Breakage or new growth?

[luxepiggy]

Lately I've noticed a number of hairs whose ends taper to a point, but the tapered portion (usually the last 1mm or so) seems to fade to white at the tip. Are these hairs that were broken off?

I'm a bit confused b/c I know normally a white bit at the end is supposed to indicate breakage. But then I've read that you can tell new growth because it tapers at the end. So I don't know what to make of this tapering-to-white business! :confused:

[Madora]

I have those also and cut off the taper. Mine are all one color, no white showing.

[Sundial]

Bumping this up :D
I have some short strands around the crown area that are exactly as you described but I can't figure out if it was from breakage (from using bobby pins) or new growth too.

[Jenn of Pence]

Most likely it's just new growth, but yeah, it's a little strange that they're light at the end. Maybe it's just light reflecting off the tips? Sounds strange, but sometimes that happens to my ends when I S&D. Just a thought. ;)

[Sundial]

Oh! It just occurred to me: could it be that the tapered ends are so thin that they are translucent to the point of looking white?

Do you remember the thread that you had where you mentioned that you thought you had a strand of white hair but it turned out to be a blonde strand? It could be that the tips are just translucent, and the sections of translucent tapered ends are so small that you could have mistaken it for white?

[luxepiggy]

Oh! It just occurred to me: could it be that the tapered ends are so thin that they are translucent to the point of looking white?

Do you remember the thread that you had where you mentioned that you thought you had a strand of white hair but it turned out to be a blonde strand? It could be that the tips are just translucent, and the sections of translucent tapered ends are so small that you could have mistaken it for white?

You know what? I held some of them up to a piece of white paper, and you're right :D They just taper down to nothingness but they actually do have colour all the way to the ends (^(oo)^)v

By the way, I totally found a sparkly metallic gold strand yesterday, it looks so cool (^(oo)^)

[DARKMARTIAN]

By the way, I totally found a sparkly metallic gold strand yesterday, it looks so cool (^(oo)^)

I know that feeling....but mine wasnt gold :o
It was a slightly "lesser commodity"....:p...

http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt267/DARKMARTIAN/phpGNCu19PM.jpg

[luxepiggy]

I know that feeling....but mine wasnt gold :o
It was a slightly "lesser commodity"....:p...

Au contraire - platinum closed $281/ounce higher than gold today (^(oo)~)

[ericthegreat]

We all have shorter, tapering strands like that. Technically yes, these hairs do have split ends, but if we were to go after every single one of them with our scissors that would just be another kind of OCD! Everyone who has long hair of a considerable length has them, they are just natural shorter strands that have a shorter terminal length. I have plenty of these strands all over my head myself, they drive me crazy when they stick out of my braids or my buns but hey, what can you do? Cutting them won't make them grow longer, so I just leave them be and try to work them in as best as I can.

The ONLY way you can have perfectly thick ends without any of these split or thin ends is if you cut your hair into a short bob.:blueeek:

[kwaniesiam]

Au contraire - platinum closed $281/ounce higher than gold today (^(oo)~)

That's a wonderful way of putting it!

Definitely sounds like new growth. Tapered at the tip means new, usually a ragged end means broken.

[luxepiggy]

*snip*

The ONLY way you can have perfectly thick ends without any of these split or thin ends is if you cut your hair into a short bob.:blueeek:

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff33/shoppingpiglet/piggies/thunderlightingpiggy.gif The horror, THE HORROR!!!!

[DARKMARTIAN]

Au contraire - platinum closed $281/ounce higher than gold today (^(oo)~)

A new found inspiration...thank you. :)

[joiekimochi]

I hope it's new growth! I have lots of it sprouting on my head, it looks like I have this soft fuzzy and very super-fine halo on my crown. I thought it was breakage but it just tapers to nothingness. Hopefully it signals my shed is over and new growth will start again!

I think it shows up more on us Chinese girls because our hair is generally straight and flat, so new growth just sticks up perpendicular to our scalp instead of flowing with the rest of our hair.