What do Non-trimmers do about split ends?

[indigonight]

I was wondering how non-trimmers deal with all the cons of not snipping splits.....

I was thinking of stopping trimming to increase my growth but always find my very wavy hair gets super tangly and I get many many knots which I end up trying to untangle and then lose hair untangling and pull clumps out no matter how carefully I attempt to unravel the knot....I do wear protective hair styles but find I knot and tangle anyhow.

How do non-trimmers deal with split ends? tangles? knots? etc and how do you avoid negative growth? (ie growth of hair but lots of splits impeding proper 'nice' hair growth???

thanks to non-trimmers for any advice you can give....
curiously yours!
indigonight

[mellie89]

If you don't have a ton of split ends, you can trim them right above the split with a pair of hair scissors (a technique known as Search and Destroy, or S&D). I may be wrong, but I believe once it gets to a certain point, you may just be better off getting a good trim so you can start growing out healthy hair and so the damage won't travel up the length.
As for tangles and knots, I usually just slather them with conditioner in the shower and try to untangle them gently. Once in awhile I get one that is so bad that I end up snipping it out.

[julya]

I don't find that splits make more tangles, so I just ignore my splits.

[rogue_psyche]

I cut them off, one by one. Then my hair feels like it has had a trim, but I've lost no overall length. I think one should worry more about negative growth if they are trimming regularly than if they are getting splits. :shrug:

[ericthegreat]

I've gone without trimming for more than two years not too long ago. I am simply militant about moisturizing. Conditioner, more conditioner, deep conditioning treatments, and oil treatments are what I eat, breathe and sleep. I CO every night on a regular basis(click on my profile and go to my page to About Me to see my routine), and once a week I follow up with a deep conditioning treatment. I am currently using a deep treatment from Loreal Paris Vive Pro, it comes in a small 6.8 oz. tube. For added strength, I will mix in several drops of oil into my deep conditioner. I usually use olive oil for this purpose. After applying the olive oil + deep conditioner mixture into my hair, I will leave it on for at least 2 hours before rinsing it out, my deep conditioning days always happen at night and when I have free time and don't need to go anywhere. And in the past several weeks, I have been using Ojon nut oil as the ultimate intensive hair treatment. Ojon is my miracle fountain of youth, it strengthens and adds back the suppleness to my hair. It also gives your hair a mirror like curtain of shine.

[clairenewcastle]

Twenty hairs ago I decided to grow my shoulder length hair as long as possible. My husband-to-be loved long hair, can't say I was against the idea myself. "Just don't cut it" he advised. So I didn't. For two years. If it hadn't been for the long hours spent searching for and destroying split ends - of which there were many - I would never have achieved the length I did. Don't allow them to stay in your hair. Not every split end will travel up your hair shaft but the amount that do is scarey. To be honest I found S and D a very addictive thing to do and not just because of the results, the process of taking "time out" every day to fiddle with your hair is almost theraputic...it was for me anyway.
Many years and a long hair saga later I decided to repeat the process of growing my hair by not cutting it for a few years. For some reason I never found the time every day to S and D, I always intened to set aside time tomorrow...at the weekend...you've guessed the outcome. Weak broken ends. Did I achieve the length I wanted. No sireee.
Get snipping girl!!!!!

[OhioLisa]

Absolutely nothing. :D Keeping my hair up and moisturized keeps splits at bay for the most part. If I think to do an S&D, I will, but they are VERY few and far between. I don't have a major problem with tangles either. In my experience, my splits don't travel up as some say they do. Just keep moisture in as much as possible and remember, updos are your friends.

[Rebelkat]

I am a trimmer, so I can't really answer your question as a non-trimmer, but I only trim when I have to to thicken up the ends. I S&D fairly regularly, and I've heard that catnip tea helps with splits (but I always end up drinking the tea instead of putting it on my hair). Personally, I always keep my shears nearby when I comb, brush, or do anything else to my hair so that if I see a split, I can take care of it right then and there. I've found that I'm more likely to find the splits when I'm not actually looking for them, so maybe that's something you can try?

[Eniratak]

I actually really just ignore them, to be honest. I have split ends and I know it, but I don't cut my hair for personal reasons. I do have moisturizing shampoo and conditioner (sometimes I just use conditioner) and I've done oil treatments.

[indigonight]

thanks for all these answers, I think I'll keep on self-trimming and follow eric's recommendation to moisturize, condition, moisturize and so forth to hopefully minimize time in between trims. I just googled the ojon products, they sound amazing, unfortunately I cannot obtain them in my area of the UK......