Constant split ends at waist, please help :3

[Of the Fae]

Hello all,

My hair is healthier than it ever was in texture, I only ever use henna and no chemical dyes and wash only about 1,5 to 1 times per week on average, CWC and also I use jojoba on my ends. It's shiny and very beautiful all over.
There's just one problem that doesn't seem to improve whatever I do :( I keep getting splits and white dots! And they're over my whole length so a trim isn't solving anything. I S&D twice a month but every time I do it seems there are just as many as before.. It's quite irritating.
I have tried wearing it up more, and hardly ever wear it loose (usually braided). Any of you have any advice? Should I even want to get rid of all splits or is it something I have to endure at this length?
My hair is very fine, but also very dense.
Thanks in advance <3

[lapushka]

If you don't heat style at all it is a mystery to me how you get the white dots.

Maybe it's the henna?

Or did you used to heat style?

[Of the Fae]

I never heat style, and do not use a blowdryer. I used one maybe once or twice in two years time and not in the past months at all :/

[triumphator!]

Could be weakened hair due to your nutrition at the time your ends were roots. I say keep at the S&D and perhaps you will be through the worst of it with time and a little patience.

[yvsa]

Are the scissors sharp enough?

[lapushka]

Are the scissors sharp enough?

Then the white dots would be at the ends and not all the way up a strand. :)

Puzzles me to no end. Maybe the henna is too rough for your hair?

[thunderseed]

I have the exact same problem with constant splits and white ends and would really like to find the answer! I also don't use heat, but I haven't even used henna dye for a very long time, I am very careful with my hair, moisturize the ends regularly and they don't feel dry. I tend to wear my hair down most of the time. Really hope someone here knows the answer!

[MsPharaohMoan]

What do you do for sleep?

[Annalouise]

What products are you using on your hair - shampoo, conditioner, leave in's etc?

[Sarahlabyrinth]

maybe you are just naturally prone to split ends?

What kinds of combs/brushes do you use? Do you comb/brush your hair when wet or dry?

[Moonfall]

If you don't heat style at all it is a mystery to me how you get the white dots.

Maybe it's the henna?

Or did you used to heat style?

I get exactly the same thing as Of the Fae (lovely name by the way :) ) and I don't use any heat or dye either. Even though our hair textures seem very different, I guess we could both just be prone to those nasty white dots and splits. Has it ever been different for you, Of the Fae? It's always been like this for me :(

[lapushka]

White dots are generally caused by heat (boiling the inner core of the strand so it bursts out). So I don't get how you can get them just-like-that. Someone please explain that to me. :confused:

[Nique1202]

White dots are generally caused by heat (boiling the inner core of the strand so it bursts out). So I don't get how you can get them just-like-that. Someone please explain that to me. :confused:

A white dot is just a weakness in the hair shaft at that point. Heat is a common cause but almost any damage could manifest as white dots just as easily as it could show as a split end, depending on the hair's individual structure and how prone it is to one or the other. I've developed a few white dots on sections of hair that have never been heated or chemically treated.

[mizukitty]

Hmmm... Fine hair is extremely delicate and prone to damage from manipulation moreso than medium or coarse strands. Henna can be quite drying, and if that moisture isn't being replaced, it can make your hair a lot less resistant to mechanical damage (even just braiding or putting it up into a bun or something.)

Extremely fine hair EVEN more so. You need to basically treat each strand like it's a million dollar strand of fine silk. That means be as careful as you absolutely can when you touch it at all. Definitely deep condition and throw some protein in there, too. It'll help provide strength and a little more resistance. Probably using a heavy, cone-y conditioner after you henna (and protecting with oil beforehand if you can? Not sure about this as I don't use henna. Must it be applied on clean dry hair?) will replace and retain a lot of lost moisture.

I know from experience that the fine hairs on my head are really, really fragile. When I brush or braid the wrong way I can easily rip them in half. It's frustrating and requires a lot of patience, but show it that patience and it'll reward you. Good luck!


ETA: My boyfriend, for comparison, has SL medium iii hair and his ends are full of white dots (even though he doesn't use heat or color!!)

And the reasons I speculate as to why are because 1. he RIPS through his hair with a brush. No mercy. And 2. no conditioner half the time! 3. Really tight ponytail.

Mechanical damage and lack of moisture/protein can cause a lot of weak spots that eventually lose resistance and snap, break, or split. Heat is certainly a great way to remove as much moisture as possible from your hair, that's why damage is so common with heat styling. The moisture simply can't be put back as fast as it's being lost.

[lapushka]

Hmm. Makes sense...

[meteor]

How exactly do you detangle and groom/style your hair? Which combs/brushes, how frequently, wet/dry, detangling leave-ins, etc...?

I think detangling process can be a very important element to this puzzle, especially since you know you don't use any chemical, thermal or other damaging hair treatments and keep hair contained in low manipulation styles.

Here are a few studies that show how split ends and breakage can be created through mechanical damage:

- A statistical analysis of hair breakage. II. Repeated grooming experiments. - http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc2010/cc061n06/p00439-p00456.pdf
- The Mechanics of Fracture of Human Hair - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1467-2494.1999.186942.x/abstract
- Semi-permanent split end mending with a polyelectrolyte complex. - http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc2007/cc058n04/p00451-p00476.pdf
- Measurement of stress–strain behaviour of human hair fibres using optical techniques - http://kwon.uwaterloo.ca/Publications_files/2013%20Hair.pdf
- Fractography of Human Hair - http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc1978/cc029n08/p00449-p00467.pdf

[thunderseed]

Why, what kind of "detangling process" would cause split ends?

[RavenRose]

My fine hair has a tendency to develop the white dots when it gets bent or pinched. Tight traditional elastics are enough to do for my hair, so I must use cloth type hair ties. I do not use heat on my head. My hair is just extremely fragile.

[Alissalocks]

Are the scissors sharp enough?

That's what I thought of too. When I would S&D with bad scissors in the past, I know I caused as many as I cut out to just reappear.

[MsPharaohMoan]

Why, what kind of "detangling process" would cause split ends?

Well technically any manipulation of the strand causes damage. It's unavoidable but preventative measures can be taken to reduce damage. I think the trick is to find the low manipulation hair handling style that works for you. That could mean not detangling at all, or only using your fingers, or using tangle teasers, or using silicones, or only detangling dry, or only detangling with conditioner, or detangling less often... well, I could go on.

[thunderseed]

Oh my goodness, I didn't realize that... Come to think of it, I used to get splits all the time when I used regular plastic hair brushes. Then when I was using my natural hairbrush with wooden bristles it seemed like my hair never got split ends.

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but my split ends started happening again once I got a new hairbrush and started using it regularily. It's a porcupine style brush with a mix of nylon and boar bristles, and it's very spikey and scratchy against my scalp which is why I LOVE it. It seems to detangle my hair amazingly but I'm wondering if maybe the nylon bristles are too damaging for my ends. I'm going to stop using it for awhile and see if I notice a difference. But I hope it's not that brush because it feels so great on my scalp.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Oh my goodness, I didn't realize that... Come to think of it, I used to get splits all the time when I used regular plastic hair brushes. Then when I was using my natural hairbrush with wooden bristles it seemed like my hair never got split ends.

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but my split ends started happening again once I got a new hairbrush and started using it regularily. It's a porcupine style brush with a mix of nylon and boar bristles, and it's very spikey and scratchy against my scalp which is why I LOVE it. It seems to detangle my hair amazingly but I'm wondering if maybe the nylon bristles are too damaging for my ends. I'm going to stop using it for awhile and see if I notice a difference. But I hope it's not that brush because it feels so great on my scalp.

I would recommend that you only use a seamless wide tooth comb to detangle, not a brush. Brushes are for using after you have detangled your hair - and nylon bristles can cause damage, too.

[thunderseed]

I would recommend that you only use a seamless wide tooth comb to detangle, not a brush. Brushes are for using after you have detangled your hair - and nylon bristles can cause damage, too.

Ok thanks I will give that a try!

[restless]

As a fellow finey, two ideas came to mind of what may (or may not) cause the damage:

You wrote that you usually keep your hair braided. Ive noticed an increased amount of split ends when Ive kept my hair braided for longer period of time. The individual hairs easily slip out of the braid itself and I guess them (and the tassel) being rubbed against my clothes repeatedly causes the damage.

How do you detangle your hair? A wide tooth comb? A tangle teezer? Using a BBB after? I had to get rid off my own tangle teezer as it broke my hair and am now using nothing but wide tooth combs. I have never tried a BBB myself, but Ive heard they can be quite harsh on fine hair too.

[Of the Fae]

Hi all, thanks for the large amount of replies :D I feel really helped by this! <3

I'll answer all of your questions:

What do you do for sleep?
I wear one or two braids

Are the scissors sharp enough?
I hope so, I use professional scissors only.

How do you detangle?
This may be an issue, I use a tangle teezer and sometimes a neemwood comb. I get the impression that both options break my hair a little, and combing is total agony. My hair is both fine and really dense, so it tangles awfully even when I put it up. I use a BBB on occasion but not that often and not for detangling.

Do you comb/brush your hair when wet or dry?
Dry, when it's wet it's super prone to breakage. I do have trouble not getting more tangles while it is drying, and usually go around with my hair down for a while on wash day :\ That makes my hair tangle a lot.

Could protein strengthen my hair with a deep conditioner? I currently use one with argan oil and silicones, but I don't get the impression it's protein heavy at all. Come to think of it, when I used another one called Creme of Nature, which was heavier (I found it here:http://cremeofnature.com/ingredients/), I think I had less splits :O

Also yes, maybe the braiding and wearing the braids down are a problem. I wear a braid down when sleeping so it does get some friction there.. any advice on how to wear it in a more protective style at night?

About the henna: Sometimes it seems harsh when I use a less fine sift, because it's hard to rinse out. I've been using a cheaper variant for a while because of the favorable low dye content (I love the copper highlights). It contains no metallic salts as far as I am aware, and it does thicken my hair massively.. but right after application it does seem a bit dry and I haven't conditioned as well after.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

How do you wash your hair? Do you pile it on top of your head like in the shampoo commercials? Or rub it dry with a towel?

[meteor]

Oh my goodness, I didn't realize that... Come to think of it, I used to get splits all the time when I used regular plastic hair brushes. Then when I was using my natural hairbrush with wooden bristles it seemed like my hair never got split ends.

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but my split ends started happening again once I got a new hairbrush and started using it regularily.

I experienced the same thing, too. :agree: I'm pretty sure I used to shred my hair pre-LHC with a dense brush that I used really roughly and I had splits even on pretty short hair. Just switching to a wide-tooth seamless comb and being gentle completely eliminated split ends from happening again for me, even though I almost never trim my hair anymore and it's much longer now.


Also yes, maybe the braiding and wearing the braids down are a problem. I wear a braid down when sleeping so it does get some friction there.. any advice on how to wear it in a more protective style at night?

For hairstyles for bed, have you tried loosely bunning hair and either leaving it unsecured inside a silk wrap/bonnet or loosely securing it with a short hairstick or claw-clip, for example? If not, just wrapping hair (braided or loose) lengthwise in a silky scarf and maybe adding a hairtie or two on top (to keep it more in place) might help... Alternatively, if you prefer keeping hair loose, you could put a large piece of silky smooth material above your pillow in the groove between the pillow and the headboard and place your hair there. You may need to experiment with a few different methods, to see what works for hair but is also comfortable to sleep in.


About the henna: Sometimes it seems harsh when I use a less fine sift, because it's hard to rinse out. I've been using a cheaper variant for a while because of the favorable low dye content (I love the copper highlights). It contains no metallic salts as far as I am aware, and it does thicken my hair massively.. but right after application it does seem a bit dry and I haven't conditioned as well after.

I think the grit of coarser sift might be important. :hmm:
I'm curious: did you have this split ends problem before you started to henna? :hmm: I think quite a few people mentioned that they needed to change up their haircare a bit after henna was introduced into the regimen, mostly around adding more moisturizing treatments (e.g. SMT), more oiling and less (if any) protein.

FWIW, a member here shared very interesting photos of hair under microscope before and after henna: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=126560&page=6&p=2834589&viewfull=1#post2834589 She also got some information from Goosefootprints Hair Analysis (Science-y Hair Blog) that suggested some cuticle damage in her hair might have occurred due to henna?: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=126560&p=2832874&viewfull=1#post2832874

Obviously, lots of people report a great strengthening effect from henna and it's their holy grail, but some dryness is sometimes reported, as well. For very fragile hair, I'd be extra-cautious and watch like a hawk for reaction to pretty much any treatment, especially if it involves lots of manipulation.

[lapushka]

Obviously, lots of people report a great strengthening effect from henna and it's their holy grail, but some dryness is sometimes reported, as well. For very fragile hair, I'd be extra-cautious and watch like a hawk for reaction to pretty much any treatment, especially if it involves lots of manipulation.

I have F hair. Henna, when we are talking dryness and "texture", had about the same effect on my hair as bleach did. It was as "rough". I felt a distinct difference when all my henna was grown out.

[Dark40]

I agree with triumphator!. What you can try on the length of your from roots to tips is silicones or cones. Have you ever tried silicones or cones before? Does your hair like them? My hair loves cones and silicones. I very rarely get any split ends these days. That's because I co-wash and moisturize a lot. I don't shampoo every single day. I mostly condition every day, and shampoo once a week to get rid of the build-up of the conditioner. I also deep condition twice a week for moisture and protein. One I'll deep condition with a balance of protein/moisture in my conditioner, and within three days I will deep condition with a plain old moisturizing deep conditioner.

[turtlelover]

I have F hair. Henna, when we are talking dryness and "texture", had about the same effect on my hair as bleach did. It was as "rough". I felt a distinct difference when all my henna was grown out.

Are you a hundred percent sure that your henna was not tainted with something? Henna drastically smooths my hair and certainly doesn't make it any rougher. It sounds like metallic salts could have been added to whatever you used.

[Vanilla]

My hair is also very fine and prone to splits. I tried finger combing only for a full month in August. I paired that with S&D, and I was able to reduce my split ends significantly.

I went back to detangling with a wide tooth comb and occasionally using my boar and nylon brush and the splits returned with a vengeance.

I wear my hair up all the time (usually in a bun) and either use a satin sleep cap at night or so a braid and tie it off with a silk scrunchie.

I've gone back to finger only detangling with the exception of my boar and nylon bristle brush only to smooth the top of my hair when I put it up.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

The only advice I can offer is try to finger detangle under running water when you wash your hair, maybe change to a wooden comb for dry detangling and do regular deep treatment. I hope this helps.

[lapushka]

Are you a hundred percent sure that your henna was not tainted with something? Henna drastically smooths my hair and certainly doesn't make it any rougher. It sounds like metallic salts could have been added to whatever you used.

No it wasn't tainted with something. It was from a brand called "Hennaplus", which is well-known in Belgium & The Netherlands and guaranteed to be without these things. I also used the "Jacob Hooy" henna. Nothing wrong with either of them. :) And back in the day, when I was in my early 20s, I used Jamila, I think.

It's just how my F hair responds to henna. It does. Maybe not on first application, but after a while... definitely! I never did roots-only. I did full-on applications.

[Of the Fae]

No it wasn't tainted with something. It was from a brand called "Hennaplus", which is well-known in Belgium & The Netherlands and guaranteed to be without these things. I also used the "Jacob Hooy" henna. Nothing wrong with either of them. :) And back in the day, when I was in my early 20s, I used Jamila, I think.

It's just how my F hair responds to henna. It does. Maybe not on first application, but after a while... definitely! I never did roots-only. I did full-on applications.

Isn't Hennaplus a compound henna? I also use the Jacob Hooy and I am sure that that one is pure! :)
I do roots only most of the time though.


@Meteor Thanks for all that knowledge :) The odd thing is that the henna really has strengthened my hair a lot, and I have touted it as my holy grail. I have used it for over 6 years now and have also seen it improve the state of my hair back when I was still using bleach. Was my hair better before henna? That's hard to say because I used chemical dyes back then. It was frazzled and ruined before it even reached APL most of the time. This is the healthiest it has ever been. When I was a kid my hair usually kind of broke by the time I reached APL, and my mom cut it because I sucked at brushing it myself :P

@Sarahlabyrinth No, I never pile it up or rub it, and I never use shampoo on my ends either :)

[Eas693]

This may sound very silly but could it be because of the weather? I grew up in Las Vegas and the extreme heat was like living in a blow dryer and the extreme cold wasn't much better... maybe you can look up how to protect from the weather?

[hanne jensen]

Of the Fae, we have identical hair. My hair hates henna-it's too drying and too much protein. I use a good cleansing poo that is clarifying poo diluted. I don't use poos that leave anything behind as I get buildup very easily. I dilute everything. I use moisturizing conditioners that have no cones. I also use split repair serums to seal the splits that are half way up the hair shaft. I dust 1/2 cm every other month.

Avoid heavy hairtoys as they pull and break canopy hairs. I wear my hair up during the day and braid my hair for sleeping. A tiny amount of unscented baby oil helps a lot.

When I detangle my hair I start by finger combing from the bottom up. Then I use a very wide tooth comb. Forget about using a BBB or a TT. If I brush my hair I use a bamboo brush after detangling first. This is right before a hairwash.

Good luck and be very gentle with your hair.

[Of the Fae]

These past few days I followed some advice and started detangling exclusively with my wide toothed neemwood comb, no BBB and some deep conditioning with protein and the tangling is so so much more manageable! It seems much less prone to matting now <3
The ends have not gotten worse and I am protecting it from heat by placing my braids in my coat- Eas693 you may be right, we currently have had quite cold and humid weather! I'm located in Holland.

hanne jensen I found that cones are so helpful for me! Although I need to clarify sometimes as well, I tend to not use sulfates due to frazzling of ends and a dry scalp. Thanks for the hairtoy advice, I think you are right because I hear my hair snapping whenever I try to use a heavier hairprong :(

[lapushka]

Isn't Hennaplus a compound henna? I also use the Jacob Hooy and I am sure that that one is pure! :)
I do roots only most of the time though.

They are pre-mixed boxes yes, but don't contain metallic salts. They come with a guarantee.

[mizukitty]

These past few days I followed some advice and started detangling exclusively with my wide toothed neemwood comb, no BBB and some deep conditioning with protein and the tangling is so so much more manageable! It seems much less prone to matting now <3
The ends have not gotten worse and I am protecting it from heat by placing my braids in my coat- Eas693 you may be right, we currently have had quite cold and humid weather! I'm located in Holland.

hanne jensen I found that cones are so helpful for me! Although I need to clarify sometimes as well, I tend to not use sulfates due to frazzling of ends and a dry scalp. Thanks for the hairtoy advice, I think you are right because I hear my hair snapping whenever I try to use a heavier hairprong :(

That's great news!! Sounds like you needed a good dose of protein. Definitely throw some in there biweekly and it should get better from here on out. Good luck!!

[thunderseed]

That's so cool that you've figured it out, so weird that things like that could cause splits. This thread was super helpful to me, I'm sure it would be helpful to lots of people.

It turns out that the cause of my constant split ends was the porcupine style BBB brush that had mixed nylon bristles in it!!!!! Too bad because I really loved the feel of that brush.

No more split ends though :p

[Of the Fae]

Oh that's good to know! Yes, I also had no idea my BBB and TT would be too rough on my fine hair, but they are..! I'm glad you found it helpful as well :) I like the idea that one question answered can help more people than just the one who asked!

Also, deep protein treatments and oils have made my hair less prone to breakage these past days, it looks much better.