split ends everywhere!

[violeteyes]

Sooo...my hair is VERY fine, but pretty above average in thickness, and I always find so many splits, especially in the strands that frame my face and in the wispy pieces near the nap of the neck. I don't heat style and I started using a wood comb from the body shop. I use deva care low poo shampoo everyday on scalp only and then loreal everpure moisture conditioner on the length, and use a bit of that as a leave in. I also oil with jojoba or coconut about once or twice a week. I leave my hair down everyday, but I am VERY GENTLE with it when handling or combing, and I used to wear it up all the time and got just as much damage. Its just so discouraging to find so much damage when I am being really careful with my hair. I have been s&d for about a month when I find the time, but the damage seems to come back within a few days- I use revlon haircutting scissors, never used on anything but my own hair. Can anybody help me figure out what I'm doing, or maybe something I should be doing? Specific products? Thanks for reading the lengthy post guys! I'm having a bit of a freak out....

[xoxophelia]

Make sure when you cut your hairs you do so at a 90 degree angle. That might help.

Also, you can't really reverse damage. So now that you are taking better care of your hair, it will begin to improve as your hair grows, and you won't continue to damage it as much. But, the old damage is still there and you will still see the effect of that.

It is soo hard waiting though. I think I might have minor ADD haha.

[violeteyes]

What do you mean by ninety degree angle? Perpendicular to the hair strand? I realize that damage cannot be reversed- I have been treating my hair like royalty for about a year now and it splits like crazy still. I need to figure out the cause

[bumblebums]

Maybe it's how you handle it? Try not to comb your hair while wet, and pat it to dry, don't rub it with a towel.

[violeteyes]

bumblebums- thank you for posting! But I don't think that I could wiat until my hair is dry to comb- it seems to snarl and frizz if I do that

[bumblebums]

Definitely try it. If your hair is fine, you should be very careful with it when it is wet. This is when hair is at its most fragile. A hard habit to break, but not an impossible one.

Also, read up on hair washing techniques. You might be causing tangles by the way you wash it. Try to put a little bit of shampoo on your roots only, and condition the length before and after (see Ursula's standard newbie advice (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39)).

[violeteyes]

I definitely follow cwc as law haha. One question- my hair is a bit wavy, but if I comb through when wet until it is dry, it gets pretty straight and smooth. Can I do this without combing when wet?

[MsBubbles]

I think I would personally sustain much worse damage to my hair if I waited until my hair were dry before detangling! It would be so badly knotted.

Maybe it would help to spritz your own particular misting solution on the ends to detangle, or if you're into cones, using a coney serum?

If you're about at BSL (26"?) that's the point where many people start to experience spontaneous ends-combustion all of a sudden.

When you used to wear it up...how did you wear it up?

[mtstorm]

You could try finger combing it when it is wet. I dab a nickle size of oil on my palms rub it on both hands and then finger comb after I get out of the shower. I wait to brush it until after it is partially dry. The finger combing keeps it from becoming a tangled mess.

[violeteyes]

I would wear buns tied with scrunchies- only because I used to really hate the way it looked when it was down. Now, I prefer to leave it down or in a side braid to show that I've accepted it and because I think I look better with my hair down.

[violeteyes]

By the way, I'm actually about waist with my length- I'm almost five feet tall and twenty six inches looks a lot longer on me :)

[BlndeInDisguise]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but do you use a satin pillowcase?

[violeteyes]

I don't use a satin pillowcase- I did, but the whole side of my face that I slept on broke out.

[xoxophelia]

Yeah, by 90 degrees I mean perpendicular :)

A lot of people here handle their hair very well and yet still get split ends. They just happen I guess. Definitely be careful while wet. People keep talking about SMT, if you haven't tried it, then you could give that a try.

[violeteyes]

Okay- that's the way I cut it, good thing! *goes to do research*

[starlights]

i find loads of splits in my hair... i just do s&d for an hour every month and finds it maintains the problem and makes my ends feel healthier !

[merryhair]

ok, I haven't really tried this so I can't assure you but there are a lot of people on LHC who try catnip rinse for split ends. How about giving it a try?

Also how do you wear your hair to sleep? Do you braid it, bun it or just let it loose?