Breakage at the ends.

[LocustSpawning]

I trim my hair regularly, rarely ever find a split, and I baby my hair a lot. & It still snaps off the ends when I brush it! The only way this could be avoided would be to cut like 6" of previous damage off, and I'm too scared to do that, so is there literally any way to help ends that break off when being brushed besides cutting them off? I don't have any splits so I thought it was fine. Grrrr.

[Alvrodul]

If it is damaged, there is no way to undo that. :(
You may not need to take all the damaged hair off in one big chop, though - if you trim regularly everything will be gone eventually.
Have you looked into oiling your hair? My hair loves oils - especially the ends - and I find my hair is easier to manage when I oil it. Also regular deep treatments - moisture treatments, definitely, and also protein if your hair likes that (mine is skeptical).
And do you brush your hair or use a comb? My hair does not care for brushes!

[nereida]

I agree with Alvrodul, my hair also loves oils. But I think that you've tried it, but if I am wrong I think you should try with oils. My hair "drinks" my coconut oil like crazy!
I can recommend you a boar bristle brush, but only natural without nylon! It helps to distribute all your natural hair oils along your hair when you brush systematically.

[EmiliaF]

My ends were also really dry and prone to splits and I thought the only way to get rid of this is cutting, but now I tried coconut oil and it helps a lot. I rarely find a split-end...

So if yours only break upon brushing I would try a light coconut oiling everyday and reducing brushing to a minimum... like finger-combing or using a BBB. Maybe that could help?!

[GRU]

If your hair breaks when you brush it.... don't brush it!

I had "false terminal" because I used to brush my hair before I got in the shower, thinking that I was doing a "good" thing by getting the tangles out while my hair was dry because I knew that wet hair is weaker.

Turns out I was just BREAKING OFF all my ends where they were snarled -- when the brush came to a knot, the weaker hair just got ripped off. When I stopped brushing completely and started detangling in the shower with conditioner-soaked hair, all of a sudden my hair "started growing" again.

I use a wide-toothed comb, starting at the ends of my conditioner-covered hair and working my way up until I can pull the comb from roots to ends without hitting a snarl.

Side benefit -- I have almost NO split ends since making this change. When I S&D, I might snip off 20-30-40+ fairy knots before I ever find a single split end.

[monsterna]

My hair gets bad tangles after I blow dry. Straight out of the shower? Doesn't happen. I only need a finger combing for a few seconds and then the seamless comb is good to go through it. After I blow dry, it's awful. I spend at least three minutes detangling and I still don't get them all, so some still break even when I comb slowly. It's annoying, so I know what it's like. I S&D but my hair is much shorter than yours, so I'm even more reluctant to cut off possible past highlight damage.

I do use coconut oil on the ends and half the length every day now though, and it helps a bit.

I'll keep an eye on this thread!

[Night_Kitten]

I second not brushing the ends if that makes them break - can you try combing with a wide tooth comb or finger-combing instead of brushing?

[WaitingSoLong]

I have this problem, too, so I absolutely STOPPED BRUSHING. I use a comb only. I use a BBB to smooth and distribute the oils as others have mentioned but the brush was really doing me in, and I had bought what I thought was a long-hair friendly brush. I also stopped messing wiht my hair so much which helped a lot. I wash it less often, some days I do not comb it at all. And yes, oil. It really is essential for ends.

If you are not familiar with the hair growth cycle, know that once a hair enters the last phase of it's life where it sort of stops growing and just sits there, it becomes thinner and thinner as the root bulb sort of dies. The hair circumference actually thins and breakage is much more likely (that is on healthy hair at the end of its cycle). About 10% of you hair is in this phase at any given point. http://www.hairinformation.com/hair-growth-system/hair-growth-cycles.shtml

I don't recommend a big chop to get rid of damage. I find that this just makes new damage on the new ends eventually. Occasional small trims to even the hemline and a lot of patience and all the damage will eventually be trimmed out. Oil will help a lot. Also, I found that a clarify followed by a good DCT helps my ends a lot. I recommend Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition conditioner. I recently found this per other LHC recommendation. And I use Biolage Conditioning Balm as a leave in, just a small amount down the length and on the ends after a shower before you towel dry.

What works for me may not work for you. I still have damage I am growing out, a good 6" left but I am not about to chop it! People kept telling me to stop brushing, but I was stubborn and insisted I needed to brush, a comb was not my thing. Well, I changed that attitude one day when I was sitting down, I had been wearing all black and was brushing my hiar to put in a bun (in the car) and it was snowing hair ends on my lap. I was appalled!

Good luck :O)

[GRU]

If you are not familiar with the hair growth cycle, know that once a hair enters the last phase of it's life where it sort of stops growing and just sits there, it becomes thinner and thinner as the root bulb sort of dies. The hair circumference actually thins and breakage is much more likely (that is on healthy hair at the end of its cycle).

This part confused me.... are you saying that the hair that has already emerged from the head starts to shrink / loses mass? :confused:

[Madora]

What kind of brush are you using?

If its a rounded brush type, your hair will not be happy as rounded brushes are for short hair.

Also, how you brush can effect breakage. Always go slowly, and use a BBB. Nylon is not good for beautiful hair.

[thatjengirl1]

Putting coconut oil on my dry/weak ends has really improved them. I really believe it's made my hair stronger. YOu have to be consistent though and not put too much oil in your hair. I would just put it on the last few inches.

If you dont like coconut oil, i like to take a little bowl and fill it with olive oil and put my ends in the bowl and let it soak for a few minutes.

I dont know if it works for everybody, but oils have really helped the ends of my hair.

[WaitingSoLong]

This part confused me.... are you saying that the hair that has already emerged from the head starts to shrink / loses mass? :confused:

Yes but now I cannot find the article I read that said that. So take it with a grain of salt.

[virgo75]

3rd not brushing.

Use a comb instead.

Also, you could slather your ends in conditioner and wear your hair up as often as possible just to make them last longer in between trims until all the damage is gone.

[GRU]

Yes but now I cannot find the article I read that said that. So take it with a grain of salt.

I could understand that the last bit of growth gets thinner as the follicle nears the end of its life cycle (the follicle starts sending out skinnier hair), but it doesn't make sense that the hair that has already been on your head for months/years would start to disintegrate....

[Fadedbluedreams]

I agree with not using a brush as well. Try to find a seamless wide tooth comb. They make a very big difference how they go through your hair. Cost more (my mason pearson comb cost me almost twenty dollars but it was so worth it) but there are no seams to snag on your fragile hair. Remember to start detangling from the bottom. Hope that helps :)

[deko]

Lose the brush!

I try only to finger-comb, but I occasionally use my wide toothed horn comb or my BodyShop wood comb. My hair still has some chemical damage on the ends so I try to give it extra moisture. In between wash days I wet my braid's end with cool water, add some moisturizing condish to the very end, rinse it off with cool water and usually add some leave-in or oil to the ends. This has helped a bit.

[kattygf]

sorry, bit the bullet and cut it. you will be wayyy happier and it will only take a year to grow back:o