splits 2+ inches up

[XJawbreaker]

Lately I have been finding splits and the little white dots way up the hairs. I'm afraid that if I keep S&Ding them, I'll lose length. I don't want to go get an actual trim until July, so I don't know what to do. My hair grows terribly slow and to chop off any more than an inch during a trim would make me sad.

Does anyone else have this problem?
If so how do you deal with it?

[Loreley]

I have splits all the way down from shoulder length. My hair is very fragile there and I have damage due to a hair dye two years ago. I do S&D on it regulary and it looks much better than last year. I trim the ends once in every three months, usually 1 or 2 cms.

[XJawbreaker]

I usually get a trim twice a year. My last trim was in January. Do you think it would be beneficial for me to trim more often?

[frizzalot]

If the splits are scattered throught out then I think you should continue s&d-ing. You don't need to trim unless majority of splits are at the ends. Remember if you don't cut them they will travel further up!

I recently cut off 2inches of my hair, took me 3months to get brave enough to do it. I was sad i lost the length, but it will grow back and it looks much better :)

take care

[Anje]

Trimming is only going to get rid of the splits below the point that you trim. If you have splits higher up, only S&D or a major cut will get rid of them. Be reasonable in your expectations, though. If you have splits up to your shoulders and cut your hair at that level to get rid of them, chances are that by the time you hit BSL or waist, you'll have splits at shoulder length again. All those slower-growing hairs and newer growth that doesn't go all the way to the hemline has had a couple of years without trims in that instance, and it's not surprising that some of them will show wear.

S&D is probably your best option to get rid of the high splits. Also consider your routine and ways to minimize damage, to help prevent the formation of more high splits.

Don't be too hard on yourself. I've got high splits throughout my length, and despite my best efforts I probably always will have some. Some hair is more split-prone than other hair. Reducing damage is more important if you're like that, but realize that for some of us, a few splits is part of having long hair.

[x0h_bother]

IMO, from my experience, yes getting a trim more often keeps the ends from splitting all the way up the shaft. You also lose length, but it's worth it because you are not left with scraggly ends. Some people just can't let go though, so they have long but damaged hair.

[chopandchange]

How many do you have? Are we talking a large proportion of your hairs that are split, or only a few?

If it's just an occasional few, I'd say don't worry about it too much. If there are loads and loads, it could be a sign you have damage there for some reason and need to get it cut off.

[XJawbreaker]

I don't have a ton of them. I've just never noticed having any until recently.

Thanks everyone for your imput. I really appreciate it. I think I'll just continue to S&D and find a good routine for my hair care.
I'm growing out a lot of layers, so I know I will have plenty of splits no matter what.

[spidermom]

I get those, too. Sometimes they're as much as 5-6 inches up from the bottom. At 1/2-inch trims every 3-4 months, it would take me 3-4 years to trim them off. The hairs will probably shed out before the splits get to the bottom! I S&D every once in awhile if I have to sit still anyway, like when I have an ice bag on my sprained ankle or am passenger during a long car trip. I really hate S&D, though; it makes my head hurt. I use coconut oil for conditioning and CHI coney serum to make my hair easier to handle so that I don't make the problem worse, and the dye I recently put through my hair has made my splits invisible, which I really appreciate.

[Carolyn]

I get them. I snip them off. I think they are only going to get worse if I don't get rid of them. I S & D a lot but my hair is very split prone. I trim to keep my hemline thick and even. A trim might get rid of some of my splits but it would never get rid of all of them. So S & D it is.

[HintOfMint]

Where exactly are your splits and white dots? Are they scattered throughout or are they in certain sections, for example in the under layer or the hair that grows from your temples? Location can tell you a lot about what is causing them and therefore, give you an idea as to how to prevent them.

[XJawbreaker]

Most of them I find are in the longest layers of my hair. My shorter layers are pretty healthy. Other than the ones on the right side of my face. I know I sleep on that side, and that's why those hairs are always dry and split. I haven't invested in a silk pillow case yet.

[HintOfMint]

Sounds like friction damage, probably from wearing your hair down and having it rub against your clothes and from your pillowcase. S&D is great, but getting that satin or silk pillowcase, and wearing hair up in a protective updo is probably going to prevent them in the first place.

S&D is a better option than what I did. :o I couldn't figure out why that part was constantly damaged, so I kept trimming that section and it was easily three inches shorter than the rest of my hair. Whoops.