Having trouble finding split ends?

[Fadedbluedreams]

Does anyone else have this problem? I have fine hair and I don't usually notice split ends, as in, I can't actually tell the difference between growing in shorter hairs and splits. I inspect my shed hairs closely, up to the light and try to detect them and last night I found a tiny little "S" crossing my hair. It was barely detectable, like a piece of fuzz. I'm pretty sure it was a split because there was a "white dot" that I've heard mention of on this site. This makes S&D practically impossible for me. I hope I'm not just stupid and there are others with my problem :)

[littlenvy]

Does anyone else have this problem? I have fine hair and I don't usually notice split ends, as in, I can't actually tell the difference between growing in shorter hairs and splits. I inspect my shed hairs closely, up to the light and try to detect them and last night I found a tiny little "S" crossing my hair. It was barely detectable, like a piece of fuzz. I'm pretty sure it was a split because there was a "white dot" that I've heard mention of on this site. This makes S&D practically impossible for me. I hope I'm not just stupid and there are others with my problem :)
ME!!
LOL... first my hair is very fine and blonde so its hard to see. Second its not too long yet so I have to go cross-eyed to look at it.
Third, I can't SEE very well. lol
Fourth, because its not long yet, splits haven't had a chance to develop.
So no S&D for me. I do regular trims (every 4 months) instead.

[ddiana1979]

Try using a strong light behind your head (or even go out in bright sunlight, if you're not worried about the neighbors thinking you're nuts) & use a magnifying glass. I know that sounds crazy, but it helps a lot. Some people just aren't prone to split ends. I had my hair last cut in January, and I don't have any (and believe me, I've searched all over & even made my stylist look. . . we're friends, so I can ask him to do that without getting charged). Blonde fine hair is probably the hardest to detect splits in. It might help to put a black background underneath. . . piece of construction paper or poster board?

[Intransigentia]

I also have trouble finding split ends. I know I've found a few, but never when I have scissors around. And I'm sure I have them, because some of my hair is pretty damaged. But even though it's long enough to look at, and my vision is good, I don't see them. I've decided not to worry about it. I'm sure that when there are more, I'll find them. Everywhere.

[Fadedbluedreams]

I can certainly see (or not see, haha) how blonde hair would be extremely difficult to detect splits.

Thanks for all the tips, Ddiana.

Intransigentia, I was thinking something similar, not to worry about it too much, because eventually those damaged hairs will just shed and new ones will grow in, and probably won't be subject to as much damage as before, that is, if we've "reformed" our hair care regimen, which I definitely have. :)

[jojo]

If you have trouble finding them, then you mustn't have many, mine reach out and slap my face for me!:slap:

[girlcat36]

Funny, I was just in the middle of an S&D session, using my computer screen as backlighting!

I have very fine hair, and I S&D maybe 2 or 3 times a year. I do it so infrequently because I rarely find splits.
It makes me wonder why I don't get them. I sleep on a silk pillowcase, I think that's part of it.
But my hair is dry, fine, and fragile. Sounds like a recipe for splits, but that isn't the case.

I'm beginning to think coarse hair is more prone to splits? :confused:

Was pondering starting a split ends poll when I found your thread.

[luxepiggy]

It's also possible you just don't get very many splits! There are quite a few of us hiding around the neighborhood (^(oo)^)v

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=53729

[JuneBride]

Look at your hair outside in natural sunlight

[Alix]

I just don't look to hard.:eek:

[Aria]

The computer backlighting is a really good way to find them, as is sunlight at the right angles. Try to pull out tiny locks of hair at once, then run a slight curve through the length of it. If they can be seen at all, they'll be oh-so-slightly finer than your normal hair, although I can't offer much advice on visibility. My hair is very dark. :(

[FrannyG]

I also have very fine hair and I'm not finding splits, because I don't have any splits.

When I did have splits from heat damage when I first joined here, as fine as my hair is, those splits were obvious. All of that hair has been cut out now.

I suspect that you genuinely have very few splits, or you would be painfully aware of them, fine hair or not. So WOO-HOO for you! :happydance:

[freckles]

I suspect that you genuinely have very few splits, or you would be painfully aware of them, fine hair or not. So WOO-HOO for you! :happydance:

Yep. I agree this is probably the reason. Congratulations fadedbluedreams on your split free hair! I'm jealous! :D

[Fadedbluedreams]

I also have very fine hair and I'm not finding splits, because I don't have any splits.

When I did have splits from heat damage when I first joined here, as fine as my hair is, those splits were obvious. All of that hair has been cut out now.

I suspect that you genuinely have very few splits, or you would be painfully aware of them, fine hair or not. So WOO-HOO for you! :happydance:sweet :) I guess I didn't really consider that.

[luxepiggy]

sweet :) I guess I didn't really consider that.
:hifive:

Congrats! (^(oo)^)

[Intransigentia]

yeah same here. I just assumed that since I do get velcro ends from time to time, I must have split ends even if I can't see them. I suppose it's also possible that what you don't see, isn't there!

[JuneBride]

yeah same here. I just assumed that since I do get velcro ends from time to time, I must have split ends even if I can't see them. I suppose it's also possible that what you don't see, isn't there!

I can only see mine in natural sunlight......inside, I have perfect hair hahaha!

[Sanyia]

If you have trouble finding them, then you mustn't have many, mine reach out and slap my face for me!:slap:

Ditto, although regular S&D made things much, much better!

[Marjolein]

It is also quite possible that your hair doesn't split, but instead just breaks off, leaving behind those dreaded white dots. My hair does that usually.

Oh, and for me the computer backlight doesn't work at all when searching for splits/white dots. A medium amount of light (otherwise the hairs get to transparent to really see) and a black background do the trick, though.

[ktani]

Does anyone else have this problem? I have fine hair and I don't usually notice split ends, as in, I can't actually tell the difference between growing in shorter hairs and splits. I inspect my shed hairs closely, up to the light and try to detect them and last night I found a tiny little "S" crossing my hair. It was barely detectable, like a piece of fuzz. I'm pretty sure it was a split because there was a "white dot" that I've heard mention of on this site. This makes S&D practically impossible for me. I hope I'm not just stupid and there are others with my problem :)

I do not think that you should consider this a problem, and no question to me is stupid.

Some people naturally have very few split ends, which are caused by dryness, through having genetically strong hair (no matter if it is fine) and a great hair routine.

My hair is a mix of mostly fine and medium diameter hair shafts. When I had split ends, it was obvious not only visually upon inspection like an s&d but also by how my hair behaved, with lots of tangling.

I s&d, next to a bedroom lamp with good lighting, and I wear dollar store reading glassess that are stronger than the ones I use to read.

Consider yourself fortunate that split ends are not a problem for you. It sounds like you are very lucky and your hair routine is not creating or making the problem worse.

Here is some information on split ends, http://www.hairscientists.org/trichoptilosis.htm.

And here is a post I did last year on white dots and split ends, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=690294&postcount=1669.

[Fadedbluedreams]

Thanks for the information, Ktani :)

[ktani]

Thanks for the information, Ktani :)

My pleasure!

[jane53]

I don't worry about split ends. I don't see them, but neither do I look for them.

(I just looked at a chunk of my hair and didn't see any. Good enough for me!)