Do split ends really move up the hair shaft?

[abritta3]

Hi all. I have been noticing quite a few threads (even one I started) with LHCers worried about split ends and maybe having to cut.
I read through the answers Rini got from her post and they were all great tips on how she can keep her length.
I also notice some breakage...my 3a curls break soooo easily. I trimmed a half inch the day before yesterday and noticed a better hemline but I still have breakage (which I thought I didn't :() but I have a question...
1) how quickly does breakage move up the hair shaft? (especially for those of us who have put down the heating tools and started oiling and conditioning?...I also use updos on a daily basis)

(I really probably need 2inches or perhaps 3in cut off but I am just not willing to do that with 24inch hair...:()


TIA to all ;) Have a great Father's Day!:blossom:

[ericthegreat]

The very ends of your hair are the oldest and have weathered the elements of water, sun, wind, pollution, heat styling and coloring if you have ever done those two things, and even simple combing and brushing. They will naturally split over time. With more and more time that passes, the splits *may* travel up from your ends to the mid shaft of your strands. However, with that being said, not everyone needs to be a trim fanatic. My grandmother NEVER trimmed her hair in her youth and it grew past her knees. If you have very strong, thick hair your overall hair structure will allow you to keep growing without much or any breakage. If you are of the finer hair type, then you will have to give in to the ohhhh say once every 3 or 4 month trimming or do your own search and destroy method of hunting down the splits. If you do intend on trimming off your own splits please buy a professional hair cutting scissor, and ONLY use them to snip your ends, NOTHING ELSE.

[Buddaphlyy]

IMHO, no. I think what people mean by "travel" is really that they had more damage on the ends than they care to admit and that hair split. I don't think healthy had would spontaneously start splitting because of a lack of trimming.

[Melisande]

I never believed that split hair can travel up - how could it do that? Besides, the upper part of the hair shaft doesn't "know" that there is damage going on below.

But then I read here that split hair tangles more, and then you untangle and may rip at your hair, and that damages it even more. Besides, split hair means that the hair shaft is open at one place - it can lose protein and get weakened even further.

So by now I believe it's possible for damage to spread that once your hair is affected, and it's better to cut the split end off. You need really good scissors for that, otherwise you add more damage.

I'm lucky, I didn't see a split end in decades. The last time I had split end was as teenager. My hair seems to be immune against splitting. And I do look out for them. Until now - none. But the moment I see one, I'll take out those scissors.

[BrianaFineHair]

When I was younger in school, I would sit in class and look for splits. If I found one, I would pull and pull and see how far up I could get it to go. (My mother would not have been happy with me for this.) I can't believe I did that.

I have seen splits on others hair that were pretty long up the hair shaft, so I think they can very well make their way up - a least somewhat before breaking off.

[Cherry_Sprinkle]

Keeping in mind I have fine hair and its curly and I chemically dye.. I have noticed that if I don't trim the splits they will continue to split or break off completely.. so I don't know that I would say they 'travel' but on my hair they do get worse. I don't use any heat on my hair at all, and I never straighten so the only 'stress' my hair sees is styling products and the occasional scrunching to recurl.

[ReddishRocks]

When I was younger in school, I would sit in class and look for splits. If I found one, I would pull and pull and see how far up I could get it to go. (My mother would not have been happy with me for this.) I can't believe I did that.

I have seen splits on others hair that were pretty long up the hair shaft, so I think they can very well make their way up - a least somewhat before breaking off.

LMAO - I used to do that too!!! When I think of a split traveling up, this is what I think of. It's conceivable that a split could deepen if left un-snipped, but I don't think it would be THAT dramatic if left on its own to occur! :D

[BrianaFineHair]

LMAO - I used to do that too!!! When I think of a split traveling up, this is what I think of. It's conceivable that a split could deepen if left un-snipped, but I don't think it would be THAT dramatic if left on its own to occur! :D

LOL! Good to see I was not the only one that was self destructive with my hair! I just chalk it up to being a youngin' :p

I agree, I do not see the split traveling up as far as we were able to actually pull the split up the shaft, but I have seen huge splits on others.

[~GypsyCurls~]

When I was younger in school, I would sit in class and look for splits. If I found one, I would pull and pull and see how far up I could get it to go. (My mother would not have been happy with me for this.) I can't believe I did that.

Sadly, I also used to do this. Makes me shudder to think about it!

[Melisande]

Wow, I can't believe it - I did that too. Maths and Latin lessons were my hair destruction lessons. Too boring to survive otherwise... I think we all did it, my friends and I. Must have driven our teachers crazy ;-)

[hennaphile]

I think they can a small amount, because if they are physically pulled apart by snagging, it seems logical. I think it's far more likely that damage can get worse if it causes tangles and said snags.

[julya]

I tend to have a lot of splits, but I don't think the damage travels much at all. They just break off, I think. I haven't had a trim or s&d in at least a year.

[spidermom]

Having a split end is almost like yarn unraveling, and yes - the separation continues to travel up the hair shaft. I've found splits in my own hair that were open a good 2-3 inches from the bottom. Sigh -- my hairs love to split, but thank goodness most of them are still good.

[C_Bookworm]

But then I read here that split hair tangles more, and then you untangle and may rip at your hair, and that damages it even more. Besides, split hair means that the hair shaft is open at one place - it can lose protein and get weakened even further.

So by now I believe it's possible for damage to spread that once your hair is affected, and it's better to cut the split end off. You need really good scissors for that, otherwise you add more damage.



Totally agree. You need to start with hair in decent shape if you want to keep it healthy

[free_hug]

Let's just try and summarize what we have learned today:

damage DOES travel upwards the hairshaft, but unless you do some manual efforts to split your hairs in two, the whole travel takes no more than -3 inches. Now, the two-three inches were reported in the case of spidermom and her tailbone length renegray braidwave waterfall.

As far as i understand, damage travels upwards minimally, but does not end up at the middle of the hairshaft. Instead, it moves slightly up, but only to a length that you'd get rid of at the next trim anyway (unless you are already a devoted s&d-er).

That is, if you're lazy and get a yearly trim of, say, 2-3 inches instead of a trimonthly 1 inch, you end up with more or less the same results. Right?

[Kirin]

I really don't know the answer to this question..... LOL.

I have recently bleached out henna (brutal) and chemically colored over now three times. Though my ends are pretty haggard, I don't have a single split end. I have no answer to this, I expected splits everywhere and its been about a month since I bleached.

I have had splits though, in my youth. They always stayed on the ends and I never found one that traveled. I never trimmed them and had at the time hair to the back of my knees. I have fine thin hair incidentally, so I don't think its a general rule that fine hair somehow splits more readily.

I think weather or not a split forms or travels is due to the individual's hair strand make-up.

[Curlsgirl]

I really don't know the answer to this question..... LOL.

I have recently bleached out henna (brutal) and chemically colored over now three times. Though my ends are pretty haggard, I don't have a single split end. I have no answer to this, I expected splits everywhere and its been about a month since I bleached.

I have had splits though, in my youth. They always stayed on the ends and I never found one that traveled. I never trimmed them and had at the time hair to the back of my knees. I have fine thin hair incidentally, so I don't think its a general rule that fine hair somehow splits more readily.

I think weather or not a split forms or travels is due to the individual's hair strand make-up.

I do think there is something to this. Although at APL and even to almost waist I didn't have splits either and now am seeing a few. Others report very healthy hair that they do NOTHING bad to and they seem to have splits abundant at even short lengths. As for do they travel up the shaft I believe it makes sense that if you can MAKE a split do that with any further stress on that hair that it would do it on its own. This is something I have wondered about for a long time as I am doing far less trimming than I once did and was wondering if I would "pay" later. Thanks for the thread!

[Sheltie_Momma]

I find splits that have traveled as much as 3-4 inches up the shaft although it is more common that it will just break off at about the 1 inch mark. I used to flat iron my hair, so I have damage all up and down the length. I have never treated as well as I do now, so we'll see how it looks in 6-7 years when most of the hair has been loving cared for.

[jojo]

Yes I believe they do, My hair starts splitting at BSL and I have seen some monster splits on my hair!

[fishwich]

My own hair tends to splits, but I've never noticed them spreading. They get a few millimeters long and then...they pretty much just sit there. That's not to say another split won't happen a little further up the shaft, but that's not splits traveling as much as it's another spot of damage.

Watch your own splits, note their habits, and act accordingly. I've (mostly) stopped worrying about mine, but sometimes it's hard to take a deep breath and put the #$!!#$ scissors down.