Truth about Split ends?

[M.McDonough]

Hi there.
Is it true true split ends can travel up the hair shaft?
If this is true then why are those splits always found at the ends, hence the name split ends? :rolleyes: and how do u know those split ends reached the roots of the hair?

[Dewdrop]

Hi! So here are my answers:
1) yes
2) the split starts there, usually, since the ends are the most damaged and break and/or split the easiest there.
2a) not all splits start at the ends. Say you wore a metal hairclip in a half-up every day for 6 months, in exactly the same place, the hair would start to split in the middle of the shaft (at the back of your head where the clip is) because of mechanical damage.
3) when the split has traveled up to your root I suppose it is difficult to see. The strand will feel coarse because it has 'sharp edges' because of the split, and it will be noticeably thinner. It would also break very easily so after brushing a couple of times it would break of.

hope this helps!

[lapushka]

Yes they can split through and so "travel", like a tear that tears up further. But IMO it takes an immensely long time before it reaches the roots, and then well, you'll have a hair that split right up there. I'm not sure it will readily fall out or not.

You just have to keep a close eye on the ends of your hair, if that's what you want.

I just never go hunting for splits. :shrug: I just don't. If I notice one, yes for sure I'll deal with it and cut it off.

[Margarita]

As we all know, hair grows from the roots and its natural for hair to gain split ends even if someone dont use heat tools, neither dye her/his hair. Im not sure if split ends can travel up to the hair shaft to roots. If this is happening, its probably due to chemical treatments, and, if someone has stop caring for her/his hair anymore.

[M.McDonough]

Yes they can split through and so "travel", like a tear that tears up further. But IMO it takes an immensely long time before it reaches the roots, and then well, you'll have a hair that split right up there. I'm not sure it will readily fall out or not.

You just have to keep a close eye on the ends of your hair, if that's what you want.

I just never go hunting for splits. :shrug: I just don't. If I notice one, yes for sure I'll deal with it and cut it off.

You don't because you probably trim regularly.

[M.McDonough]

Hi! So here are my answers:
1) yes
2) the split starts there, usually, since the ends are the most damaged and break and/or split the easiest there.
2a) not all splits start at the ends. Say you wore a metal hairclip in a half-up every day for 6 months, in exactly the same place, the hair would start to split in the middle of the shaft (at the back of your head where the clip is) because of mechanical damage.
3) when the split has traveled up to your root I suppose it is difficult to see. The strand will feel coarse because it has 'sharp edges' because of the split, and it will be noticeably thinner. It would also break very easily so after brushing a couple of times it would break of.

hope this helps!

Not saying you're wrong, but I gotta tell you, I've done S&D like 100 times and I always find mine at the ends, never 1 inch beyond the ends.

[Angelica]

I believe it is a myth. Hair has a life span and the hair most probably drops out eventually anyway before ever reaching that. It might break off at different lengths but mostly I don't think it does. In order to prove split ends can travel up to the root you'd have to literally keep watching how that split ends travels and it isn't going to happen. When I was a little girl I used to take a split end and try to rip it upwards and guess what it broke off well before the root (not good for the hair anyway to do this). So I am pretty positive it is a myth. That being said a lot of split ends do look unsightly and are better trimmed off anyway.

[Reyesuela]

Of course split ends travel up! Otherwise there would be no split at all. :). They actually usually cause the hair to break off long before they reach the root—or the split itself just breaks off. The longest split end I’ve ever seen is probably close to 5” on my hair. I have also seen splits start many inches up from the end of my hair back when I wore it down a lot and got a great deal of friction damage. Fine hair has fewer layers of cuticle and is therefore more likely to get seriously damaged from everyday friction.

The dirty secret that most people don’t know is that any cut hair shaft is intrinsically more likely to split than a whole hair with a natural taper. Trimming itself causes an unnatural point of weakness from which protein is rapidly lost and damage quickly accumulates. That’s probably why people have success with microtrimming hair that has ever been trimmed. Because they’re cutting off tiny bits frequently, they head off substantial damage at the raw ends of hair.

[Dewdrop]

Not saying you're wrong, but I gotta tell you, I've done S&D like 100 times and I always find mine at the ends, never 1 inch beyond the ends.

That means you take good care of your hair and don't wear the same hairstyle everyday, which is great! But some peeps wear a high ponytail, or a clip, or whatever every single day, and that leads to splitting in the middle and breakage!

[lapushka]

You don't because you probably trim regularly.

No actually last I trimmed was November 2016. I am on the no-trimming challenges. :)

[Guitargod]

Split ends do travel but I rarely see them splitting up into the healthy part of the hair. It's more of a symptom of damage than a cause imo, but I think it's still a good idea to remove them.
If you've had long hair for many years then every single hair will have grown all the way from the roots to the hemline without ever getting a trim (except if you S&D)

[Hairkay]

Of course split ends travel up! Otherwise there would be no split at all. :). They actually usually cause the hair to break off long before they reach the root—or the split itself just breaks off. The longest split end I’ve ever seen is probably close to 5” on my hair. I have also seen splits start many inches up from the end of my hair back when I wore it down a lot and got a great deal of friction damage. Fine hair has fewer layers of cuticle and is therefore more likely to get seriously damaged from everyday friction.

The dirty secret that most people don’t know is that any cut hair shaft is intrinsically more likely to split than a whole hair with a natural taper. Trimming itself causes an unnatural point of weakness from which protein is rapidly lost and damage quickly accumulates. That’s probably why people have success with microtrimming hair that has ever been trimmed. Because they’re cutting off tiny bits frequently, they head off substantial damage at the raw ends of hair.

Good point. I usually do s & d which suits me fine. I need my taper to help style my hair. No taper would mean my plaits/braids unravel easily or I'd have to resort to using hair elastics most times. That's why I hate hearing the "health over length" mantra because they don't define what is actually healthy or not. If anyone desires a new haircut they should go for it without having to justify it.

[Reyesuela]

Good point. I usually do s & d which suits me fine. I need my taper to help style my hair. No taper would mean my plaits/braids unravel easily or I'd have to resort to using hair elastics most times. That's why I hate hearing the "health over length" mantra because they don't define what is actually healthy or not. If anyone desires a new haircut they should go for it without having to justify it.

Not the taper I meant! I meant virgin, uncut strands vs strands that have ever been cut by a pair of scissors. Individual strands, not strands as a whole. I don’t mean the diameter of all your strands together decreasing. If you look at an uncut hair, it’s enfs are entirely different from one that has been cut.

[hennalove]

Hi there.
Is it true true split ends can travel up the hair shaft?
If this is true then why are those splits always found at the ends, hence the name split ends? :rolleyes: and how do u know those split ends reached the roots of the hair?

Yes, split ends can travel up the hair shaft. I believe they are called split ends because they start at the end of the hair strand and move up. Some folks have more of a problem with this than others. Hair strands can also develop multiple splits aka Christmas tree splits too. A lot depends on your hair health and how damaged it is but even healthy hair can get split ends.

Now that being said, some don't have a problem with split ends traveling up the strand or it could be more that they don't notice it. Since being married eons ago and I'm a grandma now, I can count on one hand the number of times my hair has been cut. For the past almost 20 years, I heat styled in the winter (blow dryer, straightener) about 3 times a month but always wore it up in the warmer weather. I never did a S&D until this year. And quite frankly, split ends have not ever been and still aren't a huge problem for me. They typically are about a quarter inch long and not many. On and off I would have breakage likely due to heat/mechanical damage. Someone else could treat their hair the way I did and have splits galore. I think it is just a matter of genetics ;)

[nycelle]

Trimming when I get splits is the best thing I can do for my hair. It doesn't cause more splits for me (except one time when the stylist used dull scissors,) even on virgin hair, and never has. I get splits when I go too long without trimming just from wear and tear.

I also believe that splits travel up, so if you're trimming below the split point, it won't help.

How high they travel up before they break would be dependent on the hair, and how it's handled I imagine.

[M.McDonough]

No actually last I trimmed was November 2016. I am on the no-trimming challenges. :)

Wow is that your picture? I remember you having blonde hair.. Or maybe I'm mistaken :p

[M.McDonough]

That means you take good care of your hair and don't wear the same hairstyle everyday, which is great! But some peeps wear a high ponytail, or a clip, or whatever every single day, and that leads to splitting in the middle and breakage!

Thanks. Well I don't try different styles like you cuz I'm a guy. I wear it down at home and tie it back in a bun when I'm out

[Reyesuela]

If your hair is trimmed, the virgin ends are hidden in the length of your hair. It’s a matter of hair structure that cut ends are more likely to split than natural ends.

If you’ve had both very long (below classic) and quite short (above collar) hair, you’ll be aware that the growing ends that are waist length when your hair ends are below classic are less likely to split than your hair did if you tried to grow it from collar to BSL without a single trim. Splits occur when the cortex looks sea integrity. Naturally growing hair has cuticle over the cortex at the ends. Cut hair has exposed cortex.

If you’re still dubious, think of it like this. Your virgin hair is NEVER TRIMMED FOR YEARS—5-10 years if you have really long hair— until it gets long enough to join up with your ends unless you happen to find the occasional split among the virgin hairs (though there’s a good chance a close look will reveal that the hair is actually broken). And if you have very long hair, most of your hair is actually among the virgin hair crowd. What would the ends of your trimmed hair be like if you did that? Not nearly so nice.

I like the look of a trim, but there’s a reason I slather my ends in coconut oil before washing!

[chomsky]

Wow is that your picture? I remember you having blonde hair.. Or maybe I'm mistaken :p

Off-topic but I always thought lapushka had blonde hair too. I'd look at her signature picture all the time and still think it was blonde!

Split ends can travel the same way a rip in a piece of paper travels. It sucks that they do, haha.

[Hairkay]

Not the taper I meant! I meant virgin, uncut strands vs strands that have ever been cut by a pair of scissors. Individual strands, not strands as a whole. I don’t mean the diameter of all your strands together decreasing. If you look at an uncut hair, it’s ends are entirely different from one that has been cut.

I'm aware of what you were saying. I was talking about individual hair strands and the lot together. I once heard someone say she's not trimming her hair regularly simply because each tapered strand protects the rest of the hair and she's not going to mess with that arrangement. I completely understood what she meant. It's why I never suddenly did a big chop when I was working out the best way to reduce split ends and breakage. I realised that no matter what length my hair was I was still going to have to work out the best way to keep it moisturised and protected to deal with my hair.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

So... yes and no. I dont think theres one answer to this question. There are too many variables.
I personally have never had split ends travel further up, BUT my splits do the tree branch thing.
I get a split end and it stops or breaks off, and then ill get a different split right above where that first split first existed.
Before you know it, that one strand has like 4 different splits on it.
So its not that the splits travel, but a strand will for whatever reason get multiple of them.

Some other people though, do experience the single strand split that just travels up and up, before eventually breaking off.
Everyone is different, some people deal with it and some people dont. It happens, maybe youll be lucky and it wont happen to you.

[spidermom]

With long hair, I could never get ahead of the split ends. I always had thousands of them no matter what I did or did not do. Yes, they traveled. I would occasionally find a split that was open a good 3-4 inches from the end. I think the most common scenario is that it splits and breaks off, splits and breaks off, and so forth until it looks like you have a tiny split on the end of a hair that is shorter than the longest hairs.

I noticed in the mirror the other day that I had a split end on a hair that was merrily waving at me. By the time I found the scissors, it had disappeared.

[EriPenguin]

I'm pretty sure this is true, my split ends seemed to travel up pretty far before I cut my hair, but I frequently used heat. I think it's less likely this will happen on virgin hair or well taken care of hair or it will at least take a very long time and I think they'd break off or shed before reaching the root.

[lapushka]

Wow is that your picture? I remember you having blonde hair.. Or maybe I'm mistaken :p

I had much lighter hair a few years back (I still have that picture somewhere), but it darkened significantly. It was never lighter than a dark ash blonde though.

[Reyesuela]

I'm aware of what you were saying. I was talking about individual hair strands and the lot together. I once heard someone say she's not trimming her hair regularly simply because each tapered strand protects the rest of the hair and she's not going to mess with that arrangement. I completely understood what she meant. It's why I never suddenly did a big chop when I was working out the best way to reduce split ends and breakage. I realised that no matter what length my hair was I was still going to have to work out the best way to keep it moisturised and protected to deal with my hair.

Yes, I’m keeping my thin section of hair as a damage buffer for the rest! :)

I understand now!
——

I think we’re having a disagreement about the meaning “Travel up.” Some are imagining a tear to the root. Very, very unlikely because the split hair is so fragile it usually breaks off looong before. If you have any split at all it is damage that has traveled some distance from its origin. Because it s origin is a point.

[trolleypup]

Depends on the hairtype. My oldest most worn ends will split, sometimes as much as an inch. But most are much shorter. I did once get a mid strand split a couple inches long in the middle of an otherwise healthy looking strand. That was weird.

[wannabe-rusalka]

I always thought that the split traveled up too! My hair is completely virgin and I seldom use heat so I don’t usually get too many from what I can tell. I mean my hair strands are practically invisible so its pretty hard to tell.

Just recently I saw a video where a hair and physics youtuber said that there is no need to trim your hair because the splits just break off eventually and I thought it was quite odd. Her hair was pretty long, maybe to knees, and seemed in good health. Heres the video link: https://youtu.be/UVn2KcdPYjY

[Angelica]

I always thought that the split traveled up too! My hair is completely virgin and I seldom use heat so I don’t usually get too many from what I can tell. I mean my hair strands are practically invisible so its pretty hard to tell.

Just recently I saw a video where a hair and physics youtuber said that there is no need to trim your hair because the splits just break off eventually and I thought it was quite odd. Her hair was pretty long, maybe to knees, and seemed in good health. Heres the video link: https://youtu.be/UVn2KcdPYjY

Wow not only does she have lovely hair, but she is very pretty also. It makes a lot of sense which she says. I do believe though there are some people like me whose hair just cannot grow very long. It is genetics. I believe what she says about the split ends too and she doesn't look as if she has any!

[nycelle]

Wow not only does she have lovely hair, but she is very pretty also. It makes a lot of sense which she says. I do believe though there are some people like me whose hair just cannot grow very long. It is genetics. I believe what she says about the split ends too and she doesn't look as if she has any!

I didn't watch the entire video, just looked at her hair. I think she has splits at the bottom few inches of hair. That's what I'm attributing the frizziness too.
Mine looked like that when I had damage. It also looks like some of it has traveled up her hair to me.

[Beeboo123]

In the past when I wore my hair up in a ponytail everyday with a rubber band, I would grab half of the ponytail in each hand and pull it to make it tighter. I had SO many split ends around where my rubber band would be

[Beeboo123]

Off-topic but I always thought lapushka had blonde hair too. I'd look at her signature picture all the time and still think it was blonde!


Me too! I just think of her as being blonde. This is interesting. I remember this coming up in another thread too. Why do we think this way?

[lapushka]

I always thought that the split traveled up too! My hair is completely virgin and I seldom use heat so I don’t usually get too many from what I can tell. I mean my hair strands are practically invisible so its pretty hard to tell.

Just recently I saw a video where a hair and physics youtuber said that there is no need to trim your hair because the splits just break off eventually and I thought it was quite odd. Her hair was pretty long, maybe to knees, and seemed in good health. Heres the video link: https://youtu.be/UVn2KcdPYjY

Yeah... no. Split ends don't fall off by themselves. The part that has split off maybe, but the rest of it? I think S&D is the way to go if you do have a lot of them. If only to be on the safe side.

[lapushka]

Me too! I just think of her as being blonde. This is interesting. I remember this coming up in another thread too. Why do we think this way?

Maybe it's a good thing I put a signature pic down this past month. ;) :p

[chomsky]

Yes, I’m keeping my thin section of hair as a damage buffer for the rest! :)

I understand now!
——

I think we’re having a disagreement about the meaning “Travel up.” Some are imagining a tear to the root. Very, very unlikely because the split hair is so fragile it usually breaks off looong before. If you have any split at all it is damage that has traveled some distance from its origin. Because it s origin is a point.

The few splits I get 'travel up' in that sense (why I said the paper thing). One of the first times I S&D'd I have some very long splits. I don't think they'll tear to the root, but mine certainly did get bigger than a tiny fray.

In the other sense I think splits travel up because they break of and resplit.

[Guitargod]

Yeah the "prongs" break off but the hair is still frayed and will probably split again.

[Solgave]

I have fine hair that splits easily. I have only a few times seen hairs that are split above a few millimeters above the ends. In my hair the split parts seem to fall off quite quickly/easily, so they never "travel" up. I do little trims frequently to get rid of splits.

[wannabe-rusalka]

I didn't watch the entire video, just looked at her hair. I think she has splits at the bottom few inches of hair. That's what I'm attributing the frizziness too.
Mine looked like that when I had damage. It also looks like some of it has traveled up her hair to me.

She must just be one of those people whos hair can take it- I know for certain mine is not. I need a good trim *at least* once a year.

[M.McDonough]

https://s9.postimg.org/yg6zcthbz/CZQFWfz_Wc_AA-d_Z7.jpg

Is that true?

[littlestarface]

https://s9.postimg.org/yg6zcthbz/CZQFWfz_Wc_AA-d_Z7.jpg

Is that true?

If that was true then I have the most damaged hair ever more so than people who bleach to hell and use every hot thingy on their hair cuz mine looks exactly like the right damage picture. Thats messed up man.

[Beeboo123]

https://s9.postimg.org/yg6zcthbz/CZQFWfz_Wc_AA-d_Z7.jpg

Is that true?

That really depends on how your hair is cut. If it’s layered, there definitely will be taper to the braid.

You lose about 100 strands of hair everyday. New growth means the top of the braid is going to be thicker than the end of the braid.

Some people shed their hair after pregnancy or illness, and the taper can be pretty dramatic depending on the amount lost. The hairs that remain aren’t damaged.

[Ligeia Noire]

That's absolutely not true and misleading.

[ladycatpurrs]

Here is my recent experience with splits, tree branches and breaks. I was pretty sick for a while and I am shocked my hair didn't mat up like a stray dog! I recently went on a vicious S&D with my jeweler's glasses (magnification glasses) and sharp scissors. What I found was I had lots of tiny splits and larger "peeling splits", maybe a 1/4 inch up but no higher. I found tree branches up to 1/2 inch up, irrespective of a split end on the bottom. I also found that when I did find the rarer split end higher up the hair shaft, the hair was so weak I sometimes actually saw it break off before I could cut it. Just..boomp and gone. So maybe the actual split in hair that starts from the bottom can't go up to the root because it breaks before due to the weakening of the hair. I have fine hair so I guess that plays in. My two cents from what I saw on my own poor neglected head, lol!!

[lapushka]

https://s9.postimg.org/yg6zcthbz/CZQFWfz_Wc_AA-d_Z7.jpg

Is that true?

I think the picture on the left can't be an accurate representation of actual hair (unless it's been that length for years and had decent trims and so a thick hemline), but then still... there will *always*, always be taper, maybe not as much as in the image on the right, but it will be there.

ETA: OP, where did you get that picture, BTW? And what does it have to do with split ends, I wonder? :hmm: If we all had to trim at that point, we would all have short hair. ;)

[Alex Lou]

Usually half of one of my split ends will break off on it's own, leaving the other half tapered and a different texture. So, no, my splits don't make it all the way to the root. And my splits only go as far up as my hair is damaged: they don't travel up into the healthy parts of my hair. I think a traveling split is just a sign that the hair is damaged further up and will need to be grown out or cut off anyway.

[Alex Lou]

I always thought that the split traveled up too! My hair is completely virgin and I seldom use heat so I don’t usually get too many from what I can tell. I mean my hair strands are practically invisible so its pretty hard to tell.

Just recently I saw a video where a hair and physics youtuber said that there is no need to trim your hair because the splits just break off eventually and I thought it was quite odd. Her hair was pretty long, maybe to knees, and seemed in good health. Heres the video link: https://youtu.be/UVn2KcdPYjY

I find it to be true for me and my hair type, that there is no point in trimming splits because they will just break off later. The exception are my very coarsest super-coarse strands that split into what is the thickness of 2 medium-coarse hairs. Each half is still very strong and won't break.

[M.McDonough]

I think the picture on the left can't be an accurate representation of actual hair (unless it's been that length for years and had decent trims and so a thick hemline), but then still... there will *always*, always be taper, maybe not as much as in the image on the right, but it will be there.

ETA: OP, where did you get that picture, BTW? And what does it have to do with split ends, I wonder? :hmm: If we all had to trim at that point, we would all have short hair. ;)

Sorry about the late reply. I don't remember where I got this photo, random Google search. So you're saying there has to be a taper even if you let your hair grow and trim the ends evenly?

[hayheadsbird]

There will always be SOME taper, though it might be very slight especially in thick hair. Mine only starts to taper noticiably in last 4 inches or so, but if you actually look through it you can see there's plenty of younger hairs that haven't yet caught up with my ends! If all hair grew at the same time, we would be bald as they would all shed at the same time, then grow back.

I think split ends are just a fact with longer hair. Even with amazing hair friendly routines and care, at some point they will split, simply because of the age of the hair and the mechanical damage of just being on a head. Some are more prone that bothers because of genetics and hair type etc bit I don't think any one is immune to them.
My hairs only hip, and I'm pretty good about looking after it, it's M/C, so not particularly delicate really, but I still have split ends when you have a good hunt. Tbf, it might take 20 minutes plus in good light to find one, or it might be 6 in less than a minute, bit they are there if you go looking. At a glance you'd say I don't have any though. It's rare they pop up and wave for attention!
I only really get to s and d over the summer, as getting good enough light during winter is difficult, so I find more during spring, and I've had more lately as I've been going through a dry hair phase and had to adjust routines to accommodate. I'm not panicking about it anymore though ( I did initially!) because it's not a big deal for me in the long run. A few ends need to be snipped for the greater good, and there's enough layers in my hemline and my hair is thick enough that it's not going to mess anything up anyway.

[lapushka]

Sorry about the late reply. I don't remember where I got this photo, random Google search. So you're saying there has to be a taper even if you let your hair grow and trim the ends evenly?

Yes, there's *always* going to be taper.

But how about you? Where are you now with growing and all? :)

[M.McDonough]

Yes, there's *always* going to be taper.

But how about you? Where are you now with growing and all? :)

Well, thanks for asking! :) I think I'm at hip length/tailbone right now, but I want the the rest of my hair to catch up and then I'll trim the ends cuz I plan on keeping it at hip length or tailbone (I don't think I'll go beyond that) That's why the taper is kind of bothering me. What about you?

[S&S]

Yes, I’m keeping my thin section of hair as a damage buffer for the rest! :)

I understand now!
——

I think we’re having a disagreement about the meaning “Travel up.” Some are imagining a tear to the root. Very, very unlikely because the split hair is so fragile it usually breaks off looong before. If you have any split at all it is damage that has traveled some distance from its origin. Because it s origin is a point.


If your hair is trimmed, the virgin ends are hidden in the length of your hair. It’s a matter of hair structure that cut ends are more likely to split than natural ends.

If you’ve had both very long (below classic) and quite short (above collar) hair, you’ll be aware that the growing ends that are waist length when your hair ends are below classic are less likely to split than your hair did if you tried to grow it from collar to BSL without a single trim. Splits occur when the cortex looks sea integrity. Naturally growing hair has cuticle over the cortex at the ends. Cut hair has exposed cortex.

If you’re still dubious, think of it like this. Your virgin hair is NEVER TRIMMED FOR YEARS—5-10 years if you have really long hair— until it gets long enough to join up with your ends unless you happen to find the occasional split among the virgin hairs (though there’s a good chance a close look will reveal that the hair is actually broken). And if you have very long hair, most of your hair is actually among the virgin hair crowd. What would the ends of your trimmed hair be like if you did that? Not nearly so nice.

I like the look of a trim, but there’s a reason I slather my ends in coconut oil before washing!

So what do you recommend? - S&D, no cuts and coco oil before washes?

[gin]

I’m going to throw in my two cents based on my own hair and experience.

I have past waist length hair. Prior to earlier this year I hadn’t cut it for over two years and I was NOT taking care of my hair. I wasn’t heat styling or chemically treating it, but I was neglecting it. Rough towel drying, rough rubbing while applying shampoo and conditioner, blow drying on high heat after washing, rough combing, NEVER put it up except in a ponytail to workout, always out in the sun, slept with it loose, etc. I basically acted like my hair was short even though it was long. :)

Before I got the trim, I decided to do S&D. I had all the types of splits. At the ends, tree branches, hairs that had six splits in one strand, splits in the middle, splits even up near my ears, and any combo of the above. I found a hair that was split up to my ears, and the splits themselves had several splits of their own. :) Most were near or at the ends but I found a handful higher up. After the trim, I don’t have nearly as many splits anymore, especially now that I take better care of my hair.

These days when I do S&D, I’ll still find a split hair up towards the middle every now and then. Obviously the trim can’t take care of the ones that traveled higher.

So the answer is yes to splits traveling up based on my experience. My guess is many here don’t see them because you guys take care of your hair! :)

[Kalamazoo]

I find that a hair with a split end can "infect" its neighbors, because the split hair will wrap itself around another hair or 2 or 6, forming a knot. Then, those neighbor hairs caught in the knot are more likely to break & develop splits of their own. S&D seems to me to be very necessary.

[Dark40]

I always thought that the split traveled up too! My hair is completely virgin and I seldom use heat so I don’t usually get too many from what I can tell. I mean my hair strands are practically invisible so its pretty hard to tell.

Just recently I saw a video where a hair and physics youtuber said that there is no need to trim your hair because the splits just break off eventually and I thought it was quite odd. Her hair was pretty long, maybe to knees, and seemed in good health. Heres the video link: https://youtu.be/UVn2KcdPYjY

Wow I agree with Angelica! Her hair is not only lovely but she is also very pretty as well! I do totally agree with her on about the split ends. My mom would often tell me when I little that my hair will never grow that long that "it was genetic" but I never believed her. Because, I've been growing my hair since 2010 and now it's 3" pass WL! That's the longest my hair has ever been in my whole entire life! When I was a child it would only grow to MBL. But I'm glad that I very rarely get split ends. Because, I take good care of my hair, and I barely use any heat on it, and I only have to trim it twice a year.

[AutobotsAttack]

Yeah they can travel, but it’s extremely rare for them to travel all the way up to the roots. Espeacially on really long haired people. Usually after 1mm- 1 inch they break off anyways.

[gin]

Yeah they can travel, but it’s extremely rare for them to travel all the way up to the roots. Espeacially on really long haired people. Usually after 1mm- 1 inch they break off anyways.

This is probably mostly true, though I've found plenty on my head that have been split more than an inch. I think I've found a couple that were like 5-6in long! I wonder if it's because my hair is quite coarse, so even when a super thick strand splits, both end strands of the split are still thick on their own and can last a bit longer. That's my theory anyways. The splits I've found that are 3-way or 4-way (or even more) splits are usually on super thick strands.

[Cherriezzzzz]

My hair is just over 3ft long now, completely virgin, and I never use heat... DOESN'T matter. Tons of splits! I never cut/trim my hair for years now (TY LHC) But splits traveling up that far (I was a cosmetologist)... I've never seen it, so it's got to be rare and so I wouldn't waste too much time worrying about it... you're either going to have them or not regardless. That's my experience. I used to never have them previously when I had regular cuts. Better question is do you want super long hair with splits or the regular hair lengths without them? I don't believe in splits up to the root. The scalp takes such great care of the first 6 inches it's difficult to even imagine that? If one's hair is SO strong that the split doesn't "fall off" "break off it's length" etc but traveling up to the root instead... wouldn't then your hair be too strong to spilt to begin with?!

[Silica]

The dirty secret that most people don’t know is that any cut hair shaft is intrinsically more likely to split than a whole hair with a natural taper. Trimming itself causes an unnatural point of weakness from which protein is rapidly lost and damage quickly accumulates. That’s probably why people have success with microtrimming hair that has ever been trimmed. Because they’re cutting off tiny bits frequently, they head off substantial damage at the raw ends of hair.

This is the first time I've heard this and I'm stunned! :thud: General consensus seems to be that trimming makes hair healthier but this makes so much more sense to me. I'm starting from short, virgin hair and I never use heat (never have) so I don't have any existing damage to get rid of. I'm thinking I will forgo the trimming altogether, indefinitely, on this basis.

[lapushka]

This is the first time I've heard this and I'm stunned! :thud: General consensus seems to be that trimming makes hair healthier but this makes so much more sense to me. I'm starting from short, virgin hair and I never use heat (never have) so I don't have any existing damage to get rid of. I'm thinking I will forgo the trimming altogether, indefinitely, on this basis.

I somehow doubt that, because I have 0 splits and I do check. And I used to be 1/2 years into no-trimming. It's one person's opinion against one's experience. Take it FWIW! ;)

[Pearly~91]

This is the first time I've heard this and I'm stunned! :thud: General consensus seems to be that trimming makes hair healthier but this makes so much more sense to me. I'm starting from short, virgin hair and I never use heat (never have) so I don't have any existing damage to get rid of. I'm thinking I will forgo the trimming altogether, indefinitely, on this basis.

If you are starting with short hair then most of your hair has an end that has been cut. The only way to get hair with no cut ends is to grow from birth without trimming or to grow out to true terminal length where every strand has had the chance to shed and regrow.

I personally think that split ends are a result of mechanical damage and every person's hair varies in susceptibility to that.

[Silica]

If you are starting with short hair then most of your hair has an end that has been cut. The only way to get hair with no cut ends is to grow from birth without trimming or to grow out to true terminal length where every strand has had the chance to shed and regrow.

I personally think that split ends are a result of mechanical damage and every person's hair varies in susceptibility to that.

True! This just made me think that maybe regular trims can do more harm than good. I suppose I am aiming for terminal, ultimately.

[Pearly~91]

True! This just made me think that maybe regular trims can do more harm than good. I suppose I am aiming for terminal, ultimately.

It's all different person to person. And how frequent regular trims are can vary as well. I have been trimming every few months (or longer) for years to keep my hemline from getting too uneven. I also S&D to fight splits. My split ends are almost never within an inch of the hemline. Usually my hair splits further up where the shorter sections that don't get trimmed as much end.

That's one reason why I'm maintaining length right now, to try to trim out the damaged shorter layers.

[Pearly~91]

And to respond to the OP and some of the other things upthread, I think hair would split to the root in only very damaged hair. Like serious chemical damage or hair grown from damaged follicles. Splits are more likely to break off and shed out before they travel that far up.

Also split ends don't fall out because they split, the hair strands might naturally shed out, but if you have split ends you will probably get more to replace the ones that shed.

[elise.autumn]

I don't have the experience you all have of paying close attention to my hair for years... but I will say that I have not cut, trimmed, or S&D my hair in almost 3 years. I have a couple small split ends, but I don't think anything bad at all.

Now that I'm on LHC, I'm wondering if I should S&D. Thoughts?

[lapushka]

I don't have the experience you all have of paying close attention to my hair for years... but I will say that I have not cut, trimmed, or S&D my hair in almost 3 years. I have a couple small split ends, but I don't think anything bad at all.

Now that I'm on LHC, I'm wondering if I should S&D. Thoughts?

S&D is only cutting splits off when you see one, so if you don't have many, there's nothing to S&D, right? ;)

[CathelinaNicole]

Search and Destroy! Split ends do travel up the shaft. I S&D if i'm bored, in the car (i carry scissors in my bag), if i'm reading an article online, etc. I personally find it to be relaxing. If i do a little S&D here and there then i don't need to trim, and my hair stays healthy.

[Angelica]

I am going to say it is a myth. However a lot of split ends does look unsightly and the hair tends to be dry. However from my experience no they don't travel up. Also from my experience, the hair that splits tends to be at the end of its life anyway. Many of my shed hairs appear to be split. Someone on here has already stated that the only way to prove that a split end can travel is if you could watch that single hair to see if the split actually does travel and I don't think that experiment can actually be done. When I was a child however I used to like splitting them upwards and even then I never got up to the full shaft because the piece of hair just broke off, leaving me with a piece of much thinner hair of course but nowhere near the scalp hair.

[gin]

I am going to say it is a myth. However a lot of split ends does look unsightly and the hair tends to be dry. However from my experience no they don't travel up. Also from my experience, the hair that splits tends to be at the end of its life anyway. Many of my shed hairs appear to be split. Someone on here has already stated that the only way to prove that a split end can travel is if you could watch that single hair to see if the split actually does travel and I don't think that experiment can actually be done. When I was a child however I used to like splitting them upwards and even then I never got up to the full shaft because the piece of hair just broke off, leaving me with a piece of much thinner hair of course but nowhere near the scalp hair.

It's probably true they don't travel ALL the way up the hair. But as I said above, I have found split hairs on my own head that were like 5-6" long (and that's for both sides of the split). I think I've found two of them like this and a few more in the 2-4" range. I assume these splits traveled to those lengths b/c I doubt those started immediately at those lengths when they first split, but I guess who knows...

[gin]

I had a long car ride today and did some S&D, here's one of the splits I found. It's about 2+" long on one side and 1.5+" on the other. It's still not one of the super epic long ones I've run into from before. :)

https://i.imgur.com/m5yysvI.jpg?2

[S&S]

That's one gnarly split, gin !

We should have a thread with photos of crazy split ends so that my fiance doesn't have to see them anymore haha.

Mine usually break at a certain point (like a white spot) rather than split, but I have had crazy looking "feathering" split ends before.

[lapushka]

Good one, gin! Shows you you can't all "get them" just by microtrimming or with split-ender devices at all. You need to really go through the hair carefully if you want to "catch" them. :)

[barnet_fair]

I find that a hair with a split end can "infect" its neighbors, because the split hair will wrap itself around another hair or 2 or 6, forming a knot. Then, those neighbor hairs caught in the knot are more likely to break & develop splits of their own. S&D seems to me to be very necessary.

This is the crucial point, in my opinion. Splitting up the hair shaft may or may not occur, or matter to you for aesthetic reasons, but if splits cause ends to tangle more, then they will increase breakage of other hairs and so you need to S&D. This is certainly the case for me - split ends seem to catch other hairs and create multi-strand knots, so I S&D them off.

[Shepherdess]

In my experience most of my splits will break off at some point, rarely do my splits travel far up the shaft. I think the longest split I ever found was 4 inches long, mostly they are so tiny they are hardly visible and break off right away though. Haha
I think S&D can help a lot.