefty population of splits. Would it bother you to have it that short again? Were your scissors sharp? Dull scissors can make splits much worse than they were before.

[bluestar]

What is your dominant hand? I have many splits on the left side of my head... (I'm right handed) and I tend to be rougher while detangling on the left side, because it is more awkward for me to reach...

[lillielil]

Yep, scissors are sharp. They're new and have never been used for anything other than hair. I would definitely not be happy with shorter hair. When I can't put it up, it drives me crazy. It is manageable now as long as I keep it up and don't let myself see the ends, but I can't help but wonder if the ends are so bad that it is unraveling faster than it is growing.

I'm right-handed. I don't detangle all that often, but will pay attention to how gentle I'm being on both sides.

[Swan Maiden]

What is your go to bun? Does it have a repetitive procedure? That part of your hair may be more fragile than the rest and prone to damage more.

[lillielil]

My go-to is a LWB. I try to vary its placement, but it is usually between the middle of my head and my crown. I do not vary the wrapping direction.

[Swan Maiden]

I suffer from breakage on the sides of my hair (very fragile hair there for me), these are always on the outside of my lwb, that's why I asked.

[lillielil]

Hmm.. I will have to see if I can figure out where the broken bits end up in my bun.

[truepeacenik]

My go-to is a LWB. I try to vary its placement, but it is usually between the middle of my head and my crown. I do not vary the wrapping direction.

Try reversing direction just to get the skill down.
I'm bad about going on autopilot and I have more showing damage on the left.

Also, eyeglasses hinges eat hair. What doesn't break is still compromised and keeps growing.

[llamacat]

I have the exact same problem with my hair on my right side. I think it's due to my love for a side braid over my left shoulder.