I don't think I get splits... or do I just not know what to look for?!

[OleanderTime]

I always thought I was this lucky gal who didn't really get split ends. However, the more I think about it and the more I learn on TLHC about people with years of super healthy hair regimes who still get splits, I'm starting to think I just don't know what to look for. :crazyq:

My hair has always hovered around chin to shoulder length. It's a little below shoulder now, so it's always been (and still is) difficult for me to go through my hair and really look. Mostly, I look at the hair right in front, but I can barely go through the back at all. If I do see anything resembling a split, it's only an occasional "white ball" or "taper" split. Is there a hierarchy of splits? Are some not as bad as others?

Are any of you blessed enough to just not really get splits in the first place? Is this even possible?

[hmmm]

I don't think I have ever got a split either. My hair has always been around the same length as yours, from chin to shoulder, never longer than that. I think it's very difficult to get split ends at this length, unless you use heat regularly on your hair (which I never do).
I've read on this forum that most people get split ends only after a certain length, for some people it's BSL and for others longer.
I'm actually looking forward to growing my hair so I can see what split ends look like. I get really curious at times, and find myself staring at longer-haired people's ends to find one or two. Never works :p.. but I did see dots in one person's hair and they made me go 'eww'.

[heidi w.]

Getting splits is not merely an issue of length. It's about treatment of hair.

To quickly answer the question of if there's a hierarchy of splits, as in, some not so bad compared to others -- answer is no. Any damage is still damage no matter how one frames it. Fundamentally, there's no way to fix damage once it's there.

If one is trimming or styling into a cut hairstyle fairly regularly (or keeping the hair length at a certain length and not allowing a longer length), then one might not experience a lot of damage.

Anything of length close to the head, it's very hard to look at our own hair, and most salon stylists aren't reliable in seeing damage. There's a tendency in the profession that the sight of one point of damage is somehow something that needs to be dealt with for all the hair's length.

Damage can occur at ANY length. SO it's not about length. It's about hair care mostly. IF one is perming and coloring of any sort, or heat styling (flat ironing, curling iron -- where the heat is applied with the hair being pressed--even high heat blow drying), you can count on damage. White dots are burst cuticles, where the hair is damaged down to the cortex (this hair bends at 90 degrees, and healthy hair curves, not angles). Some splits, before splitting simple are attached to the main hair on either end, but if you press with fingertips and squeeze the zonage together, you'll see a hole, like a donut hole....that's a split yet to actually split off.

Many people who have been at shorter lengths the majority of their life, when they become considerably longer are surprised at the damage points they'll see eventually. Typically though, in a fairly healthy head of hair of some acquired length, the idea is to manage and maintain, not perfection. This means that oldest hair is wherever the hemline is, and perhaps about that last inch is likely where the largest volume of damage will be seen. The longer one becomes, this hemline zonage of increased damage might be more like 2-3 inches or so.

However, damage can occur anywhere.

The other thing for seeing damage reliably is about available light. Most lights that light up a house or room in a house is insufficient. One needs sunlight or something pretty close to that, such as halogen light. PLUS one frequently needs to be looking at the hair against a backdrop that is opposite one's hair color. For example, a blonde can look against a black backdrop; a redhead against black, or blue.....a brunette or dark-haired, against a white or light backdrop -- otherwise it can be difficult to see.

Further, one can look in a zonage of hair and see nothing, yet slightly turn that bit of hair and suddenly one sees stuff. And hairs need to be separated, so lightly rubbing the ends to separate hairs is helpful as well.

But no, damage is damage. It's all the same. The only difference might be your interpretation, your view of damage that allows for a 'hierarchy'. Everyone has a different view on these things. I know of some longhairs who don't care overly about white dots, for example (the burst cuticle). I myself live with a certain amount of allowable splits. If I didn't, I'd have a bit shorter hair. I trim around 2-3 year. For many it's a balancing act of length and tolerance of some damage. My damage is very definitely in the very bottom of the hemline, yet it's not every single hair either.

heidi w.

[EdG]

I don't get split ends, even at my length.

I think genetics is a factor (in addition to hair care). :)
Ed

[Heidi_234]

It's very possible that your hair is still too short to split. If you treat it nicely, and don't give it a reason to split, it's still 'young' enough to remain splitless. Hair that is ear length give or take few inches, is only one year old. Hair that's BSL and longer is already few years old, and all that time can definitely take its toll and make it more prone to splits.

Despite that, even long hair can go a while without splits. My hair was mid-back-ish after the last ever trim I did at the hairdresser's, and it remained completely split-free for 3 months.

[heidi w.]

Genetics is a factor insofar as it goes to the type of hair one has. Those with a thicker hair strand, genetically, likely won't have as many splits. Some hair can take more pain. Certainly a hair type like mine, very fine, has a lot lower tolerance.

Some hair types don't tangle, and EdG would be (ETA: I should say is likely to be such a candidate--I do know of people who have low tangles, compared to me, for example) one of those types. Mine on the other hand, the smallest of whiffles of air, or movement of the head -- tangle.

heidi w.

[EdG]

Genetics is a factor insofar as it goes to the type of hair one has. Those with a thicker hair strand, genetically, likely won't have as many splits. Some hair can take more pain. Certainly a hair type like mine, very fine, has a lot lower tolerance.

Some hair types don't tangle, and EdG would be one of those types. Mine on the other hand, the smallest of whiffles of air, or movement of the head -- tangle.

heidi w.Yes, I have coarse hair which isn't susceptible to splits. I can't remember the last time I found a split strand. :shrug: I seem to have hair made of steel. :D

Unfortunately, I do get tangles (but perhaps not as many as fine-haired people). :)
Ed

[GoddesJourney]

Your hair is listed as F/M, which could be part of it. When you say that your hair has "hovered" at a certain length, do you mean that it never really grows past that? I have some F/M hairs around my ears and they typicaly don't split either, they just break off because they're too fine to bother splitting. I get little white balls on the hair shaft and then they just fall off at that point, so later the white ball is at the end. It doesn't look like a split because the damaged part already fell off. Also, your hair is not long enough to have a whole lot of damage unless you're really mistreating it.

Also, if you use cones, especially on finer hair, it hides them. That's not to say you just don't get split ends. Some people don't even at longer lengths for a variety of reasons.

[getoffmyskittle]

No, you'd know a split if you saw one. They look exactly like what they sound like. :shrug:

[Addy]

My hair doesn't split either. I hope it never does!

[Finoriel]

My hair does not really split until about hip - tailbone. The splits I find are further down and even there it´s not overly many of them.
I think it´s genetics/hairtype, care/damage and age of the hair which are involved in how hany splits one get´s at which length.

So it´s entirely possible that you have none/very few split ends :gabigrin: when you see one you´ll really know that you have one.
Also I think that the ones reporting split ends can´t have a close look at the back of their heads either :wink:

[Dreams_in_Pink]

Being split-free is one of the few qualities of my hair, so i believe it is possible :D

My hair only splits if there's extreme amount of bleach over waist-length ends. Even that's quite rare.

There are very different kinds of hair. I believe thick and coarse strands are less prone to splitting. I know because i had human hair extensions and they used to split like crazy even though i never applied heat or dyed them.

[*Aoife*]

I have damage, I just can't find many splits. I went through my entire head (with help from my mam) and found two.

Maybe I just have good hair. I could never find any when I was younger even though my hair got yanked by a plastic brush daily and blowfried three times a week.

[feralnature]

I have damage but no splits also. I have been taking really good care of my hair though and use coconut oil regularly, don't over-wash, treat like old lace, Biotin, NO HEAT, the whole LHC philosophy.

I use to get splits just horribly so I know it is the good care.

[bubbles_87]

I dont get split ends either ever since I stopped using heat styling tools I just dont get them anymore.

[MissThorne]

Ever since I stopped dying and backcombing my hair I stopped getting them. Definitely hair care change that made the difference for me.

[nikki_h_007]

you lucky lucky people! i have fine hair, and i used to have terrible splits and damage (due to heat styling and washing daily) now im nice to my hair, i try SO hard. but it STILL splits. i have to trim half an inch every 3 months, and check for splits every month and cut them off! hope fully it might slow down soon though because i have nearly got rid of all my blonde hair since i died it about a year and half ago.
(sun-in. NOT good.)

[xoxophelia]

Hmm, I search and search but have maybe only had 3 split ends in the past year. And my hair doesn't tangle. Pretty much at all (unless there is a lot of sweat in it). Weird. I can do for days without brushing it without knots.

I had trouble figuring out what my hair type is, but perhaps that means it is coarse? I figured it isn't as thick (individually) as much of the asian hair I have seen though.

I know you can get split ends at any length though. My mom probably has a ton and her hair is above her shoulders. She bleaches it, heat styles it with a curling iron every time she washes it.. and never deep conditions though. Her haid is also naturally dry.

It is probably a sign you have healthy hair and would be able to grow it out longer and have it look good :)

[Flaxen]

This chart made by LHCer Tracy Muller might help (and it's pretty funny, too, because it's so true). :lol:

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa221/Cheeseistheword/splits.gif

[spidermom]

I refuse to believe that it's a matter of how you care for your hair. I'm as careful as I can be and not drive myself crazy, and I still get splits on splits that are split! Oh, o.k., maybe it does have to do with how I've cared for my hair, but I can't be any more careful without refusing to do anything that might be bad for my hair, ever. Who can live like that!?

If you aren't seeing splits, feel blessed and get on with your life. Don't worry that you don't know what to look for. You don't want to see these buggers, not ever.

[bumblebums]

I had long hair as a kid and could never understand what people were talking about when they talked about split ends. I just didn't have them. Then I grew up and all of a sudden I started seeing them in my own hair, even at shoulder length. The difference: I never blow-dried, conditioned, dyed, or wore my hair down as a kid, but then as a grown-up I could do whatever I wanted to my hair, so I totally fried it. Even when I tried to be nicer to it, it mostly meant using more expensive products--but I still brushed it and roughed it up with a towel, and some of the ends were split.

So it is a matter of care, at least in part. Hair also gets drier with age, so you might see more split ends later in life or when your hair gets longer.

[SunshineHair]

I love the split end chart. I was like, oh I saw that one today :0

[jojo]

In the past I used to get terrible splits, nowadays since oiling every day I have but a handful if I bother looking!

It may also be a question of length too, I dont get any until I reach BSL and longer, I have none until then.

Like spidermom said though feel blessed you havent any, dont fix what isnt broken yeah!

[Bellona]

I never got splits, even with tons of bleaching and flat ironing, until my hair started hovering between BSL and waist before I cut it. They were a major reason I decided to cut, so just be careful. They might not show up now, but if you're looking for a lot of length they can pop up in the future unless you're careful on the way there. I pretty much killed my hair with dye and bleach and heat styling, so as long as you don't do that you'll be fine.

I hope you never get any :)

[Curlsgirl]

I always thought I was this lucky gal who didn't really get split ends. However, the more I think about it and the more I learn on TLHC about people with years of super healthy hair regimes who still get splits, I'm starting to think I just don't know what to look for. :crazyq:

My hair has always hovered around chin to shoulder length. It's a little below shoulder now, so it's always been (and still is) difficult for me to go through my hair and really look. Mostly, I look at the hair right in front, but I can barely go through the back at all. If I do see anything resembling a split, it's only an occasional "white ball" or "taper" split. Is there a hierarchy of splits? Are some not as bad as others?

Are any of you blessed enough to just not really get splits in the first place? Is this even possible?I didn't get splits like you even when I blew dry like crazy until I got to about BSL, maybe a little shorter but not much. I got more as it got longer and quite a few by waist. I think my hair is M truly and must be pretty strong because I also get highlights now and let them blow it dry and run it over with a flat iron at the salon about every month or every other month.

[ericthegreat]

The only kind of split ends that I get are the naturally thinning, fairytale kind. And that only happens after at least a full 8 months or more of no trimming whatsoever. I have never even seen the famously typical Y shaped split end that everyone else talks about on my own head. Not to toot my own horn, but Asian hair really is the strongest hair in existence, every other Asian I've known whether they be my family member or a friend also has strong, shiny hair.

I think however for you Oleander, that you simply haven't grown your hair long enough for it to be susceptible to serious damage and thus split ends. Hair at shoulder length is only between one to two years old. It is still young, new hair and thus still very strong. As long as you don't seriously damage your hair with chemicals and don't heat style your hair too much, you really won't see or feel any kind of damage to your hair. Hell, I never even felt my hair feeling the least bit of dryness until it got longer than lower back length. After lower back length, my hair suddenly felt dryer but especially at my ends. Cherish your healthy ends right now Oleander........in the future if you decide to grow any longer they may be happy memories as to how easy it was to maintain healthy carefree hair!

[CaityBear]

I went quite a while without a single split end as well. It is very possible you just don't have any.